I hold all the cards

DAMIEN'S POV

"Don't," I warned Conrad underneath my breath. "Don't play any of your games with the human."

He grinned at me, showing off too much teeth for it to be genuine. "Being possessive are we?" he asked slowly and then he shook his head at me like I said something amusing and continued digging into his food.

And although I say this all the time, but this time I truly really wished he wasn't my brother because of the gleam in his eyes as he stared at an ignorant Kira who stabbed at her food I know imagining it was my head, from across the table, made me want him dead.

Then she looked up from her plate and met my eyes. "I will do it, but first, I need to see my brother. I need to hold on to something that makes this worth it," her eyes turned desperate. "Anything,"

I took my time chewing and swallowing before smirking. "You are in no position to have conditions. I hold all the cards in this game," I never entertain conditions or even instructions from anybody.

"Please,' she muttered her eyes now showing how tired and dejected she truly was.

Evangeline scoffed and although I knew she was still bitter about not being allowed to drain the life out of Kira, I knew that she was also a tad bit jealous of her. She had spent most of the part of her life trying to get Conrad to like her and accept her as family so it should be discomfiting to see Conrad caring for the wellbeing of another and a human nonetheless especially one that considered us all monsters.

Evangeline abrupt resentment might also have something to do with her looks. Most of the humans in the capital were usually plain looking and although Evangeline was aware of her physical prowess, Kira was stunning too and it was the first time she had to deal with what looked like a competition to her.

Those were excellent reasons why she shouldn't catch me twice staring at Kira else I won't put it pass her to make Kira disappear. Poof! Like a magic show and she will insistently deny knowing what happened to her till the day she died.

Yet, I looked up and knowing that this was preferential treatment that was bound to raise her brows, I looked at Kira. "Tomorrow at the first light of dawn, I will make an arrangement for you to meet your brother,"

Conrad's only show of surprise was a blink before he was back to eating his food but obviously, Evangeline neither had the skill or will to hide her apparent shock because her mouth was slacked.

I patted the corner of my lips with a paper napkin before I stood up and with one of my hand in my pocket, I strolled out of the dining room aware of light footsteps that followed no doubt Evangeline with her tantrums.

******

Kira's POV

I held my breath praying to everything that was powerful enough to be called a god as I heard the sound of knife cutting through flesh and bone in one swipe. I was hyperventilating and regardless of how much I wanted to confess that I was no rebel and bolt I couldn't, even as the executioner's boot creaked closer. I could die, the prince had warned me of the consequence of the Magik showing up late and how it might even cost me my life but I have gone too far to turn my back now. I will rather die than fail the boy I had met yesterday that had been stunned when I showed him how a shower worked and thrilled at the taste of hot food.

My brother. I had met him yesterday and even though a large chunk of my memory was missing, I had looked at him and my heart had leaped, it had recognized him and when he had run into my arm sobbing, I had let him aware that I will do anything to make him as happy as he had looked in all of my bits and pieces of memory.

And though it was foolish, doing anything was not limited to dying so I stayed still, my legs bound, my mouth gagged. Nobody could tell that I had been snuck into this line by a trusted soldier of Conrad who had looked at me with pity since he was delivering me to a butchering block literally!

My head was placed on a block that I didn't want to closely examine especially with its odd color that might be someone's blood that nobody had bothered washing off.

But yet I remained still even as tears slowly rolled down my cheeks and like a miracle, a sound that would have been missed if I hadn't been listening intently for any sign that communicate I won't be dying today felt like an echo to my ear. It was the whirr of an arrow that must have hit its target because within seconds the bulky man who was holding the frightening looking knife with a merciless sardonic smirk on his face hit the ground and the next action that took place was almost a blur.

We were in a gated desert of sorts with soldiers who held pistols patrolling the ground but whoever fired the first arrow took care of them within minutes. It was just one archer, I knew this despite the speed whoever he or she was used in executing his targets hastily because I was so fixated on the sound that saved my life.

The man beside me who had been hauled by the hair by the executioner and was next to be killed sobbed loudly muttering that he knew that he will come. I was in shock, still, the thought that the man next to me had almost died and if the archer had missed his mark or had been a minute late or more the bodies missing of a head could have easily been mine.

This has started as a plan, just save my brother and get out and it has not changed but I couldn't help but understand how it feels like to be rescued when you could smell death. How I will easily do anything for anyone who had stretched out his hand and rescued me from the claws of death giving me a second chance. I now understood how the magik could be a threat if he decides to rebel because although I could tell that this was more of a mission that was centered on the Prince's insufferable arrogance and ego, the magik had men that would easily give up the life he had just saved today while the Prince had human soldiers that had patrolled the grounds and watched with hatred as their fellow are being slaughtered.

I wouldn't judge them because more than them I think I was not in a position to judge since I was working for the same detestable man and what worst? I just might betray the people who had saved my life today when the prince had left me to my devices but I know they must feel it.

They must feel how I feel. Self-disgust, self loathe and hopelessness that quickly morphed into hatred for a man that will ask this of me, of us, to watch our kind be killed and destroyed while they watch and in my case aid.

"Are you fine?" a deep pleasant voice that made me thought of hot rich chocolate, the type that was so decadent, unhealthy and dissolved in your lips giving you a taste of heaven.

I looked up slowly and swallowed. Firstly, I noticed that other captives had freed themselves of their rope and all eyes were on me since I remained in the same position. He was dressed in all black and the half part of his face was covered in a black fabric even as he stared at me patiently while one of his men who was dressed in an identical manner stepped forward, made quick work of the ropes that others had no trouble freeing themselves from and in a bid to save my remaining dignity that I doubt could be of any value I stood up abruptly. Then quickly removed the fabric that had been pushed into our mouth to muffle our scream and turned to look at the towering man who was not even less intimidating even though I was not tied to a rusty iron and was now standing on my feet.

He had the bluest eyes that made my mouth dry and although I couldn't see all his features I could tell from the part I could see that men made like him should have no part in rescuing people or in this case since he handed a bow and arrow to a woman who held a sword in her hand and wore a scowl, be excellent archer. Because that bulging muscle and cheekbones didn't belong to a world of sword and arrows.

"Thank you," I managed to whisper, still light-headed but realizing that for someone whose life was just saved I wasn't acting so grateful.

"Don't thank me," his voice was cold, curt yet polite. Like a line that he had used so many times and a tone he had perfected for decades.

I didn't like it. I wanted to be special, I wanted to feel different even though I have no right to want that, even though that means asking him to trust me so it will be faster for me to stab him in the back. "We did what was right. All of us," he added seeing that I hadn't acknowledge anyone else.

I didn't reply. I just peered into his eyes holding his gaze, call it what you want to call it, perhaps pride, perhaps anger that he had grouped me as one of the others but I had wanted to leave an impression, a mark.

But he pivoted in his step and everyone followed forgetting all about the ungrateful girl who had not been able to free herself from frayed ropes.

And to my chagrin, I followed just like everyone else.