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 adragon.
“You better not drop me, Shifter,” I warned before launching myself into the air, straight onto his scaled back.
62
Clarissa
The tunnel dragged on ahead of me, seemingly unending, until a pinprick of sunlight appeared at the end. The chains wrapped around my ankles and wrists clanged together as the two guards on either side of me forced me down the path. I stared at the back of Azura’s head, her gray locks tucked into a tight bun, her gold dress flowing behind her.
I looked down at my own gown. The once-white fabric was now littered with dirt and small rips lining the beautiful lace. I couldn’t believe this time yesterday I was getting ready for my wedding. That all seemed so trivial now, so…distant.
The lives of my family and friends hung in the balance. Mother, Rose, Leo, Nox.Thorne. The lives of my people. Of those who relied on me to come home. What was going to happen to them?
I tripped over a rock in the tunnel, staggering forward before I caught myself on the guard’s shoulder. Azura turned her neck with a raised eyebrow.
I licked my dry lips. “Azura, please,” I croaked. “Please let my family go. They had nothing to do with this.”
“They will each be given a fair trial,” she said dismissively.
I scoffed, which sounded more like a cough. “Oh, like I was?”
She trailed her gaze down my body as we kept walking. “Youkilled our king in front of hundreds of people. This is as fair as the law gets, Clarissa.”
“You actually think you’re doing the right thing, don’t you?” I shook my head, and my limp curls brushed over my chest. “For the fiftieth time, I didn’t kill him, Azura. It was hiscurse. The one you seem so intent on ignoring. And all these accusations of treason? Of my empire plotting against yours? I wouldn’t have come over here to create an alliance if I wanted war. I would have brought anarmy.”
The guards tightened their hold on me, and I tugged at my restraints as I asked, “Are you so blinded by power and hatred that you won’t see reason?”
She abruptly stopped moving, causing the guards and me to almost run into her. “Leave us,” she snapped at them. With a skeptical glance, they both let go of me and sauntered farther down the path.
Azura lowered her voice. “Iam doing what is best for this kingdom. You and I both know that boy would have run Mysthelm into the ground. We need someone who has the strength to put ourselves first, not bow to some foreigner.” She took a step closer. “You may have seduced my son, but make no mistake: you Veridians are all the same. And I will see you hang before I kneel at your feet.”
