Shade Academy

Chapter 37

"Anna, calm down." Samuel pleaded from his place on the bed. I gave him a venomous look and continued my pacing. "He's right Anna, there's nothing you can do now." Renee's small voice said. I stopped and stared at her. "What do you mean?" I asked. She looked towards Rose who sighed. "She did free us Renee, and took responsibility of us. We owe her." She said. 

"The king is a vile and cruel man." Renee began. "He beats his servants. He.." She looked to Rose who nodded her head, tears blooming in her eyes. "He made us sleep with him, among the other female servants. He will beats poor Flora. And Ashe." Renee closed her eyes and shook her head. "He tortures Ashe. Does unspeakable things to him. He hangs him from the ceiling by his hands and lashes him with a razor tipped whip until he is close to death. Will have the guards all come in and beat on him until most of his bones are broken. Will make him watch as his mother is beaten and raped, among other things. Draco is a vile man. 

I don't know where he got it from. The stories that were told about his mother Nova and father Tranix, they were amazingly caring, fair, they ruled the realm with love and compassion. They even saved the realm from destruction, giving their lives so the realm could carry on. It's a shame it was left in the hands of such a vile and vicious man." 

I heard her, but after what she told me about Ashe and Flora her words didn't process. Anger has been my best friend lately, coming here I was supposed to get a break from it. Seems I was wrong, because what I was feeling now, the pure rage that coursed through me was an all consuming fire. And fire it was. As the heat of my rage coursed through my veins my body blazed with a roaring blue flame, scorching anything it came into contact with. 

I forced my bond with Ashe open using my magic. The agony that filled me fueled my rage, feeding my fire. Everyone jumped from my path as I stood and followed my bond with Ashe. Everything on my way to Ashe was turned into nothing but blackened walls and floors and piles of ash where furniture stood. The castle servants noticing who I was followed behind my mates and newly adopted fae minors, curious as to what was happening. 

The castle guards tried to stop me, but they to was reduced to nothing more than a pile of ash, deterring any others from standing in my way. As Ashe's pain intensified so did my rage. To the point where I let out a yell filled with such power the castle shook, debris fell from the ceiling making people duck and cover their heads. 

Tired of trying to find my way to him, I used my connection to him and opened a portal to him. I stepped through, leaving the portal open, I wanted witnesses for what I was about to do. My portal opened behind Draco who was rearing back to lash Ashe who was slumped over in chains hanging from the ceiling, just as Renee said. If rage had a peak this had to be it. The castle rumbled under my power as I physically reached out and grabbed the whip, reducing it to ash, while at the same time freeing Ashe and encasing him in a protective barrier. 

Noticing Flora was at Ashe's side, I freed her and slowly lowering her small frame to Ashe's side. "King Draco." My voice boomed, the power within it shaking the walls of the dungeon like room so severely they started to crumble around us. He slowly turned to face me, a mixture of fear, hatred and envy in his eyes. "You truly are incredible." Draco breathed out. "You are a disgraced to Nova and Tranix. A disgrace to the fae realm and a vile vicious man. As my power give me authority you are stripped of your title as king of the fae realm and are exiled from the realm. You are no longer welcome here." 

Draco's smug look turned to one of shock as he dropped to his knees. It looked as if a green and blue light was dragged painfully out of his body. His mouth hung open in a silent scream as whatever light was finished extracting itself from him. Draco fell onto his back panting, his eyes bulging as the light swirled above him as if not knowing where to go. "You must appoint a new king." Flora said from beside an unconscious Ashe. I smiled and walked up to the light running my hand through it. It swirled around me as if it knew me, dancing against my skin. "Ashe will be the new king of the fae realm. He will make a kind and just king. I will make sure of it, I am his mate." I assured whatever essence resided within the light. It gave me what felt like a caress before swirling around and plunging itself into Ashe. 

Ashe's body arched off the ground as the light made its way into his body. When it was fully emerged into him, his body relaxed. Flora pulled Ashe's head into her lap and wiped his hair out of his face before kissing him gently on the forehead. "Thank you Anna." She whispered. I nodded at her and turned back to a stunned and limp Draco. "How? How is it possible?" He whispered. I chuckled. "That is none of your concern. You are henceforth banished from this realm. For the heinous crimes you've committed your punishment is to forever wander the empty, never to see the light of a realm again." 

Draco's eye's hardened. "You don't have the power to do that." He challenged. "Oh, really? You don't think so?" I thought of a random place, a place I've never been just as Ashe told me and opened a portal. Instead of a scenery being seen on the other side there was nothing but endless black. I looked back at Draco with a brow arched. "Now I don't have the power to do what now?" I asked smugly. "You won't get away with this witch. The rebellion will get you." He warned. "And they will kill you. You mark my words, you won't live much long. Even if they don't kill you physically." 

