The ceremonial binding cord dangles between Prince Korren’s fingers and mine—ancient magic woven into every thread, designed to fuse two souls into political alliance. The moment we complete the final knot, the cord will dissolve into our skin, marking us both with matching sigils that can never be removed. Permanent. Irrevocable.
The dragon contingent—advisors, council members, and witnesses sent by Prince Korren’s family—observe from their designated position, ensuring every aspect of this alliance meets their realm’s requirements. The seventh binding note vibrates through the air, the final seal about to lock me into a political marriage that will sever my soul from Callum forever.
Then the crystalline doors explode inward.
The impact sends shockwaves through my body. Through the shattered doorway, his scent cuts through the ceremonial incense—cedar and storm and salvation.
Prince Korren’s hand immediately withdraws from the binding cord. I catch the subtle release of tension in his shoulders, the almost imperceptible exhale of relief despite his formal confusion. The burden of duty lifting from him too.
My father’s face darkens to a dangerous purple, his fury radiating outward in waves that make the crystal walls vibrate. Behind him, a hooded figure shifts, and my healer senses recoil violently.
That corruption signature. I’d know it anywhere. The same rotting magic I traced through our pack’s contaminated blood, the same fingerprint on Caelynn’s murder, on the tribunal’s manipulation. He’s wearing someone else’s face, but the poison beneath the glamour is unmistakable.
Faelan. Here, in the heart of my family’s court, watching his carefully orchestrated trap spring shut.
“INTRUDERS!” My father’s voice shatters the shocked silence. “Guards! Seize them!”
The court erupts in chaos—gasps amplified by the crystalline architecture until they become a deafening symphony. Noble fae clutch at ceremonial robes, guards draw weapons with a metallic song, diplomats freeze in perfect stillness. The tribunal members remain motionless, the final binding note dying on their lips.
Every cell in my body recognizes him.
Callum stands in the shattered doorway, blood streaking his arms where guards’ blades found their marks. His sandy hair falls wild across his forehead, darkened with sweat and glittering with crystal dust. The muscles of his shoulders stand taut beneath torn fabric, coiled for violence but holding perfectly still.
He’s never looked more beautiful.
The thought catches me off guard—he’s covered in blood, surrounded by chaos, every line of his body promising violence. But his amber eyes find mine across the throne room, and in that gaze I see everything: not wild desperation but absolute certainty. He didn’t come here hoping to save me. He came here knowing he would.
The connection between us pulses with renewed strength, fighting to complete itself across the ceremonial hall. I sway, the relief so intense it threatens to drop me to my knees. My wolf, my mate, my future—standing there like he’d tear down the entire fae court stone by stone if that’s what it took.
Ben stands at his flank, moving into protective formation with practiced precision. Behind them, the rest of his team secures the doorway, a perfect defensive unit ready for anything.
Callum’s eyes find mine across the throne room. Despite the chaos erupting around us, everything between us goes utterly still. His face shows no doubt, no fear—only absolute certainty as his voice carries through the throne room:
“I challenge this ceremony’s legality under Inter-Realm law.”
I freeze as Evren strides forward. Behind him, Rhonan smoothly shifts position to guard their backs, a wordless exchange between brothers who’ve fought together countless times. Evren’s powerful wings shimmer with royal dragon authority as he moves with the assurance of someone invoking ancient law that supersedes even fae protocol. The crystalline floor reflects the ruby-gold of his scales as he unfurls dragon-marked documents that hover in the air between us.
“I invoke the Dragon Dissolution Clause of the Inter-Realm Accord,” Evren announces, his voice resonating through the throne room.
The words land like a thunderclap. Around the throne room, fae nobles exchange alarmed glances. The Dragon DissolutionClause is ancient law—rarely invoked, impossible to dismiss. It supersedes fae court procedure entirely.
“On what grounds?” The silver-haired tribunal member—one of the uncorrupted two—steps forward, her voice sharp with challenge but not dismissal. She’s doing her job, demanding proper protocol even amid chaos.
Evren doesn’t flinch. “Murder.”
The single word silences the room.
Callum reaches into his tactical belt and passes a small crystal to Evren—a data crystal pulsing with contained magic. Evren speaks a command word, and magical documentation materializes in the air, ancient runes glowing with authentication signatures as the crystal projects evidence for all to see. The first piece expands—portal analysis rendered in crystalline detail.
“The portal collapse that killed Lady Caelynn Silverthorne.” Evren’s voice carries the weight of diplomatic authority. “Examine the structural failure points.”
The image rotates slowly, showing the portal’s magical architecture. Fracture lines glow red where they shouldn’t exist.
“These stress patterns don’t match natural degradation,” Evren continues. “Portal expert testimony from three realms confirms deliberate sabotage. Someone collapsed that portal intentionally.”
Murmurs ripple through the court. A fae lord near the front—someone with evident magical expertise—leans forward, studying the projection with narrowed eyes. His face pales as he traces the fracture patterns.
“He’s right,” the lord breathes, loud enough for those nearby to hear. “That’s not accident. That’s assassination.”
