The next few days were tortuous and painstakingly slow.

Raebar had overtaken the Inner Circle, imprisoning those in the poorer regions who had not managed to escape. Though Elsavior and Navidia were safe, farther regions such as Aragon and Varien who could not evacuate all their citizens in time were completely enslaved, citizens held up in chains and thrown into dungeons, their powers being used to torture them until their minds broke.

Draco, the Inner Circle, and the rest of the emperors and empresses have been held prisoners in the dungeons of the Revian Palace for five days. They were all divided into shared cells, being deprived and beaten with chains until they could no longer feel their bodies. The tribe leaders tortured them with knives and poison, breaking their bodies just enough to torture them but not enough to kill them.

Draco had been sitting in the corner of the cell, barely talking to Iredine or Raiyah for a week. His eyes were fixed on Onyx's body which lied in front of him. Iredine kept her hydrated by constantly pressing a wet cloth to her head, using her powers to treat the little wounds she could. The emperor watched her as she cleaned the blood in between her fingers, pushing her hair back.

"When did you find out?" he asked, capturing Iredine's attention as she ringed the wet cloth. Blood water pooled from it, soaking the floor. "I found out a few days before the attack. I figured it out when I tried to help Alesandria and break the bond. Unfortunately, their forced bond was too deep for me to break. My Helio powers could not breakthrough."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he pressed, his eyes holding Iredine's gaze. She sighed, sagging to the floor. "I wanted to but I couldn't. It wasn't my secret to tell. That is why I injected Alesandria with my Helio magic. I knew it would force her to tell the truth and frankly, it would be more insightful coming from her than me."

Draco huffed, turning away from her. He looked down at his fingers that were slick with dried blood, picking at them in between his fingers. "And look at what happened. I still couldn't save her" he said. Raiyah sighed, reaching out for her brother. She placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing tight.

"You tried" she encouraged. He passed her a cold look, brushing her hand away.

"I failed" he responded, shaking his head. "I failed miserably."

Iredine hummed, looking down at Onyx. She stroked her pale arm, using her magic to keep her warm. "It's a bit more complicated than that Draco" she informed him, her fingers dancing to feel her pulse around her neck. "She's physically dead. Her body is unresponsive and I can't feel her pulse. Her soul has been detached from her soul so from my standpoint, I can say that she's dead. However, I can still feel some remnants of her bond with you and lingering bits of her magic."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"It means that I don't know if she's truly dead or not and until I can figure that out, I don't know how to bring her back. It would be a different story if she was just stabbed with the white ash dagger. There are some remedies for that and curing her would be plausible. However, he stabbed her with her sword which was wrapped in siphoning magic. Because of that, it tore out the last bit of her soul and trapped it in an unknown region. Because it is not heaven, hell, or anything in between, I don't know where it is, so I don't know how to retrieve it. Furthermore, her body is infested with poison and her magic is seemingly muddled underneath it. I would have to find a way to untangle her magic from the poison before draining it from her body. If I can't figure out how to do any of these, I can't bring her back."

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "The white ash poison killed her but her siphoning magic quickened the process and made her death more complicated. I don't know where to start." She looked up at the emperor who was wearing a confused face. "I can try to see if I can tap into her mind and partially bring her back. It's called a partial soul spell. It won't be permanent, and the magic will most likely be bound to the rules of day and night but it will be enough to keep in contact with her so that her body won't rot."

"Just do whatever you can" he uttered, turning his face away from Onyx's body. "I can't look at her in this state." Iredine nodded, stroking the demi-hybrid's cheek. "Don't be mad at Castrin. He did what he thought was right to protect the girl he loves. His heart was in the right place, but his execution was poor."

"He betrayed my trust and put all of us in danger by playing along with Heather's plot. I would have preferred if he told so that I could deal with the consequences and help Alesandria" Draco replied in a harsh tone.

Raiyah huffed, crossing her fingers. "Draco, you're acting as if you've never done anything absurd in the name of love" she muttered under her breath. Draco passed her a cold stare, his fingers digging into his arm. "I didn't put my entire family in danger because of my stupid decisions in the name of love" he hissed back, causing his sister to frown.

"My decisions may have been irrational but in the end, only she got hurt. What Castrin and Iredine did put all of us in danger and caused a life! How can I overlook that?!" he growled. The ruby ring around his eyes glowed red with anger, his stare darkening with each passing second. Raiyah turned away from his glare, her cheeks blazing red.

"You're talking to me," Iredine said, looking up at the emperor. "It's unfair to treat Castrin with a harsher punishment."

"I've been stuck in this cell for a week with you and you are the only one who can remotely heal Onyx" Draco corrected. His jaw locked, his veins glowing bright red. "If I had the decision, I wouldn't even be looking at you right now so don't count your blessings." Iredine's shoulders faltered, her eyes falling to the demi-hybrid's bod.

