Thorne

I woke up to a throbbing heat at the back of my head. Wincing, I pushed myself off the ground and took in my surroundings.

Evidently, Mother had deemed me enough of a nuisance to have the guards knock me out, but not enough to warrant the dungeons.

I recognized where I was: the guest suite in the northern tower, with its windows facing the Avonige Ocean that I could barely make out in the distance.

A large bed, a bathing room, some end tables and a dresser.

I wished it were the dungeons.

I could only imagine what Clarissa was going through. Horrible visions swam across my mind—guards tying her up and beating her, throwing her around those dark cells, grabbing at her skin, her clothes, her hair.

The welt on my head pulsed as indignation shot through me. I would tear them apart if they touched her.

Sunlight beamed across the room from the windows. It had to be midday or later. How much time had passed since the wedding? How long had I been unconscious?

I strode to the door and tugged on the handle, unsurprised when it didn’t budge. I threw my weight against it with a grunt, shoving it with my shoulder, kicking it and rattling the knob until I heard a sharp thud on the other side.

“We have orders to detain you if you attempt to escape, Lord Reaux,” a muffled voice said.

“Of course you do,” I muttered. Changing tactics, I crossed to the opposite side of the room to peer out the window. It was at least a ten-story drop, with nothing to grab on to or jump from in sight.

“The hard way, then,” I said to myself. I pulled open every drawer in the dresser and flung the closet and bathing room doors wide, grabbing as many sheets, towels, and pillow cases as I could find.

After stripping the bed, I quickly tied all the ends together, thankful to have something to occupy my hands before I spiraled.

I had to get to them. Clarissa and Marigold. I trusted Marigold's nanny, but I had no clue what lengths my mother would go to to get what she wanted or to keep my daughter from me. My insides were twisted with anxiety, the urgency of the situation blazing through me like a wildfire.

I gave the last piece of my rope a final tug and dragged it over to the window.

An enormous shadow passed in front of it, and before I could blink, the glass shattered around me.

Rearing back, I shielded my eyes from the blast. A heavy weight landed beside me. “Not the damsel I was trying to save, but you’ll do,” a familiar voice said.

I blinked against the sunlight and looked over to find Nox Duma standing amid the pile of broken glass.

I cursed. “What are you doing?”

“Rescuing you, of course.”

“How did you get here?”

“I siphoned all the magic out of the curse on the island and flew. When I overheard what happened to Rissa, I figured they probably didn’t let you go quietly. Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. “I’m fine, but we need to get to her.” He nodded, and I gripped his shoulder. “Duma—did you hear anything about my daughter? Is she safe?”

He gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, I don’t know. As soon as I heard the guards talking about the wedding, I started looking for you and Rissa.”

A shout rang out from the hallway, and Nox hurriedly motioned for the window. “Subtlety isn’t my strong suit. You ready for a ride?”

I furrowed my brow. “A what?”

He rolled his eyes. “Come on, lover boy. Let’s go get your girl.”

Taking a running start, he leaped out the window and shifted midair.

My jaw dropped.

I knew what his Shifter form was, but… Fates . Seeing it was something else entirely.

His size was unmatched. The claws on his feet alone were large enough to shred this entire tower to pieces.

Silver and navy-blue scales shone in the bright sun as he flapped his wings, casting a shadow over the room.

If I wasn’t in such shock, it would’ve been beautiful.

Like iridescent waves on a darkened sea.

His spiked tail flicked back and forth while his head, framed by huge silver horns, cocked at me.

I could practically hear him saying, “Scared, lover boy?”

Then the door burst open behind me.

I took a deep breath. If only Marigold could see me now—her daddy, about to ride a dragon .

“You better not drop me, Shifter,” I warned before launching myself into the air, straight onto his scaled back.