His Imprisoned Queen

Chapter 7 Kayden's Secret #2

Kayden's POV

The momentary lull was suddenly broken. An arrow that came out of nowhere shot right through the right eye of my father’s horse. The horse gave a loud neigh, his neck extending, his front hooves rising in the air. He heaved and struggled before his dead body hit the ground. My mother jumped off her horse right before another arrow went straight into her horse’s right eye. She teleported beside me and grabbed me in her arms. But I held my arms around Jill’s neck and wouldn’t let go. My mom shouted angrily at me, “Kayden!”

She forced teleported me with her to an empty space behind the guards, who were now in their barrier array. They blocked my view. I couldn’t see what was happening to Jill. But I could guess. My eyes started getting wet, a piercing agony hitting the back of my head. My mom sighed and hugged me tightly, “We will get you a new pony.”

“I don’t want a new pony! I just want my Jill!” I cried and couldn’t stop my tears. My Jill… we had only spent a year together.

My mother cooed, “I’m so sorry, dear… but we have to—”

Before she could finish her sentence, an invincible force blew up all the guards in front of us into the air. Their dead bodies smashed on the ground with many huge thumping sounds. I gaped, openmouthed, as blood was flowing out of their bodies. Then I looked at my mom helplessly. There were so many questions in my mind, but I was too stunned to ask any of them. What happened? They were supposed to protect us! Why were they all dead in the blink of an eye? My mother stood in front of me and covered my small body behind her. I clenched my mother’s shirt and poked my head out.

There was a black shadow in distance, but it was moving at an incredible speed so just after a few seconds, it was standing right in front of us. I had never seen anyone move so fast.

The shadow turned out to be a boy.

He was wearing a big black cloak, which made his pale face really stand out. I was amazed when I scrutinized him. He looked a lot like me, except he was taller and older. Not much older though. His face was young. He looked straight at me and his eyes glowed in red. I gasped and hid behind my mother.

“Richard! How did you…!” my mother seemed so appalled to finish the sentence.

“Hi, mother, long time no see.” The boy’s voice was bitter as he stared at my mother with so much acerbity.

My mind was buzzing. Why did he call my mother his mother? I never knew I had any siblings. But the fact that he looked so much like me kind of explained everything.

Before my mother could retort, my father teleported right beside us. He looked at me, then at my mother, then sighed in relief as he hugged us both, “thank god you are fine.”

Richard clapped his hands in a sarcastic way and said, “what a touching moment. What a sweet little family.”

My father let go of us and frowned. I found Richard’s eyes returned to normal colors. They were blue as the sea, just like mine. I gripped my father’s hand and asked timidly, “dad, who is he?”

My father’s lips pursed. There was a moment of silence, then he said sternly to Richard, “Richard, go back to your room.”

“Why don’t you tell him who am I?” Richard sneered. I couldn’t help but notice a small dimple around the corner of his mouth. I had dimples too.

A black vapor ball emerged in his right hand as he said in a threatening tone, “you’d better answer him. You don’t want to piss me off, do you?”

My father stepped forward and covered me in his shadow, “don’t you dare lay one finger on my son.”

Richard cast me a venomous look, his eyes glowing red again. He waved his hand. The ball flew in my direction, but instead of hitting me, it dashed and aimed for my father. My dad rolled aside and just managed to dodge the ball as my mom held me in her arms. My father shouted, “Sienna! Take Kayden somewhere safe! I will take care of—”

“No one is leaving.” Richard waved his hand again. This time, a shield emerged around four of us. Apparently, teleporting wouldn’t work at this point, but my mother still tried, and she failed. My mother looked at Richard with much sorrow in her eyes, “oh, Richard…”

“And don’t try to contact anyone,” Richard spoke coldly to my father as he tried to mindlink more guards.

My father walked to Richard in a few steps. “What do you want?”

His voice was dangerously calm. His face was somber. It made me think of weather breeder – a fine day often of unusual calmness and clearness that precedes stormy weather. Richard didn’t flinch when my father’s tall shadow covered him. Instead, he held up his head stubbornly and said with a shaking voice, “I want to stay with my family. I don’t want to be locked in that empty room all by myself. Not anymore.”

A sob slipped out of my mother’s mouth. Her tears were falling down silently. My father sighed.

“We’ve talked about this. You’re possessed by the evilest spirit in centuries. It is not safe—”

“I’ve learned to control him! He will stay still if I tell him to. Look!”

Richard clenched his fist as he waved the hand. The shield disappeared in a second. He said with excitement, “what’s better, I can use his power—”

“Richard!” my father shook his head impatiently, “I can’t risk my people’s lives!”

Then, he moved to the middle of my mother and me, grabbing us one by each arm. “And my family’s lives.”

“Family?” Richard let out a hysterical laugh, “I’m also your family. Why am I the one who has to make the sacrifice? Why do I have to stay in that damn little room for the rest of my life? It’s not my fault to get possessed! It’s not my fault to become…this. I was born like this.”

His sloppy arms were held down by his side as he became speechless. For the first time, he looked hurt and vulnerable. He looked like a child.

“I’m sorry, Richard.” My mother’s voice was shaking badly. I looked at her as she wiped her tears away, leaving stains on her face. “But you have to understand your father. There’s so much responsibility—"

“Father? He didn’t even want to admit that I’m his son!”

“Enough!” my father gave an exhausted sigh, “Go back to your room now, Richard. I will make your room more entertaining. But I warn you. THIS, should never happen again.”

Richard’s eyes turned cold. A part of me was frightened, but the other part of me couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed that Richard would go back to his room. I couldn’t stop thinking about what a cool brother Richard would be, with all those superpowers. And he seemed so mature for his age. I wished we could spend time together.

Richard winked at me like he could hear what was going on in my head. I fluttered and hid behind my father. With a wave of his hand, Richard released two ropes made of black vapor. The ropes dashed to my parents and tied them up. I screamed as my parents fell to the ground on their knees.

“We will meet again, brother. By the way, that’s a cute pony.” He gave me another wink before he disappeared into the dark forest.