First Meeting. (Chapter 38)

Karina grips my hand tight as we reach the grand hall door. My parents are inside. I'm not afraid, but I see she is afraid for me. Her movement staggering. She takes ahold of her sword looking dead on into the pattern of the door trying not to meet my eyes. She doesn't want me to see her fierceness darkening her soul. I harden my face and square my shoulders matching her strength. They need to know what we are capable of. Ryan stands next to me and Drake and Lavria behind us. Unified as one unit. Drake arms himself with his bow, pulling the arrow partially back aiming down.

"What's that for?" Ryan asks Drake. He lifts his eyebrows and widens his eyes.

"Have you seen where we are!?" He flattens his palm and swirling it around the room. "Two minutes we were here and they fired at their OWN PRINCE-"

"Alright." Ryan says smiling. I can't help but chuckle at his remark. I feel like a enemy in my own home. Never once I thought I would be in this position. I never expected to want to fight so hard for happiness, especially for a woman. But she is worth fighting for. The feeling I feel when I'm with her. I don't think I can ever let it go. "Are you sure about this?" Ryan says his expression worried. "We are outnumbered here." He says. I smile at him, but I turn back to Karina and she her smile mirroring mine as she gives my hand a squeeze.

"Yh..we're sure." I nod to the guards. And the doors slowly open.

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We step inside and All the guards suddenly approach us. Two guards tackle Drake and Grab Lavria. Karina lets go of my hand and grabs her other sword. Ryan runs to help Drake but he was unaware of the 4 guards coming to pin him to the floor. Two guards approached me but I mustered the forces and effortlessly beamed them through the door as the corridors echoed with thuds and grunts. Behind me I heard several thuds and Karina had challenged her inner CREE assassin, and had disarmed mostly all the guards on top of Drake. They all laid in a pile around her. She looked to me making sure I was safe. The demon creeping out of her. She helped up Drake to his feet. Satisfied in her safety, I ran to where several guards were on top of Ryan. I smashed the back of my sword across one of the guards face hearing his nose snap. He instantly dropped to the floor. A throbbing pain disturbed me and I was surprised by an arrow sticking out of my forearm. Enraged, I threw my dagger between his eyes and I watched him fall. Blood seeping through my clothes. I punched the last guard in his gut and swiftly broke his tooth with my knuckles. He fell and clutched to the floor in pain. Ryan stood up clutching his shoulder as he had taken a hard fall.

"Lavria!" He said out of breath in pain. I saw three guards pinning her to the wall by her throat. I retrieved my dagger between the mans eyes and threw it to the guard in the middle planting in the back of his head. He dropped to the floor and the two other guards swivelled round to see me. Fear radiating off them, they hesitantly came towards me. They suddenly flew and cracked the back of their heads against the roof. I looked to Ryan and saw his hands high in the air. He looked to me, his eyes dark and he dropped his concentration and the guards dropped to the floor. Lying there Motionless. He ran to Lavria and scooped her into an embrace. I saw Karina with Drake challenging the rest of the guards. I ran to her side, and she smiled but she saw the blood seeping off my arm. Her jaw suddenly tightened and her neck tensed. Her breathing became more jaggered.

"I can heal it" she said putting her sword back. She tried to put her hand on me but the flesh was already fixing itself. Like nothing had happened, the skin had latched together and the blood had stopped. Her brows furrowed she looked to my eye, and I smirked.

"I didn't do that" she said close to me a little frantic still analysing my arm.

"I know..I did." I take her hand. She snatched it away.

"That's not possible." She was curious but her eyes widened as she realised something. "Wait-did- What- when you were hurt..Drake didn't heal you did he?! How is that possible? That's dark-"

"Dark magic..I know." I strain a smile. "It is something about me. That was awakened when I met you. I'm not quite sure how to explain it but I will. Later alright?" She looks at me for a minute but takes her sword again and nods to me. She refocuses on the now tens of guards in the room. I take a deep breath and tilt my neck. Suddenly, the room filled with a single applause. The guards spilt down the middle to and got down on one knee. My father.

