Myriad
Chapter 13

Kalin stared at Theodore in horror, unable to stop shaking. He couldn’t stop crying. He tried to push Theodore’s hands away. “What do you mean? What… why… what are you talking about!”

Theodore sat back a little. “There’s a spell where someone can be bound to their closest blood relatives. Whatever happens to them—if they’re hurt, or killed—will also happen to their family. Myriad must have cast that spell so he when he kills one of the royal family, they all die. But the spell has a catch. Myriad will also be bound to his closest blood relative. That’s why you’re bleeding, Kalin—that’s why you’re feeling things that aren’t from you. You’re bound to him. You’re connected. He’s your father.”

Kalin grasped his head, ready to tear his hair out. “No!”

“You’re adopted.”

“Stop it!”

“It explains why he didn’t kill you. He knew, he knew by looking at you! You must look like your mother!”

Kalin shook his head again. “No! Stop saying these things! It’s not right! It’s not true! He’s a monster—he’s nothing! I’m not part of him!” He clenched his fists and slammed them on the ground. He stood, kicked the tree behind him, then began to pace. Anger boiled inside him. He walked backwards and forwards, clenching and unclenching his fists. The air grew hotter. He could feel heat. He vaguely noticed Theodore screaming at him, but it sounded far away. All he could hear was the thudding of his heartbeat in his ears. Suddenly he was shoved to the ground.

“Kalin, stop!” Theodore screamed, holding him down.

Kalin looked up and saw the forest was on fire around them. Flames engulfed the trees, spreading out. He shut his eyes, trying to control his breathing. He pushed Theodore aside, then rose. He held up his arms, willing water to come down. He stood there, face up to the sky, calling to the clouds. There was a streak of lightning in the distance, a rumble of thunder, then rain poured down, drenching everything, the sound deafening.

Kalin looked down as the water soaked his skin.

Theodore moved in front of him, looking at him through the raindrops. “What are you going to do?” he yelled over the rain.

Kalin stared at the ground a moment longer, then met Theodore’s gaze, water dripping from both their faces. “I don’t know,” he cried. “I don’t know.”

***

Edward lay on the ground, his heartbeat pounding. Myriad wept beside him, loudly, uncontrollably. Edward felt eighteen years of guilt and pain and regret wash over him. The truth was finally out—his master knew what he had done. He sat up, the thought of his punishment—no, his death—making him tremble. Then he saw the princess and quickly rose.

He scrambled over to Princess Carmel. Her head listed to the side and she bled profusely from cuts and stab wounds. Edward looked at her injuries, saw the broken glass on the ground, with a green liquid spread all over the floor, and knew Myriad had cast a binding spell. A thousand thoughts entered his mind, but only one stood out.

Edward put his fingers on the princess’s neck, feeling for a pulse. He froze as he tried to figure out if she was still alive. He bit his lip. Soft, but there it was. The faintest heartbeat. He hurriedly picked up the knife on the ground and cut the ropes at her wrist, his hands shaking, sweat pouring from his brow. He had to save her.

Images flickered through his mind as he worked. He remembered, all those years ago, going to Rainer’s house with Myriad after the battle where all of his family had died. He remembered how he had found the necklace Rainer had created as they took care of the bodies. He had found the necklace that could make Myriad invincible, could make anyone with his blood invincible, but he didn’t tell him.

Edward remembered, months after, when Myriad had beat him the day Machayla died in childbirth. He knew he would try to save the baby, but he wouldn’t tell Myriad. Without Machayla, he believed Myriad would return to being a monster. He couldn’t bear to see the child raised the way Rainer had raised Myriad. He couldn’t bear to see the punishments the boy would receive. No one deserved that. Edward decided to stop the cycle.

He’d stayed in his room the rest of the day, trying to recover from his broken bones and bruises. Late at night, he left his room and snuck down to the back garden, where Myriad had buried his wife and child. He went to the grave of the boy, dug him out, and opened the box he’d been placed in. His body was cold and still. Edward placed him on the ground, still wrapped in a blanket, put the necklace around his neck, and waited.

After a while, color returned to the child’s face, and he began to cry. Edward remembered his heart leaping in his chest—he’d saved the baby! He magically transported with the child a couple of times, arriving in a village nearby. He’d left the boy on the doorstep of a small house, hoping he would be raised by loving people. He went back home, buried the box again, then hid in his room, resolving never to tell Myriad a thing.

And regretted it ever since.

Edward finally cut away the last of the ropes, then rose to lift the princess from the chair. He was shaking as he put one arm around her shoulders and the other behind her knees. He was about to lift her when he was dragged backwards and thrown to the ground.

“No! You won’t save her. You took away my son, but you won’t take away my revenge. Never!”

Myriad kicked him in the stomach, twice, three times, and Edward groaned, hunching over. He saw Myriad pick up the knife, then moved over to the princess….

***

Kalin stood before Theodore, feeling sick to his stomach. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He was supposed to stop Myriad, save the royal family—not replace out he was related to a devil. He couldn’t believe it. He was Myriad’s son? But how?

He had no time to think about it. He could feel Myriad’s rage boiling inside him. He had to stop it, but the only way he knew how was the worst thing he could imagine.

“He’s about to kill her,” he said. “I know it’s the princess—it’s someone smaller and weaker than him. We only have moments… I don’t want to do it, but….”

“There has to be another way,” Theodore pleaded.

Kalin shook his head. He held out his hand, and a knife appeared within it.

“Kalin, no! You don’t have to do this!”

He didn’t want to. Kalin looked down at the knife he held. His stomach churned. He wanted to live. He wanted the life Regina saw for them—he wanted the chance to get married, to have children, to live. The last thing he expected was for things to end this way. But he knew the only way he could stop Myriad, the only way he could save the royal family, was to take his own life. Could he stand there and let Myriad kill the princess? Could he stand there, feeling Myriad’s rage and anger and hatred, and not stop it? Maybe this was his destiny all along. Maybe he was meant to lose his life this way. He felt horrible, but could see no other way.

He held out the knife before his stomach and took deep breaths. He clenched the handle, his hand beginning to shake.

“Kalin, no!”

“I have to.”

“No!”

He trembled again, then gasped as he felt Myriad scream with rage. Kalin fell to his knees, knowing Myriad was about to make the final blow. He shut his eyes and held his breath….

***

Myriad screamed, lifting his arm, holding the princess down with his other hand. He shook with fury. He brought the knife down….

***

Kalin plunged the blade in, stabbing himself in the stomach. He collapsed on his side, pain shooting through him. Everything went blurry before him. He heard Theodore scream.

***

Myriad fell to his knees.

The knife clattered to the ground. He put his fingers to his stomach, then lifted them to his face, blood covering them. He looked at Edward in shock, pitched forward, then collapsed.

The room went completely silent. Edward couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. He wondered if Myriad was still alive. Then there was a peculiar feeling in his chest. He opened the top of his shirt and looked down. The mark that bound him to Myriad was gone.

Myriad was dead.

He was free.

But the boy….

***

Regina shot up in bed, screaming uncontrollably.

The door was shoved open, and Sasha came to her side. “What is it?” she exclaimed. “What did you see?”

Regina held on to Sasha’s shoulder, tears pouring down her face. “He’s dead, Sasha. He’s dead. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. He was supposed to live.” She covered her face, screaming and wailing. He was supposed to live. He was supposed to marry her.