"I'm so sorry, Cora."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAIebkmjchyK
"Dimitri! Stop it!"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAkO6Ibmf9LJ
"I can't, I have to do this, The Blood King will kill all of us!"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAantmkE6K99
Cora cut through the the ropes releasing her other hand.
357Please respect copyright.PENANACSr5T9G3LA
"How could you betray me like this?" he asked her. He was visibly shaking. "I thought we were friends!"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAoabR5SSkpT
"We are friends and I didn't betray you!" Cora answered.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAF4U2J6RB1E
"I know everything, you're working with the Blood King to destroy Prince Lyon."
357Please respect copyright.PENANA0oPmljm5Ig
He wasn't wrong, but how was she going to explain this. She took a step back and a deep breath. "The Blood King isn't the bad guy and Prince Lyon isn't who he says he is. The real prince has been dead for years, someone else has been masquerading as him using magic."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAH8dvcXr5rg
"You've officially lost your mind!"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAoopZbcd79u
"I know it sounds crazy..."
357Please respect copyright.PENANA8yFnhekNqA
"You think?"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAhP2iPTDzs4
She held the knife out in front of her and slowly took another step back. "Please, I need you listen to me. Whatever Lyon told you about the Blood King is a lie. Everything we've been taught about the Blood King is a lie."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAibptqNAC3s
"You really have been working with him haven't you?"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAJJFWh95hsd
The blonde nodded hesitantly.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAWK7MAieA4y
Dimitri tucked his sword back into it's sheath. He let out a long exasperated sigh as he ran his fingers through his curls. "I don't want to hurt you, but I can't let youleave."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAYpmVEkpBRw
Cora set her knife down on the table and crossed her arms. "Fine. I'll stay here, but you should know, I have backup on the way and they won't hesitate to beat you up to get to me."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAzA3EHZK4tv
He nervously glanced out the window. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAv5z9DLkzAj
"Do you remember the time when we went to the zoo and and we tried to climb into the lion cage?" Dimitri asked not making eye contact.
357Please respect copyright.PENANA1XBnIu2Ebq
"We were only five!"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAF2oNxoqxku
"You said you were going to move in with them."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAkyZlZRtxE4
Cora tried to hide her embarrassed smile. Soon her embarrassment faded into sadness. "We were so close back then."
357Please respect copyright.PENANA3FEabQP0bh
Dimitri frowned. "Yeah, we were."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAxoj5VZrl6W
"What happened to us?"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAK7lOuDxkbL
"I guess we're drifting apart."
357Please respect copyright.PENANADAZIIWGi44
"I guess so."
357Please respect copyright.PENANA3Jyyjiatre
A loud knock on the door made them both jump.
357Please respect copyright.PENANA38UrYmOvX4
"Are you gonna answer that?" Cora leaned up against the walls and folded her arms confidently.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAsl0hoicEVn
Dimitri's glance shifted from the door to Cora then back to the door again. He slowly approached the door with sword in hand. A faint beeping noise sounded from the other side.
357Please respect copyright.PENANADfni4Eup9p
With a loud crashing noise the door was reduced to splinters.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAejGlkmQc8l
"Now that's what I call going out with a bang!" Val exclaimed as she removed her safety goggles.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAifWiwE8Hch
Ray handed her sword to her. "Scarlet and Zyler had business they needed to take care of, they'll be joining us shortly until then we need to hold off the King of Shadows for as long as we can."
357Please respect copyright.PENANASnqGnfQYYE
Cora smiled down at her sword this time she was ready for the final battle.
357Please respect copyright.PENANA6vfJbVIx8g
As the trio turned to exit Dimitri stood in their path with his sword pointed towards their throats. "You dragged Scarlet into this?" Anger radiated from his voice.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAHWWt3LeYKM
Ray pushed away Dimitri's sword with his own. "You have nothing to worry about, your sister is helping us out of her own free will.He glanced down at his nonexistent watch. "In fact we're supposed to be meeting her any minute now, so we should really be going."
