Sins Among Royals

Jealousy, anger and revenge. That was all she felt. It was all she thought as she walked about the small wooden cabin in which she had confined herself.

She’d managed to evade her brothers guards and had come close to capture twice already. Her scent was conveniently lost in a river as she had so carefully planned.

Ebony was in a rage. Indie was not supposed to inform her brother of the letter till the date stamped on the back. She was sure that Indie was dumb enough to do that for her. In the short time she had come to know her sister-in-law she had learned that Indie was careful, mindful and too thoughtful of others.

It made Ebony sick.

Everything about Indie made her feel woozy. She was just too nice, too genuine, too normal.

But still. Something about her had managed to change Noah enough that he’d come to check up on her.

Hearing a pained groan Ebony’s vision cleared slightly and she came back to focus on what she was doing.

Raif. Her darling husband lay on the ground with a mortal wound to his abdomen.

“You won’t get away with this Eb,” he choked out as his shaky hands clutched at his side, attempting to stem the flow of blood. “The truth will come out.”

With a silent smile Ebony looked down at her bare feet and noticed they were soaked with blood. His blood.

“I will get away with it Raif, just like I get away with everything.” Ebony was certain of herself, she was certain of her skills and she knew how to make everything work to her advantage. “I got away with Lori’s death and I will get away with everything else I have planned.”

The woman threw her head back and cackled evilly. She would sit atop the throne and rule the entire kingdom. She would show her father that he chose wrong.

“Why?” Raif choked out again as his eyes partially rolled back into his head. He didn’t have much time left and he knew it. He at least wanted to meet death knowing why he was robbed of his life and everything he had ever loved.

“Why what?” Ebony turned to him and spat. “Why do this? Why kill Lori, and you, and soon my dearest little brother?” Sneering a spiteful sneer she turned and began pacing again.

“It should be me with all the power!” She demanded loudly. “It is I who is oldest! It is I who is wisest and it is I who is deserving of such an honour!”

“You deserve nothing!” Raif bit back quickly as he winced in pain. “Lori was innocent.” Even if he got all the answers he wanted Raif knew he would die ashamed and embarrassed. He had been ensnared by Ebony after his mate’s death and he never suspected what she was capable of. “Heidi is innocent,” the mention of his daughter’s name brought tears to his eyes and pain to his heart. Heidi was very much the spitting image of her mother and had many of her mannerisms beside the fact she died when Heidi took her first breath. He could at least die happy knowing that his flesh and blood was safe with Noah.

Ebony laughed bitterly, “the only two that will survive are Timothy and Ryan. They will grow up knowing it was their mother who is the greatest leader of their world, they will grow up knowing that what I did secured the throne for them. They will thank me one day!” Cackling again Ebony clutched something in her hands as she began circling Raif. “I will show my sons that this world is savage, that you have to fight for what you want, for what you believe in.”

Her words sent a cold chill down Raif’s spine. Why had he left her into his life. She was nothing like Lori and if anything she pissed all over the memories he had of sweet, innocent Lori.

“Our sons will grow up embarrassed and ashamed of you, Noah,” Raif coughed as his mouth filled with the bitter taste of imminent death. “He will not let you win. That mate of his,” Raif tried and failed to recall her name, “she won’t let you harm Heidi. Heidi already loves her like she would a mother.” He hadn’t seen for himself what had happened but he had witnessed his daughter drawing her picture, and while it broke his heart Raif knew that with his wife’s deepening madness that Heidi would be cared for, she would be safe.

Lunging at Raif every now and then Ebony growled and glared, “our sons will know me!” She screamed in anger, “I will not give up without a fight!” Ebony would put up a brave fight for as long as she could but there was one thing she discounted. Indie.

“You are fucking crazy,” Raif spat at her with all the force he could muster. Soon Ebony’s face was speckled with red dots.

