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It took a moment to realize what that meant and a moment more to recognize the woman from the tearoom in the cabin.

He noted with confusion that she, like Zeva, didn’t have the appendages that would denote her as a succubus.

Her demonic levels were definitely higher than Rowan’s.

Her mere presence had Stone and his Elemental Generals straightening, their breathing coming out labored, scents tinged with arousal.

He wasn’t surprised that she didn’t affect him as well. His beast had already chosen the one and only succubus who could tease that reaction from him.

He took a moment to scan for a concealment charm like the one Rowan had worn the first time he’d met her, but there wasn’t a single trace.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the Dragon King.” Her voice was little more than a sigh tinged with the slightest ring of a Spanish lilt.

“Ama.” The warning came from the white-haired woman behind her.

He made the connection between this elf and Rowan as he had the one with her mother.

Unlike Rowan’s short white waves, this elf’s hair fell past her shoulders.

Her eyes were the sky blue of their father and she shared a similar nose to their mother.

This woman’s skin had seen the sun, it glowed bronze; her body was lean and toned where Rowan was soft and curvy.

She held no magic at her command, but she had a grip on a matte black tomahawk she kept at her side. Cords of muscles along her arm were proof enough that she could swing her weapon with serious strength behind it.

Her mother dropped the power she’d stirred up and brightened when her eyes caught sight of the Bloody Elf who was rolling his sleeves up as he approached the exit. Tattoos rippled as his muscles flexed.

“Wife.” He said, dropping a firm kiss on the woman as he grabbed her hand, “Our daughter waits at the southern border. The Coven has gone back on their word. Shall we join her?”

Delight crossed the woman’s face. “Yes, immediately.”

“Well, only sort of,” Louisa corrected.

King Kyron raised an eyebrow.

Kin explained and by the end of his story both the queen and king looked horrified at the implications.

Then Alessandro felt it. They had arrived exactly where Rowan had predicted.

He was stepping towards joining her when King Kyron shot him a wary look.

“Before you do that, I should let you know we are not cooperating with the Coven. We will take the young man into custody and they will more than likely try to paint us into villains. I believe it would be beneficial to split public outcry between your people and ours.”

“It’s a wise plan.” Alessandro admitted and hesitantly said, “I’ll remain in the shadows. If they try anything, I’ll be here as backup.”

It was to his total shock when Aqua stepped forward and held up a small green pill. “She’s wounded.”

King Kyron’s nose flared. “Yes. That is a common occurrence lately. What is it?”

“A healing elixir. Mostly for physical wounds, but it’ll also give her a slight boost in magic.” Aqua answered.

The king beamed at the blue-haired dragon. “Thank you.”

Alessandro couldn’t help but notice the slight reddening of his Water General’s face and then the heat that trailed out of his Fire General.

Noting the intriguing reaction, he sent Stone and Aqua to the West side of the castle and Kin and Blaise to the East to finish thawing out the remaining victims. He melted into the shadows and walked behind the three elves and the vampiress as they moved to meet Rowan and the witches.

XOXOXOXO

Rowan wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but two of the highest ranked Coven Members seemed like overkill to her.

“All we have come for is the rogue witch.” The woman taking the lead was tall with black hair streaked with silver. Her black eyes were sharp and beady as they regarded the two sisters.

Rowan knew Eve Tanoch could feel the edge of the barrier, but not the consequences of passing the threshold.

Rowan had only had the misfortune of meeting Eve once during one of the ex-Elder’s visits.

They had been best friends. Although Henrietta’s nonchalance about the whole Rowan situation was amusing, Eve firmly believed Rowan was a threat not only to the world but to herself if not supervised carefully by the Coven.

Her pale, ashen skin always reminded Rowan of a decaying corpse.

Rowan knew under normal circumstances that the witch’s signature blood magic would have been tough to combat in her current ragged state, but in the Eastern Elven Kingdom, Rowan’s arsenal of tools was extensive.

To choose to send Eve along with Dorin Indigo was a flex on Antoni Barros’ part that Rowan couldn’t pretend to miss.

Rowan had only heard stories of Dorin Indigo’s adventures into dark magic.

He didn’t seem to care much about the worth of a life.

To him, the greatest goal was finding the true limits of what magic could do and, as such, had gotten put on the Coven watch list, much like Rowan had in her formative years.

