Chapter 23

Throughout the night, Deon and the others interrogated the prisoners. The sounds of their voices and occasional cries echoed through the empty halls of the castle. I wanted to join them, to be part of the search for clues, but Zaden and Deon insisted I stay back.

" All we could find out," Deon reported later, exhaustion etched on his face, " is that they’re descendants of the cursed ones from Dravonia. They can breach the barrier for brief periods before being drawn back by some ancestral curse. It happens sporadically, every few months."

" I thought all Dravonians were extinct," I murmured, processing the implications. " We had no way of knowing if any survived beyond the barrier around their kingdom."

" The stories my grandfather told," Zaden added thoughtfully, " hint that only a dragon—or someone with dragon's blood—could enter Dravonia and lift the curse."

" We need to delve into the castle’s ancient records," Mike suggested, " find those old histories on dragons. But none of us can decipher the ancient dragon language."

" Luka!" I called, summoning my spirit animal, who appeared with a low, rumbling growl.

" Kaden," Luka rumbled in his deep, gravelly voice.

" I’ll be leaving for a while," I informed him, my tone serious. " I don’t know when I'll return. I need you to watch over things in my absence."

" You’re going after her?" Luka's question was loaded with concern.

" I have to," I affirmed, determination coloring my voice. " I can't sit by while she’s out there, possibly in danger."

" Don’t lose hope," Luka advised gruffly. " There’s a reason you can't sense her. Trust that you’ll find her, and all will be clear."

" Thanks, buddy," I nodded gratefully. " Take care of things here."



( Meara )


I didn’t know how much time had passed when Madam Windfield came back and unlocked the door.

" The king is here and ready to meet you," she said.

As I stepped out, I noticed two guards standing right outside. They had the same strange symbol on their foreheads as my captors. I doubted they were there to protect me; it felt more like they were keeping me in.

Madam Windfield led me out of the castle to a courtyard. In the center, there was a gazebo with a round wooden table, covered in food. My stomach growled; I couldn’t remember the last time I ate.

While I was staring at the food, I heard footsteps behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and instantly regretted it. A man—this must be the king—was walking towards me. Everything about him screamed danger. His eyes were blood-red, and his skin was a sickly pale gray. He looked almost like a corpse, with tight skin that sunk around his sharp cheekbones. His nose was crooked, and his shoulder-length hair was a dull, lifeless black.

" And what is this?" he growled, making me flinch.

" Madam Morganna brought you a new toy?" Madam Windfield said with a smile.

" Turn around, girl," he ordered. I didn’t want to look into those terrifying eyes again.

" I won’t ask you again," he barked, his tone cold and serious.

I took a deep breath and slowly turned around, keeping my eyes on the ground, afraid to meet his gaze.

" Madam Morganna has outdone herself this time. Where did she find this little snowflake?"

" She didn’t say," Madam Windfield replied shortly.

" Look at me," he commanded, but I couldn’t do it.

White-hot searing pain slashed across my face as he slapped me so hard my teeth rattled. As I fell to the ground, he struck me again, this time a blow to my gut that ripped the air from my lungs. Warm blood trailed down my lip, dripping onto the stone paving and giving it a splash of color this place lacked.

" Someone needs to learn her place." He said to Madam Windfield.

" She is Your Majesty's, to do with as you please," Madam Windfield said coldly.

" You heard Madam Windfield. You are mine to do as I please."

" Madam Windfield, would you be so kind as to escort her to her new sleeping chambers down in the dungeons?" Madam Windfield nodded and helped me up from the ground. I couldn’t help but think what a sadistic, evil scoundrel this king was.

Madam Windfield led me into the castle and down steps that felt like we were descending into a dark, cold basement made of stone. It reeked of rotten sewage and death the deeper we went. Covering my nose with the sleeve of my dress didn’t prevent the stench from entering my nostrils. It was dark and cold, and my sight was scarce, so I followed the sound of Madam Windfield’s steps. She made a sudden stop, causing me to bump into her.

" In here," she said.

" It is a little hard to know where you are gesturing to if I can’t see a thing."

I felt a small hand wrap around my arm and pulling me to the left.

" This is where you will be sleeping until the king decides to see you again. Maybe next time you will think before opening that pretty little mouth of yours," she said abruptly before closing what sounded like metal rod doors you would find in prison. Her footsteps echoed against the stone walls as she climbed the steps back up to the castle, leaving me behind in this cold, wretched place.

I was hungry, cold, and the stone floor beneath me felt wet. My face still throbbed from the blow I’d taken earlier. I reached out in the darkness, hoping to find a bed or something dry to sit on, but there was nothing. This place was even worse than Valtor’s dungeon with its bucket of manure for a toilet.


(Kaden )


I opened my eyes and found myself in a healer’s camp. I was drained, as if I could sleep for another month, but then Meara jumped into my head, and I jolted up.
" Easy there, Your Highness," a healer next to me said. " Where am I?" I asked, clawing at an IV that had been inserted into the top of my hand. I was the king. What was I doing here? I didn’t need stupid healing, I needed to find Meara.

The last thing I remembered was crashing down. Was I flying? No, that’s impossible. I must have dreamed it. That must have been my mind playing tricks on me from the exhaustion. In fact, my body didn’t want to do anything anymore.

" Royalty," was all the healer said. " You act like you are immune to all. You need food, and you need to rest, just like all other living things."

" I need to find her; I don’t need rest," I said through gritted teeth.

" You need to rest and eat," a voice came from the door. Deon. What was he doing here?

" I am fine," I said as I started to get out of bed, but when I stood up, I was hit with a spell of dizziness. Deon caught me and placed me back on the bed.

" You are far from fine. You can’t find her if you are not well. Rest. I beg of you, and when you are better, we will search again."

" How long have I been out?" He sighed.

" Four days." My eyes widened in shock.

" Four… four days!" I did the math quickly in my head. Almost seven days. Seven days and no sign of Meara. I grunted and stroked my face hard. I was never going to find her.

" Give me stats. What is the progress on the scouts?" He took a seat in the guest chair next to the bed and sighed deeply, giving me the answer I dreaded.

" What about the villagers? Has anyone come forward with any news?" Deon shook his head, looking without hope.

" Do you know what happened to me, how I ended up in here?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer. Deon inhaled before speaking.

" The same thing happened. You turned over…to." He stopped speaking as Zaden, Mike, and Seth entered the room. They had bruises on their faces and looked ruffled up.

" What happened to you guys?" I asked eagerly.

" Let’s just say we had a close encounter with the other side of you again," Zaden mocked.

" We tried to prevent you from hurting the villagers, but you stormed off into the woods, and shortly after, we heard this booming sound and something black shot into the sky at lightning speed." A glimpse of flying through the air flashed into my head. Mike and the others just stared at each other silently.

" What is it?"