As he swings again, I slip under his arm as the creature lunges. Its form becomes clearer in the dim lantern light, and what I see horrifies me. It’s not a Sarrol or a Monstrauth; it’s something else entirely, something that might once have been human. Its skin is a wet and pale gray, stretched tight over its emaciated frame with no distinct features until you reach its head. Gods, its head—it has no eyes, no nose, only a giant mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and a black pointed tongue.
The creature hisses, its enormous mouth snapping at Colton’s arm. He reacts quickly, plunging his dagger into its chest. Inky black blood seeps out, pooling on the ground. I swallow hard, staring down at the creature.
“What the fuck?” I murmur under my breath, a sentiment echoed by Colton as he stands beside me.
A pit of worry starts to fester in my chest as I slowly turn toward where the children had been playing on the edge of the forest. Silence descends, punctuated only by the heavy beat of my heart thudding in my ears. My breathing stops as I spot two small bodies on the ground in the distance. Without looking at Colton, I channel instantly to their side, and the moment my knees hit the ground, I have to clamp a hand over my mouth to stifle the scream rising in my throat.
How did this happen? These kids were only playing mere feet from the back of one of the shops—a place that should have been safe.
I start to shake my head, tears wellingin my eyes, as the gravity of the scene overwhelms me. Then Colton’s hand is on my back, as he kneels next to me.
“Why?” I manage to whisper, my voice breaking.
He curses softly under his breath.
“I never even heard them scream,” he says, and he’s right—one minute I heard their laughter in the distance, and the next only silence. What was that thing, and how did it strike so swiftly and undetected?
“Neither did I,” I reply
A man’s voice, panicked and urgent, calls out from behind us, “What happened?” He races toward the children, dropping to the ground and frantically shaking one of them, screaming his name in a desperate bid to wake him. My heart shatters at the sight.
A crowd begins to gather around us, and I step back as another couple collapses near the other child’s lifeless body. Colton places his arm on the small of my back and leans in close. “Maybe we should go,” he whispers, but it’s too late. In the commotion, my hood has slipped off, and whispers are already swirling through the crowd.
“What have you done?” a woman on the ground exclaims, pointing directly at me. Oh gods.
I freeze, shaking my head frantically. “This wasn’t us. This was...” I glance toward where the creature was moments ago, only to find it gone.
“It’s the dark sorceress,” another voice shouts, and panic begins to set in.
“It’s the dark princess, the one with shadows,” someone else adds, and Colton’s grip tightens around me.
I sense Colton’s essence gathering, ready to channel us away, but I push away from him before he can act. “I didn’t do this. I would never hurt a child,” I plead, my voice rising over the murmurs of the crowd. “You have nothing to fear from me.I’m on your side. This was a monster.” I’m desperately trying to convince my people that I am not the enemy that Samael and Kaine have painted me to be.
“You’re the only monster here!” a man in the crowd yells back, his voice filled with conviction and anger.
“The king put a price on her head. Capture her!” another man shouts, and panic surges through the crowd like a wave.
Before I can attempt to calm the situation or defend myself further, the crowd surges forward. The air is thick with fear and accusation, and in moments they are upon us.
“Don’t harm anyone!” I yell to Colton over the roar of the crowd, but he’s nowhere in sight. I’m encircled, the air crackling with charged magic. “Please, listen to me!”
That’s when the first strike hits me—a bolt of magic slams into my back. I hunch over, absorbing the blow, striving to maintain composure. Spells are hurled at me from multiple directions, and a woman swings a branch at my head. I dodge the branch, but another spell strikes me. Panic rises. I should channel out, but I can’t spot Colton, and I’m surprised by how quickly the situation has spiraled out of control.
Suddenly, someone yanks my hair from behind, jerking my head back painfully. I cry out as the dark magic I’ve been holding back unleashes itself.
In an instant, darkness explodes from me, not seeping out slowly but bursting forth violently. My shadows swallow the entire crowd. Everyone freezes. I straighten up, and as the darkness recedes, I see my shadowy tendrils have shot out into dozens of branches, sealing every mouth except Colton’s, who I hear chuckling somewhere in the distance.
I clear my throat and stand a bit taller, my voice firm and resolute.
“People of Cloudrum, look at me and see your future queen, not as a figure of dark tales, but asone of your own. Yes, I possess powers that many fear—powers that could, if I wished, bring devastation upon those who stand against me. But look around you—none are harmed because I choose peace over violence, healing over hurt.
“I could unleash destruction, yet here I stand, imploring you to see the truth. I am not your enemy. The very magic that courses through me, the shadows that respond to my call, are the same forces I harness to protect, not to persecute. Samael has painted me as a monster, a creature to be feared and hunted. Ask yourselves why.”
I gradually draw my shadows back into myself. The crowd remains silent, attentively following each word. It seems I have captured their attention. Now I need to earn their respect.
But as I begin to sense a shift, I’m abruptly interrupted by a man in the crowd who yells, “You are a monster!”
A woman shouts, “We know what courses through your blood.” Chaos erupts anew, the brief silence shattered by screams and accusations.
