The older child had been beheaded, but not before his parents were disemboweled. Malkia could see the torment that had set into their eyes knowing their child was witnessing a horrifying moment. Their organs were exposed, while their dead eyes stared bewildered at the child’s head which had been deposited on the mantel.
Malkia’s face flushed with anger, as her rage began to build. Her father had stepped over a line that could not be erased and as she examined the gruesome scene, she cried out in frustration. Her angry tears flooded her eyes and she quickly wiped them away, leaning against the wall for support.
Damon walked into the room behind her and gasped with disbelief. Jasper’s cry was not far behind, and Malkia guessed Dario must writhing inside with his silent response.
The war with her people was beginning and she had no idea how they were moving so quickly. She was more powerful than they were. She had the ability to stop them, but not when she had no idea what their next move was. Her head spun with doubt as she studied the heartbreak before her. These people did not have to die. They did not deserve to experience the pain and heartache, they had felt before their last breath.
Malkia slowly followed the three men out of the dwelling, and accompanied them to each of the three other bloodbaths. The townspeople cried out in shock and anger, as each home was inspected and the bodies were wrapped and moved to the infirmary.
Malkia left the last residence in a fury and raced towards the castle walls. She had to know her sister was safe. She flew through the hallways, not blinking as she disappeared through her sisters’ door.
The room was deathly still. She glanced over at Mataya’s bed and noticed it was undisturbed. Her nightgown remained on the edge of the bed, unworn. Malkia bolted over to Mataya’s powder room and yanked open the door to a dark and empty room.
Tears ran down her face as she dashed through the castle, asking everyone she encountered if they had seen her sister recently. One by one they each shook their heads, but as she spoke to the last person they remembered seeing her with Justin. Malkia was feeling the fear build in her heart as she frantically searched every inch of the manor. Making her way through the fortress, cringing at the necessity of entering their private conversations, it became obvious no one knew where her sister was.
Just when she was on the verge of faltering, she stumbled upon Justin. His body was hidden in a dark corner closet at the farthest north end of the castle. At first he appeared to be dead, but Malkia found a faint heartbeat. She pulled him into her light and darted back to Bella’s room.
Bella and she had become fast friends and now she needed her more than ever. She hammered frantically on the door with her fist, sagging against the frame with lightheaded relief when Bella answered. They positioned Justin on Bella’s bed, and she began a healing spell, as Malkia watched in desperation.
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