Shioban sat on the couch, squeezing gently her mate's hand. They were now in Cassiu's house. Kaitlyn offered them this shelter since they could not stay in their pack. If their plan was going to work, everyone must think the Alpha couple was no longer in the picture. Felix was not happy about this solution, as he wished to stay close to his people. Leaving them unprotected was beyond his imagination. - Is it necessary? - He asked again as if the truth was too hard to believe. - Demetria said it is. When she healed you, she advised you to keep you hidden until the right time comes. Your son may come back any time. It is too dangerous for you to be there, as he probably won't be coming alone, Kaitlyn tried to reason gently. - Don't call him that.- Felix retorted dryly, turning his face away, while Shiban's heart clenched. Their son's betrayal devastated him. - I didn't mean to...- The witch looked at him, but Alpha only waved his hand at her. - He could ask me to step down. I knew
The feeling of freedom was overwhelming. Demetria had a few chances to fly under her mother's barrier, but it could not be compared to what she was experiencing now. Only the sky was her limit. The girl felt sorry for the shifters who were bound to the earth. She was hitting the air with her enormous wings, getting higher and higher. It was freezing in here, but Demetria could not care less. - It is fantastic!- She almost screamed in her mind, breaking through another cloud. - Now I understand why you were missing it so much. ~ It would be better if we did not have this extra tail.~ Elena replied dryly. Demetria did a barrel in the air and noticed two dragons following her in the distance. The feeling of freedom shrunk instantly. Of course, her father would not allow her to fly without the spies. He would call it protection, but the girl knew better. They were here to observe and report on everything she did. Demetria tried to ignore them, but the joy of flying was gone. The freedo
Do not take it off unless it is indispensable. - Kaitlyn said, fixing a necklace on Cassiu's neck. - it may save your life.- Will I be able to shift? - The man asked, taking the pendant in his hand.- Yes. It will change your scent, so if someone discovers you, they won't be able to tell the difference between you and your brother. - the witch explained.Cassius let out a heavy sigh.- Am I going to smell like my brother? Can't say I like the idea.Kaitlyn patted his arm, making an angry face.- Do you prefer to enter Wisterium waving a flag with your name on it? It can be arranged.- I was just kidding. - The Dragon Prince distanced himself, rubbing his arm and pretending he was hurt. - I know it is a perfect solution, but the thought makes me nauseous.Kaitlyn raised her brow, glaring at him.- Then don't go. We will think about something else. I still think it is too risky.They had this conversation before. She tried to convince him to stay, but Cassius was adamant about his pla
Demetria was facing the couple with her eyes narrowed. Callista was squeezing the book as if the answers she wished to hear could come from it. -Can I ask what I owe this displeasure? I did not have a kid*apping in my plans today. - The girl spoke with a poker face. They were wasting their time if they were here to make her confess she was a white dragon. Callista grinned and pushed the picture before Demetria's face again. - Does it look familiar to you?- She asked dryly. Kylan stood behind her with a smirk dancing on his lips. - It looks like a dragon. I thought you lived here long enough to know that. - Demetria replied, shooting her brow and crossing her arms on her chest. She tried to look as relaxed as possible, hoping they would lose their confidence. Callista hissed slightly. It was evident she was getting annoyed since Demetria was unwilling to cooperate. - This dragon is white. Have you seen one ?- She asked straightforwardly. - No, have you?- The girl replied with he
-That was not the best of your ideas. Did you run out of your tricks? - The voice behind Cassiu's dripped with mockery, but the Dragon Prince remained calm, as the blade was way too close to his neck for his liking. He cursed himself for being so reckless. Kaitlyn would give him a hard time, seeing how quickly he got into trouble. - You are not too chatty, are you? - The voice spoke again. - Maybe that is better. You will have a lot of time to speak before the court. ~ The court? What is this egg talking about? ~ Alex spoke in Cassiu's mind. - I have no idea, but that is the tiniest of our problems. Is it an egg? - The Prince asked his beast. ~ Can't you feel it? He cannot be much older than Demetria. We could crush him in a blink of an eye. ~ The dragon retorted with confidence. - We probably could, but that is not the step I would like to take now. - Cassius replied. ~ He will think we are weak.~ Alex said, annoyed. - We know what we are. But hurting or killing one of their
Two days earlier.Lucius glanced at the man standing before his desk. He was tall and muscular, but his worn clothes showed life did not treat him gently. - Well, Claud, do you have something to tell me?- The Dragon King asked, shooting his brow up. The man before him shook his head with the strength that could easily twist his neck. - I have nothing to say, my King. I do not have the slightest idea of why you wished to see me. Lucius leaned on the back of his seat and ran his hand through his hair. - You don't know? I thought my men would explain the reason for this visit, but I guess they missed this part. I will have to do it by myself then. Claud got visibly pale but maintained a straight posture while the Dragon King looked at him coldly. - Tell me, my friend, what do you know about the rebels, and how did you contact them? I could swear they do not appreciate visitors, yet you were there on many occasions. - Lucius asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. The man shivered
