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Amalia stepped back in horror.

“Who are you?”

The stranger turned to her and reached his hand out. She quickly backed up.

“Are you pregnant?” he asked her, placing his hand flat against her stomach when her back met the wall.

What a strange thing to ask someone you’ve just met. She didn’t answer, didn’t do or say anything. Her hands were against her chest, but she wanted away from being cornered from this stranger.

“I will check myself.” He waved his hand in the air above her stomach, and she felt the wave of magic. He frowned when he was done, his red brows crinkling. “I see, he has tricked you.”

She looked down and saw that something was glowing from underneath her dress, right below where her navel was. She’d often felt a burning sensation there that was roughly the size of a thumb mark, but she never thought much on it.

“He has placed a spell on you. No matter, I will remove it.” Then he grinned, his teeth crooked and uneven. “Let us go find your Dragon.”

He grabbed her hand in a tight fist, and it painfully squeezed her fingers together since he didn’t grab it properly. He dragged her down the tunnel while she stumbled behind him.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

He turned his head back to her. “You do not remember me? No matter, I will remind you, and you will remember your place in the world.”

Who is this person? And where is Bala?She feared he killed her precious cat.

“Wait,” she pleaded when they were approaching the main room to the Dragon’s lair.

Rurik’s head lifted from his meal when they entered, and he immediately got to his four paws with a growl. He took a handful of steps closer with his body lowering as though he was preparing to leap forward.

“How did you get in my lair?” His eyes narrowed into the hateful glare he only wore when he spoke of Witches that were not her.

Amalia’s heart was beating frantically, unsure of what was happening as she stumbled and desperately tried to keep her footing.

“Why,” he said with a gleeful tone before bringing her forward, so she was beside him, and gestured his free hand towards her. “She let me in.”

Rurik’s eyes flickered between this person, her, and their hands still connected.

“You did what?!” he roared, stamping his foot forward.

The stranger released her and stepped forward to approach him.

“Stay back or I will unleash my flame.” Rurik’s lips curled back further over his fangs with each step the stranger took.

“Well, you might hit her, so we cannot have that, can we?” he answered before he lifted his fist.

Rurik didn’t seem to care when he took in a deep draw of air like he was preparing.

Just as he unleashed flames, the stranger threw whatever he was holding in his fist. It was tiny, something barely noticeable, but the moment it impacted against the side of Rurik’s head he was sent flying.

The massive Dragon was tossed back with such force that he didn’t touch the ground before he hit the wall.

“Rurik!” she screamed.

She sprinted forward but was captured in the stranger’s embrace from behind while her arms and legs flailed forward.

He is not moving!

“Come now, Amalia.” Her eyes widened at hearing him say her name. “The black moon is tonight, and we have much to prepare. We cannot waste time.”

She pushed at his face as she tried to get him to let her go. She even kicked her legs against his shin – anything to get free.