Chapter 7 | Rêves inhabituels

Rêves inhabituels

Unusual dreams

I AM standing in the garden of a palace I don't recognize. It isn't the Rubies as ours is grander than this. The palace is made up of marble, with green colored glass windows. There is a dome in the centre, as much I can make out from the position, I am in. There are beautiful carvings of wood on the marble. Vines hang out from the walls in some places.

The sun shines bright, unlike in the land of Rubies. Where am I? I don't spot any flag or in fact anybody else nearby. The heat is killing me, I am not used to the warmth of the sun that much. I want to go back to the land of cold, my home.

I am wearing some jeans and a green sweetheart top. My white skin is now tanned, which puzzles me. Where the hell am I?

But then suddenly, I hear a voice. Three of them to be precise. I turn around, only to be knocked down to the ground. I look around and spot three children hugging me, all at once.

"Momma, look what we found! Daddy needs to see this!" the girl says.

She looks around three to me. The boy, who is literally hugging my leg right now, looks somewhat like her. They must be twins or something. The girl reminds me so much of myself when I was young.

The other boy, maybe around five or six, is pulling my hand to get me up. They are all excited to show me something. I get up, but I can't walk. My feet are stuck to the ground.

What the hell is going on?

"Momma, come on! Daddy must be waiting!" the younger boy says.

What the hell? How am I their momma?

I mean I am 22! I am not even married!

I don't move at all. But then I look into their eyes. I have no idea why I didn't notice it before. I guess, I never looked at them that carefully.

I pull up the girl in my arms and look at her eyes.

This isn't possible. If I am their momma, this isn't possible.

Instead of red eyes, like mine. They are green. Green like the emerald.

I put the child on the ground. I am in the land of Emeralds? Why are these kids calling me their mother?

What is happening?

But before I can say something, the ground opens and I am pulled back into darkness.

I jolt up on my bed. I must have fallen asleep. The liquor bottle is still in my hand and my head is throbbing. I am drunk. I look at the clock on my wall, it is quarter past seven right now. The dinner with my parents is at eight so I must get ready. My stomach is growling and I realize that I haven't eaten anything from morning. Except the booze if you count it as food. I look at myself in the mirror, and I am a mess. Some magic will help.

There were some tricks taught to us during training to deal with these situations so that we are on alert all the time. It was funny at first, but now I understand the need. I manage to call Ankita. I am so drunk I have no idea what am I speaking.

What seems like an eternity after, Ankita comes to my room and by the look of my face, she knows what to do. I don't know how, but she does. I haven't been drunk before her and a witch not in her senses is a dangerous game you don't want to play. My head is feeling like it's going to explode any time now. Ankita helps get me up and takes me to my washroom. A bath awaits for me. The lavender smell greets me once again, but I am so toxic right now I could barely focus.

Without saying anything at all, Ankita helps me take out my clothes and then helps me get in the bath. The warm water greets me once again and I feel relaxed. I know what I have to do now. Just a couple of magic tricks and then I will be fine in five minutes.

Ankita gets me a glass of water and I then focus on the water inside it. I feel the magic radiating from my hands into the water as I focus on the normal image of myself in my head. I open my eyes and see that the water is now green, meaning that it worked. I drink it quickly and close my eyes for it to work.

I feel my body getting better and the liquor evaporating out of my body. My headache starts disappearing until it is eventually gone. I regain my conscious and feel a complete control of my body. I open my eyes to find a very concerned Ankita looking at me. She doesn't say anything, though.

The fact that the Rebels are after my life, that I have black magic, my ex-lover isn't letting me go and that something bad is coming is enough to mess me up. I mean how can I be perfectly fine after all these? What have I ever done to hurt the First Borns? Why have they decided to mess up my life so much?

Suddenly, the water doesn't seem to calm me down anymore, it just seems to irritate me more. By blood is boiling and I crave for another drop of alcohol. But I can't, I have to meet my parents for the dinner. At least, one of their own children have to be there for them even though they seem to be just okay with being themselves lately.

What has gotten into everyone nowadays?

Can't they sense the danger brewing around them?

***

After getting ready,I leave the room and head towards the dining area. I nod to the Armindas who greet me when I pass them. There is a deathly silence in the palace, and I don't like it at all. It just gets in my nerves more and my heart is pounding hard in my chest. I feel like I am going to puke, which I certainly don't want to considering I am heading for dinner right now.

