The Cruel Prince's Wrath

Chapter 33

“I knew you had arrived; my men were ordered to let you through and stay out of sight and I killed Tolanda right before you got here. This was all worth it just to see your face and watch as your heart shatters into pieces,”

“Where is the body?” Velkin asked stepping forwards ahead of the frozen Iefyr.

“I had her body tossed into the forest, animals will likely get at her,” he said coldly.

“I’ll kill you…” Iefyr muttered blankly and then he looked at his brother with anger in his eyes, “I’ll kill you!” he screamed before he ran at Ievos sword ready but Ievos blasted ice at his sword wielding arm causing him to drop his weapon. He did not stop, and he ran at Ievos sending him over the balcony and following shortly after him, Ievos swiftly made a slope out of ice to ease the landing and they recovered at the bottom. Neither seemed to have a weapon now and Iefyr raged towards his brother once more as they fought in the courtyard. He blasted fire at him with such speed and ferocity, Ievos was even struggling to dodge the attacks, his arm caught some flame and he pulled back holding his burned arm. Both breathed heavily and he could tell Iefyr was getting spent.

“Brother! You are overexerting yourself!” Velkin called from the balcony and he used his wings to fly down to meet them whilst Liv and Tolan ran out of the palace to also end up in the courtyard at the back of the palace. “Take a minute,” Velkin said and stood in place of Iefyr.

“I will be the one to kill him!” Iefyr growled.

“Am I to kill two brothers today?” Ievos asked still confident though he sustained an injury.

“Ievos, you have lost your mind but even I cannot believe you killed Tolanda. We came here to rescue you, to bring you back to us but now it is plain to see you are beyond that. I am sorry,”

“You gave your bond mate up for execution,” Ievos reminded seeing the pain crumple his youngest brother’s brow for a moment at mention of Ishka. Iefyr pushed forwards now, and both tried to burn Ievos with their fire and he returned fire with his own blue flames. The courtyard caught aflame, all plants in the beds were burning and any trellis caught fire too. Liv and Tolan arrived looking around at all the fire.

“The whole palace will go up soon if they do not stop,” Liv said and looked at Tolan his face was a picture of anger.

“Let it burn, I wish to see Ievos burn with it,” he said darkly. All three dragon prince’s were overexerting themselves now and they each stopped their fighting out of breath, drained from using too much power. Ievos could feel even his sorcerer powers would be a risk to use. He laughed as he looked at Iefyr.

“So, I can see that your powers have even improved, I tried asking Tolanda but thought if I tested you outright then that would give me a much better idea,” Ievos said.

“I cannot believe it, Ievos, you killed her? You loved her how could you?” Iefyr asked and Ievos laughed again.

“Now is not the time to be killing you, either of you, she is locked inside my mother’s chambers,” he tossed a key to the ground.

“Another trap,” Velkin said.

“What was that heart you held in your bloodied hands?” Tolan demanded stepping forwards.

“I tore it from a beast in the forest then flew up to my chambers when I knew you were coming,” Ievos said, “so I see you survived my attack, you are tougher than you look,” Iefyr picked up the key.

“You are just letting them leave?” they heard and looked to see a raven-haired elven woman standing to the side but there was something about her eyes that did not seem quite right. Iefyr noticed even Ievos looked at her with uncertainty. Suddenly her face changed completely, and a dark force erupted from her body in the shape of a woman like a second being flying out towards Iefyr but Velkin stood in the way to protect him and it collided with him. He cried out and then the dark force seemed to be pulled back into the woman who fell to the ground. Ievos looked just as terrified as the rest of them and Iefyr caught Velkin before he hit the ground.

“What in the world was that?” Iefyr shouted trying to hold his brother who was writhing in pain.

“My… soul has been injured,” Velkin realised.

“Ievos… what happened?” the dark-haired elven woman asked as she came around. Ievos hurried to her and held her.

“Setka’Sier,” he muttered having the same cold feeling he felt after the rituals his mother performed on him as a child. “It feels like her,” he looked over to his brothers.

“I don’t… I do not think Tolanda could even heal this… I need… the elders…” Velkin muttered and Iefyr looked over to Ievos and the woman he held, the dragon kingdom was far away and Velkin was suffering. “You must… go and get Tolanda,” Velkin said through gritted teeth. Iefyr lay him gently down and hurried past Liv and Tolan to return to the palace and to get Tolanda. Liv walked towards Velkin and sat to offer comfort and Tolan, with cold eyes walked towards Ievos where he sat on the ground with the elven woman.

“Is my sister really alive or are you just sending Iefyr into another trap?” Tolan asked.

“She is alive, I do not see the point in killing either of them so early… we have another battle and it seems more fitting to kill them there,”

“Another battle, you mean you really are going to the Shadow Dragons for allies?” Liv asked.

“How did you learn of that?” Ievos asked.

“Iefyr searched for you at the castle your mother is at and he overheard some conversations,” Liv informed.

“I see, so that little trick he used is good for spying, interesting to know,” he replied.

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Iefyr hurried up the stairs and towards the chambers once more with the key Ievos had given him, he rushed to what he believed to be Cauladra’s chambers and certainly the door was locked so he tried the key. He burst through the door to see Tolanda alive and well tied to the post of the large bed and sitting on the floor.

“Iefyr!” she gasped, and he went to run to her but then a voice stopped him.

“You do not get to go to her. Is my prince unharmed?” it was Urro, the dragon servant from the dragon palace.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” Iefyr asked.

“I am here for my prince Ievos of course, I wanted to continue to serve him, and he charged me with watching Tolanda. Is he alive or did you kill him?” he asked again. Iefyr looked from Urro to Tolanda who also waited apprehensively for the response.

“He is alive, he gave me the key for this room I did not kill him and then take it, but we did fight, and the courtyard is aflame,” he said and Urro proceeded towards Tolanda cutting the rope that tied her arms to the post. She pulled herself up and ran to Iefyr, he hurried to her and they collided in an embrace. He held her face and planted his lips onto hers. “Ievos told me he had killed you… I was so… broken and was going to kill him but he was just toying with us. We must hurry Velkin is injured.” He took her hand and they rushed out, Urro watching after them as they left.

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Iefyr and Tolanda arrived back at the courtyard where the flames were still engulfing the plants and beginning to lick at the palace. Ievos was still on the ground holding that strange elven woman who seemed disoriented by what had happened as though it was a power out of her control. Parts of the courtyard were falling around them but Ievos just watched as they lifted Velkin and helped him up before they continued away. Tolanda looked back around to Ievos meeting eyes with him as he sat amongst the crumbling courtyard. He hurt her but he had not killed her, and he did not kill Iefyr either. Was there still hope for him? Or was he simply doing as he said and saving it for another time? She could not know but she was certain that he had changed back to someone dark and cold and even more so than before. She had lost any pull towards him and she was certain her bond with him was severed once and for all. Perhaps that had been his goal to make his own suffering lessen as the bond between them broke.