The black cat's muscles bunch and he launches himself toward me, jaws parting as flames obscure my view of everything but himself. His fiery eyes blaze in sick delight. Light glows on Wolf's forearm. I'm rooted to the spot, unable to move. Phoenix drops to the ground, frozen, as the scorpion bursts to life on Wolf's skin. "You can't kill him." Wolf's voice is strong, sure, but it cracks. His eyes flicker to Wolf briefly before returning to me, burning in seething fury. Why is she defending me? Doesn't she know it's my fault Dove is dead? And doesn't she know weakness gets you killed? I look up at her in horror. How does she not know this stuff?

"He's not going to hurt you. But do you truly want to be a Soldier and the Dust Devil?" Wolf looks up at me, and her face holds an expression I can't identify. My gaze falls to the ground, and I see the blood soaking into the soil and making scarlet mud. After a minute or 2, I manage to choke out, "n-no." Time seems to stop momentarily as I come to terms with the fact that I just admitted, out loud and to other people, that I didn't want to be a Soldier. My shoulders shrug up as I brace myself for the punishment that surely awaits me.

But it never comes. My eyebrows furrow. I just said I don't want to be a Soldier or the Dust Devil. Why aren't they doing anything? Phoenix watches me, eyes narrowed. Wolf doesn't react. "I knew there was something going on, but I didn't want to think anything for sure until I heard it from you," Miles says.

"Is he lying, Wolf?"

"No, Phoenix, he's not." The black cat curls his lip. He rakes his claws through the soil but remains where he is. Why aren't they doing anything? Weakness gets you killed! Especially if you're high up in the ranks of Guard and Soldier. My eyes flicker up as I glance at each of them before my gaze returns to the bloody soil.

Pisces squirms on the back of my neck but it doesn't start to burn.

"What's your actual... Goin' out on a limb here, but the despicable KG14 named you, right? Where'd he come up with the terrible name 'Dust Devil' anyways? Don't trust you for a heartbeat, but for now, I'm not killing you. Take it or leave it." Instinct begins to kick in but I choke back the urge to defend Bryant.

"I-I. D-Dust-..." my voice trails off before I eventually murmur, "Luke." It's so quiet I'm not sure if any of them heart me. I just sealed my fate, didn't I?

"Luke?" I nod in response to Miles. I can't speak; the fear has taken away my voice. Why aren't they doing anything? Don't they know what I've done? I've said I don't want to be a Soldier and the Dust Devil. Don't they know how the ranks of Soldiers work? Weakness gets you killed!

"Well, I'm outta here. I've got a so-called King to kill. Was hopin' you'd be able to give me some information as to how to destroy this King, but it seems you can't. What a shame..." The tip of Phoenix's tail flicks as he rises to his paws and begins to pad away. He watches me carefully out of the corner of his eye. He's testing me, I realize. He wants to see if I've really lost my loyalty to Bryant. He trusts Wolf, but not that much. Maybe he's still hoping I'll say I believe in Bryant. I don't agree with him, but my whole life has been following him and trying to become the model Soldier everyone thinks I was. My body remains frozen until I manage to break through. "W-wait."

"Hm?" Phoenix turns around.

"What," I pause. "What do you want to know?"

"What do you know?" The black cat smiles, but there's nothing friendly in it.

"I... I'm the righthand man of the King. Or was. I don't know if I still am. Or will be. He doesn't know that I didn't kill Wolf. But he probably does now."

"You were supposed to kill me?"

"Yeah. But I couldn't. It wasn't right. Doesn't make up for the fact I didn't refuse, but I'm sorry." My shoulders fall and I look to the ground. Guilt tears through my heart. Wolf doesn't reply.

"Tell me about his castle."

"It's big," I start, every word I tell Phoenix reminding me that I'm betraying Bryant. "The King never leaves the Amethyst Throne. The Guard and Soldiers stay..." My voice trails off, and I can't say any more.

"Hm. So you're still loyal, you f-."

"Phoenix, be nice."

