Emperor Of The Abyss

Chapter 7

"What is it?" 

He asked, his voice rough. His eyes were kind even in his confusion, concerned rather than angry at being woken.

Elara just stood there. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. She was shaking so badly now that she thought Kane must be able to see it.

Kane's eyebrows pulled together. He stepped closer, out into the hallway, and before Elara could back away, he reached out and pressed his hand to her forehead.

His palm was warm against her clammy skin.

"Oh." 

Kane said, his frown deepening.

 "Your body is so hot. Are you sick?"

Elara flinched at his touch. Her whole body jerked like he'd burned her. The concern in his voice made everything worse. He was worried about ‘her’. About whether she was okay.

"I…I…"

 The words stuck in her throat. Her hand was still in her pocket, still gripping the knife. The metal was slick with her sweat now.

"Wait here."

 Kane said, already turning back toward his room. 

"Let me grab you some medicine. We keep willow bark tablets in the cabinet. They'll help with the fever."

He left the door wide open and walked back into his chambers.

Elara stood frozen in the hallway, staring at his retreating back.

‘Do it. Do it now. He's turned away. His back is exposed. Do it.’

Lady Morgana's voice played in her head on repeat, getting louder and louder until it drowned out everything else. She saw Morgana's cold smile, heard her promise:

 ‘Your debts will be forgiven. You'll be free.’

Elara's hand moved without her permission. Slowly, trembling so hard she almost dropped it, she pulled the dagger from her pocket.

The blade caught the dim torchlight from the hallway sconces. It was small, maybe six inches long, with a plain wooden handle. The kind of knife used for peeling apples or trimming meat. Nothing fancy. Nothing meant for killing.

But sharp enough.

Elara's fingers wrapped around the handle. Her whole arm was shaking. She took one step forward. Then another.

Kane had his back to her. He was across the room now, crouched down by a cabinet near the window, pulling open drawers and searching through them. 

"I know they're in here somewhere." 

He muttered to himself. 

"Meredith always keeps them stocked..."

Elara walked through the doorway into Kane's room. Her bare feet made no sound on the stone floor. Each step felt like moving through deep water, like her body was fighting against itself.

*Just do it. Walk up behind him. One quick strike. He won't even feel it.*

But her hand wouldn't stop shaking. The knife wobbled in her grip.

Kane was still bent over the cabinet, his bare back exposed. She could see the muscles moving under his skin as he searched through the drawers. In the bed behind him, she could see a shape,someone sleeping. The princess, Elara, realized with a jolt of horror. The princess was here. In his room. In his bed.

‘It doesn't matter. Do it. Do it now.’

Elara took another step. Then another. She was getting closer. Five feet away now. Four feet.

She raised the knife. Her arm felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

Three feet.

Kane's voice drifted back to her: 

"Ah, here we go. Found them."

Two feet.

Elara's foot caught on something. A boot, she realized too late,Kane's boot lying on the floor where he'd kicked it off earlier. Her ankle twisted and her foot slammed into a clay water pitcher sitting near the bed.

The pitcher tipped. Wobbled. Then fell.

It hit the stone floor with a crash that sounded like thunder in the quiet room. Clay shards exploded across the floor. Water splashed everywhere.

Kane's head snapped up. He looked at the wall where a small mirror hung,one of those cheap brass things that gave a wavy reflection. And in that wavy reflection, he saw her.

Saw Elara standing behind him.

Saw the knife in her hand.

Saw it raised, ready to strike.

"What…" 

Kane started to say.

Elara didn't think. She couldn't think. Her body just moved.

She lunged forward with a sound that was half scream, half sob. The knife came down in a wild, desperate arc.

Kane spun around. His hand shot up and caught her wrist just as the blade was inches from his chest.

"Please die!" 

Elara screamed. She pushed forward, throwing all her weight behind the knife.

 "Please die, please die, please die!"

Tears were streaming down her face now. She didn't know when she'd started crying. Kane's fingers were tight around her wrist, so tight it hurt, but she kept pushing, kept trying to drive the blade forward.

"Elara, stop!"

 Kane shouted. 

"What are you…"

"I'm sorry!" 

She sobbed. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but please just die! Please!"

They struggled. Kane tried to twist her arm, to force her to drop the knife, but Elara held on with the grip of someone drowning. The blade wavered between them, catching the light, so close to Kane's bare chest.

And then Kane felt it, something strange, heat rushed through his body, starting from his chest and spreading out to his limbs like liquid fire. His vision sharpened. His muscles te

nsed. For a split second, everything seemed to slow down,he could see individual beads of sweat on Elara's face, could count her eyelashes, could hear her heart beating like a drum…