Chapter 101: Rebellion or Coronation of the Queen
Melissa’s POV
Inside of me, the darkness throbbed, whispering, drawing, and promising power I could never have imagined. As I stood in the middle of the big hall, my fingers clenched into fists. Like living things, shadows clung to the walls, watching and waiting. The entire room was watching me.
With his words, a silky promise in my ear, Darius stood next to me. “Now is the moment, Melissa. Assume the role of queen.
Vampires, witches, shifters, and otherworldly beings had assembled in front of me. Their eyes were full of wonder and terror as they knelt in adoration. Anticipation permeated the atmosphere.
I took a deep breath. Even though I had made my decision, I had a gut feeling that it wasn’t mine.
The silence was broken by Kane’s voice. “Please don’t do this, Melissa.”
I looked over at him. His shirt was torn, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths, and he was bruised and bleeding. But determination, something more powerful than pain, flared in his eyes.
“I have already,” I spoke in a chilly, hollow voice, although I was shaking.
Kane took a step forward and shook his head. The soldiers on either side of me stiffened, preparing to attack him, but I raised a hand, and they paused. He wasn’t talking to the queen they wanted me to be, but to me.
“You’re not here,” he said. I recognise you, Melissa. You fight for justice, love, and all that is good. Darkness is not you.
Darius laughed next to me. “She is now.”
When his fingers touched my arm, the darkness within me reacted by constricting and twisting like shackles around my soul. My breath caught. The power, the authority, and the way everyone in this room awaited my orders were all intoxicating.
And yet…
A searing pang rushed through my chest. A recollection came to mind: Kane’s hand in mine under the stars, his hushed assurances, the way he had gazed at me as though I were everything. The coldness that was tearing at my heart was fought off by the warmth of his love.
Darius could feel it. He clenched his fingers. “Melissa,” he whispered, low and menacing. “Don’t hesitate.”
In an attempt to regain my cool, I took a deep breath. “I’m not faltering.”
However, I was. Deep inside, I sensed it. The internal conflict was intensifying.
Kane’s gaze grew softer. “Return to me.”
The words hit me harder than any spell or curse. My pulse thundered in my ears. The darkness writhed, fighting against the light struggling to break through.
Darius’s voice grew sharper. “Enough of this.” He lifted a hand, and black tendrils of energy twisted around Kane’s throat, raising him off the ground.
“No!” The word tore from my lips before I could stop it. I looked to Darius, wrath boiling in my veins. “Let him go.”
After giving me a thorough examination, Darius grinned. “You continue to cling to your former self.”
Kane’s face went white as he fought the grip. My heart was racing. I shouldn’t have given a damn if I was the queen of darkness. However, I did. I was too concerned.
Darius faced me once more. “Show your devotion, Melissa. Complete him.
The audience let out a gasp. The followers and beasts all waited to see if I would comply. Suppose I was going to be what Darius desired.
Kane’s voice was a whisper as his lips parted. “This is not as strong as you are.”
I paused. My digits quivered. My inner shadows cried out for blood. My heart begged for mercy.
Darius stepped closer, his voice wrapping around me like a charm. “This is your final test. Kill him, and you will take your throne.”
I lifted my hand. Energy crackled at my fingertips. Kane didn’t flinch. He merely stared at me, waiting, trusting.
Torn between the power I had gained and the love I had lost, I made my decision.
There was silence in the room.
I spoke quietly but steadily as I turned to the otherworldly world. “I’ll assume my throne.”
Darius grinned more broadly. Kane’s expression dimmed.
With a spooky chorus of voices, the faithful cheered. However, something inside me twisted because I still had a conflict going on. It was only getting started.