Unlike the Eastern Elven Kingdom family who threatened war if the Coven tried to take her, Dorin’s people surrendered him without preamble.

She wasn’t all that impressed by his buzz cut or his thundering dark blue eyes, but his body was a different story.

White scars told of his violent past. Muscles under every inch of skin gave him a hardened warrior appearance that reminded her of the Dragon King.

Her hunger throbbed, but she had to keep her cool.

She concentrated on the nagging feeling that the two witches were almost hollow.

Unlike Hye, who had seemed fanatic and crazed, the two witches didn’t have eyes glowing with a mislaid sense of righteousness.

Their expressions were little more than deadpanned, they weren’t raising their voices.

She wondered if perhaps their power affected the illusion. If there was doubt weaved in.

“Under the contract signed by both the Coven and the Eastern Elven Kingdom Chapter 3 Section 12 subsection B in the event of a witch trespassing onto Eastern Elven grounds without giving at least a two-day notice of planned arrival, the ruler of the aforementioned kingdom can choose what to do with said trespasser up to but excluding execution.” Zeva cut in.

“The contract no longer exists, along with the lifted monthly check-ins.” Eve sneered.

Zeva raised her eyebrows. “Actually, Chapter 23 Section 10 subsection C states that in the case of either party relinquishing their benefit of the contract, the agreements made in Chapters 1 through 13 will remain active.”

“Enough with the legal mumbo jumbo.” Dorin finally stepped forward. “Not sure you’re aware, but we have new leadership. New leadership says we have to get the kid back. So move or I’ll move you. I don’t mind either way.”

One more step forward and he would be in their territory. Rowan knew just what it would take to goad him, too. It was such a common weakness for most men with power who had to deal with women they viewed as a threat.

She smiled.

The challenge in her smile was like pulling a trigger as he shot forward and in a gust of wind from behind, her father erupted into existence, a sheathed sword pressing into the soft skin of the witch’s throat as Dorin glared up from his position on the grass.

Rowan remained silent as Eve stepped forward to help. She didn’t need to utter a single word to activate the barrier’s consequence. Any magic used in the kingdom to affect the royal family was now hers.

Cold realization and instant panic hit the duo as no magic came to their beck and call.

“You’re not welcome here.” Kyron’s voice sent a chill through Rowan’s spine.

“You have ten seconds to get out of my kingdom before I really lose my temper and unsheathe my sword. Let your people know I will show no more mercy to the members of the Coven. If I see you on my land again, I will ensure you don’t live to see another day. ’’

Dorin’s moves were careful as he crawled back to the other side of the threshold, while Eve had to only take a step back.

“The Elder will come for you all.” She warned, though still lacking heat, “You should have allowed us to take him.”

Kyron barked a laugh, his eyes glowing with a life that Rowan had never seen. “I look forward to seeing him try.”

When the two phased away, Kyron held out a little green pill Rowan recognized.

Her hunger throbbed loudly in her ears.

A small hand on her shoulder dragged her eyes to take in the concerned violet eyes of her mother.

“You know better than to do magic in these conditions, Rowan.” Her voice was soft, but stern.

“It was an emergency.”

Annabelle shook her head. “Go eat. Now.”

Rowan’s back went ramrod straight when she felt the familiar magic of Alessandro behind her. It called to her, familiar and fulfilling. It promised to soothe the ache.

Fists curled tight, she forced herself to leave it behind.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Alessandro didn’t need the details of what happened after she disappeared.

He could practically hear the succubus’ hunger reaching for him. His dragon overrode his will, urging him to pluck her up and return to his hoard. Before he could stop it, his hand reached out to nothing but air.

Her mother caught sight of the hand and let out a small breath of disbelief.

“That explains your presence.” She crossed her arms. “She is not for you, Dragon King.”

“I agree.” He coughed awkwardly and motioned to the castle. “All is back to normal. I am here to discuss what happens to Hye Kang in your custody.”

“We do what our Rowan excels at.” Annabelle’s mocking smile was so similar to her daughter’s that he found it was endearing on the woman rather than challenging. “We fix him.”

Chapter 21

When Rowan hunted for her meals, she found there was excitement even if she sometimes arrived starving.

But now all the energy emitting from the grinding bodies of the nightclub she’d arrived in felt stuffy and tainted.

They were as appetizing as the remnant foods at a buffet’s closing time.