357Please respect copyright.PENANADS23OLTn0O
"You're not going anywhere!"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAF8xo2IZtaJ
"You've been deceived by the King of Shadows," Ray gestured to the storm clouds out the window. "He is the one responsible for this."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAkPC8XBGTLs
"You're lying." Dimitri swung his sword so quickly Ray was barely able to block it.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAFxcaHdojVl
Ray turned to her "Coraline, I need you to go defeat the King of Shadows, I'll hold him off."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAygkpzZ6rnW
Cora nodded slowly. She knew what she needed to do. She turned back to get one last glimpse of him before running out the door with Val following behind her.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAFWXR6iQw9g
Ray slashed trough Dimitri's jacket intentionally not harming him. "I don't want to hurt you because I know how much Coraline cares about you."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAWP4K8KrkV1
Dimitri swung his sword at Ray's chest, which he instantly deflected. He swung again, this time he aimed for they face. Blocked again. He swung again and again, over and over. The room was filled with the sound of metal clashing against metal. Dimitri hardly managed to put a scratch on him he was too skilled. Before he knew it he was backed into a wall.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAsYrzVEmZZp
Ray pointed his sword between his eyes. "Surrender now or face the consequences." Ray commanded in a tone of voice he hadn't used in nearly two thousand years, a tone of voice that reminded him too much of who he used to be.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAkGCTfmtJem
The earth below them began to quake, which caught Ray off guard long enough for Dimitri to slice open Ray's good leg. Crimson poured out of the wound. The pain caused him to collapse onto the floor.
357Please respect copyright.PENANADXGvwKJOMh
"Now it looks like you're the one who should surrender," Dimitri gloated.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAzCnJnxzNfW
Ray dropped his sword and raised his hands in surrender. "Congratulations, very many have challenged me and very few have been able to defeat me, you were wise to go for the legs."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAMh1IGag0nV
Dimitri closely scanned his face. He tried his hardest not to gasp when he realized who he was speaking to. "You're the Blood King." He gripped his sword so tightly it felt like it might crumble under the pressure.
357Please respect copyright.PENANA0VcIPOkHIL
"In the flesh."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAhrfEBAtUJ8
Dimitri head was filled with so many different thoughts he feared his head might explode. The real Blood King was right in front of him. He fought the Blood King and won? "You're not really what I was expecting," he thought out loud.
357Please respect copyright.PENANA0fCECQkwkm
"I'm sorry to disappoint."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAQLMqgRYqOR
"You're just an ordinary guy."
357Please respect copyright.PENANACvcniM8G61
Ray shrugged, still holding his hands up.
357Please respect copyright.PENANA9jw6tca7uD
"I was terrified of you as a kid, I was so afraid that you were lurking in the dark corners of my room at night just waiting to strike."
357Please respect copyright.PENANAvvvz3vDdUl
Ray couldn't hold back his laughter. He laughed so hard he was nearly in tears. "Believe me I have much better things to do than hiding under your bed."
357Please respect copyright.PENANA7C2VJnTJeE
Dimitri grumbled something foul under his breath then regained his composure. "My point is everyone is so scared of you, but here you are, my prisoner, you're completely defenseless,"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAe7YnBwTLcE
"Oh, but I'm not defenseless, I could easily snap your neck right now, but it would break Coraline's heart and I've been trying not to kill people anymore. I could escape if I wanted to the only reason I'm still here is because I want to be."
357Please respect copyright.PENANA5vbzFDDSqf
Dimitri starred him down trying to determine if he was bluffing or not to no avail. "If you can leave then why are you choosing to stay?"
357Please respect copyright.PENANAjFDfnsU2gK
"Coraline is in the fight of her life against the King of Shadows and the last thing she needs is your interference, I'm here to distract you."
357Please respect copyright.PENANA5LSVvoTtIK
The earth shook again. This time lighting struck the top of the castle short circuiting the power.
357Please respect copyright.PENANAJrhbXI27Bo
"Why are you telling me this?"
357Please respect copyright.PENANABF8LGgi5uJ
"Because it's time for you to decide who you are and who's side you're on. We can fight together as brothers to defeat this foe or you can stand with the King of Shadows, who thinks of you as nothing more than a puppet and be forced to fight against me and your best friend. You can stand with me or get out of my way, what will it be?"
ns3.21.125.27da2