Page 23

Kassira

“I t’s time,” I tell Sin, locking eyes with him, pretending I’m braver than I feel. The lie tastes bitter.

“This is going to be such a disaster,” Neris mutters, ever the cheerful voice of doom.

I ignore her. She’s been stuck in a dramatic spiral of the-end-is-nigh all week, and honestly? Same. But one of us has to fake composure, and apparently, that job falls to me.

“Shield us. I don’t want them feeling us coming until we’re already burning the place down,” I say, straightening my shoulders.

Sin raises a hand, his shield humming softly around us. “Your wish is my command, Luna Queen,” he drawls with a half-hearted grin, but I see the strain tightening around his eyes. The grief hiding behind that false ease.

He hasn’t said a word about her — his mate — but he carries the weight in his heart every moment of every day.

Unfortunately, there is no time to think about that now.

I didn’t have time to truly process the danger that my own mate is in, either.

We just have to save them first. Survive. And then we’ll see what remains.

I draw in a slow breath. “You remember the plan?”

He rolls his eyes, probably exasperated by the fact that this is the hundredth time today alone that I’ve asked. “There is no real plan, Kass. We go in. I blow shit up. Clear a path for you straight to Draven. We pray they’re in the Northern Forest for the ceremony. Otherwise? We’re cooked.”

“It will be there,” I say, a little too quickly. “It’s always been there. Every Luna coronation, every royal bond, it’s tradition.”

Sin snorts but doesn’t argue. “I sure hope so,” he mumbles and starts walking. “Come on. Clock’s ticking. And we don’t have any more of Draven’s blood to use for teleportation.”

We move through the forest in silence. The closer we get to the edge, the heavier my chest feels. By this time tomorrow, we could be rotting in the ground or celebrating our survival.

Gods, I should have told him. I should have told Draven that I love him.

That every second with him mattered. I can see the look on his face if I had — those wild stormy eyes lighting up, that crooked, devastating smile taking over his entire face.

He’d have scooped me into the sky and demanded I say it again just to hear it through the clouds.

I hope it’s not too late. I hope I’ll still be able to tell him.

Back then, it didn’t feel like we were living on borrowed time.

Not really. Not until he was suddenly gone. Please, let it not be too late.

At least that bitch isn’t kissing him anymore. I haven’t felt that kind of betrayal through the bond again. But what is she doing to him? He’s alone, with her, completely defenseless, and the thought is driving me insane.

Sin suddenly throws his arm in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. His eyes narrow, finger pressed to his lips. I nod, pulse spiking. He heard something. I stretch my senses, but his Alpha hearing is sharper than mine.

A gray wolf steps out of the trees. Black-tipped ears.

He shifts, and there stands Levi. Amira’s fucking brother. He grabs a pair of pants hanging from a branch and starts talking.

“I know you’re there, Beta. I can smell your magic,” he calls out, voice calm and low. He looks in our general direction, but it’s clear he can’t actually see us.

“Something’s wrong at the palace. I’ve been looking for you for days.

All the warriors are under the King’s Alpha Command, acting weird.

My sister’s spreading lies — said the King’s true mate cheated on him with you,” his gaze cuts toward Sin’s general direction, “and that you attacked him in a jealous rage. And now the King is going to mark her. Make her Queen.”

He pauses. His jaw clenches.

“I don’t know what the hell is happening, but I know when Amira is lying. I don’t believe her bullshit about you being a traitor . ”

His arms cross over his chest, muscles twitching. He waits, his eyes darting around. “I know something shady and dangerous is going on. The King wouldn’t give up on his true mate so easily, I saw them together. I’m guessing you know what’s happening and you have a plan. I want to help.”

We stand there, frozen.

We should be moving. We should be running. But Sin lifts a hand, stopping me mid-breath, and drops the shield with a flick of his fingers.

“You can smell my magic?” he asks Levi, one brow raised, voice low and sharp.

Levi nods once. No hesitation.

Sin exhales hard, like that answer just confirmed something for him. “You’re way past Head Warrior rank, then,” he mutters. “You should be aiming for Gamma. Should’ve kicked Jurgen out a long time ago. Old bastard hasn’t smelled a drop of magic in years.”

“That’s not exactly the priority right now,” Levi replies, jaw tense. “Everyone’s walking around like enchanted puppets. Even Jurgen. They’re all under the King’s Command.”

My chest tightens. Draven, what is that witch making you do?

“I dodged it,” Levi adds, “only because I stayed behind in Mirenwulf for a few days after the funeral. By the time I got back, the palace was crawling with programmed warriors and stories of betrayal. You two are top of the wanted list—” his eyes land on me “—for treason.”

“Well,” Neris snorts in my head, “aren’t we important.”

I sigh, already tired of this conversation. “Long story short? Your sister and her twin are working with their psychotic witchy birth-mother to steal Draven’s power, who happens to be a hellhound, so they can create hellfire and torch the world on behalf of the God of War.”

Levi blinks.

And then blinks again.

But I keep going. There’s no time for dramatic pauses.

“We need to stop the marking ceremony and break the spell that Draven is under. Tonight is our only chance.” I cross my arms, gaze sharp. “So tell me, Levi — how do we know you’re not already under the King’s command?”

Sin steps up beside me. “I can test him,” he offers. “If my Alpha Command lands, it means he’s clean.”

“I’m fine with that,” Levi says with a shrug, chin lifted.

“Alright. But next question — how do we know you’re not working with your sister?”

Levi’s jaw ticks. His eyes darken.

“First, I’m not a fucking traitor,” he snaps.

“Second, Amira made my life hell growing up. When I came to the palace for warrior training, I thought I’d finally escaped her.

Instead, she followed me here and started fucking my life up again.

