Chapter 24 #2
I stride toward my chambers to prepare. I need weapons—the special kind forged in shadow-fire, designed to inflict wounds that never heal.
"Gather your best trackers," I order. "And the shadow hounds. We leave immediately."
In my chambers, I exchange court attire for hunting leathers, strapping shadow-forged daggers to my belt. As I dress, I reach once more for the bond, stretching my awareness to its limits.
For just a moment, I feel something—a flicker of awareness, distant and fragile. Fear. Pain. Then the interference returns, muffling the connection once more.
But it's enough. She's alive. My mate lives.
"I'm coming for you, Omega," I murmur, buckling my final weapon into place.
When I emerge, Emmett awaits with guards and three massive shadow hounds—beasts of pure darkness with glowing red eyes and teeth that can tear through enchanted armor.
"The palace is secured," he reports. "The hounds have her scent from her chambers."
I offer Seraphina's ring. "This will be more effective."
The largest hound approaches, its head level with my chest. It sniffs the ring, red eyes flaring with recognition before turning toward the eastern corridors, hackles raised.
We reach a section of wall that appears solid to untrained eyes. I press my palm against the stone, channeling shadow magic into hidden mechanisms. The wall slides aside, revealing stairs descending into darkness.
"The tunnel hasn't been used in decades," I warn, shadows flowing ahead.
The descent is steep, walls glistening with moisture, air heavy with old magic. The hounds move confidently through the tight confines, following the faint trail.
"My lord," Emmett speaks from behind, voice hushed. "There's something else we found in Cade's quarters."
I pause. "Speak."
"A vial of what appears to be fairy dust."
The implications hit me instantly. Ivy—she's part of Seraphina's disappearance.
"So Cade knew about the fairy," I murmur, mind racing through possibilities. "But was he working with her, or against her?"
"Either way, it explains how he might have found this tunnel," Emmett observes. "Fairy magic can reveal what shadow magic conceals."
After winding pathways, the air freshens, carrying the scent of night-blooming flowers—and underneath it all, the faintest trace of vanilla and light magic. The shadow hounds grow agitated, their massive forms quivering with anticipation.
"Stay alert," I command, signaling the guards to halt while I extend my senses through the shadows ahead.
The tunnel opens into a clearing enclosed by twisted trees. Moonlight dapples the moss-covered ground. The hounds circle before converging on a path leading deeper into the enchanted forest, confirming what I already suspect—Seraphina was brought through here.
I scan the area, searching for any clue. My shadows spread outward, probing every inch of the clearing, finding nothing until…
A faint shimmer catches my eye. I approach, crouching to examine the moss. Tiny particles of silver-blue dust glitter in the moonlight—fairy magic, though I cannot determine if it belongs to Ivy specifically.
"Is that..." Emmett begins.
"Fairy dust," I confirm, rage building anew as the pieces fall into place. "Fairy magic was used here. Recently."
I let the dust sift through my fingers, feeling its residual magic. Not ordinary fairy dust—this carries a signature of deliberate use, as if cast with specific intent.
But something about this trail feels deliberate. Too obvious.
"The fairy didn't try to hide her presence," I observe, rising to my feet. "She wanted us to follow."
"A trap?" Emmett suggests.
"Or a breadcrumb trail," I reply, my mind racing ahead. "If Seraphina was taken against her will, her fairy friend might be trying to help us find her."
Either way, the path is clear. The hounds have her scent, and the fairy dust confirms the direction.
I release my shadows fully, allowing them to explode outward in a wave of pure darkness that extinguishes every light in the clearing save the red glow of the hounds' eyes.
"Find her," I command, my voice unrecognizable even to myself.
As the beasts lunge forward, following the trail into the enchanted forest, I feel the cold certainty of vengeance solidify in my chest. Whoever has taken my mate doesn't understand what they've awakened.
Seraphina is mine. By fate, by magic, by choice, by my bite permanently marking her throat.
And I will burn the world to ash to get her back.
The hunt begins now.
The shadow hounds bay in the darkness—a sound that makes even seasoned warriors flinch. These beasts were bred for tracking, their senses attuned to the unique pheromone signature every Omega carries. In the old wars, they were used to hunt fleeing captives.
Now they hunt for their master's stolen mate.
The bond between a mated Alpha and Omega should make such tracking unnecessary—a completed bond creates a connection so strong that an Alpha can sense their location instinctively, can feel their distress across vast distances. That this bond has been blocked speaks to powerful magic at work.
Someone went to great lengths to hide my Omega from me.
They will regret it.