"Damien, I have heard rumours you were back... Welcome home." he says guilt ridden. The guards suddenly drop to one knee at my feet now realising who I am. I roll my eyes but no one relaxes or drops their swords.

"Home?" I chuckle. "Yes being killed as soon as I step on land, feeling like an enemy in a place where I grew up, home!? I laugh at the very thought." He doesn't say anything just stares at me, his expression constant, the same face he gave me when he couldn't handle me. Absolute silence in the room. I could feel something stirring in me, but I held it down desperately trying to control myself infront of everyone. I feel Karina's arm on my shoulder and I instantly relax. The dark feeling evaporates.

"Everyone leave us." My Father says and everyone scatters our of the room. Once all doors were shut and it was only us in the room, Karina put her swords back and Drake lowered his bow. "King Ryan" My Father says, "I welcome you to Haydren. I insist you stay with us at the palace." My father says smiling. Ryan's face doesn't wither, the ghost of Isla still haunts him.

"Really Floyd? Here?" I hear my mother whisper. I see my sister on her arm guiding her next to my father.

"ASHLEY?!" I shout getting her attention. She sees me and her eyes light up.

"DAMIEN!" She shouts and completely abandons my mother and jumps into a hug with me. She hold tight and kisses my cheek. I smile and hold her tight, closing my eyes. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" She says releasing me.

"Well I'm standing her aren't I Ash?" She gleams her smile uncontainable her dimples on show. She looks to Karina and back to me. Suddenly I hear a clack, and I had realised Ashley had slapped Karina. Drakes mouth parted with his eyes wide open and Ryan jumped. Karina caressed her cheek as Her eyes darkened. she slowly turned to me, her eyes cutting mine they landed on Ashley. Everything suddenly went cold, and her jaw tightened. Ashley was suddenly aware of what she had done. Her hands faffled around Karina trying to find a way to apologise. But Ashley's hand went blue. She yelped as the weight of her hand increased and she dropped to her knees.

"Karina enough!" Drake said. But she didn't listen.

"Karina!!!" Ryan's Shouted. But she seemed to not hear them.

"Karina.." I whispered. Her concentration dropped and her eye turned back to normal. She looked up at me apologetically and stepped past me and lifted up Ashley to her feet. Ashley's hand went slowly returned to their original color and she watched in amazement.

"Sorry" escapes Karina's lips as she returned back to behind me unable to look at me.

"No no im sorry!" Ashley passionately exclaimed "I shouldn't have hit you, I'm not sure what came over me, father told me that you hurt my brother so my sisterly instincts kicked in. Really I'm sorry." She says smiling at Karina. She scurried back next to my father and stood with her head bowed. My father just rolled his eyes and his focus set on Karina.

"So I see your powers are exponential.. the rumours are true then." He moves closer to Karina. I step infront of her. Glaring for him to stand down. He simply chuckles and licks his lips. "Yes yes, I remember..soulmates bullshit." He waves his hand and step back up next to my mother. He whispers something in her ear and she whispers something back. It's seems intense but once they finish they turn back to us with a new found positive attitude. Scary.

"Why have you come here Damien?" My mother says. "You could've stayed in Valtor and lived with your..mate." The words roll of her tongue concentrated with disgust.

"Actually, we came here to get married-" Ashley yelped and my mother almost fell. I heard Karina giggle. My father cleared his throat.

"Could all of you leave us for a moment with our son." My Father said. Karina suddenly latched onto me the darkness swirling in her. I patted her hand to let her know it was alright. She nodded and let go. A young squire took them all away outside the hall. Once the door was shut, My Father relaxed and sat down. suddenly looking around lowering his voice his expression darkening.

"Does he know what he did?" My father asked. I looked him dead in the eye.

"No, and he never will."