Chapter 24: Chapter 24

ANNA

I wake up to the lovely smell of bacon and I’m instantly ravenous.

~I slept right through dinner again, didn’t I?~

Roland is sitting on my bed with a tray on his lap. “Morning.” He places a kiss on my head.

~Aww, did he bring me breakfast in bed?~

I smile at him sweetly, “Is that for me?” I ask, and push myself up.

He smiles. “No, it’s mine.”

I pout, and he starts to laugh. “Yes, Anna, it’s yours.” He places the tray on my lap and ruffles my hair.

“Now, I need to go talk to Collen. You eat up.” He kisses me and steals a piece of my sweet, delicious bacon.

“Hey!”

“See you soon. I love you, baby.” He walks out of my room.

I finish my breakfast in silence, then quickly dress and go downstairs.

The dining room is empty and everything is quiet.

~Where is everyone?~

I go out to the patio and find a crowd gathered outside. Lev is leaning against a wall with his arms folded across his chest.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

He looks at me and smiles.

“Hey. Amethyst challenged Roland to a magic duel. She has guts.” He shakes his head.

“What? Why would she do that? Does she have some kind of death wish?”

~What the hell, Amethyst, you stupid woman?~

“Don’t interfere, Anna. She needs to do it. She wants to prove her worth.”

Lev looks worried. I can see this is bothering him; he wants to stop it as well.

A magical dome appears.

~They’ve started.~

I push my way through the crowd to get a better look. Roland is on one side with his arms folded over his chest, looking so cocky and calm. Amethyst is standing opposite him, ready to attack.

“Impressive,” Roland says, and nods his head at Amethyst.

She starts the duel and blasts a fireball at him. He stands there, and a smirk appears on his face. He doesn’t move an inch.

~Move, idiot.~

He lifts his finger from his arm and gives it a twirl, sending the fireball straight back at the witch. She dodges it.

“You need to focus, Amethyst.”

Amethyst narrows her eyes at him. She starts to shoot him again with fireballs, but he swats away all of her attacks.

“Dammit!” She is getting frustrated.

“Don’t tell me that’s all you’ve got?” he says.

I can see he is really starting to get on her nerves.

“Now come on, princess. Focus.”

With one swift move, he puts up his shield. Amethyst looks furious. She attacks him again and again. Every time he dodges her attack, but she gives it her all.

Roland shakes his head.

“Okay, I’m bored.” He lifts his hand above his head. A huge fireball appears in the palm of his hand.

“Sorry about this, princess.” He shoots it straight at her—and to everyone’s surprise, she manages to escape the attack.

“Well now, that ~is~ impressive. Your shield is great, but your attack is weak, uncoordinated.”

Amethyst is clearly exhausted. She falls to the ground, blood streaming from her nose.

Roland walks over to her.

“Your powers did grow and you are much stronger, but you are not focused. Don’t let your opponent get under your skin, Amethyst. Stay focused,” he says, and holds his hand out to her.

She takes it and he pulls her to her feet.

“Again,” he says.

She nods and wipes the blood from her nose.

This time he attacks first. She dodges it, sees an opening, and knocks him down with a fireball to the back.

He hits with a ~thump~. Then he smiles and snaps his fingers.

Amethyst falls to the ground.

“You let down your shield, princess.”

He smirks, stands, and dusts off the dirt.

Amethyst looks like she is in pain, but she pushes herself to her feet.

“Not done yet? Well, I like that you are strong.”

Amethyst claps her hands together, sending a puff of wind his way.

He puts up a shield and redirects it.

“Changing it up? I like that, too.” He grins and twirls his finger, sending a stronger whirlwind her way. She’s too slow with her shield and gets caught up, spinning, into the air, landing a few feet away from Roland.

He walks to her and bows down, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“We are done here. You did great.”

She looks up at him as a tear runs down her cheek.

“I only hit you once.”

Roland starts to laugh. “You ~almost~ did a few more times.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t understand?”

He smiles at her.

“Amethyst, you are very strong, and so pure. Your magic to protect others is magnificent. If you learn to focus your energy, you will be a great sorcerer.”

He squeezes her on the shoulder and strolls back into the castle.

I run down the stairs to her side.

“What were you thinking? Why on earth would you challenge Roland?”

She smiles at me. “He is the only one here stronger than me.”

Lev appears at my side and sweeps Amethyst up from the ground.

“You keep on surprising me.” He plants a kiss on her head as he carries her into the castle, bridal style. We go straight up the stairs and head to her room.

“I just need to grab the first aid kit from my room. Be back in a jiffy,” I say.

