The Dark Fairy King
Chapter 60: Sharp as Laser

Chapter 60: Sharp as Laser

As I closed the council room door behind me, a loud thud reverberated through the halls, the echo carrying ominously.

"Argh, they must be up to something," I sighed, already regretting leaving Scarlette alone with Lumera for even five minutes. Somehow, trouble always brewed in Scarlette’s company. The woman had a talent for stirring chaos, especially when unsupervised.

Devran was already far ahead, pacing quickly toward the source of the sound—the courtroom. His steps had shifted from casual curiosity to urgent purpose, his boots clicking faster against the marble floor.

I broke into a jog to catch up.

Of course. Of course, the one time I leave Scarlette to supervise Lumera, they would destroy the courtroom. The universe clearly had a personal vendetta against me and my taste for fine architecture.

When I burst through the grand courtroom doors, fully prepared to scold Scarlette, to throw a triumphant ’I told you so’ in her face, I froze in place.

Devran stopped too. Our words died in our throats.

Lumera stood in the centre of the courtroom, her body effortlessly levitating above the ground. Behind her, a colossal pillar of light roared into the sky, piercing through the floor and almost licking the edges of the vaulted ceiling. The entire room was drenched in a golden-white radiance—warm, brilliant, overwhelming.

The grandeur. The power. The warmth. Wow. Sparkly.

Devran and I just stared, our mouths slightly agape, our brains struggling to catch up.

Devran chuckled behind me, but there was something a little too sharp in it—like he was forcing the laugh to cover something else.

Scarlette casually snapped her fingers in front of our faces, jolting us back to reality.

"How’s that for a distraction?" she asked, her tone infuriatingly amused.

"Do I stop now?" Lumera called out, her voice trembling as she struggled to contain the surging light.

"No." Scarlette’s voice was sharp, resolute. "Own your chaos. Don’t run from it—turn it into light."

Lumera screamed, pouring more magic into the pillar, her voice cracking under the strain. The marble floor beneath her groaned and splintered under the sheer pressure.

Devran and I exchanged bewildered glances. Was this even the same Lumera from before? This was something else entirely.

"I can’t hold it!" Lumera gasped, sweat dripping from her temples as her grip on the power flickered.

"You’re done already? That’s it? You’re going to let your powers control you?" Scarlette taunted, each word cutting like a whip.

"Never!" Lumera spat back, a fresh surge of rage fuelling her magic as the light expanded violently.

"More!" Scarlette barked, completely unfazed by the threat of imminent destruction.

But Lumera’s strength gave out. The light wavered, sputtered, and finally collapsed in on itself with a soft, sizzling hum, leaving behind only scorched stone and faint smoke curling from the cracks.

Scarlette clapped her hands together, satisfied. "Alright, break time."

She handed Lumera a cup of cold tea, as if that entire ordeal had been nothing more than light morning exercise.

"Thanks... for doing this," Lumera said between ragged breaths, managing a faint, grateful smile.

I pointed dramatically at the blackened ceiling, now scarred with burn marks and crumbling plaster. "What a fantastic teacher you are."

Scarlette shrugged, as if the damage didn’t matter. "Powers are messy, Veravos. I’m just making sure she’s ready for messier things."

"And where, exactly, is my chair?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes.

"I hid it so it wouldn’t get destroyed," she answered with infuriating casualness.

"Where did you hide it?" I pressed.

Scarlette waved a hand airily. "Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Ver. I had a guard move it to the balcony."

"The balcony?" I echoed, my jaw nearly hitting the floor. "The balcony?"

Devran chuckled behind me, but there was a faint edge in it—a little too quick, a little too forced, like he was laughing to distract himself.

Scarlette smirked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Want to help with Lumera’s next lesson?"

I eyed her warily. "What’s the next lesson? Blowing up the roof? Setting the drapes on fire?"

Her grin widened. "I’m teaching her how to summon lasers."

Lumera nearly choked on her tea. "I’m sorry, what? Lasers?"

"In five minutes, we begin," Scarlette chirped, looping her arm through mine and dragging me to the centre of the room.

"I am not going to be part of this palace demolition practice," I deadpanned.

"Oh, you’re going to love this," Scarlette whispered with a grin that was far too excited for someone about to commit property damage. "You’re about to see a very different Lumera."

Lumera, despite her earlier hesitation, stood straighter. There was determination in her now. "Thank you for believing in me, great teacher."

"Great teacher?" I muttered under my breath. "More like the world’s most unorthodox hazard."

Devran crossed his arms, leaning lazily against a column. "Is all this really necessary? I mean, we could just knock Lumera out with some sleeping spell and let her powers take over automatically. Simple solution." He said it with a smirk, but his fingers drummed too quickly against his sleeve—like he didn’t really want to see anyone lose control like that again.

Scarlette’s head snapped toward him, her glare sharp and immediate.

Devran straightened quickly. "Uh... unless you want to... you know... not do that?"

"Did you want to train too?" Scarlette challenged, taking a step closer. "I can push you to your limits as well."

Devran raised his hands in mock surrender. "No, no thank you. I’ve mastered my blades just fine, really. Perfectly happy over here."

"And you’re still avoiding all your Dark Magic potential?" Scarlette pressed, her voice dangerously sweet.

"I wouldn’t need it anyway," Devran replied, casually twirling his blade, but his smirk flickered just for a heartbeat.

"Oh?" Scarlette purred, her curiosity unmistakable now. She shot me a cheeky wink.

"Alright, Lumera," she said, turning sharply. "Change of plans."

I scratched my head, suddenly suspicious. What was she scheming now?

Her next words made my jaw drop.

"Fight Devran."

Silence.

Lumera, Devran, and I all froze like statues.

"What?" Devran spluttered.

"He didn’t want training," Scarlette shrugged. "So obviously, he’s ready."

Oh, this was going to be entertaining.

"Any violent objections?" Scarlette taunted.

Devran’s lips curled into a wicked grin, but the grin didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Challenge accepted, my Queen."

"I’ll try," Lumera said, steadying herself.

"Don’t let me down," Scarlette cautioned her.

"Yes, you are her first willing student," I chimed in, "but let me fetch a poisoned apple first. I want to enjoy this show properly when Devran loses."

Devran rolled his eyes as he unsheathed his blades. "Pretty sure I can beat this blonde bimbo here with just my blades."

’Blonde bimbo?" Lumera stomped her feet in annoyance.

But is Devran going to be wrong? I had a feeling this was going to be very wrong.