Yeah. Vyper was an asshole for putting me through all of this just to mess with me, but he was my asshole.
Stretching his neck, he nudged my side with his jaw, smirking. “Of course, I remember you, Brax… I could never forget.”
Awe…
Before I could get too cozy, a mischievous glint captured his eyes, and he pushed me off him with his nose.
“You are so dead, Vyper!!” I shouted while I fell back, and he snickered, diving after me to catch me.
So much for taking a day off.
23
“Are you sure about this?” Evie asked before we mounted our Dragons the next morning, both of our guards joining us in the landing pad.
“Yes,” I assured, without a doubt in my mind that this was the right thing to do. “Azazel, like most of our people, is a slave of Raithian’s cruel game. And just like those inside the Hollow, he is still at his mercy. Whatever Azazel has done, he did against his will, and I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for him… If I, somehow, wield the power to break the hold the Warlock King has on him, then it is my responsibility to try.”
My hand rested on the hilt of the mystical sword at my side, and I gripped it tightly. The Dragon ring sang with the connection between the crystals, their energy humming through my being.
“Perhaps it is too late, Prince,” my mentor added, stopping by my side. “Perhaps Azazel is too far gone. There are things no one can come back from, and he killed your father.”
Pain writhed in my gut with the reminder of the green flames that engulfed my dad before my very eyes. “No. Raithian did.”
Taking a settling breath, I turned around to address the others while Evie and Imogen exchanged a profound glance. They might not see things as I did, but still supported me no matter what, and I truly appreciated them for that. They respected me enough for us to try.
“What we are about to do is extremely dangerous,” I began, looking Aaron, Charlotte, Edward, Harvey, Quinn, and Louis in the eyes. “And yet, I have to do it, but that doesn’t mean you need to come with me.” My gaze shifted to Harrison, Elijah, Islay, Fletcher, Harper, Finn, Arlo, and Hanna. “I just want you to know that it is your choice to make, and regardless of your position in the guard, it is perfectly fine to say no.”
Confused glances spread among them, and Charlotte raised her hand. “What is the mission?”
Gripping the sword at my hip firmly, I regarded her. “We are going to take Azazel back from Raithian.”
The severity behind my words finally clicked for them, and they exchanged a loaded glance. Lifting her chin, Quinn stepped forwards. “We are your guard, Dragon Master. We will follow you until the end.”
With a firm nod, Charlotte and her brother, Edward, immediately joined Quinn’s side, confirming her declaration, so did the others.
“Wherever you go, we go, Brother… Princess,” Harper confirmed, as though it should be obvious.
A certain relief coursed through me, though I already knew they would be there for me. “Then, let’s go.”
Turning around, we all headed for our companions while Willow saw Kingston off to Spartan. “Be careful and stay safe!” she shouted at all of us after kissing his cheek.
“Will do,” I assured, jumping onto Tharion’s back.
A vicious hiss flew my way, and I sent a reproaching glance at Vyper, who was having a bitch fit over not being allowed to go. His yellow eyes narrowed at me from the corner with his next hiss, fins trembling around his head threateningly.
“Not falling for that again,” I sent into his mind, ignoring his foul response while we headed for the exit of the Hidden Kingdom.
Harrison, Finn, Islay, Hannah, and Fletcher, the land riders, joined us on their horses as backup, and we all headed to the Greenlands. Our hope was that Azazel would search for me again and find me there, so we wouldn’t have to go into enemy territory to meet him. If he didn’t approach us there, then we would try our luck at the Outlands.
Tension grew thick in my throat during our flight there, worsening each time my gaze fell on the large wooden contraption Harrison and Fletcher were dragging behind their horses. Kingston and Imogen had insisted on bringing their own defense against Azazel in case things went wrong—a medieval ballista.
It was essentially an ancient, mechanical spear launcher with the scariest spears I had ever seen. Large coils of rope accompanied each spear with the purpose of restraining Azazel if it became necessary. Hopefully, it would not come to that, and my Devenish magic would be enough.
Since I was the bait, Tharion and I took the front spot once we landed, glancing at the clear skies above us while Spartan and Kingston, Star and Evie, Spike and Harper, Fulgur and Arlo, Alkor with Elijah, and Asher with Athina formed a wall of Dragons to flank me. The land riders parked behind us, setting up the weapon and attaching all the ropes, but still knowing their backs were protected.
Behind them, Quinn and Knight, Charlotte and Ardor, Louis and Torrent, Edward with Xayne, Harvey with Ayssy, and Aaron with Daghae secured the area as best they could. Then we hunkered down to wait, knowing it would be at least a couple of hours before Azazel showed his face.
After all, he had to leave the Hollow and make his way to me. I just hoped that at least a part of him could feel me out here, like he’d felt it in the past.
Hours ticked by agonizingly slow as we waited, stretching well into the late morning while thoughts swirled in my head. Would Azazel be far too hurt to come? The punishment Raithian handed him for following me was severe on me, and I hadn’t even been the real target. I didn’t want to think what it must have done to him, being right across from his captor and receiving the brunt of all that power.
Had he already healed? Was he strong enough to even leave the cave where Raithian kept him?
An enormous shadow suddenly obscured the light in the horizon, and my gut constricted. Here goes nothing… Turning around to face both guards while Azazel slowly approached us, I pinned each and every one of them with a firm glance, even the chief.
“Let’s make one thing clear,” I shouted so everyone could hear, especially the Dragons. “No one attacks, shoots, breathes fire, or even growls without my saying. I do not care how perilous it looks; I control what happens from this moment on. Whatever this Dragon has done in the past, it is erased here. Today, we don’t capture the enemy; we rescue one of our own. Understood? If any of you can’t see it that way, then I need you to leave right now.”
The fierceness of my statement cut through them, but they nodded, ready to stand beside me. No one even blinked.
“Thank you.”
An encumbered breath sank my chest, and I faced the horizon again to find the four headed Dragon slowing down his approach. He stopped several yards across from us, his four heads slowly rising and lowering while he assessed the danger we represented. Following the plan, Tharion broke the line, slowly leaving the others behind us.
Seven green eyes followed our approach but the energy in them was dim, nothing compared to how they glowed when Raithian was near, or fully controlling him.
My gaze connected with Evie’s, silently asking her to trust me, and she nodded. I knew this was incredibly hard for her, which made me love her even more.
“This is it… Please set me down.”