The Fae life of Benson McKee

Chapter 4: Know Your Place Benson

Barlcay's POV

“Your Majesty,” Lord Irwin finally spoke, his voice breaking the tension like a whip. “The signs… they’re surfacing with growing clarity.”

“You’re referring to Raylee?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Irwin’s voice held a trace of apprehension. “The prophecy has always indicated Raylee as the Kingmaker, destined to unite the ten kingdoms. But the question remains—who is her fated?”

“She will choose who we’ve prepared for her.”

“It is not a matter of her choice,” the Oracle interjected softly, her voice unyielding. “Her destiny is tied to her fated mate—not the one of your choosing, Garlif, but the one written by fate.”

“We know,” I interrupted, my tone hardening. “That’s why we’ve molded Rainer for this role. He is ready, and he will stand by Raylee.”

“Rainer is "not" her fated mate.”

A ripple of unease swept the room, and the council exchanged uneasy glances.

“The signs are undeniable,” the High Priestess said, her voice calm but laced with warning. “Whoever Raylee’s true mate is will wield power unlike any seen before—the power to reshape the kingdoms. And all signs… point to someone else.”

“Benson,” Lord Ashwin murmured, his voice thick with caution. “The prophecy hints that he is marked by destiny.”

“Benson?” I scoffed, fists clenched. “He’s a complication. A mistake. He’s not even a true MacKee, let alone worthy of prophecy.”

“The prophecy recognizes no bloodlines, Your Majesty,” the High Priestess responded steadily. “Benson aligns with the traits foretold. He may very well be her fated.”

“Impossible,” I spat, slamming my hand on the table. “Rainer is the one we have prepared for this role. He is the one I have chosen.”

“Fate does not care for your choices, Garlif,” the Oracle said, her voice sharp as a blade.

“Benson is dangerous,” I muttered, more to myself. “Untested, unpredictable. If he truly is fated to Raylee, it could undo everything I’ve built.”

“The prophecy remains,” the High Priestess countered, unflinching. “Whoever unites with Raylee will reshape the world.”

“Then we will rewrite the story.” My gaze swept the council. “We will tell the people that Rainer is Raylee’s fated. He will be their king. Benson will be nothing more than a footnote in history.”

“Fate cannot be silenced, Garlif,” the Oracle warned, her eyes meeting mine.

“Then we will drown it in lies,” I replied coldly. “The people will believe what I tell them to believe. Rainer is destined for the throne. The other kingdoms will fall in line.”

A heavy silence followed. I felt the weight of their obedience.

“The stars cannot be muted forever,” the Oracle’s voice echoed as I turned to leave.

Benson’s POV

“You freak!”

The insult struck first, echoing through the academy courtyard just before the blow landed. Rainer’s fist connected with my jaw, and pain flared, sharp and metallic, as blood filled my mouth. I barely had a moment to process it before two pairs of hands gripped my arms, pinning me in place. Rainer’s goons—Dax and his crony, who lived to feed off his cruelty—held me still, forcing me to stand helplessly before him.

Behind them, the academy’s golden arches rose like a mocking reminder of where we were—a place that was supposed to be about honor and unity. But as the crowd gathered, they did so for a show, eager spectators to Rainer’s performance, their faces filled with scorn and twisted curiosity. Whispers spread through the air, a blend of disgust and thrill, as they watched the freak—me—getting put in my “place.”

Rainer stood before me, smirking, his eyes cold and calculating. This wasn’t just him flexing his strength; it was a ritual of humiliation, a way of asserting his power over me. And he loved every second.

“Leave him alone, Rainer!” A voice cut through the crowd, filled with desperation and anger. Raylee. My heart twisted, a mix of relief and bitterness flooding through me as I saw her face. She pushed through the crowd, her expression conflicted as her gaze met mine. For a fleeting moment, I thought she’d step in, that she’d be the Raylee I remembered—my friend, my ally. But as her eyes turned steely, her mouth stayed shut, and my heart sank.

