38. Trent
Chapter thirty-eight
My hand flexes along the grip of my short sword as I stare the man down who holds a blade to my mate’s neck. Ambriel is gulping down air like it’s the last meal she will eat after what was likely a strong vision. Her hands tremble in her lap as she looks up at the man.
“Ruex, tell the prince we have something to deal with.” The guard says, holding his blade steady. The ease with which he keeps it level and the way he keeps his eyes flashing between me, Ambriel, and his surroundings tell me that he is likely a seasoned guard. He will be harder to get through, especially in such tight quarters.
“Who are you?” He barks, and Ambriel narrows her eyes.
“Trust me,” she says into my mind.
“Always, baby.” The muscle along my jaw ticks as I give her my response.
“My name is Ambriel, and this is Trent Ravendene, my mate.” She says, and I internally groan.
“Really? Just going to give us up right away, huh?” I can almost feel her mental eyeroll even though I can’t see her face. The guard weighs that information and makes a quick move to gaze over his shoulder. I seize the opportunity and pull her away from the sharp end of his sword.
The motion catches his attention, and he brings his blade high, ready to attack. “I said don’t move!” He yells, but I already have Ambriel on her feet. Her back pressed to my front. I slowly inch my fingers along her hips, searching for the twin onyx daggers she always carries, but I’m forced to stop as thundering boots come traveling toward us.
The guard, Ruex, comes running back. His mouth opens as he breathes heavily. When he reaches us, he comes to an abrupt stop with a look on his face I recognize well from being in the regime. He may not be worried, but something is happening elsewhere that has his guard up. “Prince Osiris—Bracarva needed him. It seems someone—” His voice falls suddenly as his eyes finally land on us on the other end of the sharp sword. His eyes drop, and at first, I think he’s taking Ambriel’s body in, and my whole body tenses, like an animal poised to strike.
“You recognize my war maiden bond mark.” She says quietly as she rolls her wrist so he can get a better look. His eyes fix on the mark, and then snap up to meet mine next.
“Osiris will want to see them. Don’t harm them! The female has the war maiden bond mark.” He barks the order at the other guard, who does nothing but stand statue still.
“ The female is right in front of you. It’s rude to talk about someone like they are not even in the room. Did your mother not teach you any manners?” I have to roll my lips together to keep from laughing. Ambriel is like a crackling fire. You never know when she is going to spit hot coals your way. The guard impressively ignores her, but that only serves to stoke her fire. I can feel her body tensing, getting ready to strike.
“Don’t let them get you too worked up. We need to find Dax now too.” I bend down slightly, whispering in her ear. My words seem to cool her off a bit, and she takes a deep breath and rolls her shoulders before releasing it with a heavy sigh. Heavy footfalls sound from behind the guards, and the one called Ruex turns to face whoever is coming our way. His posture goes rigid, and without turning, he quietly says, “Shield them.”
My forehead pinches with those two words. The unnamed guard turns to us and then demands, “Stay quiet!” I open my mouth to respond, but Ambriel grips my hand and squeezes, halting any rebuttal I had on my tongue. My shoulders tense as I feel magic brushing over us. A wall of rippling energy separates us from the guards. Then my heart lurches, and I hold onto Ambriel tighter than before.
“What are you doing just standing here? Has your prince not given you orders? My castle is under attack. You should be defending it.” Soren sneers.
“Sir, we are on duty to guard these entrances.” The guard responds, standing tall.
“What am I going to be attacked by through these entrances? If someone tries to fly in this way, they would be seen by my sentries before anyone else. Do something useful with yourself!” Soren bellows at the guards but storms off before they make a move in all directions. His boots stamping down on the stone ground fade in the distance, and then the magic between us falls away like a waterfall.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask quietly. This guard hid us from plain sight with magic, but allowed us to witness that exchange between them and Soren.
“If you want to get out of here, you need to stay quiet. Follow Vesper.” Ruex orders as the guard, Vesper, ushers us deeper into one of the alcoves that turns out to be a passage to a much larger cave. The way Ambriel’s attention stays on the guard Vesper makes me feel something deep in my chest I’m not used to, and as soon as I do, her attention snaps to me. Heat creeps up my neck when I realize she felt the twinge of jealousy course through me. The lopsided smile and wink she sends my way has me shaking my head and loving her even more than I already do.
I’ve heard a number of creatures growl in my presence, but nothing could have prepared me for the deep rumble that reverberates off every surface in that cave. We step into the glow of a torch and come face to face with a dragon. Its black scales reflect the firelight of the torches placed around the walls like a dragon-shaped glittering ember. Its deep rumbling warning came from its chest and then rattled my bones as it opened its jaw, displaying its razor-sharp teeth and reptilian tongue.
“Bracarva, stand down!” A man demands as he slides down the arm of the dragon. Ambriel stiffens in my arms.
“Shield.” Her voice echoes through my mind. Her presence there and then gone within the same second. I lock my mind as she has taught me, immediately narrowing my eyes on the man as he approaches. His size alone is foreboding enough, but the way his icy gaze looks us over has the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.
“What is this, Vesper?” He growls at the guard to our right.
“They were found in the tunnels. She has the war maiden bond mark on her wrist. Just like…”
“If you know what is good for your kingdom, you will trust your queen. Leave now.” My brows dip at that. I don’t understand what he could mean. Trust your queen? A gnawing feeling starts in my stomach as I hold back the series of questions I want to shoot off at him, but something has me silent. Dax is still in the castle somewhere…
“Can we at least see her?” I don’t know why that’s the question I ask. He tilts his head. Then looks down at Ambriel.
“You have the war maiden bond mark… Can you not sense that she is alive and well?” Ambriel swallows and lifts her chin before answering his question.
“Actually, I can sense that she is alive and in trouble. Two very different things.” She says sternly, and my chest puffs with pride. I love how confident she is, especially when the man looking down at her is who I think it is. She never cowers.
“Trouble? What kind of trouble?” He takes a step forward, and I instinctively pull Ambriel back, stepping in front of her. He watches the move with a calculated stare.
“She’s worried. Something is happening that is causing her fear. I—” Her voice trails off, but I know what she is going to say. She can’t break into her mind. She can’t speak to her. He shakes his head in annoyance, dismissing Ambriel’s words.
“Bracarva! Take them away from this castle. If they fight, roast them, and have a snack.” His eyes glint with a challenge, and I narrow mine in return. The dragon lets out a chuff of air from its nose that sounds more like a laugh. “I will tell the queen of your arrival and let her do what she will with the information. Leave with your life, or not at all. It’s your choice.”
Ambriel digs her fingers into my arm as I lean forward, poised to attack at the threat he’s just made on mine and my mate’s lives. My body is vibrating with my anger. The heat of my flames licking up my neck, but the moment I feel her touch, she brings it down to a low boil. I’m not stupid. I know that the prince controls a fucking dragon, which my fire has no comparison to.
“If we don’t hear from Raelle soon, we will be returning, and it won’t be in secret. Dax will take this castle down, and not even your dragons will stand in his way. We will have our queen, and if she is not as you say—alive and well—it will be your head on a pike.” My lips curl into a snarl as he and I stare at each other, but he steps back and nods. Accepting of my threat.
A sulfuric puff of air blows my hair back as the dragon lowers its head behind its master. He crosses his arms and nods to the beast. An order. Do as he says or die now. Grinding my teeth, I keep my eyes locked with the Prince. This is not what we had planned, but Dax is smart, and I know now the lengths that a man will go to protect his mate. There will be no stopping him on this mission. I just hope he remembers who he is while doing it.