Chapter 65: Chapter 65

“YOU DID WHAT??”

Zagan yelled and looked at Kiora who was standing in front of him with crossed arms.

Kiora blazed watching her brother staring at her with accusatory eyes, “I didn’t have an option, Zagan. George was about to kill me. I tried my best to stop him but he wasn’t ready to listen to me so-“

“SO, YOU TOLD HIM ABOUT JASMINE?” Zagan completed her sentence and shot her a death glare. Kiora clenched her jaw.

Grabbing her right shoulder, Zagan glared at her and gritted, “DO YOU TAKE ME AS AN IDIOT? You didn’t have the power to stop George? I am your brother Kiora, you can’t fool me. You could have easily saved yourself but you deliberately told him everything.”

Rage bubbled inside her. Kiora slapped his hands away and spoke while looking straight into his eyes, “Yes, it was intentional. But you know what? I don’t regret my actions. Because unlike you, I can’t trust Calix blindly. He hates us Zagan and you better don’t forget that he does have a soft corner for Diana. What if he changes his mind at the last moment? We need to be prepared for all contingencies and keep our alternatives stashed.”

She spoke earnestly and grabbed his biceps, “Listen to me Zagan. I know you might have been infatuated with her but I am your sister. You need to trust me. We have to make some alliances to maintain equality. If Calix betrays us, we can use Jasmine as a decoy which would compel him to fulfill our wishes.”

Kiora tried to inveigle her brother in her plans but failed miserably.

Her words only riled Zagan up. He yanked himself away from her hold and hollered her, “AND OUT OF EVERYONE, YOU CHOOSE GEORGE WHO DESPISES JASMINE TO HIS CORE?? FUCK YOU AND YOUR PLAN!! For the first time in my life, I felt a strong pull toward someone. She made me feel emotions Kiora which I have never felt before. She conquered my heart in such a short span and no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop the urge to protect her. Your troubles are yours, Kiora not mine. I don’t need the alliance to protect my woman. Also, if I take Jasmine with me to Hell now then she would be safe.”

Kiora stared at him stunned. He sounded confident and his eyes held sincerity.

She panicked when Zagan abruptly started to leave.

“No, wait!! STOP YOU, DUMBASS, YOU’RE GONNA RUIN EVERYTHING!!”

She screamed and ran behind him. But Zagan jerked away from her, “Enough Kiora. I am tired of haggling with you. We won’t consent to each other. So, it’s better if we part ways.”

“YOU’RE CHOOSING HER OVER YOUR SISTER??”

Kiora was raging like a bull. Zagan set all her schemes at naught within a second which she had devised so carefully.

“I can’t sit back and watch my love suffering. I have to protect her.”

With that, Zagan started to leave when suddenly he felt a powerful kick on his back which made him fall flat on the ground. He winced in pain feeling his back on fire.

“W-What the hell.” He let out a few curses but his voice cracked as he couldn’t breathe. He tried to get up but Kiora stomped his ankles with her sharp heels.

“I am sorry brother but you should have thought twice before gainsaying me.” She sneered and continued jabbing his ankles with her pointed heels.

Zagan let out a low growl as she bruised his legs. The kick was too powerful which made him nearly unconscious but soon his anger surfaced. He pushed himself on her palms and abruptly got up which made her stumble back.

Removing his sword, he aimed at her and yelled in pain, “ONLY YOU CAN DO THIS!! YOU ARE SICK, KIORA!! I REGRET HELPING YOU!!”

Zagan then lunged onto her and both of them engaged in a nasty fight.

The repercussions of the brawl weren’t in favor of Kiora. She was heavily injured and could barely stand on her legs.

Slamming her on a tree, Zagan choked her with his muscular arms. He didn’t hurt her much, only gave her long cuts on her arms and legs which would make her bleed.

Kiora started to wheeze. She grabbed his arms and tried to remove them but excessive blood loss debilitated her. Her eyelids soon turned heavy. Zagan paused when he felt her hands dropping by her sides. Guilt rushed in him as he watched Kiora slowly drifting to darkness.