They sat in silence, waiting and praying for some miracle. The door to the dungeons opened, heavy footsteps poundings on the stairs as they descended into the dark lair. Draco looked up to see Rashnov, his eyes briefly meeting his before he passed by. The emperor scrambled to his feet and made his way over to the gates. His hand clasped around the metal bars, the hot iron burning into his skin. He hissed and pulled away, watching as Rashnov opened one of the dungeons and dragged Falcon, Yongui, and Castrin out.

The emperor watched as his friends were dragged upstairs, their arms clasped in chains and their bodies beaten and bruised. Castrin's eyes met the emperor for a quick second before looking away, the shame of what he had done heating his face. Draco punched at the end bars, bending them before he backed up.

He sat near the gate, pressing his ear to the wall. Through his heightened hearing, he could hear screams from the other side of the castle, his body cringing as the shrills of Yongui pierced his ears. He growled, punching the wall as he sulked to the floor, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop her pain.

He dug his fingers into his air, rocking his body back and forth to stop the eternal nightmare that was ensuing in front of him. The door to the dungeon opened again, this Irene accompanying Rashnov as they opened the neighboring cells and pushed out more of his court and leaders, kicking and beating them as they crawled up the stairs.

More screams of pain rattled the castle walls, torturing him until he could no longer bear it anymore. Loud bangs could be heard from upstairs, blood-curdling screams ringing in his ears. By the time the door to the dungeon opened again, the emperor had no recollection of how much time had passed or how long he has been sitting on the floor, contemplating the sweet release of death.

The gate to the dungeon cell opened and Rashnov grabbed Draco by the back of his neck, pulling him forward and tossing him on the floor. "You're a fucking prick" Draco hissed as he pulled himself up, wiping blood from his mouth. Rashnov cackled, gripping the chains in his hands. "I'm not the one who surrendered my entire kingdom. If anything, you are the pathetic one."

Rashnov swung the chains and beat Draco to the floor, turning his gaze over to Irene who was silently watching. "Get the girls. Make sure not to drop Onyx's body" he said, handing some of the chains over to her. She huffed, swinging the chains around her fingers. "I'll try. I can't say I will keep that promise."

Rashnov wrapped the heavy chains around Draco's body, tightening them around his arms and pulling him up. Raiyah and Iredine were bounded with chains, Irene tossing Onyx's body over her shoulder as she tugged the two girls over, her eyes burning with hatred. The emperor limped as he was dragged up the stairs, Raiyah and Iredine following close behind. The hallway stank of death and blood as they wondered through, broken glass scattered across the floor.

Draco's eyes scanned the walls and scattered windows they walked by, his breathing shallow. They neared the throne room, the double doors opening on their own as they approached. Rashnov pulled on Draco's chains harder, watching as the emperor tumbled and fell into the room. Heavy amounts of black and necromantic magic hit his nose, constricting his throat until it was no longer possible to breathe.

With another wicked laugh, Rashnov heaved on the chains and grabbed Draco by the neck, throwing him across the room. The emperor hit the floor, his face cracking against the tiled surface. Irene tossed Raiyah and Iredine down as well, their bodies tumbling on the floor in a weak heap.

Blood gushed from Draco's nose, staining his teeth as he struggled to get up with his bounded hands. He spat blood from his mouth, only managing to get in a kneeling position. "Kneeling before me again?" Raebar's voice taunted, prompting the emperor to look up.

He met those deceitful rusty eyes, a frown pulling on his face as the tribe leader sat in his throne, his body still bathed in the blood of the souls he had collected over the past few days. "What else can I give you?" Draco hissed through bloody teeth. "You've already taken everything from me!"

"Silence yourself before me!" Raebar retorted back, gripping the arm of the throne. Draco sighed, biting his tongue but not saying a word. Raebar's eyes traveled to Irene who was holding Onyx's body, a wicked gleam on her face. "What shall I do with her body?" she asked.

"Drop it. It will rot within a week anyway" he said. Irene nodded and let go of Onyx, her body hitting the floor with a sharp thud. Draco gasped and struggled to reach out to her, only managing to fall inches away from her. Hot tears rolled down his face as he stared at her wide eyes, frozen in an open state.

"I should burn her body seeing that she killed Heather" the tribe leader spoke. "But I won't. You can have what is left of her which is just her poison infested body."

Raebar arose from the throne, walking down to Draco's stooped figure. He kicked the emperor in the jaw, watching him tumble over to the ground. He wrapped his hand around the chains that wrapped around the emperor's throat, pulling him up to face the rest of his court and the leaders.

