The Serpentine's Revenge

Chapter Fourteen

I grabbed him, pushing him up against the bloodied wall, blades in both my hands. The blade from Crimson, and the blade from my father’s corpse. I will finally use them as I have wanted since I was young. They will be used to avenge my parents’ death. Everything I have lost was because of him. Ari—no, Cobalt will finally understand what it means to piss of The Assassin of Azuria.

“WHAT THE HELL?” He screamed as one of my blades pressed closer to his throat. The other poised over his heart. Why is this a surprise to him? I’m sure he would’ve known the consequences that come with a betrayal.

“YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST BETRAY ME AND I WILL BE OKAY WITH IT!? WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT DO YOU BELIEVE?” I shouted louder than him. My pulse thumped in my head, my hands burning and shaking with anger.

“IS THIS HOW YOU SHOW ME THAT YOU LOVE ME? YOU ARE A LIAR!” I pushed my face closer to him. I opened my mouth to continue yelling, but he clamped his hand over my mouth.

“For once, please stop yelling. I want to talk.” I dropped one of my daggers to yank his hand off my mouth. I forced my hand into a fist, squeezing his wrist. The blade landed with a clang on the marble. A crack exploded from where the dagger hit.

“You don’t get to talk. You don’t get to do anything, except to say hello to the Devil for me. I don’t have to kill you to do that. You work for her. But I’ll send you to the real one just to make sure.” I lifted my arm, ready to plunge the knife deep into his chest. But he caught my arm.

“Let me explain. Please.”

“Fine. Give me a nice testimony before I gut you.” I released him, his wrist red from the pressure. I bent down to pick up my dagger, my eyes not leaving his once.

“I never wanted to work for her. She threatened my family, to kill them, hurt them, if they didn’t hand me over to her forces. I was a thief. One that was apparently good enough to help her do what she wanted to do. I gave myself up. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of me. That’s all I wanted.”

I scoffed. “Do you know what you did?” I raised my eyebrows. “You wounded me a hundred—no, a thousand times— and pretended you were the one bleeding. You thought you knew pain? Fear? You almost—almost— lost your brother, and you were screaming for help. Your queen, your wonderful, benevolent queen, came to your rescue. She saved your life, but I was still bleeding to death. You saw me wounded, but you did nothing. You gladly lived in luxury, while I suffered. That is not love. You don’t love me, and you never did.”

“I wanted to save you. But you are beyond saving. But I love you with every imperfection you have and—”

“Go sell your empty promises to someone else. I’m sure you have plenty of women—and men as well—at your disposal. You know nothing about love.”

I turned and began walk away when he practically shouted, “And you do?! You have no family, no friends, nothing!”

How dare he. He knew it wasn’t my choice to have nothing. He was the reason I had nothing. Anger bubbled in my stomach, ready to burst. “I had you!” I blurted out. “Don’t you know? I thought I could have a life with you. A future. But clearly I was wrong. You are nothing but a liar, and a cheater and a fake.” I immediately regretted it. He took a step forward. He placed his hand on my cheek.

“Azuria.” His voice shook through me. He said my name. He heard all of what Allura had said. He knows. “Do you love me?”

I took his hand off my cheek.

“I have my answer. And that would be no.”

“No? You don’t love me?” I shook my head. I slipped his ring off my finger, and handed it to him.

He stared at the ring. “My answer is no. I would never marry someone like you. Never.” I spun on my heel, and put on my hood.

“If you let me go, you’ll never find someone like me.” I scoffed.

“That’s the point,” I continued to walk. I saw the marble arch, and the light on the other side.

“But I love you! Isn’t that enough to stay?”

“You don’t get it, do you? I will never love someone like you. You may love me, but I don’t. Why would you think that saying that you love me means everything? It doesn’t.”

“But do you love me?” I turned around. His innocent expression, his pleading eyes drove into my heart. Arian’s beautiful blue eyes. I pursed my lips.

I squared my shoulders, and lifted my chin. “ I loved you. But I don’t anymore. Not after what you’ve done. I never want to see you again.” I turned away. I felt hot tears begin to stream down my cheeks. I didn’t bother to wipe them away. Let them see my weakness. Let them see who I am, broken down and trampled. Because I don’t care. I stopped walking, but didn’t bother to turn around.

“Cobalt. You knew who I was from the very beginning. Didn’t you? You didn’t want to me to help the Girl. I was the Girl. You only wanted to satisfy Your Queen.”

“She’s not my…”

“Stop telling lies. You never loved me. You never loved anyone, but Your Queen. Good luck with that.” Millard was waiting for me at the entrance. The real Millard. I looked back at Cobalt, and sent a smile to him.

I grabbed the collar of Millard’s shirt and pulled him into me. I kissed him with ferocity and passion. My lips tingled. I glared back as Cobalt, and intertwined my fingers through Millard’s. I really wished I could make him combust on the spot with just a look. I wanted him dead so badly. But I have given him a punishment worse than death.

Life. I let him live with all that he has done.

Once we were out of the palace, I quickly took my fingers out of Millard’s. “That was— I’ve never been kissed like that before.”

I rolled my eyes. “I kissed you to show that bastard what he’ll miss. Now go. Go home. Live your life, please forget about me and everything about me.” I turned and walked away.

I looked down at my wrist. The once beautiful tattoo, now marred and bloody, had a s***h running from the top to the bottom.

A scar, straight across the tattoo, dividing it. Divided just like my family. Separated between realms. The Dead, and The Living.

What did Peter Janadexiand do to create a monster like Allura? What did my father do, to fill Allura’s heart with evil? As much as I wanted to know what he did, some things should better be left unsaid. But secrets always find their way to the surface.