When I get back, Lev is sitting on Amethyst’s bed, wiping the blood off her face with a wet cloth. They are staring deep into each other’s eyes.

I clear my throat. Lev looks up at me and stands.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it. Later, babe.” He smiles at Amethyst and strolls out of the room.

I pop my eyebrows at her and a blush appears on her face.

“So, you and Lev?” I ask as I sit beside her and open the kit.

“I don’t know. He’s so distant.” She stares out the window.

“That didn’t look distant to me. Do you like him?”

She nods.

“Then just give him time. He’ll come around.” I flash her a sweet smile.

“I never thought I would find love again,” she whispers. She looks deep in thought.

“Again?”

“Yes. His name was Derick. We were engaged to be married. He was an alchemist, a great one. He was on the road heading back home when ogres attacked him.

“They used him as bait. I exchanged my freedom for his. When they chained me up, they brutally murdered him in front of me.

“I was helpless. I couldn’t save him.” A tear escapes her eye.

I pull her in for a huge hug. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

“That was about ten years ago. And now I’ve met Lev. He is so kind and charming.”

“And hot as hell,” I say, and giggle.

She starts to giggle as well. “Thanks, Anna,” she says, giving me a hug.

“For?”

“For being such a great friend.”

I smile at her sweetly and finish cleaning her wounds.

“Okay, now you need some rest. Doctor’s orders.”

As I leave, closing the door behind me, Roland approaches me.

“Hey, how is she?” he asks.

“Exhausted. Luckily, she has no serious injuries, only a few scrapes and bruises.”

He nods.

“Good. The witches are here and they come bearing bad news. My brother has the harpy clan joining him. My father tried to reason with him, but he just shut him out. Now my father is on his way here.”

I look at him, shocked.

“What? Your dad is coming here? Why?”

He smiles wryly. “No need to worry. He wants to talk to my brother face-to-face. If he can’t get him to back off, this will get ugly. So many will lose their lives.

“And this is all so unnecessary. I would just give him the crown if I knew it would stop this madness, but others would retaliate, and a war would break out anyway.”

I place my hand on his jaw and a soft kiss on his lips.

“We will get through this together.”

He nods and pulls me to his chest.

***

The air is filled with tension as everyone finishes the last preparations for battle.

The strategy is set: Collen and his pack will attack from the left, the vamps will come from right, and Roland and the rest of us will take the enemy head-on.

Roland’s father hasn’t arrived yet.

“Hey, Anna, why do you look so worried?” Amethyst places her hand on my shoulder as I stare into the forest where the enemy awaits us.

“Oh, hey. I really wish this could all be over now.” I shake my head in disapproval. “I can’t bear the thought of losing anyone—you, Lev, Roland, even Trix. You all mean so much to me.”

Amethyst squeezes my shoulder.

“I know how you feel. It’s scary, but we’ve got each other, and we will win.” She smiles, but heartache hides behind it. I can tell she is scared.

Lev comes strolling up to my side.

“Anna, Amethyst. Roland’s father has arrived. He wants to see both of you.” Lev takes Amethyst’s hand and leads us to the king.

We head for the study. Two guards are standing outside the door. I can hear Roland and his father arguing.

Lev stops outside and lowers his head, clenching his jaw.

“Are you okay?” Amethyst whispers.

Lev looks at her and pulls her to his chest. “Now I’m great.” He rests his head on hers and inhales deeply.

“The king will see you now.” One of the guards opens the door for us to enter.

Roland is standing by the window, and I can tell he is angry. The king is sitting at the desk, checking a map in front of him.

“Your Majesty.” Lev and Amethyst bow down. I frown, and curtsy.

The king looks straight at me.

“So, you must be Annabeth?”

Roland immediately responds when he hears my name. His gaze falls on me. Black pools of death greet my eyes.

“Yes.” I look back to the king, who smiles at me and stands.

He’s a big, muscular man with shoulder-length gray hair, sapphire blue eyes, pale skin, and a strong jawline.

“Now tell me, Annabeth. Is it true that you have a piece of the dragon’s heart inside of you?”

He moves around the desk and walks over to me. Roland is on edge, ready to jump his father.

“Uh, yeah, that’s what they tell me.”

He takes my hand.

“And you just blindly believe them?”

I just nod.

~I mean they are my friends. Why would they lie to me?~

A red glow shines from my chest.

“Well, now, I trust they told you the story?”

I nod. The king gives Roland a cold stare.

“Contain yourself. I will not harm her,” he says in his demanding voice.

“Now, if you would be so kind and please sit.” He points to a chair.

I look over to Amethyst, who looks worried.

~Okay, what the hell?~

I take a seat. Everyone else is frozen to the spot, not moving an inch. The king takes his seat again.