"Don't you dare say that," he snarls as he turns on Wolf. His eyes flash with fury and flames blaze across his pelt. Confusion takes over Wolf's face before she connects the dots.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to-. Yeah, s-sorry, Phoenix. I..." Wolf trails off. Her jaw clenches as she looks off to the side. Phoenix growls but doesn't reply.

"Why'd they ever think of you as the model Soldier?" Phoenix mutters the words under his breath. His lip curls. I wonder that too, sometimes.

"I never said no, I did every job I could, I followed every order I received, and I rose through the ranks quickly. I was 1 of the youngest to reach the top ranks of the Soldiers."

"You don't sound very happy about it," Miles murmurs.

"I wasn't ruthless like the rest of the Soldiers. I didn't agree with most of what they said. I didn't hang onto every word the King said. Everyone else did, but I couldn't make myself believe everything he said."

"Why not just kill them? Eliminate your competition, make them bow to your will."

"Phoenix, that's ruthless," Wolf says.

"Works." The black cat shrugs.

"I don't know," I say.

"Why did you run away, Luke?" It takes me a moment to realize Miles is talking to me.

"I-I don't know."

"I don't need Wolf to tell me that you're lying, liar. Why'd you run away? Too cowardly?" Phoenix's tail flicks as his ears draw against the sides of his head. Wolf leans back against the post of a tent, arms crossed, shoulders hunched, and gaze locked on the ground.

Keep it together, Luke. Keep it together. Too many people here. Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths. Calm thoughts. Think calm thoughts.

Miles turns into the doctors from 10 years ago. He turns cold, expressionless. My breath becomes lodged in my throat. "Phoenix, I need you to please be quiet. Just for a few minutes, please."

"Fine," he grumbles.

"What's going on, Luke?"

"I'm fine." Why can't they just leave me alone? I need to figure out how I'm going to tell Bryant that I didn't kill Wolf. Before Miles can reply, Wolf speaks.

"Why did he kill Dove?" Wolf's head hangs. Her voice cracks.

"Cuz he's a fu-."

"Dove didn't agree with him," I say. "The King wants everyone to agree with him."

"That's too nice. The Amethyst Throne has destroyed his mind and corrupted him. He's some twisted, disgusting creature whose heart is an ashy, black hole in his ches-."

"I-I-I. Th-that was a rhe-rhetorical question," Wolf murmurs.

I killed her brother. And I killed Phoenix's brother, too. Guilt gnaws at my insides, devouring.

"Boy, oh, boy is he gonna suffer. He's gonna be begging for the sweet, sweet release of death. Oh, I can't wait. It's gonna be epic when I finally get my revenge. I'm gonna savor every moment of it, hearing his screams and howls of pain. Knowing it's coming from me, every tear of my claws, every times my flames char his flesh. He didn't know what he signed up for when he slaughtered and murdered my family. He doesn't know what's coming for him. I can't wait to rip him from the Amethyst Throne and make him watch as I bring his castle crashing to the ground and make the Amethyst Throne go up in flames. Then, and only then, will I begin to tear the life from his miserable body." Crazed, sick glee swims in the depths of Phoenix's eyes as they widen in excitement. His flames burn brighter and his claws flex in and out of the soil.

"I'm not gonna stop you." Wolf's voice sounds distant, hollow. She stares at the ground, but her gaze goes straight through it.

"You're not even gonna help? He murdered Dove. He slaughtered your brother! Cut him down without reason!" Phoenix whirls around, facing Wolf. She stiffens but doesn't reply. It wasn't him. I killed Dove. And Ky. It's my fault. I told those lies to that Guard. I was the 1 who said them, not Bryant. It's my fault. I killed them. I killed Dove and Ky, not Bryant. Why aren't they turning on me? I'm the 1 responsible.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter of The King's Remorse! Please comment and consider a vote. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Hmm. What's Wolf going to say in response to Phoenix?

Luke has helped Wolf and the others. What's going to come from that?

Any predictions on how the rest of the story will play out?

I hope you are all doing well!

-Werewolf14-  :)