I hope to get a private audience with my parents as soon as the dinner gets over. I might fill them with the recent discovery of ours, leaving behind the details of how we fetched that information. It might not the right time for this. I don't want them to be more worried than they already are. I am sure they will be able to breathe a little after I inform them that we have a lead. I really hope to see their calmed faces for a change.

I am interrupted rudely by a blast.

A literal blast.

The window next to me bursts and some of the bits of the glasses cut through my skin. The main is too much but I have dealt with worse. But my head is pounding, again. My body refuses to get up, I just lay surrounded by the glass. I want to just stay in the floor in pain, forever. But I know better.

I hear gunshots and I know we are under attack.

The rebels are here.

I quickly get up and find myself surrounded with Armindas. They are doing their duties to protect me.

"Don't stay here! Gather the troops! Guide the Helpers through the secret route out of the palace. I want not a single one of them injured? Alert the Governors! Now get moving!" I order the Armindas.

They look hesitant to leave me but they move away to get the job done. I then spot a body of dead Arminda near me. The wall is crushed and I am surrounded with bricks and glasses. I am covered in cement and blood. There are gunshots to be heard in the hall. We are at war right now.

I spot a group of about six men heading towards me.

I know better that they don't belong here. They are covered from head to toe in black clothing. They carry guns with them and I develop a shield around me to protect myself from the gunshots. They fire at me recklessly but my shield is strong enough to protect me. I wait for their guns to run out of bullets. It will at one point of time. I am all alone in the hall, the Armindas doing the work I had commanded them to. Luckily, the enemy in front of me is stupid enough to run out of bullets. And then I charge, not giving them time at all to reload.

I summon my magic with all the energy left inside me and charge. I feel their heart pumping blood rapidly and the sweat crawling out of their skin.

Perfect. I summon my magic and cause their blood to boil. A look on their face and I know its working. They are sweating like hell and their eyes, becomes bloody. Not wanting to waste my time on them anymore, I cause their veins to burst open and they are dead instantly. I glance at them to make sure my work is done here and speed towards the dining hall.

My parents are there and I have to protect them.

The air feels toxic and I find it difficult to breathe. But I have to hurry, I can't let anything to happen to my parents, I can't. They are my everything. I spot a group of five men in the corridor leading to the dining hall, meaning they have got to my parents. I have to hurry.

I inhale some air and march towards them. They spot me and start firing at me. My shield dodges the bullets. But I have to do something. With one of my hand forming the shield around me, I focus on my other hand and develop a fire ball.

I give in all my power to it and then when I feel that it's big enough, I shoot it at them. As it goes towards them, I cause it to split into smaller balls so that each hits the enemies in their chest. The are dead in a second.

Don't mess with me and never ever anger me.

I open the hall's door and I instantly wish I hadn't. There are broken glasses and tables everywhere. The chandler now rests on the broken table, it's pieces now scattered everywhere. I quickly form a shield around me, to protect myself from any surprise attacks. I scan the room for my parents. They have to be here, they are never late for dinner.

Please, let them be safe.

There are dead bodies of Armindas around me and I am shocked. They are the best of our fighters, how is it possible? They are too strong to be defeated like this.

And then I spot them.

My father with my mother in his arms and tears in his eyes. He is severely injured, I know it. My mother is bleeding from her stomach and she isn't moving. No. No. No.

But they aren't alone.

In front of them stands three figures. And why they aren't helping them is something that makes my blood run cold. What are they doing?

In front of them stands Sebastian, with a smile on his face and Rita, my second in command Alvy. There is another man standing besides Sebastian and I have no idea who is he. I have never seen him in my life ever before. What the hell is going on?

They soon sense me and turn their attention to me. A huge grin appears on Sebastian's face, the one when he gets what he wants and I know that this isn't going to end well. And then, I am surrounded my black figures. This time, I can't defend myself. I try to strangle them but it's of no use. There are just too many of them. And then they hold me by my arms and then insert a needle in my right arm.

And suddenly, I am weaker than before. I can't see clearly and am dizzy. I can't feel magic in my hands anymore. I can't. What is happening to me? They let go of me and I stumble on the floor, a piece of glass piercing into my right knee. It hurts but I don't show it. My magic is there but it's not strong enough. My gaze shifts to Rita, she should be there to help me. Hell, she should be fighting others so what is she doing?