- You left us so many years ago, searching for protection, and now you are back, crawling and begging for help? You have no shame, Kaitlyn. - The woman said, narrowing her eyes and wrapping her fingers around the glass of wine. - We managed to survive, defending ourselves from rogues, bears, and other shifters who tried to tear us apart. But you all ran like cowards, betraying your own kind. Kaitlyn glared at the witch sitting before her. She knew this meeting would not be an easy one, but her patience was wearing thin. Amanda was a leader of the most prominent coven on the continent for longer than Kaitlyn lived. And she loved to exaggerate. Not many shifters would be crazy enough to go against her domain, as they would be wiped out in no time. That is why they chose the smaller covens, as no one would care if they disappeared. Like the one Kaitlyn was born to. She ran away with her sisters while Amanda was pretending nothing happened. That was life. Only the strongest will survive
Callista was in her lab, mixing the first patch of the poison. She stirred the liquid in her cauldron, trying her best not to breathe in the steam that was coming out of it. As much as she hated the fact that Demetria was the one to bring up the idea to the Dragon King, she was happy with the effect of her work. If this plan succeeds, she will make sure to point out she played a significant role there. The witch pulled the cauldron off fire, allowing it to cool down, before pouring it into the bottles Demetria would use. The following delivery will take place soon, and Callista wanted her part of the work to be done by then. She was preparing the flasks when the door to her lab opened without warning. Kylan came in, shutting them loudly. - I did not remember giving you permission to enter my workplace without asking. - Callista hissed, fixing the bottles that fell over from the impact of his entrance. - I am wasting my time here! - The man spoke, banging his fist on the table, ma
Kaitlyn and Cassius watched Demetria with concern. It had been hours since the fight was over, and the girl was still shaken. The Dragon Prince joined both women as soon as the battle was over, and Luciu's warriors were defeated. Some of them sadly died, but those who surrounded themselves were spared. Rebels tried to avoid killing, but it was not always possible. The royals who lived in the castle were captured and locked. Their future depended on their decisions. Kaitlyn wished for them to make a Blood Promise to the new ruler. Prisoners from dungeons who disobeyed Luciu's will were now released and could reunite with their families. Messengers were sent to spread the information about the Dragon King's death. The days of his tyranny were over. - Demetria, child, say something.- Cassius came closer and put his hand on the girl's arm, but she only shook her head. Kaitlyn pulled herself a chair and sat in front of her daughter. - Tell us what is going on, and we will try to help
Demetria's body was shaking as her magic was flowing through her veins. Her wings were flapping gently behind her back. She checked on her shield, and the barrier was stable. That was a good thing, as she doubted she could defeat her father and Callista at the same time. ~Believe in yourself. We are strong, and we can finish it all.~ Elena spoke calmly in her mind. - There is no coming back anyway.- The girl replied, not taking her eyes off her father. Callista was shouting behind the barrier, but the sound was muffled. ~ No, there is no coming back. The rebels are here. They followed you, even without knowing you. We cannot disappoint them.~ Her dragon said with confidence. - They followed freedom. And I want to offer it to them. I want to give freedom to the whole land.- Demetria replied, balling her fists. The flames on them shone with a new power. - It looks like you fooled all of us.- The girl shivered when she heard Luciu's voice. - I did not listen to what Callista was sa
Lucius stood in the middle of a coronation room. For ages, kings and queens were officially presented to their people here at the beginning of their reign. He closed his eyes, remembering his celebration. People were cheering while his parents were beaming with pride. He was supposed to be a great king—the greatest of them all. And he fulfilled that. There was no one above him. His people loved him. The one who did not- learned to fear him instead. - What are you doing here?- Lucius asked, not taking his eyes off the massive throne under the wall. As children, he and Cassius loved to watch their father sitting there during his meetings. - I was worried about you.- Demetria said, coming closer. She was here, before him, but Lucius decided to ignore her presence. - Were you? Is there a reason to be worried about me?- The Dragon King finally looked at his daughter. She looked exactly like her mother. Kaitlyn was the only woman who managed to warm up his cold heart—a woman who betra