"Look upon your fallen leader. The one and only Draco Vaolcris. The fallen leader of Elsavior and the Emperor of Nightshadows. I have to say, I thought your reign would last longer than six and a half centuries. I should have underestimated you. No matter how hard you try, you can never live up to your parents. They were the last good rulers Elsavior had."

"You're wrong! Draco is a good leader!" Raiyah shouted. Irene crashed her foot down on his sister's skull, causing her to crumble to the floor once again. Draco turned around to help his sister but Raebar pushed him down, keeping his foot down on his spine. "I don't appreciate being cut off" Raebar hissed, shaking his head. "This is a rather uncomfortable position for me."

Raebar stooped down and pulled Draco up, shaking him violently. "Anyone wants to say anything about their dear friend before I contemplate killing him and the rest of you?" he said, his eyes raking over the crowd in front of him. "You won't win. No matter how the situation looks like, you will go down and you will suffer at our hands" Yongui hissed.

"Oh really?" Raebar challenged, raising a brow. He turned over Irene, nodding his head at her. "Bring them out," he said, gesturing towards the far corner of the throne room were dark curtains separated them from another room. Irene nodded, walking to the back and through the curtain. Draco turned around, hearing a struggle and muffled cried before Irene came back with a chain of humans following her.

She dragged them to the middle of the throne room where Draco got a good look at them. His heart dropped, his eyes taking in the gagged and chained bodies of Alesandria's family and Yongui's niece and nephew. They shook and shuddered, tears running down their face as they writhed around in the rusty chains.

"Not even if I slit the throat of your precious niece and nephew?" he asked, turning over to Yongui. Her indigo eyes grew wide and burned, her once confident demeanor crumbling. "Don't you dare lay a finger on them!" she screamed, her eyes darting towards Azner and Estel. Their eyes were wide, and their usually vibrant skin was beaten and bloody.

"And who are you to instruct me?" Raebar pressed, frowning. "I should have them killed just for that!" Yongui shook her head, pleading with him. The tribe leader smiled, shaking his head. He stalked over to Yongui, his fingers skimming across her face that was cut and caked with blood. "But I won't do it, seeing that my son has taken an interest in you again."

Yongui's brows furrowed as the tribe leader pushed her back, her body slamming into a wall. "Speaking of my son, Rashnov will you please bring that bastard out to me?" he requested. Rashnov nodded, heading towards the back. While he was gone, Raebar turned back to Draco, his steely eyes meeting his.

"What do you want, Raebar?" Draco spat out. "What the fuck could you possibly want?"

Before Raebar could reply, Rashnov returned with Rheynoak. His long hair covered his face, his skin blistering with wounds as he was thrown to the floor. Raebar turned around, frowning down at his son. "My bastard, have you thought more of my deal to join me? I wouldn't kill you and maybe, I can find it in my heart to forgive you."

Rheynoak rasped, gathering himself up. He writhed around the chains around his arms, growling. "No! You son of a bitch! I admired you! I wanted to be you but looking at you now, you are nothing, but an insecure man was and still is a fool! You won't get away with this! I swear I will kill you!"

Raebar laughed, stalking over to his son. He gripped him by the jaw, locking eyes with him. Rheynoak growled, hissing as his nails sank into his skin. "Rheynoak, I thought you would be smart enough to join the right side! I was wrong about you just like I was before. I was hoping my absence would give you a chance to grow but I was mistaken."

Rheynoak's jaw locked as his father spat the next words at him. "I appreciate the compliment but if you would rather wander around with these fools, be my guest!"

He threw his son to the ground, turning back to Draco who watched with no remorse. Raebar narrowed his eyes, taking in the others in the room. "I have no use of you all. You will only bring me down" he hissed, turning his attention back to Draco. The tribe leader clapped his hands together, white flames licking at his skin. His eyes glowed with an iridescent light, his veins glowing green. They spiraled out of his hand and shot up into the air, a shower of red flames raining down on them.

"As the current ruler of all the kingdoms in the Inner Circle, I hereby banish you all out of the Inner Circle! Your magic will no longer work as soon as you leave, and you are relieved of all your duties! Furthermore, should you ever attempt to step back, you shall be killed on the spot and your bones shall be added to my weaponry!"

Draco's eyes widened at the declaration, stumbling back as the red flames turned to green. "This curse shall be placed upon the Inner Circle until the end of time! No empress or emperor can break it and no amount of power shall shatter it!" His powers spread throughout the room before making their way into the hallway, sealing his words with a magical barrier.

Draco huffed, turning back to the tribe leader as he came back to reality, his eyes turning back to their rustic color. He smiled, turning back to his throne. "You can't do that!" Draco hissed, making his way towards him. Raebar turned around and blasted him with necromantic magic, the dark spell creating a barrier to hold him in place.