What was I supposed to do? March up to the King and whine, ‘Please, Your Majesty, don’t mate the devil incarnate because she used to steal my toys and slap me in front of my friends’ ? ”

“Draven would’ve listened,” I mumble under my breath. He would have. I know he would have.

“I would’ve been laughed out of the barracks,” Levi grits out. “So I just tried to suck it up.”

“Alright, back to business,” Sin cuts in, turning toward me. “If he betrays us, I’ll burn him to ash.”

“Shadow Fire,” I add. “Quick and crispy.”

Levi pales. “You have Shadow Fire?”

“Yup,” Sin says, already walking, hand lifting again to draw the shield around the three of us. “Keep that in mind if you’re planning any backstabbing.”

“What’s the plan then?” Levi asks. “Sneak in, take them down one by one?”

I shake my head. “No sneaking. We go loud. Blast through the Northern entrance mid-ceremony, when they’re distracted.”

Levi stops dead. We do too.

“You’re going the wrong way,” he says, face hard. “Amira changed it. Ceremony’s in the Southern Garden.”

Sin mutters a curse and spins on his heel. “Great. Fantastic. Let’s just circle the entire damn kingdom while we’re at it.” Then he points at Levi, eyes narrow and issues an Alpha Command. “Bark.”

“Woof!” Levi scowls, betrayed. “You could’ve picked literally anything else.”

“It was the first thing that came to mind,” Sin says without an ounce of shame. “Now run. We’ve got ground to cover.”

“We should shift,” Levi grumbles. “Wolves are faster.”

“I can’t keep the shield up long enough in wolf form,” Sin snaps. “So shut up and move.”

We listen to the grumpy Beta and pick up the pace.

We stop just outside the high stone wall enclosing the Southern Garden, hidden behind a row of tangled bushes thick enough to hide an army.

“There are people everywhere,” I whisper, peeking through the leaves. Movement everywhere. Shadows flitting. Nervous energy coiling through the air.

“Amira chose well,” Sin mutters, eyeing the wall. “There’s a magical ring around the entire garden. Prevents shifting. No one goes in or out in beast form.” He curses under his breath. “Shit. It’s rune-based. Old magic. I know it’s carved into the perimeter somewhere, but I can’t remember where.”

My heart stutters. “If you can’t shift — if we don’t have your dragon — we’re screwed.”

“You think I don’t know that?” he snaps, tension flaring.

Levi’s voice cuts through the tight silence. “Wait. So the dragon thing’s real? You can actually turn into one?” His wide eyes flick to Sin like he’s waiting for him to start breathing fire right at this moment.

Sin doesn’t bother answering. Just gives a grim nod.

Levi exhales, then steps closer to the wall, placing his palm against the stone.

“I know where some of the runes are. The Gamma used to bring us here for control training — taught us how to fight without shifting, how to leash our beasts.” His brow furrows.

“I found a few of them while screwing around after hours. If I can take one of the runes out of formation, the whole ring should collapse.”

I lean forward. “You’re sure?”

He nods. “I can move without suspicion. I’m still part of the royal warriors, after all. I’ll signal you when it’s done.”

“What kind of signal?” I ask.

Levi grins. “Something big. You won’t miss it.”

“Go,” Sin says, voice low and tight. “But if you betray us...” He lifts a single finger. “Shadow Fire.”

Levi lifts both hands in mock surrender, eyes dancing. “Yes, Sindre,” he says sweetly.

My eyebrows shoot up. “Sindre? That’s your full name? The Sparkling One?”

“I will incinerate you both,” Sin hisses, deadpan.

“Later,” I promise him with a grin. “After we survive.”

Sin waves Levi off with a clipped command. “Find the runes. Disrupt the line. And don’t get caught.”

Levi doesn’t hesitate. He vanishes into the garden perimeter like a ghost.

We fall into silence. The kind that’s heavy. Breathless. The kind that knows what’s coming.

I start to shiver.

“Neris,” I whisper inside my mind. “In case I don’t get to say it again… I love you.”

“I love you too, Kass,” she murmurs back. “Not holding my breath, but hey… we do have a habit of surviving the impossible.”

Her tone tries for light. It fails. She’s shaking too.

Just a few minutes later, the world moves.

The ground trembles beneath us, a low rumble building into a boom that echoes through the trees. Smoke spirals into the sky, thick and black.

Sin exhales. “That’s definitely a signal.”

We don’t wait.

Within seconds, I’m airborne — clutching white scales and trying not to fall to my death.

Sin’s dragon form is massive. Wings like torn parchment, muscles shifting beneath glittering scales. I cling to his mane with one hand, the other holding his sword, too big and heavy to keep it straight.

The moment we cross the garden wall, I release a war cry and hell erupts.

Screams. Fire. Chaos.

Sin roars — a sound ripped from the darkest of nightmares — and unleashes a black blaze so hot it melts through stone like butter. The very air ripples with his fury. Trees bow beneath his wings. Shrubs ignite. Glass shatters.

We cut through the air like a blade, a glowing arc of ash and terror straight toward the center of the garden.

That’s where I see them.

Draven and Amira stand in the ruins of what used to be a ceremonial gazebo — now charred wood and shattered stone.

Amira is pacing, panicked, eyes wild.

But Draven… He doesn’t move. Doesn’t even twitch. His eyes glow a dead, angry red. Hollow. Soulless. Like he’s already halfway gone.

The red-headed witch materializes behind him — piecing herself together from his shadow, her hand gripping the leash around his neck like he’s her pet. I hate her. I hate her so fucking much.

Just off to the side, leaning lazily against a tree, stands Sinalyn. Sin’s mate. Watching everything unfold with glee and… smiling like a lunatic.

I narrow my eyes. This ends today.

For all shifter kind. For the entire Kingdom of Yelora. For the world.

But most of all — for my fucking mate.