Taking the item in her hand she dropped to her knees near her dying husband and smiled an extremely sick and twisted smile. Her eyes were wide and all her teeth were showing, “you don’t even know the half of it,” she laughed as she took her blade and plunged it into Raif’s body again and again.

In her manic state she thought back to the home they once shared and back to the moment the car carrying Indie, Noah and Heidi disappeared down the road.

-MEMORY-

Standing on the landing of the stairs Ebony and her small family waved off Noah and his new mate. Everyone was quiet as the two young boys waved goodbye to their cousin and uncle. They didn’t really care too much about the woman they would soon be calling aunt.

“What were you speaking to Indie about?” Raif questioned her curiously. His jaw was tense, his wife was up to something.

“Oh nothing,” she mused with a smile. “I was just passing on a letter that made it look like you were planning to do something sinister,” she waved and smiled and felt completely confident in herself.

That was until Raif seized her arm angrily. “You what!” He growled fiercely as he couldn’t help but grip her arm tightly. “Come with me wife,” Raif spat bitterly as he dragged Ebony inside. The boys quickly followed suit. “You two run along and play,” Raif demanded quickly.

“But daddy, won’t you play with us?” Timothy asked with much expectation in his little face.

“I said go!” Raif all but screamed at his two sons as they stepped back and turned to run in fear. He instantly regretted his anger towards his sons but he was far too livid with Ebony to see straight.

As soon as Raif knew his sons were out of the way he let his anger get the better of him. He didn’t hit his wife, no matter how livid he was with the woman he could never raise a hand to her in anger. Instead what he did was far worse.

He felt something inside his head pop which set off a complete chain reaction within the rest of his body. Anger clouded everything and thus made for a painful transformation. All his bones popped as pain seard through every muscle, every fiber of his body.

As soon as Ebony figured out what was happening she turned on her heel and fled. Ebony ran for the only place she knew was safe. The basement.

Her feet carried her far as she arrived at a non descript door that looked no different to the panels on the walls. Though she passed by many house keepers she didn’t think and didn’t care to warn them of the danger they were in. Instead she only worried about herself.

Punching in a code into the small electronic screen on the wall she ran through the door that immediately closed behind her. She was glad for the extra security and even happier that she hadn’t shared the password with Raif.

Descending the wooden stairs she soon entered a world completely different to the one upstairs. Completely different to the world she was in daily.

The bare concrete walls were cold and unforgiving, as were the concrete floors. Harsh lighting hang overhead as she stepped towards the far wall on the right. She didn’t want to think about or deal with the person on the left.

Walking briskly towards a wooden plinth that held a book of great importance. The leather bound boom with off white pages was one of Ebony’s most prized possessions. She reached out to it and felt the thick paper in her hands, “Oh my darling we will have what we deserve soon.” She muttered quietly to herself as she looked upon her work with great pride. Her heart swelled and her eyes watered as she looked upon what she had managed to do.

“Ebony,” a faint voice called to her softly.

The woman couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she turned down stormed offer the far side of the basement “I'd you not to speak to me Rogan. Or do I need to remind you of that?”

The man was weak and gaunt and looked closer to death than he was to life, “please don’t do this,” he begged feebly as.his mate cackled.

“Aw my sweet love,” she spoke softly, her words laced with venom, “I thought you knew by now,” she moved quickly to pick up a small silver dagger from the tray next to him, “never tell me what to do,” she demanded as she plunged the blade into his flesh.

-END OF MEMORY-

Hearing a cry of pain Ebony brought herself back from her memories and looked down at her husband. She still clutched the silver blade in her hands as a thick crimson liquid coated the blade, “you don’t even know the half of it Raif.” She repeated as she dropped the blood soaked blade and looked upon her husband as he gasped his dying breaths.

“I...hope..you..fucking die.” He gasped desperately as darkness pulled St his soul. “fucking bitch.” He muttered with his last breath.

Ebony watched the man’s eyes roll back into his head and smiled with satisfaction. If only everyone could die like that.