Chapter 26

The smoke took over the room like a lion takes over the jungle. People were screaming, there was a hole were the stage was, where the bomb was planted. Darley couldn't see, her ears were ringing and her eyesight was blurry. She put her hand to her head, then felt something wet. Blood.
The whole room was unrecognisable, the once white chairs were black, the flowers had no leaves, it was like a living nightmare.

As she struggled to get up, her hearing reappeared and she heard the screaming that followed. People were on the ground injured, the scent of blood took over her nose, Flame was quiet, its possible the blood is coming from the part of her head where Flame lives, but she can't worry about that now. She needs to know if her family is safe, especially her daughter.

She stood up feeling woozy, everything hurt and she wasn't healing like she normally would so she knows something had happened.

Her guests were on the floor, she saw the person who came up to her dead on the floor, more people weren't moving but none of them were Max thankfully. She started to walk, her dress ripped and ragged covered in black soot caught on the floor, she reached down and ripped the bottom of it off. Her shoes were ditched and she ended up taking them off, she had to be careful but at least she could get around quicker.

She ran through the castle, checking in every room. Triage had been sent up, there was more then one bomb and she could see that there were fatalities.

The other bomb had exploded in the main living room, another in throne room and finally in the kitchen. The structure didn't seem to be safe, but rescuers had to be sure that there was no more bombs before they entered so they had to rely on the medical staff on site, but there wasn't many.

Darley ran, her heart racing where was her baby, where was her husband! She had no clue, she ran and ran until she fell out of exhaustion, she was gonna die here if she didn't act she knew that because right now she was just human, the part of her brain where Flame lives had been damaged. She was on her own.
Her head felt woozy, her entire body was collapsing. She felt herself go, and then it all turned black.
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She felt the cold air on her face, her hair was whipping around. She knew someone was carrying her, but she was tired and she didn't want to think about it but she hoped it was someone she knew.

She cracked her eyes open fearing for the worse. But then she saw him, Max. Her mate.

His arms were burnt, his face red covered in soot and his suit torn but he was here, he was alive.

She reached up and stroked his face, he looked down and smiled, then he put her down and say next to her.

"Where were you?" She asked.

"I was in the living room talking to my dad and he came up to me, this bloke I'd never seen before and told me that there was a bomb. Then the floor under him exploded and he was dead before I could ask any questions. My ears felt defended, I couldn't see and my dad was on the floor so I dragged him out. I went back in search of you, and of Snow but only found you. I don't know where she is Darley, I'm sorry." He put his head in his hands, she could see the tears.

"We'll find her." Then the palace continued to collapse.

Darley and Max watched as their palace burned and burned, there was nothing they could do. It felt like hours, but realistically they were sat down for about five minutes before the young parents jumped back up, they had to find their daughter.

They ran back towards the palace, they wanted to gain entry but they knew that they had to check the tents before they could go inside, it would be stupid not to.

They ran towards the tents, there was a triage and a death tent, they went and they searched for Darley’s parents and their daughter, she was certain her grandmother was fine because she was the Queen, how could she not be okay?

Nate wasn’t in the country for the wedding, so they didn’t need to worry for him, and Max had already seen Jake getting Maddy into a chair to calm her down as he walked out with Darley so they were fine, now it’s just their daughter.

Suddenly a cry rang out, a cry that was very very familiar, it was her. It had to be.

Darley ran to where she heard the crying, then she saw her, her baby girl. In her mother’s arms.

“Mum.” Her mum turned; she was bruised but other then that she looked okay. She smiled, Thank God.

“Darley! She’s here, she’s okay not a scratch. Your grandmother threw herself over her when the bomb went off. She saved her.”

Darley took Snow from her mothers arms, and held her. Her baby was back, she was safe and she was in her arms. Her mother looked tired and had red eyes from crying. Darley searched, she couldn’t see her Grandmother anywhere which was strange for a Queen.

“Where is Nan?” Darley asked. Her mother looked somber, her eyes filled with tears.

“She didn’t make it.”