Read Online Night of Nyx (The Nightfall Chronicles 2.5) by Karpov Kinrade - Free Book Online
Authors: Karpov Kinrade
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hands. "I will practice what you tell me. I will work harder."
Zorin reaches over and places a hand on her shoulder. "You will learn to fight, and one day, maybe you will even beat Varian. But, remember, it is your wits that will win this war."
She nods. A moment passes. "You're afraid of Varian, aren't you?"
He doesn't speak for a while. "It would be foolish not to be. But as long as we don't let fear stop us, we can still fight." He stands and walks toward the door. "When you're ready, we'll have a meeting downstairs. Your armor is in the chest." He points at a black and gold chest in the corner.
She nods. He turns the door handle when she calls out.
"Nyx?"
Zorin pauses. "What about him?"
"I thought, maybe…"
He chuckles, opening the door. "Haven't you seen the play?" he asks softly. "Nyx is dead."
CHAPTER 13
When Varian returns back to the villa that night, Corinne is waiting for him in his suite. She frowns as he pulls off his armor.
"Did you mean what you said? About being King and manipulating your people like pawns?"
Varian sighs and sits down, his eyes distant as he thinks about his day. "Yes and no. I gave her the words she expected from the tyrant she imagines me to be. Sometimes we have to play to the expectations people have of us if we want our plans to work."
Corinne sits next to him. "What do you mean?"
"Nightfall expected a certain kind of person from me, and I gave her that. I let her place me into her box, and by so doing, she underestimated me and will continue to do so."
"So it was a strategy to win?" She asks, her large purple eyes trying to understand. Trying not to place her father in that same box of tyrant.
"Yes."
"But you lost."
"Did I?"
The eScreen behind him lights up and the Pope's face appears. Corinne leaves without a word and Varian, weary and in need of rest, instead stands to greet His Holiness.
"You have made quite a mess of things, King Varian."
"I have Nightfall where I want her," Varian says.
"You lost her."
"I tested her. And I learned her greatest weakness, her fighting style, her loyalties and who are loyal to her. I know now how her mind works, and I have fed her a lie that will make her underestimate me when we meet again. Today wasn't about capturing her. It was about learning my enemy. You cannot win a war if you do not know your enemy as yourself."
The Pope sighs. "I will trust you with this because you have never failed me. But I need Nightfall."
"She is just a girl," Varian says. "She will not be hard to break."
CHAPTER 14
TR finds Zorin as he comes down the stairs.
"How is she?" he asks.
"She is healing," Zorin says.
They walk through the Cathedral toward the War Room, but TR stops Zorin. "Thank you," he says. "For saving Trix. It can't have been easy, choosing Trix over Nightfall."
Zorin pauses. "It wasn't," he says honestly. "But Nightfall never would have forgiven me if I'd chosen her first."
TR nods. "You're not so bad," he says. "For a Nephilim." Zorin narrows his eyes, and TR laughs. "Lighten up. We got out alive. I think we can call it a win for tonight."
TR holds out a hand to Zorin, who takes it. They shake.
Trix smiles and walks over to them. "You two getting along? Will wonders never cease?"
Zorin chuckles. "I wouldn't get too used to it. I'm sure we will find something to be disagreeable over soon enough."
Trix links arms with them both. "Then let's enjoy the peace while it lasts."
They head to the War Room and TR and Trix settle into their chairs, talking head to head, smiling. Zorin paces the room, waiting.
Nightfall arrives, dressed in full armor. Trix jumps from her chair and runs over to hug her. "How you feeling, N?"
"I have a new hand," she says, waving it.
Trix stares at the hand, smiling. "Hey, we could all use some new parts from time to time, right?"
"Right." Nightfall hugs her again and whispers in her ear. "I'm sorry for what happened."
She pushes Nightfall away, grinning.
Zorin reaches over and places a hand on her shoulder. "You will learn to fight, and one day, maybe you will even beat Varian. But, remember, it is your wits that will win this war."
She nods. A moment passes. "You're afraid of Varian, aren't you?"
He doesn't speak for a while. "It would be foolish not to be. But as long as we don't let fear stop us, we can still fight." He stands and walks toward the door. "When you're ready, we'll have a meeting downstairs. Your armor is in the chest." He points at a black and gold chest in the corner.
She nods. He turns the door handle when she calls out.
"Nyx?"
Zorin pauses. "What about him?"
"I thought, maybe…"
He chuckles, opening the door. "Haven't you seen the play?" he asks softly. "Nyx is dead."
CHAPTER 13
When Varian returns back to the villa that night, Corinne is waiting for him in his suite. She frowns as he pulls off his armor.
"Did you mean what you said? About being King and manipulating your people like pawns?"
Varian sighs and sits down, his eyes distant as he thinks about his day. "Yes and no. I gave her the words she expected from the tyrant she imagines me to be. Sometimes we have to play to the expectations people have of us if we want our plans to work."
Corinne sits next to him. "What do you mean?"
"Nightfall expected a certain kind of person from me, and I gave her that. I let her place me into her box, and by so doing, she underestimated me and will continue to do so."
"So it was a strategy to win?" She asks, her large purple eyes trying to understand. Trying not to place her father in that same box of tyrant.
"Yes."
"But you lost."
"Did I?"
The eScreen behind him lights up and the Pope's face appears. Corinne leaves without a word and Varian, weary and in need of rest, instead stands to greet His Holiness.
"You have made quite a mess of things, King Varian."
"I have Nightfall where I want her," Varian says.
"You lost her."
"I tested her. And I learned her greatest weakness, her fighting style, her loyalties and who are loyal to her. I know now how her mind works, and I have fed her a lie that will make her underestimate me when we meet again. Today wasn't about capturing her. It was about learning my enemy. You cannot win a war if you do not know your enemy as yourself."
The Pope sighs. "I will trust you with this because you have never failed me. But I need Nightfall."
"She is just a girl," Varian says. "She will not be hard to break."
CHAPTER 14
TR finds Zorin as he comes down the stairs.
"How is she?" he asks.
"She is healing," Zorin says.
They walk through the Cathedral toward the War Room, but TR stops Zorin. "Thank you," he says. "For saving Trix. It can't have been easy, choosing Trix over Nightfall."
Zorin pauses. "It wasn't," he says honestly. "But Nightfall never would have forgiven me if I'd chosen her first."
TR nods. "You're not so bad," he says. "For a Nephilim." Zorin narrows his eyes, and TR laughs. "Lighten up. We got out alive. I think we can call it a win for tonight."
TR holds out a hand to Zorin, who takes it. They shake.
Trix smiles and walks over to them. "You two getting along? Will wonders never cease?"
Zorin chuckles. "I wouldn't get too used to it. I'm sure we will find something to be disagreeable over soon enough."
Trix links arms with them both. "Then let's enjoy the peace while it lasts."
They head to the War Room and TR and Trix settle into their chairs, talking head to head, smiling. Zorin paces the room, waiting.
Nightfall arrives, dressed in full armor. Trix jumps from her chair and runs over to hug her. "How you feeling, N?"
"I have a new hand," she says, waving it.
Trix stares at the hand, smiling. "Hey, we could all use some new parts from time to time, right?"
"Right." Nightfall hugs her again and whispers in her ear. "I'm sorry for what happened."
She pushes Nightfall away, grinning.
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