LIII ||| That Makes Two of Us

"That's not what you say when you don't want that to happen, beautiful."

"I'm not so good with my words, so just don't freak out."

"I won't. Now, tell me!" He passed his thumb on my bottom lip.

Taking a deep breath, I swallowed, "Black winged serpents were called the winged serpents of nothingness."

He blinked, "Sounds intense. What does it mean?"

"That was the name for those who channel magic of the void, the vacuum of the world, of chaos. That's all that was known of them. They were secretive even between our kind, only walking with the black ones, but all while balancing the power between all the others, and ruling over all seven winged serpents."

Oliver looked at my ring again, "Ruled over all others. Royal ring," then he giggled and turned to me, "am I mated to a Royal like me?"

That made me blush, "Lydia called me Queen, so, I guess so? I mean, I am the last of my kind. There's no one else for the duty."

He gave me an impressed look, "You are a Queen, Hel?"

Sounds crazier when he says it. "Apparently yes. I'm also a direct descendant of the last King and Queen, and I also happen to have be named after my… grandmother? Let's called it that cut all the greats in this."

Snapping his fingers, he narrowed his eyes, "Your mom was also a descendant then. There must have been a black winged serpent who mated to a black dragon or something, and had your ancestors. As you are a very recessive gene, it kept passing down, and down, and down, until you."

Thankfully he's clever, "That happens to be the case, yes."

His eyes widened, "The crown you kept talking about!"

A nod, "My grandfather's crown. King Umbra Miralanthor. Yes, I got their surname because all the descendants were males before my mom, and as my biological father was not in the picture, I took her name. So, yes, I really have the name of the previous Queen, Wilhelmina Miralanthor. Add the Rosalind and it's me. Though Lydia called me Queen Hel to differ."

"Queen Hel sounds badass as hell," he winked. "Now I get what you said about being your own Queen. But what's the Crown for?"

Sigh, "The Crown connects the black winged serpent ruler to all the gargoyle army. Gargoyles were the last creation by the three Goddesses, and they were created to serve my kind loyally. Oh, I also, apparently, have the power to destroy or save the world."

"Awesome, that makes two of us!"

What? "What do you mean?"

He blinked, "You don't know?"

"Uh… I don't know what?"

"Hel," he got all serious, "I can literally destroy everything with my power. With a wave of my hand I can pulverize everything and everyone. I only didn't kill Meredith yet because she has an annoying protection spell that protects her from my power. So, hands tied."

What, from the bottom of my heart, the fuck? "What is the cost?"

Oliver blinked, as if surprised, "The cost?"

"All strong types of magic cost something, Oliver, I know it. So what is the price you pay for having such an ability? The Goddesses always fuck us up. They give us something strong, but give us a consequence to bear with it." I caressed his hair.

"You are really something else, beautiful," he whispered and kissed me, and though I liked it, I know he's doing it to avoid the point in here. Which can only means he pays an extremely high price for it. And despite all of my intentions of staying away, it hurts like hell to feel his pain.

Does he feels the same for me? "I get it. I won't press it. But I will want to know when you're ready to tell me," I said against his lips.

"Thank you, Hel," he whispered with his forehead pressed on mine.

Could it be related to the lines tattoo in his arm? "The crown can connect me to the indestructible army of gargoyles that all scattered around the globe frozen as their stone selves for seven millennials after my grandpa decided with the council of winged serpents not to use them, since that may result in victory but it would be at the cost of all the other races who were teaming up to murder my people."

His eyes widened, "No bloody way."

"Very bloody, actually," then I told him everything Lydia told me, and what I promised her. What Mia told me, and all I've got until now, which has nothing on the crown, or on the black winged serpent's powers.

And at each thing I told him, he felt as horrified and nauseous as I did. As I began to feel again, after recalling it. When I was done, he hugged me tight to his chest, head resting over mine. "I'm sorry your people went through all that suffering, Hel. I'm even more sorry that my kind had a hand on causing their extinction," he growled. "Now I get why you were so angry and troubled after the encounter with Lydia."

Sigh, "It wasn't just because I was avoiding you, Oliver, it was also because I was mad and sad, and I wanted to destroy everything in that very moment. If we were to talk back then, I wouldn't have been in my right mind to listen to you at all." His heartbeat quickened as I pressed the side of my head on his chest, inhaling him, feeling him.

"How do we find the Crown of Chaos, beautiful?"

I felt my heart warm at the reassurance in his voice, "Lydia told me the races froze my grandpa's dead serpent body somewhere, and the crown in on his head. Only able to be used by me. We find the body, we find the crown. We find the crown, we get the army. We get the army, we go to war against Meredith. Though there's still a main point missing."

"What point?"

Then I proceeded to tell him about Naël and what both him and my mom told me, and how we need the aether magic user, "They both saw the future, and we can only win if we find that person. And I think that person is hiding in Belladonna somewhere."

"Hel, I know everyone here, and I find that hard to believe."

Sighing, I proceeded to tell him how Meredith is scared of this one person, and how she made Felix have that power to use him to protect herself, "He isn't with her, Oliver, but she needs him. His power is also a key. He can nullify all of us, and he'll be able to do that to the aether user too. The only things he can't nullify are attacks made by our natural abilities such as fading for you and flying with my wings for me."

His eyes widened, "No shit he's shown favor. She needs him."

A nod, "But he despises her. He may not have been tortured for as long as I was by her, to leave scars like it did on me, but he was torture by her nonetheless. That's why got so hurt every time you and those kids all suggested he was her dog. The difference is that he has things to lose, and he's easily scared. I don't give two shites, that's why I wrack havoc."

He closed his eyes and I could tell something was hurting him. "Is that why you are so adamant into breaking our mating bond, Hel?"

Oh no, I knew he would ask me that sooner or later, but I didn't want to have to answer. But not answering won't be fair to him, and he's not guilty of anything in here. "Yes. She will target you, Oliver. Liking or not, wanting or not, I can't help but care for you. The mating bond is strong and it messes with us. I lost my mom, I can't lose you. If I fall in love with you as you are so adamant in trying to make it happen, and she takes you away from me, it will break me and I don't think I'll be able to get up again. Losing my mom almost made insane. Losing my mate? That will definitely send me through the depths of insanity, Oliver," I cried. "I can't."

Closing his eyes, he hugged me tight, "I'm not weak, Hel. We will be stronger together. We won't let her do anything to us."

I want to believe him, I do. But I can't. Not when I've been through this before. "You don't get it, Oliver. Meredith doesn't just despise me because I'm a winged serpent and might destroy her in the future. She did not torture me because of that. She did not break me because of that. She did not stole me or killed my mom because of that," I whispered. "She…" my voice broke.

His arms held me tighter, "On your time, beautiful."

I took a deep breath, than another, than another, "Meredith hated my mom, Oli. She hated her and she killed her for that. Then she stole me away when she felt I was different to torture, break, and experiment on me."

For the first time, he let out a squeak, "She did what?"