Before I could ask what he meant, Axel threw him into the poratl, "Axel no." I screamed trying to catch him before he went through. But me being me, forgot I was covered in flames, so when I caught him I killed him. I kicked myself mentally for being so stupid. What did he mean about not killing me physically? What other ways are there to kill a person? I released the flames on my body and sighed. 

"Anna, you did it! You got rid of Draco!" Rose yelled as she threw herself on me. I wrapped my arms around her, happy that now her and Renee could stay in their home. I'd have to ask Flora to care for them, I'm sure she would if her look when I freed them was any indicator. "Thank you Anna! Thank you so much!" Renee said softly as she hugged me alongside Rose. "It was never my intention to kill him, but I am glad that everyone if free if the tyrant. Ashe will make an amazing king." I assured them. I knew I didn't have to assure them, at least I hoped I didn't. Now that Draco was gone I hope the real Ashe will come forward. 

"You know you're Queen now, right?" Rose asked. I looked at her in confusion. "No, I'm not. I took Draco's title, not Flora's. Plus, Ashe and I haven't completed the mating bond yet." Everyone looked at me in shock, including Flora. "Then how did you get the mark?" Flora asked standing up. I removed the barrier so she could approach me and look at the mark on my arm. 

"Well, we just touched." I said honestly. "Who are you?" Flora asked looking up at me. "Well, Nova told me something I'm not comfortable sharing with so many people around." She nodded her head in understanding. "Now if you'll excuse me, I want to heal my mate." I said and made my way to Ashe. 

Ashe had already started to heal from where the light had touched him. I was heartbroken by Ashe's condition. His back was slashed open, skin hung off his back in chunks, muscle was torn open and exposed along his neck and back. It looked as if Draco had cracked the back of his skull open. It honestly surprised me that Ashe was still breathing. 

I placed my hands gently over Ashe's back as a light seeped out of my hand and into his back. Almost instantly his wounds began to heal. Muscle and skin began to knit itself back together until there was nothing but smooth skin left. Not even a scar was left as evidence of what happened to him. But other scars were there. So many other scars. Thin white lines covered almost his entire back. It made me cry. I couldn't imagine what Ashe must have been through, and it broke my heart to even think about it. 

I turned him over to where his back was on the ground and he was facing the ceiling. His face now looked peaceful, not drawn up with pain. I could feel comfort and ease through our bond as he rested. I caressed his  cheek and gently kissed his lips, wanting nothing more than to see those beautiful gem like blue eyes. 

"He'll be alright Anna." Flora said gently. "I know." I whispered. "I know, but I was so scared. What I found out, what I felt through our bond." I shook my head. "I thought I'd lose him." Tears brimmed in my eyes as I spoke. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost one of my mates. I don't know what I would be capable of or the lengths I'd go to to avenge them." 

A red haze clouded my vision as I looked up to the gathered crowed, all of whom gasped and stepped away. All except my mates. "I'd kill anyone. Anyone who killed them, anyone who got in my way. Anyone who tried to stop me, no matter who they are." It was warning, to all of them. "Your eyes are the most amazing thing." Flora said in amazement. "How they change with strong emotion, it's wonderfully beautiful." That made me laugh. "It scares most people." I chuckled. 

When Ashe began to stir my eyes snapped down to him just in time to see his eyes slowly crack open. "Ashe? Ashe, are you alright?" I asked frantically. Ashe reached up and gently wiped away a tear I didn't know I'd shed. "Why are you crying?" He asked in a whisper. I hugged his head to my chest tightly "I thought I lost you." I cried. Ashe chuckled weakly. "You can't get rid of me that easily." I pulled away and smiled. "You never have to go through that again. Draco's gone and he's never coming back." 

Ashe's eye's shinned with hope. "Really? How?" I looked up to the others before looking back to him. "Well, I got some inside information about what he does to you and I got angry. I forced our bond open to find you. When I got here, I stripped him of his title and banished him, in the process I accidentally killed him. My entire body was covered in flames and without thinking I moved to touch him. He was incinerated on the spot." I explained. Ashe's eyes hardened and held no remorse. "Good riddance." Ashe spat.

"Oh, and there is one more thing." I said nervously. Ashe turned to me and furrowed his brow. "What?" I gave him a sheepish smile "You're king now. The power had to go somewhere and you were next in line. You were the obvious choice." I tried to defend. Ashe didn't look mad though, he just smiled. "It's alright Anna. We just need to officially make you my queen now." He said matter-of-factly. I laughed, of course that's what he would think of. Queen of the fairie and the fae, not to mention the most powerful witch ever known and a royal fae with the essence of a goddess. Could I get any weirder or stand out more than I already do? Wait, don't answer that.