“I am sorry sister but you forced me to hurt you. You need to understand that your selfish moves will only snatch my happiness away. I hope you can forgive me.”

Zagan then helped Kiora settle on the ground. Removing his cape, he draped it around her which would help her stay hidden from Angels.

“Your wounds would heal soon as the cuts aren’t deep. Till then, you can rest here and leave once you gain consciousness.” He spoke softly and patted her head. Exhaling a deep sigh, he then cleaned his sword and put it back in the sheath.

‘I hope that fucker hadn’t gotten his hands on my Jasmine yet. I need to leave and find her as soon as possible.’

With that thought in mind, Zagan forwarded his steps to leave when suddenly someone stabbed a dagger in his torso from behind. He hurriedly turned around but his eyes bulged out of his sockets as the culprit was none other than Kiora. Her fingers were curled around the bloodied dagger while she smiled at him cynically.

“And I hope you can forgive me for killing you, Zagan.” Saying that she again stabbed him but this time in his stomach. A gasp escaped his mouth as she stabbed him not once but thrice. Not able to bear the pain any longer, Zagan fell to the ground while clutching his stomach.

“Y-YOU-H-HOW COULD Y-YOU-“ He couldn’t speak and started to cough blood.

Zagan was in too much pain. He couldn’t believe that his sister tried to kill him.

Kiora crouched down to his level and removed the dampened locks off his forehead before looking in his eyes ruefully, “I am sorry brother but you shouldn’t have challenged me. Don’t you remember Father’s words, we should get rid of every obstacle to make our plan successful. I am just an inch away from claiming Zachary then how can I allow you or your teen love to scupper my dreams? You only said that you’re tired of arguing so let’s get down to brass tacks and expedite our plans.”

Saying that she shot him a nefarious smile and stood up.

Kiora then harshly peeled the cape from her shoulders and threw it on him. “I think you’ll be needing this more than me.” She said and let out a dark chuckle.

Zagan looked at her with teary eyes. He was too broken but she remained indifferent.

“Now, now, don’t give me this look, alright? I did warn you of the consequences before but you didn’t pay any heed. Anyways, I am heading to meet George. I think by now he has got Rose. It’s time to take our plan to next level. Don’t worry, I would come to collect your battered self once I get rid of Diana and Jasmine. Till then enjoy the pain. It’s your punishment for disobeying your future Queen of Hell.”

Kiora said and smirked. She looked deranged. Snapping her fingers in the air, she then vanished in thin air leaving him groaning in pain.

Zagan watched her leave. Pressing his right elbow on the ground, he steadied himself and tried to get up but failed. To make sure, he doesn’t recover, Kiora stabbed him with her bayonet, Darkness Fetcher which was one of her powerful and lethal weapons.

The Princess of Darkness had lost her sanity. Her mind was flooded with Zachary and the only thing which she could see in front of her eyes was the bejeweled throne. She doesn’t even give a damn if this is going to be a titular marriage, all she wanted was power and position. Her patience had given up. She was tired of convincing Zachary so the only option left for her was to play dirty.

Zagan after a lot of failed tries finally managed to support himself on a tree. He had lost a lot of blood and could feel his life slipping away. Suddenly Jasmine’s smiling face struck his mind.

“N-no, I have to save J-Jasmine. I-I can’t give up this way.”

He panicked and looked around but he was too weak to do something. Wearied and helpless, he rested his head on the tree and stared in space with soulless eyes.

‘It’s time to seek help from the stalwart, Zagan. You have to call him, if not for you but Jasmine,’ His conscience rebuked him.

Zagan immediately stiffened. Those words were the shot in his arm.

’You’re right. It’s the only option left now.

After contemplating a while, he made up his mind. His eyes teemed with new hope.

“I need to do this. The situation can only turn salvageable once the Demon King takes the bridle in his hands.”

*****