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The entire Court stills…every eye rooted upon me.
Nor will you face Death in your next great battle but rather a new Scourge of Destruction.
And there is the Prince of Destruction on his throne a hundred feet above my head, his dark herculean chest exposed. A cape of scarlet blood falls, plummeting to the floor. Gold and diamond-fused armor. The Prince himself is dragon armor and fire unchecked. His first wife sits on his lap, whispering her poison into his ear. The Father stands on that balcony in the bone box, lips curled back to show his fangs like a ravenous wolf.
Boldly, I step forward, my bare feet warm against the cold stone platform as I walk. Hemmed in all sides by the Father’s children, who crouch at my invasion.
The. Prince. Does. Not. Look. Down.
“Noralice.”
I preach my trauma as a whispering breath prayer. I preach truthandhonor. The names that have haunted me every day for years are brands of salvation on my soul. Of reclamation! I carry their blessing of a seal upon my heart, upon my arm to overthrow the Scourge of hellfire inside my body. I preach them in my mind to grant me strength.
Halfway across the platform now with countless vampires snarling and yelling all around me, their threats are promises, for all the Prince need do is lift his hand to permit them to ravage me. Not the Father’s hand…but Neoptolemus’.
I carry the echoes of my allies to grant me strength: of Nita, of Quillion, of Jesula, of Syn, of Verena, of Spitfire, of Thanatos. And even the memory of Neo and the blood bond we once shared.
I am strong enough.Weare strong enough.
The. Prince. Slowly. Sits. Up.
At the edge of the statues to the steps of the Inner Circle, I carry the mission: my Halo Altar I am prepared to die upon.
I am Ezer. I am a Princess. I am the Halo-Bearer. I was not created for abuse! I was created for a crown of stardust and gold. I was created to be a shield and a warrioress of light. I was created to be one flesh, not for the razing of my flesh.
So, I move my body and descend.
The. Prince. Lowers. The. Barest. Corner. Of. His. Chin.
Not once do my eyes flee from Neoptolemus. My chin is high the entire time as I ask, I seek, I knock!
The. Prince. Flicks. His. Eyes. Down. To. Mine.
Silver scythes: all that is wrath and ruin, dragon fire, blood and shades.
The memory of the music ofScheherazadecurls into my ears, its beautiful rhythm timed to the beating of my Haloed heart to drown out the roars of the arena, the horns of destruction calling for my death, balking to my breaking Court protocol—the laws of the land that cannot be broken.
Yes, I am here against the entire Court O’ Nines. I am here as a broken princess, a former bride, divorced and divided, lower than the harem girls. I am here with a ragged, broken crown of curls and the black virus of the Scourge staining my skin and flesh and my very blood.
I am here with Neo’s soul bound to the ring around my neck.
In the center of the circle now, in the shadows of those Father statues, I use the last remnants of my courage to thrust my chin up in assurance of my identity and use whatever I have left of my Halo, our bond…to creep into Neo’s mind. It is open to me.
There is the Dragon on the other side of that canyon, guarding his fortress, roaring fire and reminding me of the dissolution of a union.
Should you step foot in my Court again, you will die!
Let all bear witness to this dissolution: Elysia Rose, the Everblood, is no longer my bride.
On the cusp of that canyon with no drawbridge to cross, I must take a leap of faith and cross that abyss to find thetruestversion of myself.
The Prince’s shades and flames rake all around my body, an omen, a threat, avowof what he will carry out. Still, I do not rise but hold fast to those words from Thanatos…from the depths of my Neo’s heart.
Sometimes, if one wishes to be raised higher, first they mustkneel.
So, I leap into that canyon…
…And I crash to my fucking knees!
