novelxo Chapter 37
The two thrones that usually resided there had been moved back and the usual simplicity of the room had disappeared in lieu of exorberent decoration. Large vases of black flowers and beautiful pale orbs floated above Aurelia’s head, illuminating the black petals scattered around the room.
The archway itself was covered with black roses in homage to the Damaris flower, weaved in between the panels of the dark wood. In the evening hour, the sunset gave an orange glow to the room and Aurelia’s gaze caught on the tall ceiling above where hundreds of scenes of war and kings were depicted. The light filtering from outside gave the illusion that the artwork had come to life, as if they were mocking her as she walked to her doom.
Aurelia swallowed nervously and took a few more small steps forward, her gown swishing along the stone floor. Denial was her only friend as she walked to the steps, for nothing could prepare her for the next few moments, no matter what happened. Of all the forms of escape, she had no idea how she was going to get out of this room alive and unbound to the most terrible man known to the Continent.
There were only two other individuals in the room despite the hundreds of chairs that lined the stone floor. For their guests, Aurelia presumed, though there were only three of them in the grand space, the only sound the wind howling against the windows.
Dorian and Demir looked down to her at the bottom of the steps as they stood underneath the archway, remaining silent as she walked up to them.
“Darling,” Aurelia said, fighting to keep a calm tone to her voice. “What’s all this?” She forced a smile onto her face. “You do know how exhausted I am, surely? Dragging your brother around has had its toll on me.”
Dorian met her gaze as she arrived at the top of the steps and brought his hands to cup her own. “Aurelia...” He took a deep breath, his violet eyes staring into her own. “You look magnificent.”
He looked down upon her, a feral glint in his eyes. “I cannot bear the thought of losing you without being bound for eternity. If the past two days have taught us anything, it is that in times of such crisis, the bond established between us through our union is essential. Through our connection, I would’ve been able to find you, saving you from the horrors you’ve endured.” Though a smile was upon his face, it did not reach his eyes and a chill snaked down Aurelia’s spine.
Aurelia feigned a smile in return. “What’s the rush?” She said sweetly, stepping away from the archway. “Surely we could do it...tomorrow?” She glanced back towards the rows of empty seats. “At least to have a proper audience?”
Dorian tightened his grip on her hands. “What does that matter? You weren’t interested in such lavish affairs anyway.” He nodded towards Demir and the master of magic stepped forward, a pained look upon his face as he retrieved the book of sacraments that was used to bind a couple together for eternity.
A look of fear crossed Aurelia’s face as his grip tightened and she pulled at her hands, forcing them out of his own.
She couldn’t be bound to him forever.
Not only was the rest of her life at risk, but the entire Continent.
“No.”
She turned to walk back down the steps when an invisible force stopped her in her tracks, unable to move.
“What are you doing?” She hissed, fighting against the magic – the strange, unfamiliar magic that suffocated her every chance at movement.
“We are getting married today, darling,” Dorian said sweetly, the dark tone returning to his voice. “I tried being kind, being welcoming...and look how far that got me.” He casually strolled down the steps to where she had been frozen, using his forefinger to raise her chin so that their eyes met.
“As I’m sure you’ve heard, Damaris is known for its magical ability to bind two people together even when they do not desire it.” His eyes moved behind her to Damaris. “Go retrieve the crystal, Demir,” He commanded, and Aurelia heard his steps retreat as he left the room.
Her struggles began more desperate.
He was going to use mind control to force her into it.
She watched as Dorian placed another spell around the room, vividly purple light spreading to lock her within. A moment later, she felt the suffocating magic dissipate and she whirled around to face him, hardly being able to contain her magic that had responded to her unrelenting anger.
“You don’t want to do this,” Aurelia growled, taking a step towards him, her fists clenched. “You don’t know who you’re messing with. I will never marry you.”
Dorian’s eyebrows raised, unintimidated by the woman before him. “You truly dare to defy me? When I have unstoppable magic at my disposable? When I will be choosing whether your grandmother lives or dies?”
Aurelia’s eyes flamed in anger, her magic close to unleashing upon him in wrath. She felt it bubbling to her fingertips, ready to attack in full force.
“Go on, then.” Dorian said unabashedly. “Get on your knees. Beg for her life.” He shrugged. “Maybe I’ll save her.” His eyes returned to her face. “Or maybe I won’t. I’ll have the entire Continent. What’s an old lady, anyway?”
He climbed back up the dais stairs, standing above her, his violet eyes vibrant underneath the glowing orbs of light. Aurelia remained unmoving, staring up at him, her eyes swimming with rage. She refused to bow before anyone.
Dorian fell silent for a moment before continuing. “Did you really think I was stupid enough to not know what you were doing in secret? How my brother conspired with you to save his beloved Damaris people?” His gaze pierced into her, his eyes as cold as death. “Did you honestly believe I didn’t know that you were sleeping with my brother?”
Aurelia’s cheeks turned red. “We never—“ She began hotly but he interrupted her.
“I mean honestly, Aurelia.” He said sharply, waving his hand. “Trading your body so you could escape. Clever, I suppose. Except for one thing.”
Aurelia stared at him, her heart sinking as she awaited whatever he was about to say next.
“You see, Aurelia,” He stood, walking slowly back over to her. “You seem to have gravely underestimated my brother.” His head fell back in laughter, his dark, curly hair loose falling back. “And what gets me the most is that you believed him.”
Aurelia’s cheeks flamed. “Where is Ambrose?” She said angrily. “You lie. You are lying.”
What they had between them was real – and something that Dorian would never be able to experience because of his cruel, cruel heart.