I forced a smirk, hoping to salvage some dignity. “Yeah, Rainer, listen to your little girlfriend and call off your minions.” The words tasted bitter, and I knew they were empty. Raylee’s discomfort was visible, but she didn’t say anything more. She just watched, her silence cutting deeper than any of Rainer’s blows.

Rainer’s laughter was cold, low, a sound that made my skin crawl. He stepped closer, his fist tightening. “How many times am I going to catch you sniffing around Raylee, freak?” He spat the word with a venom that went beyond mere jealousy. This wasn’t just about Raylee; it was about something deeper, something ugly within him.

“She wasn’t yours, Rainer,” I spat, tasting blood. “She was mine first, and you know it.” I’d struck a nerve; his smirk faltered, and his eyes darkened with a fury that went beyond anything I’d seen before.

In a split second, his hand shot out, not to punch, but to channel magic. A sudden wave of heat seared through my chest, an invisible force knocking the breath from my lungs. I gasped, my muscles tightening as an ache spread through me, radiating outward in cruel, tingling pulses. It wasn’t a physical punch, but a magical one—a spell, twisted and painful.

“You’re nothing, Benson,” he sneered, his words wrapping around me like a noose. “A mistake with no power, no place here.”

I wanted to shout back, but I saw the faint glimmer of power in his eyes and remembered my mother’s whispered warnings. “Never use magic here, Benson,” she’d told me. “Not unless you want to disappear like so many others.” In the Healing Kingdom, magic was restricted. Only healing magic was allowed, especially for those of low rank like me. My mother’s fate lingered as a warning, and I knew better than to lash out with my own abilities, faint though they were. So I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay silent, to take it.

But the memories clawed at me—of him humiliating me since we were children, mocking my hair, my eyes, my lack of healing abilities.

I flashed back to one summer day when we were only five. We’d both brought cookies to Raylee, hoping she’d pick one of ours. Rainer had bragged about how his mother’s recipe was better, how they were the finest cookies in the kingdom. But Raylee hadn’t even looked his way. She’d ignored his plate, taken one of mine, and smiled, telling me they were delicious. Rainer had glared at me, seething, before hurling insults about my appearance, my magic—or rather, lack thereof. It was the beginning of a rivalry I never wanted.

“Remember that, Benson?” he sneered now, as if reading my mind. “You don’t belong here. You never did.” He raised a hand, fingers crackling with faint, controlled energy. “Time for another reminder.”

“Stop it, Rainer!” Raylee’s voice rang out, strained, a crack of desperation breaking through her facade. “This isn’t about him, and you know it. Just let it go.”

But Rainer’s focus didn’t waver. He leaned closer, his voice low and dripping with malice. “I’m going to show you where you belong.”

Before I could brace myself, he pressed a hand against my shoulder, channeling energy that burned like acid against my skin. I choked back a cry, forcing myself not to flinch, even as the pain gnawed deep into my bones. Behind us, the crowd watched, some horrified, others entertained, their whispers merging with the painful rush of energy coursing through me.

With a final jolt, Rainer released me, and his cronies dragged me upright. “See that?” he taunted, a twisted grin spreading across his face. “This is where freaks like you belong. Beneath us.”

He stepped back, glancing at his goons. “Drop him.”

They released me, and I collapsed, gasping, onto the cold stone beneath me. Around me, the crowd shifted, some stepping away, others murmuring in hushed tones. I wanted to fight back, to make them understand that I didn’t deserve this—that I was more than just the “freak” Rainer painted me to be. But fear and my mother’s warnings held me back.

“Just stay down, Benson,” Rainer said, his voice a twisted mockery of kindness. “It’s safer for you there.”

I could feel my body giving out, the sharp ache in my ribs growing. My head swam, my vision blurring as the pain reached a crescendo. But as I drifted in and out of consciousness, something strange stirred within me—a flicker, deep in my core, like a spark trying to ignite.

"Stop you're hurting him!"

I hovered on the brink of oblivion, as I watched her—Raylee’s face, her eyes wide with horror, her mouth moving as she screamed my name. The sound was distant, muffled like it was coming from underwater, but her expression cut through the haze, reaching me in the darkness.

Raylee's beautiful face filled with tears for me is all I saw before everything faded, and the world went black.