A few hours earlier.Clara stood in front of Cassius, Kaitlyn, and Nickolas, looking at them in confusion. - Do not be scared, child. - The witch gave her a reassuring smile. - We would like to know how you got to the mountains unnoticed. This information may be essential and crucial for all of us. - We came through a tunnel, my lady. - The girl replied, shrugging her arms. - Your daughter told us what to do and where to go. I followed her directions. - Tunnel? What tunnel?- Nickolas gave Cassius a puzzled look, but the Dragon Prince only shook his head. He had no idea what this girl was talking about. If there was some sort of secret passage to the mountains, he was not aware of that. - Can you show us where exactly you came in here?- Kaitlyn glanced at Clara again, and the girl nodded. - It was in the cave where the warriors found us. I did not dare to move any further. The witch looked at her companions. They had only one choice. They needed to go back to this cave and invest
Callista entered Amanda's coven and rushed through the corridors, expecting to find its leader in her office. The witch was filled with a newfound energy. Her dream was about to come true. Lucius forgave her her past mistakes and was willing to make her his Queen. In fact, there was more than her dream. They shared a bed, but until now, she was nothing more than his mistress. But that was about to change, as Lucius promised to reject Kaitlyn once and for all. For many years, Callista wondered why he had not taken this step, but she did not dare question his actions. She tried to convince herself that he kept their bond to torment his mate through this. Kaitlyn had to be fully aware when they were intimate, which made Callista enjoy those moments even more. Since they were children, Callista envied Kaitlyn mainly because she could not be like her. There was always a gap between them, and no matter how much Callista tried, she could never be like her old friend. Finding that Kaitlyn w
Cynthia chuckled while Kylan watched her dumbfounded. Why was she after him? What was her problem? They barely knew each other, and she already seemed to despise him. - You are holding a grudge against me, and I cannot see a reason.- The young man spoke with confusion. - Is there anything that could make me dislike you?- The witch replied with her question, tilting her head. - I have no idea. Is there? Since we have met, you have treated me like your enemy, not openly, but your intentions are clear.- Kylan retorted in an offended tone. Of course, he knew people who were not his biggest fans, and recently, this list extended by a few more names, but they usually had a reason for that. But this girl just hated him for nothing. He indeed had a bit of bad luck with witches. Cynthia giggled to some joke only she knew, and Kylan shot her another puzzled look. There was something seriously wrong with her. - Don't get me wrong. It is not like I do not like you personally; I don't like yo
Kane was lying on the ground, panting, while blood dripped from his many wounds. His wings were tattered, his scales were ripped off in a few places, and his leg was severely burnt. The dragon's healing ability was not fast enough to help him regain strength. General's beast growled weakly, glaring at Cassiu's dragon hovering over him like a walking death. The black beast was watching him calmly, with smoke coming out of his nostrils. Kane understood he had lost this battle before it even began. In his ridiculous pride, he had forgotten who his opponent was. Cassius was the Dragon Prince, and royal blood ran in his veins. Even the years he spent in the dungeon did not break his spirit. They fought for an hour, and none of the general's attempts to harm the Prince were successful. Cassius was in total control during the battle, playing with Kane like a toy. What was worse was that the general knew that the Prince had at least a few chances to end his life, but for some unknown
Lucius was fuming. His generals were gone for a while, and there was no sign of them coming back from their successful mission. Dragon King ordered his warriors to keep an eye on the sky and inform him as soon as they would see anything. Their prolonged absence was unsettling, and Lucius could not shake the feeling that things had gone differently from what he had planned. The Dragon King summoned his daughter and Callista as if their presence could help him ease his stress.Not long later, both women entered his office, shooting him concerned looks. - Is everything okay, Father?- Demetria was the first to speak. She could already suspect what was the reason for Luciu's request. It was hard to miss all those warriors glancing at the sky with hope. Generals left the castle a few hours ago, and none of them returned by now. Demetria suspected they had met a strong resistance from rebels. She silently hoped they were all captured. - My King, how can I assist you? Is there anything I
Kylan reached the rogue's camp together with his captors. They did not tie him, which was odd. After all, he could try to attack the leader. He would probably be dead shortly after, but still, leaving him free was a bit risky. The young man turned around at the sound of the chuckle. It was the woman whom he had met not long before. She was a witch. Kylan wondered if the gods cursed him. Why did he always have to encounter women who possessed magical powers? First Callista, now this young woman. He glanced again at the girl who was walking nearby. She looked serious, but then another smirk escaped her lips. It was frustrating, and Kylan thought maybe she was mentally unstable since she was acting so weird. Luckily, he had no more time to think about that as they reached the camp. There was no better term to describe this place, as wherever he looked were tents. There was no single building here, and it was as if those people lived without staying anywhere longer. - How do you find