“Your Majesty,” Confiance stepped forward, bowing deeply. “The situation is more complex than?—”
“I don’t recall asking you to speak, Elder Eveninglight,” my father said coldly. “Though I’m certain the Council will have much to answer for when I’m through here.”
Professor Blackwood still held the compass, its needle spinning wildly as Ash continued to shadow walk further away. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run, to follow that needle, to find Ash before something terrible happened. But I was frozen, caught between the pull of the mate bond and the weight of my father’s presence.
“Father, please,” I tried again, my voice breaking. “Ash is out there, alone and hurting. The bond—if we’re separated too long?—”
“I’m well aware of what happens to severed mate bonds,” he interrupted, his expression hardening. “Which is precisely why we’re going to resolve this situation now, before it becomes any more of a disaster than it already is.”
He gestured to the guards. “Captain Vex, Lieutenant Mora—restrain my son. We’re returning to the Twilight Realm immediately.”
“What?” I stumbled backward, my twilight magic flaring instinctively. “No! I’m not leaving without Ash!”
“You will do as you’re told,” my father commanded, his own magic rising to meet mine. The hallway crackled with competing energies—his ancient and controlled, mine wild and desperate. “This foolishness ends now. There are ways to sever a mate bond, especially one complicated by illegal magic. The royal physicians will?—”
“No!” The word tore from my throat as something inside me snapped. The mate bond wasn’t just pulling anymore—it was screaming, tearing at my very soul. I could feel Ash’s pain through it, his fear and betrayal mixing with my own desperation until I couldn’t tell where my emotions ended and his began.
“You will NOT sever this bond!” I roared, and my magic exploded outward in a wave of purple energy that sent both guards stumbling backward. “I love him! Do you hear me? I love Ash, and if you think I’m going to let you rip him away from me, you’re out of your mind!”
My father’s eyes widened slightly. It was the first crack in his composure I’d ever seen. “Silver?—”
“No! You don’t get to ‘Silver’ me right now!” Tears were streaming down my face again, but I didn’t care. “My entire life, I’ve done everything you asked. I studied the histories, learned the politics, trained with the guards, smiled at every noble you paraded in front of me. I never complained when you told me I’d have to marry someone I’d never met. I came to this academy knowing I only had four years of freedom before I’d have to give up everything I wanted and become the prince you needed me to be.”
“You have responsibilities?—”
“I know I have responsibilities!” My voice cracked. “But this isn’t just about duty or politics or the fucking Twilight Realm! This is about the person who makes me feel like I can breathe for the first time in my life! Ash doesn’t care that I’m a prince. He doesn’t want my title or my power. He just wants me—the real me that I’ve been hiding from everyone including myself!”
My father’s expression was unreadable, but I saw something flicker in his eyes. Pain, maybe. Or understanding.
“And now he’s out there thinking I betrayed him,” I continued, my voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “He thinks I was just using him, that I never really loved him. And every second I stand here arguing with you is another second he’s running, hurting, putting himself in danger because I was too much of a coward to tell him the truth about who I am.”
I looked down at my hands, watching the purple energy crackle between my fingers. “So, you can drag me back to theTwilight Realm if you want. You can sever the bond, force me to marry whoever you’ve chosen, turn me into the perfect heir you’ve always wanted. But I’m telling you right now, it won’t work. Because even if you rip the bond away, even if you erase every memory I have of him, I will spend the rest of my life knowing that I let the person I love suffer alone because I was too afraid to fight for him.”
The silence that followed was deafening. I could hear the magical sirens still wailing outside, could feel Professor Blackwood’s eyes on me, could sense Confiance’s careful assessment. But all I cared about was my father’s reaction.
King Erestolal stood there for what felt like an eternity, his silver eyes locked on mine. Then, slowly, he let out a long breath and his shoulders sagged slightly.
“Your pleas do not fall upon a heart of stone,” he said softly. Then he lifted his hand, pressing a single finger to my forehead. “But if we are to avoid war, there is no other way.”
There was a soft burst of purple magic and I felt all my limbs go slack. Before I hit the ground, the royal guards caught me. Inside my mind I screamed with fury, cursed my father with every word in every language I could think of. But outside I was limp, only tears softly streaming down my cheeks.
I couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t do anything but watch helplessly as my father gave orders to his guards like I was cargo to be transported rather than his son.
“Take him through the portal,” my father commanded. “Have the physicians prepare the severance ritual. We’ll need to move quickly before the bond becomes too entrenched.”
NO. The word screamed through my mind, but my mouth wouldn’t cooperate. The paralysis spell held me completely, turning me into a prisoner in my own body. Through the mate bond, I could still feel Ash and his pain, his fear, the way he was running further and further away with each shadow. Thedistance between us was growing, and with it came a physical ache that made me want to vomit.
“Your Majesty, please reconsider,” Professor Blackwood said, her voice urgent. “The magical feedback from forcing a severance could?—”
“I am well aware of the risks,” my father interrupted coldly. “But the alternative is allowing my heir to be bound to a shadow witch who can walk through the very barriers that protect our realm. Not to mention, if Silver does not marry the wife we have chosen, my kingdom will be drowned in the blood of its own people.”
My father’s gaze shifted to me, and for just a moment, I saw something that might have been regret flash across his face. “Like the mortal realm, this shadow witch cannot be trusted. As soon as we are through, I will begin destroying the final link between the Twilight Realm and the mortal world.” He turned his gaze to Confiance. “You will not be hearing from me again.”
Captain Vex and Lieutenant Mora lifted me between them, carrying me toward the shimmering portal. I struggled against the paralysis with everything I had, pouring my twilight magic into breaking free, but my father’s spell was too strong. All I could do was watch as they dragged me away from the only chance I had to make things right with Ash.
“Wait!” Confiance’s voice rang out, sharp with authority. “King Erestolal, as an Elder of the Council, I must formally object to this course of action.”
My father turned slowly, his expression dangerous. “You presume to tell me how to manage my own kingdom?”
