Chapter 37
Lola
The dark, deep rumble that echoed around us made the hair rise along my arms in fear. Marcus limped beside me, looking around the room, just lit enough for us to spot the old blood stains and splatters on the dirty tiled walls and floor.
I somehow knew what I’d find before I could even spot him, no matter how impossible it seemed.
Marcus didn’t. “What the f—”
The half man, half-scaled beast lunged at the bars of his cell with a deep growl. The ground shook beneath our feet as two narrowed eyes, slitted and opal-like, followed us from across the room.
“What is that?” Marcus asked, lifting a dagger in a defensive stance as the caged Dragon threw himself against the rattling door again.
“That can rip your head off and kill you,” I hissed. “Stand back. Don’t let it catch you.”
Marcus’ throat bobbed but he gave me a shaky nod. We stopped, keeping a few feet of safety between us and him. His eyes gleamed as he took me in, his head tilting to the side in wonder as his eyes drifted to my friend.
“Look who the storm brought here,” Amyntas drawled, hands gripping at the bars to pull himself closer, studying us in between. “My Maiden. Here to finally uphold your part of the vow? I’m afraid I’d have no use for your now barren womb.”
I stumbled backward, my back colliding with Marcus’ shoulder. I would have recognized him anywhere. But the state he was in? Skin deadly pale like he hadn’t seen the light of day in centuries. Dark circles under his eyes, some of his scales missing and slowly growing back…
“Why are you here, Anastasia?” he asked, too calmly. “If it’s not to offer your useless body for my heir.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have stuck to physical traits so close to my original one. Or maybe he recognized me before he even saw me, like I did him. Something about the Maiden mark carved into his skin, making us somehow aware of each other.
My breath hitched in my throat at the dark intent in his eyes.
“What is happening?” Marcus asked softly.
But I couldn’t speak, my body frozen on the spot. Amyntas was here. He had searched for me for two years before suddenly stopping, leaving Dimitri and I in peace. How could he be here now? Looking like he had spent an eternity in the darkest pits of Hell?
“Or,” he continued, leaning casually against the bars of his cage, “are you here to save him? I’m afraid he’s beyond saving.”
“What are you talking about?” I whispered, watching his eyes turn malicious.
“I’m talking about your mate, of course. The one whose playground lies behind that door,” he said, pointing at the other side of the room. “I’ve never been there…But all the ones who did serve a particular purpose.”
My heartbeat stopped as I took a step closer. “What purpose? What do you mean?”
He arched a brow, the smile shifting into something terrifying. “That stupid quest of his. A quest that’s impossible.”
Another step. Hands balled into fists at my sides. “Stop talking in riddles,” I groaned.
His hand shot through the bars and caught my throat before I could react. My back met the hard metal of the bars and—fucking burned.
I screamed in agony, unsure if it was because of whatever was burning my skin on my back or the sharp pain from his fangs piercing the muscle of my shoulder.
“A quest that won’t help me,” he growled when he pulled his head back.
He fell backward as Marcus lunged, plunging his poisoned dagger in Amyntas’ chest, allowing me to stumble into my friend’s arms, hand reaching for my wound.
Dark blood mixed with an oily, burning liquid covered my palm and my vision blurred, knees buckling under my weight.
Fuck.
“Lola!” My stomach threatened to empty itself as Marcus shook my shoulders. “Lola, open your eyes!”
I did, my eyelids feeling heavy as I turned my head to the side. Amyntas looked possessed, white eyes shining, blood covered bared teeth and hands shaking at his cage.
“Because of you, I’ve been stuck with your fucking Maiden’s mark. Because you escaped and brainwashed your whole family, I’ve been forced to search for you, unable to move on, unable to sire my Heir!”
The room spun and I tried to stabilize myself, only colliding with Marcus once again. Fuck, fuck, fuck, no…
“I—I didn’t force you to—” My hand clasped my friend’s arm for support as I nearly fell again. “Force you to choose me—” I paused, catching my breath. “I advised you—advised you against it.”
That was it. I was going to fucking die.
I was no longer an Astral, and Dragon’s venom? Probably the only thing—apart from hunters and Arc—that could kill a demon, and any living being except for other Astrals.
Maybe the little Astral blood I had left would save me. Maybe I—
The room swirled and my eyes closed as I felt my body get closer to the ground, only stopped by a cursing and stumbling Marcus.
“Do you know what makes me happy right now?” Amyntas growled, hitting at his cell door.
“The knowledge that you’re going to fucking die in a few minutes.
And you being dead? It’ll erase your Maiden’s mark.
I’ll be free, at last. Don’t you think I deserve to be free from chasing after you?
Don’t you think you deserve to be punished for leaving me to my demise? ” he screamed.
“What the fuck is your problem?” Marcus yelled back, cradling my shaking body against his chest.
Amyntas let out another animalistic growl and Marcus was sent flying back, his head hitting the concrete wall with a loud crack.
“Marcus—” The word died out in my weak throat. He didn’t move. Shit.
I pushed on my trembling legs, forcing my body to fight through the pain and grabbed Marcus under his shoulders. We needed to get out of here. Amyntas was out of control and I couldn’t let him bite my friend either—if he even had any venom left…
I ignored the feral Dragon fighting against the restraint of his cage and pulled Marcus toward the back door. The one that might lead me to Arc.
I pushed it open with my back and hurled my friend with me, nearly falling on the ground from the effort and silently praying that no one was waiting on the other side.
Drops of sweat rolled down my forehead and into my eyes and I screamed in frustration as I pulled his unconscious body the last couple of feet to hide us behind a storage room door.
Tears were falling down my cheeks, blurring my vision even more as I fought for my arm to reach the lock, my fingertips touching it but hands not strong enough to actually turn it.
I was going to die.
But I wouldn’t let them kill Marcus too.
In a last desperate effort, a muffled plea falling off my lips, my hand managed to brush the lock. I didn’t hear the click before my body went limp and my head hit the ground.