“That heart inside of you is very precious to me. It belonged to a magnificent beast. It chose to save you. I tried to use a piece on my mate, but it rejected her.”

He pulls a necklace out from under his shirt. A small, red, diamond-like stone hangs from it.

“This is that piece. It’s just a reminder for me—but for you, it will grant you more power.” He takes it off and gives it to me.

I look up at him in shock.

“Please take it. It will keep you safe. I can see you mean a lot to my son. He truly loves you.

“Just don’t let it consume you. Otherwise, I will have to kill you, too.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

He looks at Amethyst.

“So they didn’t tell you everything. The dragon whose heart beats inside of you was once a human, like you. I’m not going to tell you the whole story now, but it was before the war when humans and the supernatural coexisted.

“When the war started, a brave human knight wanted to save his kind and went to the elders asking them for extreme powers. They gave him the dragon stone. He was consumed by the power and turned into a beast.

“Dragons went extinct because they only cause death and destruction; they kill off their own kind.” The king shakes his head.

“Now as I can tell, you are pure of heart—but heed my warning. Don’t let it consume you, Annabeth.”

I nod and take the necklace. It glows bright red when it touches my skin, and a warm feeling fills my whole body.

“Now, we need to discuss the war. Roland, your brother Mitya will be here by tomorrow.

“We have a lot of soldiers ready to engage. Lev, you will lead them in battle as the first commander.” Lev nods.

“I will deal with Mitya myself. He wants me,” Roland mumbles from the window, staring out.

“No, you will stay inside,” the king commands.

Roland clenches his fists and hits the desk, making me jump.

“No, Father. I will not cower behind closed doors, leaving everyone else to fight my battle!”

“Don’t be a fool!” the king spits at him, rising from his chair. “You need to survive this!”

Roland narrows his eyes at his father and shakes his head.

“I will be on the battlefield with my friends. Please, Father, I need to fight.”

The room is silent, waiting for an answer.

At last, the king lowers his head and sighs.

“Very well, then. Amethyst will stay at your side, keeping a shield around you at all times. Annabeth will be with me, using her firewall to protect me. And I will protect her with my life, if need be.”

I can see Roland doesn’t like the fact that I will not be with him, but he doesn’t argue. He nods and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Now, if you all please, I need some peace. Go and enjoy the feast, rest up. Tomorrow will be a long and hard day for all of us.” The king falls back into his chair, and everyone else exits the room, except Roland.

I go back to my room, my mind spinning.

~I wonder how much power this necklace will give me? How much stronger will I be?~

On the one hand, I can’t help but think about what the king said, and on the other hand, I’m curious.

Amethyst comes strolling in.

“Hey, are you ready for the feast?” She tilts her head to one side and frowns when she sees my expression. “Are you going?”

I look up at her from my bed and flash her a fake smile.

“Okay, what’s wrong?”

I look down at the necklace.

“What if I can’t control this power?”

She shakes her head and sits next to me.

“Annabeth, you are one of the strongest people I know. You never give up or back down and are always willing to help others, even if they don’t deserve it.

“Believe me, that dragon inside of you is as pure as you are and nothing will change that.”

She gives me a sweet smile. “Now come. We need to get ready for the feast.”

I nod and stand up to start dressing. I’m wearing a black, full-length, slit, spaghetti strap dress. I pull my hair into a loose updo and strap on silver open-toe heels.

Amethyst is wearing a full-length white dress. She looks like an angel.

I’m not really in the mood to party, but I know this is necessary. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, and it scares me.

Downstairs, the music playing is upbeat and cheerful, but no one is dancing. The food smells great and the place looks beautiful, but no one seems to be in a party mood. Everyone is talking about the coming fight.

Lev sees us and comes over.

“Hey, babe.” He places a soft kiss on Amethyst’s head. “You look beautiful. Would you like to dance?”

She smiles at him and nods. They make their way to the dance floor and fly across the space together.

I can’t seem to find Roland or the king. In fact, none of the royals are here. I go over to an empty table and grab a chair.

I look over at where Amethyst and Lev are dancing.

~They look so in love.~

More couples join them on the dance floor. When the music comes to an end, Lev and Amethyst join me at the table. They are lost in each other’s eyes.

“Lev, where is Roland?” I ask.

He clears his throat. “With his father.”

I nod and start to play with my food. I’m not hungry.

Lev plants a soft kiss on Amethyst’s hand. “Please be careful tomorrow, my sweet angel,” he says.

Then, to both our surprise, he pulls her to him and places a passionate kiss on her lips. Tears run down her cheeks as she deepens the kiss.