"I believe I just did, Draco" he replied. He reached inside the sword sheath strapped to his side, pulling out Onyx's sword. He tossed it at Draco's feet, the blade still covered in blood. "Take that with you as well. A constant reminder of your failure."

He turned back around and marched up the stairs, settling on the throne. He gripped the arms of the chair, smiling. "You and the rest of your pitful team are banished! Never step foot inside my domain."

Draco breathed heavily, his blurry eyes flickering around the room for something. Anything. Before words could escape out of his lips, Raebar turned to Rashnov and Irene, summoning them. "Remove him and the rest of his friends from this room! I don't want to see them any longer!"

Draco struggled as they winnowed in front of him, their viper grip pulling him back. His screams of agony tore through his throat, ringing past the walls of the castle as he was dragged from his sanctuary and stripped of his titles. 

A/N: And that is the end of Chapter Forty-eight!

So...please don't kill me! I swear everything will be fine! We five more books to go through!

Please don't kill me!

Everything will be fine, I promise!

So as you all know, the coronavirus has been spreading like wildfire so my university has been forced to hold online classes until easter break when we can return on campus (hopefully). Even though I have online classes they don't begin until the 30th so I have a lot of time on my hands to hopefully finish publishing the chapters of this book so I can move on to The Shadow Heirs and the novellas.

As for now, all you be careful out there. Be safe, healthy, stay indoors, and wash your hands thoroughly. If you are sick, stay home and take care of yourself. Don't take this lightly. It can be very detrimental. Even though most healthy people with a good immune system usually bounce back, those with health ailments are struggling to recover! It's important to keep them in your prayers and practice safe hygiene and self-quarantine. For more information, make sure to go to the CDC website to receive daily updates on the coronavirus. Another way to keep yourself informed is to visit the website corona.help for daily updates worldwide!

It has also been brought to my attention that some of you may be disappointed by Onyx's death. I was reached out to by one reader who expressed her disappointment with Onyx's death and how she seemed weak in this book! 

First, I would like to express extreme sympathy and my sorrow to those who felt that way! That was never my intention! I always strive to create a book that is enjoyable to the readers! Unfortunately, that means that some unpleasant things have to happen! I would like to just briefly explain my side and what was going through my mind writing this book!

First, Onyx is not fully dead! I can't kill her off so of course, she will return. However, when she returns, she will no longer be the Onyx you all know. She will be Onouxia, heir to the crojesian throne who has obtained more power than she could ever imagine! She will be refined and changed in a whole different way and will be bolder and more confident! 

I understand all your frustrations if you have any. Really. I don't mean to make you upset or anything but this is really how I planned her character. In this book, I wanted her character to have some depth since reading through some criticism with the first book, I realized that she could appear to be a bit one dimensional. I wasn't trying to be unfair but rather see the trials I can take her character through for character development.

In this book, Onyx does seem visibly weaker even with all her powers. That's because mentally, she is. Just think about it. She broke up with a man she thought she could trust even after everything he has done, she found out that she is a demi-hybrid with immense power and the lost queen of a kingdom, she has no idea what is going to happen to her, and the sake of everything rests on her shoulders. Coupled with the fact that she is falling in love with Draco shortly after breaking up with Rheynoak and she doesn't know what to do with her emotions towards him, she is visibly weaker mentally. She is going through a lot and her mind isn't focused on one thing. 

I wanted her to be more relatable in this book. I wanted her to be vulnerable despite having so much power because that is the consequences that came along with it. I wanted people to see that even someone like her with immense power can be broken and mentally drained. Onyx is mentally drained after dealing with so much. 

Throughout the series, especially in the fourth book, you will see a gradual shift. Onyx will come back. I can't kill her off but she will be different. She will be more confident and concentrated on her powers and will have a clearer outlook on her future. She can put behind her past with Rheynoak and fall in love again. She will be better mentally. Most importantly, she will be Onouxia, not Onyx. She will be bold, defining, and unforgiving. She won't hold back and she will continue to grow and become a competent ruler. 

Thank you for voicing your opinions on this book and supporting me through it all. It means a lot! Just deal with me, please. I know this all seems unfair but it's all part of this process I had in mind. I am sorry to disappoint you but your support means a lot and I will make sure to keep your opinion in mind and flourish her out as the series continues. Thank you!

So tell me what you guys thought of this chapter. We are four chapters away from finishing the book!

Are you guys enjoying the books and series so far? I want to hear your honest opinion!

Thank you guys for all your constant support. It means so much to me that you enjoy this book. I enjoy writing it and to hear your feedback always makes my day!

So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter and don't forget to comment down below and vote if you liked it.

Remember to stay happy and healthy!

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May