But I didn't need to answer that. I know it all too well what had happened. I had been betrayed; we had been betrayed.

"If it isn't the princess herself. I must say, you put up a good fight. You are just like your mother. But what can we say? She ended up dead with that attitude." The unknown man says.

I stare at him. His eyes are black, meaning he is a hybrid, a rebel. He has blonde hair and skin as fair as mine. There is a scar just below his left eye and a tattoo of sun on his right arm. There is evil written all over his face, and I have a feeling that he is the leader of the rebels. I try to get up, but I am too weak. I want to cut open his face, fed him to the dogs. There is hate brewing in my heart and I am ready to rip his head off.

He then approaches me and punches me on my face. Blood flows from my lips and I am sure I have broken my nose. How is he so powerful?

"I have wished to do that for a long time now." he says.

He then stands in front of me. I can't let him get to me. I can't. I can't show him I am weak. I am a princess, goddammit! With all the energy left in me, I get up. It is a painstaking task but I manage to do it. I am not going to let him win. I stand up and glare directly into his eyes. They remind me of someone, but I am not sure anymore.

"That's why the precaution. Don't you think that you are a man enough to face me without drugging me?" I reply back and spit on his face.

This is then met with another punch, this time on my stomach. I stumble, but then I remind myself that I have to stay strong. I stand right up and look back into his eyes with all my anger. This seems to work because I spot fear in his eyes.

Good. He should be scared of me.

He wants to say something but then, he turns and marches towards my father. What he does next wants me to kill him in the worst way possible.

He grabs a gun from his pocket and shoots my dad, right in his head. No. No. No.

A tear drops from my eyes, my father was just killed in front of my eyes. He didn't deserve this! He can't die like this! He was supposed to retire, watch his grandchildren grow up and then die peacefully. He was a hero, he doesn't have to die like this.

Rage fills in my heart and I don't feel the drug in my veins at all.

"Oops! I just murdered the king! That means your brother, Alexander is the new king? So where is he, han, tell me princess." the man says as he turns towards me.

This man just killed my father like it was nothing. But with the mention of my brother, my blood runs cold. Shit. Alexander and Cal! They were supposed to meet with the rebels for negotiations. But I don't think now there will be any negotiations.

"Don't worry, princess I have a gift for you. I won't just let them die like that. I have to at least get some reminder of them for you, right? I owe that much to you now." he says and motions the guard behind me.

The guard then throws two crowns in front of me, both drenched in blood. A scream erupts from my mouth. They are my brother's crown. They are for sure, my brother's crown. This can't be happening. My brother can't be dead. They won't leave me like that. They won't. They promised to be by my side always!

Tears come flowing from my eyes, I can't take this. I have no family left. I have no one now. No one. Why am I even breathing? A laugh erupts in the room as I fall on my knees. I know the rebel leader is laughing, he is glad. He has finally managed to overthrow the crown. I am nothing without my parents and brothers. He better kill me now. I don't want to live. I have no reason to live anymore.

"As much as I would like to watch you break, I have more important things to deal with. Rita, will you follow me? I have a kingdom to govern now. The little princess here will be dealt with tomorrow. Sebastian, you know what to do, don't let her escape. We will have your ceremony tomorrow after mine." He says and then leaves the room with Rita.

Why would she betray me? I have done nothing to harm her? I have always been a good friend of mine! What changed?!

But then a hand grabs my chin and lifts my face up. I look into the eyes I once fell in love with. The eyes which once calmed me down. The eyes which would once make the world around me spin. My love has betrayed me.

I turned him into a monster.

There is a smirk on his face and evil in his eyes. I can't even look at him anymore. How could he do this? They killed his family, for God's sake! How can he side with these murderers?

"I know you are wondering why? After what's happened you deserve some reason I guess." He says.

He looks at me like I am an object he can crush with his bare hands. There is lust in his eyes, which I fear is for me. He still loves me, I know that. He never stopped loving me. But my love drove him crazy. I have done this to him.

"You told me that you couldn't be with me because you had duties. And I wanted you so bad, Olivia. I want you so fucking bad, Olivia. You are mine and mine alone. We are meant to be together and I knew it. I just have to find a way to tell you that. So what is the best way to help you be free from your duties? To get rid of those duties. I met with the rebels and they showed me how your family is killing the kingdom. I told them about you, and they told me that if they overthrow the monarchy, then you will be free from the work. Then you will be all mine. All mine. We will have kids together, grow old together with any of your family troubling us." He says.

