CHAPTER FORTY-ONE #3
Ashbluff straightens. “Quite a few. Word has reached us that our Princess has returned,” he bows toward my mate.
As he should. “I should have known the moment you flew out of the keep on that purple beast. It’s good to have you back.
The lords have been losing their grip here.
They’re desperate, but that’s why I’m confused that you’re here, not in Maleen… ”
“Why is that? You asked for aid,” Rav queries, her voice leaking with venom.
He shakes his head. “It wasn’t me. I sent a pixie saying to prepare yourselves, that war is coming to your doorstep. Most of the school has vacated on Craven’s orders. They should reach Maleen in a few days’ time.”
“Fuck!” she snaps. “Okay. New plan. Kill Jesp’s and Kill’s fathers. You secure the academy and keep all the first years safe, then we need to get back to Maleen to warn everyone.”
“We will have time. It’s only a day’s ride to Maleen, and you, Aemon and Ember can get there in half a day to warn everyone if needed,” Talyn reminds her.
She shakes her head. “We will not split up. Not again. Let’s get this done.”
“Wait,” I state. “Why are all the cadets out of bed at this hour?”
Everyone turns to Ashbluff. “I have no idea. We just got the memo before your familiar showed up at my window, I was just about to head down there.”
“Wonderful. More surprises,” Killian snarks before opening the passageway door and storming out.
We quickly follow him and I keep a close eye on Ashbluff. I push against his mind and he lets me in with only a side glance. Everything seems boring and normal so I pull out. He hasn’t lied—someone must have intercepted the pixie he sent, which means someone is onto him. Which means…
“Wait. I think we are walking into a trap.” The others stop.
“I normally would be the one running in, magick and knives blazing, but I think that’s what they want.
His pixie was intercepted, which means they know we are here.
Which would explain why they’ve pulled the cadets out of their rooms at this hour. ”
Aemon curses. “You’re right. Fuck, how did I not piece that together right away?”
“I think we are all a bit worked up right now,” Ravina says, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I say we go and greet them anyway. I’m done sneaking around.”
“Little Warrior. What if they’re planning on using the cadets against you?” Killian moves toward her, the sconces from the hall flicking like a ticking clock.
“Then we will deal with it. We will protect them. Call the dragons. It’s time they know we have arrived.” Her anger pulses through the bond and Fates, do I find her glorious.
Once we are all in agreement, I follow my mate to the training yard because Fates know I would follow her anywhere, even into the void.
THE AIR IS crisp and chilled as we walk out into the yard. The mountain breeze is like a shock to the system, wiping away any exhaustion that wants to settle into my bones. Vasari’s roar is echoed by the rest of our family’s wing, followed by countless other dragons.
My mate stands front and center of our crew, sword drawn in one hand and flames in the other as she fearlessly walks down the rows of cadets on either side of us.
Nero puffs out his chest, staring straight ahead.
I don’t care what anyone says—mostly because I’ll cut out their tongue because they are wrong—but Ravina is a goddess given a mortal body.
She’s everything a queen can embody, and I can’t wait to see her in all her glory as she takes back what’s hers.
My father steps forward when he sees us, his face twisted in a sneer. “Jesper. What an unpleasant surprise,” he says, projecting his voice for all to hear. “My traitorous son has come to beg for my forgiveness, has he? Especially after everything I’ve given you.”
“You will not speak to my mate. You answer to me,” Ravina growls, stopping twenty feet away from where they’re standing. “If anyone is the traitor, it is the Lords of Allonde, Imperset and Skyrivene.”
Killian’s father says nothing, not even glancing at his son as he stares down my mate with wrath. I hope Killian saves his eyeballs for Nero.
She turns to face the cadets, projecting her voice.
“The lords are the reason the realm was plunged into war. They staged a coup, killing my fathers. Imprisoning my mother—the Queen. Killing your friends, family and neighbors.” She faces the lords again.
“Your punishment is death. You and yours will be stripped of all titles, and new Lords or Ladyships will be determined at a later time. Now, are you going to make this easy and accept your punishment gracefully, or let us have some fun and do things the hard way?”
Please be the hard way. Please be the hard way.
My father scoffs. “You have no power over us, female. You may sit on Craven’s throne and play pretend while we let you.
But know your place.” He glances over at me and I can feel him trying to enter my mind, but I know that no matter how hard he tries, he won’t be able to breach my mental barriers.
“I should have let my bitch of a mate kill you when she begged me to.” There’s a sort of unhinged glint in his eyes, just like we saw with Aemon’s father, which makes me believe that our suspicions about them being under the influence of Craven and the Soul Stone is true.
But they were assholes before they ever had their minds corrupted, and death will be their punishment. The Fates can deal with them then.
Our dragons land on the battlements while the others surround the outer walls.
I have no idea where our fathers’ beasts are, but I assume they are nearby somewhere.
Good thing that when we kill them, their beasts will finally be put out of their misery.
How they managed to bond dragons in the first place is beyond me.
Maybe at one point they were good fae, before power and greed corrupted them.
Ravina blasts them with air, throwing them back, and that’s our cue. Killian and I move in.
I pull my blades as my mind reaches out for the bastard who helped bring me into this realm and rip open his mental shields like nothing. Woah, mating really gave me a magick boost.