Page 6 of Her Fated Alpha Prince (Royal Dragons of Blackwater Islands #1)
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KAEL
The night was sharp, slicing through the thick cloak of shadows that draped the city.
Kael moved with practiced silence, his footsteps swallowed by the cobblestones slick with recent rain.
The scent of damp earth and smoldering lanterns clung to the air, but beneath it all, something sour lingered—an edge of danger that had settled in his bones.
He didn’t like this feeling. Not tonight.
From the rooftop perch, he watched the narrow streets wind beneath him like veins pulsing with secrets. The city breathed around him, alive with whispers and half-truths, but Kael’s eyes sought only one thread—Ariana.
She was out there somewhere, unaware of the eyes tracing her every move. The weight of that knowledge tightened his chest, a silent burden he carried alone. The night had stolen the usual calm from him, replacing it with a jittery awareness that pulled taut his nerves.
He had never meant for any of this to happen.
His orders had been clear—observe, protect, remain unseen.
But she was different. Something about her unsettled him in ways he hadn’t expected.
Not just her presence, but the way the air seemed to shift when she was near, the way the world bent just slightly around her.
Kael’s fingers curled into fists at his sides. Dangerous. That was the word he’d used when he looked at her—not a warning, but a truth. And yet, here he was, drawn to the very threat she posed.
A soft noise caught his attention. Movement—barely perceptible, but enough to sharpen his senses. He flattened against the stone, eyes scanning the alley below. A figure slipped between shadows, nimble and cautious. Not Ariana.
His breath hitched. Too close. Too deliberate.
Kael’s mind raced. Was it a scout? A spy? Or worse—an assassin sent to unearth the secret swirling around the girl he was sworn to guard? The city was crawling with eyes and ears, and every one of them was hungry for a foothold in the war that simmered just beneath the surface.
The figure paused beneath a flickering lamp post. A moment too long.
Kael’s pulse quickened. With a silent step, he descended from the rooftop, melding into the darkness like smoke. The chase was on.
He moved fast but measured, closing the distance without sound. The alley narrowed, walls pressing in as the figure slipped into a dead-end courtyard. Kael’s shadow fell over the trap before the stranger noticed.
“Not many surprises left in this city,” Kael’s voice cut through the night like a blade.
The figure spun, a dagger glinting in moonlight. A quick flash, and the blade was aimed—direct, precise.
Kael shifted, catching the strike on his forearm, pain flaring sharp and immediate. He countered, fingers closing around the attacker’s wrist with crushing force.
The struggle was brief. Kael forced the dagger away, pushing the figure back against the cold stone wall. The attacker’s face was masked, but the eyes—sharp, defiant—met him with a warning.
“You’re playing a dangerous game,” the voice hissed. “Stay away from her.”
Kael’s grip tightened. “She’s not yours to protect or threaten.”
The figure vanished into the shadows with a whispered curse, leaving only the echo of threats behind.
Breathing hard, Kael leaned against the wall. The danger wasn’t just closing in—it was already here.
And Ariana? She was the spark igniting the fire.
Kael’s pulse thudded in his ears, the sting on his forearm a sharp reminder that the shadows here didn’t just hide secrets—they hid threats. He flexed his fingers, wincing as the dull ache spread, but there was no time to tend to wounds. Not tonight.
The masked attacker’s words replayed in his mind: “Stay away from her.” A warning, yes. But from whom? And why? Whoever had sent that message wasn’t just testing boundaries—they were staking a claim.
Kael forced himself to focus. Ariana was out there, vulnerable and unaware. She was the center of a dangerous game, one he’d only just begun to understand.
His thoughts flicked back to the dream she’d had—the jungle, the silver flames, the voice whispering, “Remember who you are.” It gnawed at him. What power slept inside her, waiting to be awakened? And why had it already started to bloom in the garden outside her window?
He shook off the questions for now. There were more immediate concerns. Footsteps echoed down the alley, and Kael melted into the darkness just as a patrol passed by, their voices low but alert.
“They’re getting bolder,” one muttered. “I heard whispers of a shadow moving through the noble districts.”
“Could be the rebels,” the other said. “Or something worse.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. Rebels, shadows, assassins—the city was a maze of factions, each with its own agenda, and Ariana was caught at the heart of it all.
He slipped away from the alley and back onto the rooftops, the night air cool against his skin. His mind raced ahead, plotting the next moves. He had to find Ariana before someone else did. Before she became a weapon—or a victim.
The city stretched below him, a labyrinth of light and dark. Somewhere in that tangle of streets, she was moving—unaware that every step she took was watched.
Kael’s thoughts were interrupted by a soft chime from his pocket. He drew out a small, intricately carved device—an old relic from his order that allowed discreet communication.
A flicker of light signaled an incoming message.
“You’re close. Be careful. They’re watching more than you think.”
No signature. Just a warning.
Kael’s grip tightened around the device. Someone was on his side, but trust was a luxury he couldn’t afford.
He tucked the device away and headed toward the eastern district—the last place Ariana had been seen. The streets here were quieter, lined with tall stone buildings and narrow courtyards. Perfect for hiding, perfect for ambush.
As he moved, his mind flicked back to the silver-haired man—the one who had signed his warning with a simple “V.” Elder Varos. What did he know? And what was he really after?
Kael clenched his fists. The pieces were falling into place, but the picture was still blurry.
He needed answers. And he needed Ariana safe.
Because if the darkness creeping over the city reached her first, nothing would stop the fire she carried inside from burning everything down.
Kael paused at the edge of a narrow courtyard, the moonlight casting long shadows between the stone columns.
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and jasmine—an odd combination that made his skin crawl.
He pressed his back against the cold wall and scanned the shadows, senses sharpened by years of training.
A soft rustle—just beyond the fountain at the courtyard’s center—made him tense. Slowly, he crept forward, muscles coiled like a spring.
“Ariana?” His voice was barely a whisper, but it carried the weight of his worry.
No answer. Just the soft flicker of silver light, like a flame dancing on the breeze.
He moved toward it, every step careful, every breath measured. Then he saw her—standing still, eyes closed, bathed in that eerie glow. The garden flowers from her dream bloomed around her now, petals pulsating gently with the same silver fire.
Kael’s heart clenched at the sight. She looked fragile, a delicate thread stretched taut between worlds.
“Ariana,” he said again, stepping into the light. “You need to come with me.”
Her eyes opened slowly, and for a moment, he saw the ancient flicker—the power she hadn’t yet claimed—shine behind them. The same power that had drawn him in, the same power others feared.
She took a hesitant step toward him, then stopped. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “What is happening to me?”
Kael lowered his voice. “You’re caught between something old and something new. Between who you are—and who you’re meant to be.”
Her gaze searched his face, searching for answers he didn’t have. “And if I don’t want to be ‘me’?”
A shadow flickered at the edge of the courtyard. Kael’s instincts screamed. He moved, stepping in front of Ariana, ready to fight.
But the figure hesitated, then melted back into the darkness.
Kael’s jaw tightened. “They’re here,” he said. “Watching. Waiting.”
Ariana’s breath hitched, but something in her straightened, fierce and unyielding.
“Then let them watch,” she said quietly. “I’m not afraid.”
Kael felt a rare smile tug at his lips. “You should be. But I’ll be here.”
He reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. The warmth of his touch seem to ground her. Together, they stepped back into the shadows, two figures bound by fate and fire.
The city was watching. But so was the night.
And the war for Ariana’s soul was only just beginning.