Chapter 141: DARK THRONE
The High King stared at me from his dark throne, and a very cruel laugh escaped his thin lips.
He gripped the carved wooden armrests of his large chair tight, and he leaned forward to look down at my glowing hands.
"You are very bold for a northern wolf, and you think a little bit of magic makes you a true ruler," the King sneered.
"You broke into my royal palace, but you will not leave this throne room alive to see your green valley again," he threatened us without any fear.
"You do not have an army to protect you anymore, because your royal guards ran away to save their own lives," I reminded him.
"I do not need a massive army to crush a weak girl, because I have the most elite magic users in the world standing right here," he answered me smoothly.
He raised his right hand in the air, and he pointed his long pale finger straight toward my chest.
"Burn the intruders to ashes, and do not let a single wolf survive the morning!" the High King commanded his four elite shadow-weavers.
The dark magic users raised their hands, and they started chanting their foul words to summon the royal poison.
A thick violet light filled the bottom of the black stone stairs, and the terrible smell of sulfur choked the fresh air inside the large room.
Elder Silas stepped forward to protect me, and the northern wolves raised their heavy leather shields to block the incoming attack.
"Stay behind me, Silas, because your iron weapons cannot stop the royal poison!" I yelled to the brave pack leaders.
I pushed past the old wolf, and I ran to the very front of our group so I could take the full force of the enemy magic.
The four shadow-weavers thrust their hands forward, and a massive wave of dark purple fire rushed down the long red carpet.
The dark magic moved incredibly fast, and the deadly heat scorched the expensive red fabric right off the stone floor.
I did not close my eyes, and I did not let the rising fear stop me from protecting the people I loved.
I planted my boots firmly on the hard ground, and I threw both of my hands out in front of my body to release my own ancient power.
My raw silver fire exploded from my open palms, and the bright light blinded the wealthy southern nobles hiding near the walls.
The hot silver flames formed a giant curved shield in the air, and the solid wall of magic covered the entire width of the main hall.
The dark purple poison crashed into my bright silver shield, and a deafening boom shook the high ceiling of the throne room.
The terrible impact pushed me backward, but Vladislav pressed his strong hand against my back to keep me standing tall.
"You can hold the line, Bellatrix, so push the dark fire back to the stairs," Vladislav encouraged me, and his deep voice gave me genuine strength.
I gritted my teeth, and I forced more energy from my core straight into the glowing silver wall protecting my pack.
The intense heat from my pure magic swallowed the dark purple poison, and the royal fire burned away into harmless grey smoke.
The shadow-weavers screamed in pure shock, because they never saw a mortal woman defeat their combined magic so easily.
My silver flames rushed up the black stone stairs, and the sudden wave of heat knocked the four magic users onto their backs.
They dropped their hands to cover their burned faces, and they scrambled away from the steps to hide behind the large stone pillars.
I lowered my tired arms, and I let the bright silver shield fade away into the cold morning air.
"Your magic users failed to protect you, so you have no options left," I told the King, and I gripped the hilt of my iron sword tight.
The High King stood up from his dark throne, and a genuine panic finally replaced the arrogant pride on his pale face.
He realized his massive empire was falling apart right in front of his eyes, and he refused to accept his terrible defeat.
"I am the divine ruler of the southern courts, and I will never surrender my crown to a wild animal!" the King roared in absolute anger.
He reached inside his dark velvet coat, and he pulled out a heavy steel crossbow loaded with a sharp iron bolt.
The metal tip of the arrow dripped with the dark purple poison, and he aimed the deadly weapon directly at my face.
He pulled the heavy metal trigger without any hesitation, and the sharp iron bolt flew through the air with a loud snap.
I did not have enough time to raise my heavy sword, and I could not summon my silver fire fast enough to stop the fast arrow.
Vladislav moved with lightning speed, and his vampire reflexes saved my life for the second time today.
He stepped right in front of me, and he swung his heavy steel sword upward to intercept the poisoned bolt.
The sharp iron arrow hit the flat side of his steel blade, and the loud metallic clang echoed through the quiet room.
The deadly bolt deflected off his sword, and the poisoned arrow buried itself deep into the stone wall far away from us.
"You always rely on hidden tricks, because you do not know how to fight with true honor," Vladislav growled at his former master.
Vladislav did not wait for the King to reload the heavy weapon, and he charged up the black stone stairs with terrifying speed.
The High King tried to pull a small dagger from his belt, but he was far too slow to match the angry vampire.
Vladislav reached the top of the platform, and he kicked the heavy steel crossbow right out of the ruler's pale hands.
The weapon shattered against the hard stone, and Vladislav grabbed the front of the King's velvet coat with both hands.
"You ordered the slaughter of innocent families, and you poisoned the green rivers for your own greed," Vladislav shouted in the man's face.