Chapter 58

IRENE

The couple’s hurried footsteps echo through the night as they run. They hear voices behind them and decide to split up, hoping to trick their pursuers.

She moves stealthily, crouching low and waiting for the right moment to strike. But then, a roar. She stands up abruptly, her heart pounding. The roars grow more desperate, and she knows her lover is in trouble.

She rushes toward the sound, trying to stay hidden. But as she jumps back to avoid a sword, it grazes her neck.

“Fucker!” she yells, clutching her bleeding neck.

“Hello, Irene,” a man steps out from behind a tree, his voice dripping with malice.

“Eros!” Irene spits out his name like a curse.

“Now, now, dear. We have unfinished business, don’t we?” Eros smirks. Irene lunges at him, but he blocks her kick with his sword.

“Not so fast,” he taunts, landing a punch in her gut. She doubles over, coughing up blood.

Suddenly, something wraps around her neck, burning her skin. She screams in pain, trying to pull it off.

“Don’t!” Eros warns, tightening his grip on the whip. “Or you’ll lose your head.” Irene’s eyes dart around, searching for her lover.

“If you’re looking for your prince, he’s already out cold,” Eros says, his voice oozing with satisfaction. He tightens the whip around her neck and leans in close. “He’s under my control.”

Fear flashes in Irene’s eyes as she struggles against the pain. Another soldier grabs her arms, and she looks at Eros, terrified.

“It won’t hurt,” Eros says, laughing. He uncaps a bottle and approaches her, gripping her chin and forcing her to look at him.

“Time for you to forget,” he says, forcing the black poison into her mouth. She spits it out, trying to fight back, but the poison has already started to take effect.

“Sleep, precious. I can’t wait to tame you,” Eros whispers.

DAMIAN

I grab some fruit, thinking it’s a good time to visit Valkyrie. She’s been craving grapes ever since she found out she’s pregnant. As I run up the stairs, I greet a few friends.

Suddenly, Michael rushes over to me, his eyes wide with panic.

“Damian!” he exclaims.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, frowning.

“Valkyrie,” he gasps.

“What about her?” I ask, confused.

“Valkyrie is fucking gone!” he blurts out. Panic surges through me, and I sprint toward her chambers.

I throw open the doors and rush in. The room is empty, but I can still smell her faintly.

“Maybe she’s outside?” I suggest, turning to Michael. He shakes his head.

“No, Damian, the bed is cold, and I found this outside the balcony,” he says, holding up a cloak.

“That’s impossible,” I whisper. No one could get in here undetected. The guards would have noticed.

I reach out to Leo through our mind-link, asking him to check if everyone is accounted for. As I walk back into the chambers, Mia stops and looks at us.

“Morning, is something wrong?” she asks, glancing between Michael and me.

“Have you seen Valkyrie?” I ask, my voice tight with worry.

“The queen? She should be here,” Mia says, her face filling with concern. “Wait, something happened, didn’t it?”

I curse under my breath and reach out to Leo again.

~“Any news?”~ I ask.

~“We have a problem,”~ Leo replies. ~“I need you here.”~

I head down to the cave entrance, where Leo and a few others, including Jordan, are waiting.

“What’s going on?” I ask, looking at the two bodies on the ground. Their chests are pierced, as if something sharp had passed right through them.

“Tamers,” Leo mutters. I whip my head around to look at him.

“Are you sure?” I ask, frowning.

“Yes, there are traces of poison,” Leo confirms. I rub my face, trying to process this information.

There’s only one person who could have done this: Zar.

As I head back up the stairs, I see him with Mia. I storm over to him and punch him in the face.

“You fucker, what have you done!” I yell. Leo and Michael try to hold me back, but I shake them off and lunge at Zar again. “Where is Valkyrie!”

Everyone in the hallway stares at us, shocked. Zar growls as he gets up and pushes me away.

“What are you talking about?” he asks, wiping the blood from his mouth.

“Two of my men were found dead at the cave entrance, and Valkyrie is gone!” I shout, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

I can feel my beast trying to take over, my claws digging into my palms.

“Valkyrie is gone?” a voice asks from behind me. I turn around to see Dimitri standing at the top of the stairs, his face pale.

“What do you mean?” he asks, looking at me. I sigh and shake my head.