Lev pulls away. “Did I hurt you?”

She shakes her head. “No, but it took you long enough.”

He smiles and kisses her again.

I’m overjoyed.

~They deserve to be happy.~

We start to talk about all the things we’ve been through together and laugh at all the stupid stuff we did.

~Our friendship has only grown stronger by the day. I’ve learned a lot from them.~

Lev makes a toast to friendship and love, and kisses Amethyst on the head as he sits. The night that began soberly turns into a memorable celebration, a night with great friends.

We go outside and Lev decides to let Zalton come out and play. We run barefoot on the lawn, chasing him.

The night sky is filled with stars, and it is beautiful. Amethyst and I fall breathlessly to the ground, looking up. Lev joins us, in human form again, pulling Amethyst to his chest.

“Beautiful,” Amethyst whispers.

“Why, thank you, babe.”

I start to laugh at Lev’s cocky response. Amethyst slaps him on his chest. He just chuckles at her and brushes the hair from her face before planting a soft, tender kiss on her lips.

“I like you, babe,” he whispers.

Amethyst smiles at him shyly. “I like you too,” she whispers.

“Well now, lovebirds, I think this is my cue to leave.” I pop my eyebrows at them and rise.

Back inside, the feast is winding down. Most of the people have left.

~Where is Roland? I haven’t seen him all night.~

I stroll upstairs and head to my room. It’s quiet in the hallway and darker than usual.

I feel a chill creep up my spine.

~What the hell?~ I spin around only to find a dark hallway staring back at me. I let out a sigh of relief.

When I turn back, I hit a brick wall in front of me.

~Holy shit~.

Roland presses me to the wall, caging me in with his arms. My heart is racing, my breath uneven. He runs his hand down my jawline.

“Flower, you’re mine.”

He kisses the crook of my neck, sending sparks through my body. He runs his hand down my body to my thigh, pushing away the silk.

“I need you tonight. I need all of you,” he whispers in my ear as he pushes his body to mine.

“Roland, not here,” I whisper breathlessly.

He cups my ass and pulls me up to him, carrying me to my bedroom, as we lock lips. We make it to my bed, where he gently places me down on my back.

“Fuck, Anna, you are so beautiful,” he whispers and starts to unbutton his shirt and undress, keeping my gaze.

~Holy shit, he looks damn sexy.~

“Baby, you have no idea what you do to me.” He lets his shirt fall to the ground.

“You set me on fire,” he whispers in my ear, sending jolts of electricity to my core.

“Now you are overdressed, baby, and this will not do.”

He rips my dress open from the slit up, exposing my lace underwear. I inhale sharply.

“Much better.” He grins a panty-wetting grin and scans my body. “So beautiful.”

He starts to kiss every part of my body, teasing me. He’s driving me insane, having his way with me.

“Oh no, baby. Tonight you will come when I tell you to. You taste so good,” he says as he rips my lace panties off. “Oh baby, you’re so ready for me.”

My head is spinning, my core is on fire. I need this man.

“Not yet, baby. Patience,” he whispers as he starts kissing his way up to my mouth. “I need my fill of you.”

He nibbles and kisses my skin. My body is numb from the lust building inside of me.

“Roland,” I whisper.

He smiles against my neck. “I know, baby, just hold on a few seconds more.” He rains down kisses, cupping my sensitive spot, toying with me.

~Holy shit, he’s driving me crazy.~

“Roland, please,” I whisper. We lock lips and I let out a moan.

“So impatient,” he whispers in my ear as he fills every inch of me. I dig my nails into his back, wanting more.

***

We lie there, wrapped up in each other. I draw circles on his chest. He’s deep in thought.

“Please be careful tomorrow,” I whisper as I place a soft kiss on his chest.

“I will. After all, I have you to come back to.” He flashes me a smile and kisses my forehead. “Don’t worry, flower.”

“I can’t lose you, Roland. I love you,” I whisper and cuddle closer to him. My heart is aching.

“I love you more,” he says and wraps me up in him. We lie there, lost in each other’s scent.

~I wish we could stay like this forever, not a worry in the world.~

“Annabeth, promise me, no matter what happens tomorrow, you will stay at my father’s side.”

I look up at him. He looks worried.

“I promise,” I whisper as a tear escapes my eye.

~We will make it through this. We must. I can’t lose him, not now.~

I feel sick to my stomach as the thought crosses my mind.

“Roland, I’ve decided to stay. I’m not going home. I want to stay with you, if you’ll have me.”

He almost crushes me.

“Oh, baby, you just made me the happiest man alive.”

He starts to kiss me, and we get lost in each other once again.