He and Nyx and the prince made their way back to the rebel camp through an eerily silent forest. The youngest prince fell behind, his pale-complexioned face bearing more than what the weight of recent battles had left.
"Are you okay?" Liam asked over his shoulder.
The Prince nodded, but his voice was dark and hollow. "It's not the wounds. It's... everything. The betrayal, the deaths... my sister."
Liam slowed his gait to allow the boy to catch up and put a hand on his shoulder. "We still have work to do. She is still alive, and we will put an end to her."
Nyx jumped onto a boulder and fixed his glistening yellow eyes at the distant horizon. "Unless the bitch beats us to it. That hooded figure was no run-of-the-mill freak."
Liam's jaw defined its tension. He listened to the echo of that figure's mocking applause and cryptic dialect in his mind. "No. They are a part of her somehow. We will soon find out who they are."
And as they neared what would be regarded as the edge of the forest, a tingle ran through Liam's senses. The trees around him swayed unnaturally, their shadows lengthening even when the moonlight chose not to change.
"Stay on your toes," Liam said in a hushed tone, his hand instinctively finding refuge on his sword.
The Camp in Ruins
They stepped out of the broken forest and stood looking at what was once the rebel camp for the prince, now it only remained that-what had remained.
Tents lay ripped and open, fires burned now only smoldering coldly in the night air. Bodies lay strewn over a deserted ground, many of them familiar to Liam, as some of the prince's most loyal allies.
"No..." whispered the prince, his voice trembling. He sprinted toward the camp, stumbling over the debris.
Liam and Nyx followed, scanning the area for sign of life.
"It wasn't an army," Nyx breathed with a quick sniff of the air. "Too clean. Too fast. This was magic."
"Her magic," Liam added bitterly.
They discovered a handful of survivors huddled near the remains of the command tent, faces a pale mask of terror. One of them-a young woman with a bloodied face-looked up as they approached.
"My prince!" she wailed, scrambling down onto her knees. "You're alive!"
"What happened here?" the prince inquired, helping her up. "Who did this?"
Her lips trembled as she whispered, "It was... her. The Princess came with her shadow beasts last night. They ripped down our defenses like parchment paper. Those who mortally pledged allegiance to her..." Her voice cracked while she gestured to the fallen soldiers.
The prince's fists clenched until his knuckles blanched. "It has gone too far now. I... I should have stopped her when I had the chance."
"You weren't ready," Liam said firmly. "But we are now. This isn't simply about taking back the throne anymore. This is about stopping her before she destroys everything."
Nyx's ears twitched and he growled out very low, "We don't have much time. Look."
Liam followed where Nyx was gazing to see in the center of camp a blackened symbol burned into the earth-a jagged spiraling sigil.
"That's not just a warning," Liam said grimly. "It is a beacon. She is taunting us. Drawing us out."
The Mysterious Ally
They were still trying to sort through their officer's thoughts, when a very small voice piped up from the shadows.
"You really shouldn't delay."
Liam spun around and drew his sword to fight, so did the prince, while Nyx bared his teeth.
A form erupted from behind the remains of a tent- -a man deep enveloped in a tattered cloak whose face was partly obscured by a hood. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.
"Who are you?" Liam demanded with sword still raised.The man raised his hands as a meaning of peace. "A friend. Or, at the very least, not your enemy."
Nyx hissed, "Not an answer."
The man chuckled and pushed back the hood to reveal sharp features and piercing blue eyes. "You may call me Kael. I have been watching the Princess rise these past few years."
"Watching?" the prince spat, anger flashing from the depths of his cobalt eyes. "Why haveth thou not done something?"
Kael's expression darkened. "Because I'm not suicidal. She is much stronger than you think, boy. She has not merely dabbled anymore; she has merged with dark magic and her essence is now corrupted."
Liam's grip tightened on his sword. "Then why come to us now?"
"Because you might be the only ones capable of stopping her," Kael stated bluntly. He pointed to the sigil burned into the ground. "That is a summoning mark. She's prepping for something big, and if she pulls it off, your little rebellion won't mean a damn thing. None of us will survive."
The Hidden Message
Kael knelt beside the sigil, tracing its edges with his finger. "She's trying to summon a fragment of the Demon King's power. Not the full being—just a piece. But even a fragment is enough to destroy this kingdom."
The prince's face paled. "Why would she do that? She's already won! She has the throne!"
"She doesn't care about ruling," Kael said, standing. "She wants power. Pure, unbridled power. The throne was just a stepping stone."
Liam stepped closer. "Can this summoning be stopped?"
Kael smirked faintly. "That depends on how much you're willing to risk."
Liam looked at the prince and Nyx before nodding. "Everything."
Kael's smile widened. "Good. Then we have a chance. But first..." He pulled a small, glowing vial from his cloak. "You'll need this."
"What is it?" asked Nyx suspiciously.
"Purified essence," Kael replied. "It can sever her connection to the dark magic, but only temporarily. It will give you a window--nothing more."
Liam took the capsule, mind racing. "And the summoning itself?"
Kael paused a beat before replying. "The sigils are tied to her blood. To interrupt the ritual, you'll have to face her. Destroy her authority over the summoning, or..."
"Or?" pressed the prince.
Kael's gaze turned steely. "Or watch this kingdom burn."
The Unexpected End
They had just finished packing when suddenly there rose a sharp yell in the camp. Liam turned just in time to see one of the survivors fall onto the ground clutching his chest.
Black tendrils of smoke were curling up and twisting as they rose from the person's body.
"What is happening?" the prince yelled.
Kael's expression was darkening. "She has marked them. Anyone who pledged loyalty to her bears a fragment of her magic. She has the power to kill or torture them whenever it pleases her."
The tendrils solidified into a little shadowy figure which hung in the air then began speaking with the voice of the princess.
"You can't run from me, little brother," hissed the shadow. "I see you. I'll always see you."
The shadow turned to Liam, its red eyes glowing. "And you, outsider... You've meddled in my plans for the last time. I'll be waiting."
With a cold laugh, the shadow dissolved, leaving behind only the lingering scent of ash.
To be continued...