Page 63 of The Forbidden Dragon King (Shadow Kings #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY

Bael

A urelius

Lanlin is finally coming for Freya .

After three years, the Vampire King who was my friend turned brother killer is making his move to take back our Omega from me.

Let the games of love and war begin.

Panicked cries replace the singing, and the carnival descends into a chaos that I have only experienced once before in a battle that I hoped to be able to forget and never dreamed to experience in my own capital.

Stalls are knocked over. Lanterns are smashed. Omegas scream.

The wild joy and happiness inside me curdles.

This was an important, special night for my people, after three years of my being away from the capital. I wanted to give them this.

I needed them to have peace.

Now, they only have more chaos.

Horror.

Death.

Destroy , Hadrian’s Dagger whispers, sibilant and seductive, blood and beautiful shadowed death.

Let. Me. Out.

My eyes become molten.

I slip my hand to the hilt of my dagger, crouching into a fighting stance in front of Freya.

Freedom is as fleeting as a mayfly’s brief single day of life. I should have expected this.

Still, does the mayfly know they won’t see the night? Don’t we all live in the same dark ignorance? Would I just now have been able to lose myself in such joy, dancing with my mates, if I’d known shadows were about to descend like a cloak over my kingdom?

I watch in horror, as Bael becomes as night.

The dragons above my head roar in outrage, circling helplessly. They can’t breathe flame over the streets without also killing their own citizens.

“What the fuck is going on?” Freya grips onto the back of my black cloak .

Her rose scent becomes sharp in her fear. She’s trembling.

I set my jaw.

Whatever happens, I won’t let Freya be taken. Lanlin thinks that I’m still the boy that he met in the rose garden, with whom he shared his deepest secrets, fears, and pain.

Only, I’m not.

He killed that boy, when he killed my brother in the Silver Tower.

Freya is the pawn who wins this war. The only reason that I’d let Lanlin take her would be to destroy him.

I brush the fingers over my mask. Then my mouth pulls into a fierce grin.

Tonight I’m wearing Daire’s face — the face of a villain.

I don’t need to act like the upright Shadow Dragon King. Tonight, I will be the reckless Raven King for once.

I glance over my shoulder at Daire, who is wearing my golden mask.

He is standing on the other side of Freya. His large wings are extended like a shield, sheltering her between our two bodies.

“Daire,” I call, and his head snaps around to meet my eyes at the use of his real name, “protect our Omega.”

“You don’t need to ask, Aurelius. I always will.”

I start to move toward War and the palace with Freya clinging to me. Daire continues to flank me, defending Freya.

If I can get Freya inside the palace, since I’m certain that she’s the target of this attack, then I can rally the army to fight.

Most of the soldiers and academy cadets are off duty attending the festival.

That’s why the fanged fucker chose tonight to ambush me.

Was Lanlin always this ruthless?

“I never believed that Lan would attack on the Night of Shadows,” I mutter. “It’s sacred.”

Daire’s laugh is bitter. “Why? You used the same trick, attacking me during the Unseelie Spring Rite in our sacred ash grove.”

My stomach lurches. “That was different.”

It wasn’t.

Maximinus insisted on that ambush.

I’m a fucking hypocrite.

“How?” Daire insists.

“We don’t have fucking time for this,” I snarl.

All of a sudden, an eclipse of white moths flutter across the sky, devouring the moon.

My heart speeds up, as the streets are plunged into an unnatural darkness without even moonlight.

Shadows seep tar-like over the streets, grabbing people by the ankles and dragging them underneath the sudden swarm of large, oval scarab beetles that have risen up from the soil beneath our feet.

“To holy hell with this.” Daire hops up and down, paling. He stumbles, booting the beetles with clubbed antennae away from Freya who is panting hard now. “I bloody hate the Bloods’ beetles. ”

Desperately, crowds run or scramble to climb onto the top of collapsing stalls.

I slip two hidden daggers out of my robes, turning to pass one to Daire and another to Freya.

“Thanks.” Freya gives me a shaky but brave smile.

She raises the dagger between her hands, determinedly.

Daire weighs the dagger like welcoming an old friend.

Despite everything, my lip curls up. “Don’t stab me in the back.”

Daire slashes at a shadow, which is getting too close to Freya. “Don’t make me hard, when I’m trying to fight.”

I glower, pulling out Hadrian’s Dagger, which vibrates and hums.

I take out my rage on the shadows that are slithering at my feet. “Just don’t get in my way.”

“As long as you don’t get in mine.”

I never thought that I’d be fighting alongside a fae. It doesn’t feel as wrong as it should do.

