Collision: The Battle for Darracia - Book 2 (The Darracia Saga) (16 page)

V’sair walked toward the metal cage, his hands tied behind his back. Seren stood by the control device, a giant bruise covering half his face. Lothen stood on the highest point of the ship, a speaker in his hand. “Behold, Darracia, your king will be dead. Long live Lothen!”

The air was still. Crowds of Quyroos watched silently from the treetops, their red faces barely distinguishable from the foliage.

Darracians lined up on the balustrades; Generals Swart and Vekin, broken old men, watched helplessly as their king was escorted to his destiny. V’sair looked for the face he wanted imprinted on his final memory. When he saw her stricken look, their eyes locked, and for a second no one existed but them. Tulani shook her head, her hands covering her mouth in mute shock.

V’sair walked to the golden cage, stepped inside, and held out his tied hands. “Surely I don’t need to go to
my death shackled. One prison is enough?”

Lothen looked at his nephew. “Your bravery does you credit. Untie him!”

“But Sire!” Seren interrupted.

Lothen turned a fierce glare on the Quyroo. “I said untie him, else you will join him in his watery death.”

The ropes were cut away, and V’sair solemnly stepped into the stark jail. The door clanged loudly behind him, and he faced outward toward his home, seeing only Tulani. His lips formed the words “I love you.”

The nasal whine of the winch echoed over the water as V’sair was lowered into the lapping waves. He refused to look down. Soon the icy water chilled his body as it closed over his legs, his waist, and finally his head. Tulani’s wail of horror carried long after the water covered his hair.

Automatically he held his breath, his eyes closed,
waiting for the last bubble to escape so he would sink into nothingness. His head got light, his arms floating within the cage, his body weightless. V’sair’s breath hitched, and he released a final exhalation, feeling his lungs fill with water, and a peacefulness surrounded him. He heard music, ethereal and beautiful, angels singing. It was a holy choir, and in his mind’s eye he saw a white light coming closer. It split into two globes of light, one with a red center, the other blue. Reaching for it, he felt the last of his air escape and then nothing more.

The cage sank slowly to rest on the deep ocean floor. The young king lay in the ripples and eddies, small fish swimming around him. His tunic lifted, billowing out in the gentle wave of the water. The two orbs hovered over him, expanding to surround him, caress him, invade his still form. V’sair’s body became incandescent, the inner light of blue and red balls shining from his chest. A pulse started in his neck, his heart warming to the light of the orbs. The tight skin of his sides split. One, two, three slits
appeared, opening like gentle flowers, bubbles of air filling the young kings lungs. Slowly the tiny gills struggled to move. Unused, underdeveloped, they worked hard to breath, and then they did. V’sair’s eyes popped open.

Watch for
Risen: The Battle for Darracia, Book 3

If you find this book enjoyable, I really hope you’ll leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or Barnes & Noble under
Collision: The Battle for Darracia
. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me directly at
[email protected]
.

Other books by Michael

Brood X: A Firsthand Account of the Great Cicada Invasion

Stillwell: A Haunting on Long Island

The Hanging Tree: A Novella

About the Author

Born and raised on Long Island, Michael has always had a fascination with horror writing and found-footage films. He wanted to incorporate both with his debut novel,
Brood X
. After earning a degree in English and an MBA, he worked various jobs before settling into being a full-time author. He currently resides on Long Island with his wife and children.

[email protected]