Excerpt from my the last chapter from my trilogy “Ten Year War”

Only a fool would believe that I would survive the night. The way he stared at me was unnerving.

“You bitch,” I replied, doing my best to avoide his prying eyes. “If you want me dead, just do it now.”

He didn’t say anything. He was still staring at me, those stupid hazel eyes sharper than needles.

“I’m waiting. Crown doesn’t want me to kill you. He wants to do the honors.”

“A stupid idea,” I muttered. I reached into my coat pocket and pointed the one-bullet gun at his forehead. “I didn’t come to play games. It’s either you fight me or I shoot your guts out.”

Enoch didn’t even flinch. “Go on. Shoot me.”

What? Why wasn’t he scared?

I fiddled with the trigger. Right when I was about to shoot him, I heard thundering footsteps through the trees.

“WILNO, NO!” My sister’s shriek rang in my ears. She got me and pried the gun from my outstretched arm.

“What do you think your doing?” I snatched the gun back.

Sage shook her head. “Crown wants you to kill him. It will make his job easier.”

I snorted. “How will killing his sidekick make it easier for him to win.” I pointed the gun back at Enoch, who had his hands raised in the air. “I’m sick of this whelp.”

Sage tried to stop me with her words. She didn’t try to take the gun away. “Wilno, I hate him too but Enoch is just as reckless as you are with that gun. You know how he murdered our whole family. Do you want to be like him?”

I shivered. “I know that.” I didn’t want to think about my mother and father being shot to death by him. The way Enoch sneered at us when he ran off into the night. He enjoyed every bit of it. He loved death.

I knew what my sister meant. She didn’t want her brother to become the killer in this story, even when Enoch deserved it.

I lowered the gun and turned back to my sister and hugged her close. “What are we to do. Crown wants me dead. Once I’m gone, there will be nothing left.

Sage started crying. “I don’t want to think about that.”

I moved the hair from her eyes. “You are going to have to think about it. In a few minutes, you might not have any family left in your life.”

Sage got mad at me. “Stop trying to make me cry. I already know that!”

“I know,” I said, crying with her. “I know.”

I heard shuffling though the trees. Enoch was still planted in his spot.

Me and Sage turned to see Crown enter the clearing. “Come easy, W.”

I hated that nickname he had given to me. I let go of my sister and walked calmly through the trees.

“Drop the gun,” he said.

I let it fall into the dirt.

“Cloak off.”

I shuddered. I turned back to my sister and tossed it to her. The only thing to remember me by.

She nodded sadly, her face bright red and wet with tears.

I faced Crown again.

I had to do it. The last part of the Pledge. “You will be a king no more.”

The sword was lying in the grass, covered by the foliage and dead leaves.

I lifted it into the air.

I heard Crown gasp before he lunged at me.

I was shaking horribly. Looking back at my sister, I plunged the blade into my torso.

Maroon. My brother fell to the floor. Crown was screaming, trying to pry the blade from Wilno. I watched in horror. This was not my brother’s plan.

He was supposed to kill Crown, not himself.

My cries shook the trees as I raced to my brother who had fallen to the ground.

A flame flickered inside me. I felt the Magic leave from me and the overwhelming fatigue.

Wilno had killed himslef to end the war. All the Magics were going to be Magics for the very last time.

Crown plummeted to the floor, screaming as his whole body started to deteriorate. I gagged at the scene until all that was left of him was ash.

Looking back at my brother, I collapsed to the ground and cried on him. His shaky hands combed though my messy hair.

He tired to speak but I shushed him.

“It’s okay,” I soothed. “I’m right here.”

He was swept from this world minutes later, his hand still in my hair. His eyes were blank. Dead. Cold. Stone.