Dorian’s laughter abruptly stopped. “He’s none of your concern anymore, Aurelia.” He walked back down the steps, mere inches from her. “You’ve been given the other brother.” He winked. “You should be happy with that. He’s really quite boring.”
A door opened behind them and they both turned to see Demir striding back into the room, a large, black crystal in his palm. She desperately tried to catch his gaze, but he refused to look at her as he handed Dorian the crystal. Aurelia knew he had no choice – it was death or obedience, yet her heart stung at the betrayal nonetheless.
Dorian’s eyes began glowing as he focused upon the crystal, summoning its dark magic. Aurelia knew she only had seconds to stop it.
Without hesitation, she reached beneath her gown and pulled out the dagger she had always kept hidden, throwing it directly at Dorian, her aim immaculate after the hours spent training with Lorcan.
Dorian growled, moving at inhumane speed as he reached up to grab the dagger, his gaze turning dark as he regarded the woman before him.
“You’re not marrying me,” Aurelia said breathlessly. “You’ll either take me dead, or not at all.” Her magic responded to her call, her power sparkling beneath her fingertips as she summoned tall flames to either of her hands.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Dorian said evenly as his hands summoned his own form of magic, of ice and snow. “You do realize who you are challenging?”
“Oh, absolutely. Best of luck, king.” She spat on the ground in front of him and before he could react, began throwing her fire towards him, teleporting before he could use his powers to attack her.
Much too quickly Dorian caught on to her technique, landing solid rocks of ice onto her body, using his mastery of lunar magic to catch up with her and remain relentless in his attack.
She was sure the ice was going to leave deep bruises, but she ignored the pain. Aurelia couldn’t let him slow down or catch her long enough to summon the crystal’s energy. She dipped further into the magic reservoir of her soul, moving faster and summoning the earth to trip his legs, thorns biting into his trousers.
Dorian roared in response, pulling his sword out of his sheath and blocking her attacks before he disappeared. His invisibility was in much stronger form than Aurelia’s, the air unmoving where he had been seconds before, unable to be depicted in the stillness.
Aurelia stood in the center of the throne room, her chest heaving as she slowly spun around the room, watching, waiting —
The hilt of his sword slammed into her abdomen, ramming her to the floor, ice chains encircling her body to render her immovable.
Dorian reappeared above her, a celebratory grin upon his face. “Now, can we move on to the ceremony?” He leaned towards her face, his eyes dark. “You really think I would let you die here when I could draw out your death for years, inflicting immense pain just for you to heal so that we could start all over again?” He raised his eyebrows. “You underestimate the brothers of Damaris, once again.”
“No,” Aurelia said icily as he turned away from her. “You underestimate me.”
Pulling at her magic, it rushed to her aid. The ice that she was stuck to, with the aid of her magic, rose high above him, a column of ice thick and inpentrenable to anyone but herself as Aurelia summoned the lunar magic she had been practicing, easily breaking the ice chains he had made. She stared down at him from her tower of ice, taking pleasure in the surprise that had overtaken his face.
“You didn’t honestly think you were the one the prophecy foretold, did you?” She asked sweetly, revealing two, glowing orbs in both of her palms, a small representation of the magic that flowed through her veins. In one, a replica of the sun, and in the other, the moon.
“A magic-born to unite the light and the dark.” Aurelia recited, motioning to herself. “Not a marriage, but someone who had the capabilities of both night and day.” She sneered down at Dorian, reveling in her success, but abruptly he dove towards Demir.
Aurelia felt as if she were watching in slow motion as he reached for the crystal from earlier and disappeared, invisible once more, and this time holding a crystal with the ability to completely control one’s mind.
That could control Aurelia.
No.
She felt her magic bubbling beneath her fingertips, her fear blooming as she peered down around the room, hopelessly looking to see if she could stop him.
It was then that she could feel something begin to wash over her mind, calling her to close her eyes, to fall into the oblivion, to the peaceful residence it offered.
Aurelia’s stomach dropped as she fought against it, feeling as if she was struggling with something dripping darkness over her mind, unrelenting, unstoppable.
“No!” Aurelia cried, fighting with all of her might, pulling at her magic to form a protective cocoon around, her, to do something, anything, to stop Dorian before it was too late.
“No!” Aurelia screamed again, her voice echoing across the marble floor, and in her moment of immense distress, her power surged. As the crystal beckoned her beneath its call, her mind losing its control, her magic unleashed to protect her.
Aurelia’s golden and silver threads of magic broke free, throwing her magic across the room in an explosive, golden light emanating from her body, an enormous force destructing everything surrounding her.
The arch and Damaris thrones smashed against the stone wall and broke into smithereens, the windows shattering underneath the pressure, the beloved Damaris banner being pelted with the glass shards.
Both Demir and Dorian were knocked unconscious as Aurelia’s magic overtook his own without a second thought. The dust of the crystal coated the floor next to him as the magic continued to overpower the room, removing even the slightest trace of enchantments that dared suffocate her magic.
As the dust settled around them, Aurelia glanced down at her body, her eyes wide, her hands shaking. Before, her magic had been calm and controllable, waiting for her use. Now she could feel it roaring beneath her fingertips, its power so massive she could summon a wildfire for miles at only the raise of her hand, rushing within upon her call. She felt it sway within her, her body just a vessel for such powerful magic to escape, to unleash.
What had she just done?
Within her mind, there were no longer two threads, one gold, the other silver. They had conjoined to one, fully unleashing the true power Aurelia withheld, fulfilling the prophecy of the magic-born that would be more powerful than all that would come before her.