Vicious winds closer with Wraith behind her.

“I am going to capture Lanlin tonight.” Vicious’ ice blue eyes are the coldest I’ve seen them. “I will show him pain that he has never known as I take him apart for this. He has desecrated our sacred carnival. My Guild will make him pay for that.”

I give a curt nod.

The fucker doesn’t know what he has done. He’s made enemies tonight who will make him suffer.

Wraith gives me a knowing look, however, which makes me glance away .

My Golden Family know the secret about Freya being Lanlin’s Omega. As a spy, I doubt Wraith misses much that goes on in the Shadow Court. She understands as well as I do that this is happening because of my feud with Lanlin over our shared Omega.

“Stay close,” I whisper.

Freya nods against my back.

War slashes a shadow with her sword that’s trying to snatch Lucius, while he twirls out of the way. They both prowl in front of me through the beetles. Blood trails down Lucius’ temple, staining his curls.

“Fun and games are over. Time to return to the palace.” War gestures with her sword. Her eyes are blazing. “There are four of us here to protect you. Once your pets are somewhere safe, we can?—”

I shake my head. “Protect the citizens. They have no one.”

War’s hand tightens on her sword, and she takes a step closer, until she’s so close that her breath is hot against my face.

“Fuck that. I’m protecting you. There are thousands of citizens, but only one king.

You know, I’m not one for praise or fancy words, but you need to get your head out of your ass and stop believing the bullshit that your psycho family and instructors have told you about yourself.

You’re the only hope that this empire has for a decent leader who won’t bathe us all in blood. I won’t let you die .”

I stare into her wild eyes. She’s breathing hard.

Lucius rests his hand on her arm. “My Alpha is right. You’re too important, Relius. To all of us personally but also to this kingdom, empire, and the future of the realms.”

Surprised, pride wells up inside me.

Glancing between my Golden Family, they all nod.

“All right,” I agree. “What are we all standing around for then?”

Together, we battle our way through the crowds toward the palace. Toys, hairclips, and sparkling jewelry are trampled into the mud, as if they’re nothing but trash. Flame, fig, and honey cakes are smashed underfoot. Villains and hero masks are drowned under waves of shadows.

Freya slips, and I catch her. Daire slashes through waves of beetles with his wing and then a shadow that’s questing around Freya’s waist.

“Do you hear something?” I demand.

War turns back, cocking her head.

Vicious nods. “It sounds like…”

“Rats,” Lucius says, horrified.

A swarm of rats explode from the walls, shadows, everywhere .

The breath is punched from me.

I stagger at the shock of the memory.

I fucking can’t do this again.

“Stop this,” I whisper. “Lan, fight me properly. Not this…”

Nothing.

Only the squeaking and hissing of a thousand, million furious rats, accompanied by the screams of my people, writhing beneath them .

How did Lanlin’s magic become this strong? When did his powers become this deadly?

“Shadow Gods preserve us.” War shoves Lucius behind her, battling off the furry attack.

A blast of fog rolls over the steaming hot shadows, until I can barely see, only hear the terrifying carnage around me.

“Aurelius,” Freya is shaking, “they’re biting my ankles. There’s one on my leg.”

She’s sobbing. My Omega is crying.

“I’ve got it. You’re safe.” Daire’s voice sounds as ruined as I’m feeling.

Moths, shadows, scarab beetles, rats, and fog.

How can we fight our way through them all to find the palace? I can barely see my Golden Family who are close around me. I don’t know these streets.

How can we make it through this chaos?

I shudder, fingers twitching around Hadrian’s Dagger.

I shake my head, struggling to remain in control.

My pulse is pounding in my ears.

All of a sudden, Vicious’ piercing scream rings through the darkness. It shocks me because Vicious never screams.

She has been promoted in her Guild of Assassins partly because of her cold-blooded skills but also because of her high tolerance for pain, both receiving and giving.

I’ve never seen her scream or cry.

Hearing it now makes the hairs rise on the back of my neck.

I swing around to face where Vicious should have been but she’s missing .

“Vic!” I call desperately through the banks of fog.

Wraith is sobbing.

“What the fuck…?” War throws herself toward where Vicious had been, dragging a bleeding and limping Lucius with her. “Wraith, what…?”

I stare down at a bloody figure on the floor who is covered in a sea of rats.

Bile rushes up my throat.

Never show pain. Never show weakness. Never show emotion.

I force back the tears in my eyes.

“Save her,” Wraith begs.

I move forward, but War blocks my path and snatches my arm.

I wince.