Some of my subjects, the vampires and Shade, rush for the castle, to defend it from the creature. But then Lucian tilts his head, and Varis jumps into the sky. An unnatural wind hits my soldiers, and they fall to the ground, pinned. Those too far to be affected are attacked by their very own slaves, overwhelmed and forced to submit. Metsi conjures water from the snow and waterfalls, sending a tidal wave towards the wall. It hits the guards manning their stations, knocking them out or drowning them.

"You monster," I roar, watching my people decimated and unable to stop it.

"No," says Lucian. "I simply bring peace. The vampires and Shade who surrender, who pledge their allegiance to me, will be left unharmed. And let me be clear… all vampires and Shade."

All. He means us as well. He wants us to swear fealty.

Lucian starts pacing, untouched by the chaos around him. He walks up to Asher. "Let us start with you, my son. I told you everything would be made clear. I told you you'd be freed. Join with me, and together we will conjure a portal to the heavens, and retake the Silver Gardens. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

Asher drops his head, anger and sadness clear upon his face. Then he looks up and spits at his father. "You turned my friends, my lover, into mindless slaves!"

Lucian sighs, as if he expected this. "Yes. I had to. To end your petty war. And to secure an army for the war to come. The war against my brother. So yes, I made them slaves, like the Primal One, but just like the Primal One, I can give them their will back. If you serve by my side, if you help me retake the heavens, I swear to you, Varis will have his will again."

At this, Asher pauses. His breath catches. "I… I…"

"And if you do not side with me," Lucian continues. "Then I will command Varis to slit his own throat right now as you watch. When he dies, some other Fae will inherit his powers, and you will have learned your lesson."

"I…"

"Hmm. You hesitate." Lucian looks to the sky, at Varis, and the Druid raises a dagger, places it against his own throat. "Let's see. On the count of three. One. Two. Thr—"

"Stop!" Asher yells falling forward, clutching his father's boots, crying onto the stone. "I will serve you. I will be by your side. Just keep him alive. Keep him alive!"

Lucian grins, kneeling down and taking his son's hands in his own. "Very well, my son. It will be as you ask."

I can barely watch this sick manipulation. I need to do something to stop this. Slowly, I flex and unflex my hand, testing my mobility. Most of it has returned. My sword is near, teleported along with us.

"And now, my other son, Fenris," says Lucian walking up to me. "Join me and your sister, Kayla, lives. Do not, and I kill her now, transferring her powers to some full Fae who will prove much more useful and submissive."

Kayla shakes her head. "Don't do it, Fen. I don't care if I live."

"Shut up!" roars Lucian. "You care not for your life, but he does. And of course, there is Arianna. I will keep her alive until her baby is born, but how will she live? In comfort or torture? Will she sleep on a soft bed, or on a rack, her body cut into? She can even die, you know, from the pain. I'll just bring her and the baby back. I've done so once already, while you searched for her. Imagine me doing it every day. Imagine her dying overnight, just to reawaken and die again. Can you accept that, Fenris? Can you doom her to such a fate?"

The images his words conjure tear at my heart. I know what Arianna will say. She will say let him torture her. Don't submit. But how can I throw this fate upon her? Upon my child?

I bow my head. "Father, I…"

Then I grab my sword and ram it into Lucian's heart.

He stumbles back, face dumfounded. "I… I did not expect this." He looks at his body oddly, then grabs my blade by the handle and pulls it out. Dark blood covers the steel. He doesn't even seem fazed. How…

"I'm afraid," says Lucian. "It will take more than simple steel to kill me now."

"Steel cannot cut shadow," whispers Tavian.

Lucian nods. "So, what will it be, Fenris? Will you pledge yourself to me, or see Arianna die over and over?"

"I…"

I see something pass between Tavian and Marasphyr. A look. An understanding.

Then the traveler jumps to his feet and dashes forward, his hands extending into claws, turning black. He slashes out for the king.

Lucian steps to the side with ease but…

Two dark portals appear in a blink. One in front of Lucian. One to his side. Conjured by Marasphyr.

Tavian flies into the one before him, jumping out of the one beside Lucian, right where the king stepped, and Tavian strikes.

He does not aim to wound though.

He aims for the stones on Lucian's bracer.

With one blow, his claws rake through Lucian's arm. He hits the stones.

And they shatter.

Orbs of light explode into the air and Lucian falls back, trembling.

The lights whip around, diverging. One heads to me. One to Kayla. One to Arianna.

"Run!" yells Marasphyr. She throws up a hand and another portal opens between us.

I wish to stay, to fight, but if Lucian can't be killed—

"Run!" yells Marasphyr again.

And finally, I move. We all do. Marasphyr, Tavian, and Dean. Even Arianna and Kayla. Shattering the stones must have weakened their bonds. We all jump into the portal.

All except Asher. He stays, weeping. He stays for Varis.