He then trails his finger on my face and then my lips. I feel disgusted. I feel anger.

"So, we devised a plan. Burnt down my family for that, but darling you are worth it. So worth it. Then me and Rita here, misinformed your brother that the rebels want to negotiate with them. They were stupid enough to believe that shit. As for parents, they were easy. Just a pinch of drug in their food, they are weak. They killed some of the rebels here in the process, but what can we say? They weren't strong enough. As for you, well, I see the drug is working. Tomorrow, Rita will take away all your memories and we will be a happy together forever." He says with a smile on his face.

How can he smile after all he has done? He killed his family! Isn't he a monster enough? Doesn't he realize what he has done? We trusted him! His father was one of the most noble person I have met. Didn't he want to follow his footsteps and make him proud! He had a sister, she had done nothing. He killed her though. Didn't he love them, at all? I don't believe it.

"And as we speak, your brother's wives and their dear little one is being burnt down in their own rooms. It is fun, you know. How are families died in a fire. With them, ends you family's rule and the dawn of a new era. The Rubies will be stronger than ever." He says.

Shit. Junior was still alive! I have to protect him. I owe this much to my brothers. They loved their wives a lot. I have to save them. I have to. They would have wanted that. They would have wanted their kids to live a long life. One look at my father's and mother's bodies and anger rushes back inside me. I have a reason to live. I have a family still left. Magic rushes back into my veins. This time, it is powerful. It is black magic and I feel strong. My anger is fueling the magic and I feel the drug wearing out. I look into Sebastian's eyes with anger. He is scared of me. That makes me grow more powerful.

I feel fire erupting out of my skin. I will not let my family die. I will not let Junior die.

I stand up and shoot fire in all directions. The fire doesn't affect me, it is a part of me. I watch as the fire burns holes in the chests of the rebels. Some fire at me but I dodge them with fire. I use all my energy and fire erupts out of palms and I burn the rebels into ashes. This magic feels strong and... good. The rest of the rebels that are left are met with glass. I lift the glass pieces and then shoot all of them towards them. Soon, they are all dead.

I turn but then a pain suddenly erupts in my stomach. I ignore it. I don't have time to deal with it right now. I spot a scared looking Sebastien in front of me. Some glass pieces have hit him. I march towards him and even though he struggles, I have his head in between my hands as he is on the floor.

"You will never have me! You are a coward, a monster!" I say and then grab a glass piece from the floor beside me and stab him in the eye. He deserves this. Let him die in pain. Like my parents did.

I think rush out of the room, and run towards my brother's room. I grab a gun from one of the dead soldiers. What are the Armindas doing? I see dead bodies of some of the Helpers, but I don't spot Ankita. I spot my brother's room and smoke is flowing out of Alexander's room. They must be there. Please, don't let me be late. Please don't let me be late.

I kick the door and fire rushes out. The room is fuming and the temperature literally burns me. I don't have much energy left inside of me. I look around the room to find Katrina and Zara with Junior, coughing. Junior is lying still in Katrina's arms. I need to act fast. And I know what to do.

I summon a portal towards them. I quickly jump into the portal and am now in the middle of the room, surrounded by Zara and Katrina. They look at me with fear, they are scared for their lives. The temperature here is way too much for me to bear. I can't see clearly at all and I can't breathe. Smoke fills my lungs and I am going to pass out any minute now. I am tired, but I have to help them. I grab all of them and then with all my energy summon a portal.

It takes all of me to do that. I have used too much of my magic and energy for the day. I can't give up now, though. With everything I have got, I summon a portal to a place I know we will be safe for now. They said we will be safe there.

I motion Zara and Katrina to get in. Katrina picks up Junior in her arms and walks into the portal. Zara follows. I then rush inside into the darkness.

I close it as soon as we enter the end of the portal, to avoid the fire entering with me.

I turn to look at Zara and Katrina. They look alive. They are breathing. I rush to Junior and feel his pulse.

He is breathing. Thank god!

I get up and find myself in the familiar forest. Finally, safe for now.

"Olivia, your dress..." Zara says and points to my stomach. I look at my hands and they are covered with blood. Pain rushes in my body and I stumble down.

The last thing I remember is seeing the face of the man who promised me that he will protect us.

And then I drift into darkness.