“Exactly what you heard, brother. Valkyrie is gone,” I say quietly. Dimitri sways on his feet, and Michael steps forward to steady him. I shake my head, understanding what he’s asking.

“What’s the deal?” Dimitri’s voice is a soft whisper, but it carries a dangerous edge. “Explain it to me.”

Zar’s eyes are locked on mine, a fierce glare in them. “If you’re suggesting I had a hand in this, you’re dead wrong!” he snaps back.

“Wrong?” I retort, my voice a low growl. “You show up and suddenly my men are dropping like flies. Who else could have done it?”

“Back off!” Zar shoves me away. “I would never harm Valkyrie. That’s a line I won’t cross!”

“But how can we trust you?” Michael interjects. “You’re the enemy.”

“I’m not your enemy! And I would never hurt her!” Zar’s voice is strained as he defends himself. “Valkyrie trusted me, and I trusted her.”

“That’s where you’ve got it twisted!” I grab Zar by the throat. “We don’t trust you!”

“ENOUGH!” Dimitri’s voice echoes through the room, his head bowed low. “Leo, find the queen. I need men to search every corner of this place. Turn it upside down if you have to, but find my queen!”

Leo nods and exits the room. I release Zar, but not before giving him one last warning growl. He returns it with a glare.

“I would never harm her. Believe me,” Zar hisses. I let him go and turn to leave, but a hand on my arm stops me. I glance over my shoulder.

“Find her, Damian,” Dimitri pleads, his voice filled with pain. I can see he’s barely holding it together. I nod and leave.

***

Two days have passed and there’s still no sign of Valkyrie. Calandra, the witch, has been assisting us. But as Zar insists, he’s not the one responsible.

Instead, it appears to be one of the newcomers who recently moved into the palace.

Calandra, Zar, and Michael have discovered traces of dark magic and tamer poison throughout the palace. But we’re still in the dark about who took Valkyrie.

Zar enters the throne room, a man trailing behind him. I growl at the sight of them. Zar halts and bows.

“I bring news,” Zar announces, his gaze on Dimitri. I glance at Dimitri and see him lift his head. Ever since Valkyrie’s disappearance, he’s been struggling to keep his composure.

But as the days drag on, his self-control is slipping. If he loses it, we’re all in danger.

“Speak,” Dimitri commands, his voice a low growl.

“Your Majesty, King Dimitri. I’m a spy working for Prince Zar. I bring news of your queen,” the man with the white beard bows as he speaks.

“A few nights ago, Prince Eros arrived at the castle late. We’ve been keeping an eye on him. He arrived with one of King Gabriel’s men, who had vanished from the castle.

What caught our attention, though, was the woman with red hair he carried in his arms.”

Dimitri’s growl fills the room as he rises from his throne. His grip on the armrest is so tight that the golden throne begins to crack. I quickly rise and approach him.

“Dimitri, you need to calm down!” I whisper, squeezing his shoulder. His golden eyes meet mine. He’s on the edge.

“Continue,” Dimitri manages to say.

The man trembles under Dimitri’s glare. I can feel Dimitri’s transformation into his dragon form is imminent.

~“Brother, you need to stay calm. You need to think clearly,”~ I mind-link him.

Dimitri bites his lip.

“Prince Eros took her to his chambers. It appears he’s been watching the queen,” the man continues. “And there’s more,” he adds, his eyes shifting to Michael. Michael frowns.

“He’s also captured two dragons,” the man reveals.

“Who?” I demand.

The man nervously looks straight ahead. I have a sinking feeling about what he’s about to say.

“He’s captured Prince Cian and his mate, Princess Irene,” the man reveals.

“What did you just say?” Michael snaps at the man. “Say that again?”

“What he said, Michael,” Zar interjects, stepping between the man and Michael, “is that Cian and Irene were captured by my brother a few days ago.

“It seems Eros and King Gabriel have tamed Cian and Irene. And it appears Eros used Cian to abduct Valkyrie.”

Michael grabs a chair and hurls it across the room, shattering it into pieces.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Michael snarls, grabbing Zar by the throat.

“No,” Zar replies, his face serious. “It’s true. And if you want to get everyone back, we need a plan.”

“A plan?” I ask, holding Dimitri back.

“Yes, and if you’ll allow it, I can help,” Zar offers, his gaze fixed on Dimitri. “I know a way into my father’s castle.”