Kingdom of Shadows

Chapter thirteen

"Breathe, angel. 

This is just a chapter, not your whole story."

Ezekiel

"What do we do with him now, Your Majesty?" asked Ivan, one of those in charge of guarding The Prison.

"He's going to recover," I said, looking at the fainted body in the cell.

"May I ask you, sir, why did you cure him?" His voice was hoarse, likely from spending too long in this dismal place.

I grinned. "He must give me answers, guard." I exhaled slowly. "Take him to the castle," I commanded. Ivan's gaze fell to the ground as he bowed, then he opened the cell with its enchanted bars, hefted the unconscious man onto his back, and teleported away.

As much as I wanted to stay home near the only source of joy in my life, I also had to deal with the grim duties that came with my position. This man, Roan, was a real mystery. Once Drax's closest confidant, he had ultimately helped me uncover truths about Raelyn. Just the thought of Raelyn and Drax in the same sentence made my blood boil.

The first time I had met Roan was long ago when he agreed to aid Drax in any way possible. But whatever horrors Drax had inflicted on Raelyn had made Roan change his mind. After Raelyn was imprisoned in the castle's basement, Roan told me that she was being poisoned through her food. He had tried to swap it out, but she eventually stopped eating, realizing that the food was making her dizzy and eroding her sanity. This was Drax's 'brilliant' plan to make it easier for the witch working for him to erase her memories.

Drax, of course, had noticed changes in his friend's behavior. Since the day Raelyn came to my kingdom, Roan had vanished from sight. I tried to contact him in every way I knew, but when I heard he had been found at the border, my men brought him here for safety reasons. When I finally saw him, he was barely recognizable—beaten and likely tortured. It was clear Drax had discovered his betrayal.

Now, I needed to know what had happened. Roan held the key to understanding Drax's actions and possibly saving Raelyn. As much as it pained me to admit, the answers Roan possessed were crucial, and I was prepared to do whatever it took to get them.

"Everything is fine, Your Majesty. I put him in a guest room. Dash and Arlo are here," Ivan mind-linked me.

"Let me know when he wakes up," I instructed.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the voices of Dash and Arlo echoed in unison in my mind.

Finally, I could head back home. This past week, I hadn't seen her at all, and it was driving me mad. I yearned for her presence, craved the feel of her beside me, in my arms, our hands touching. Her scent lingered in my mind, intoxicating me.

Every time I looked at her, my eyes were drawn to her lips, a magnetic pull that was almost impossible to resist. They tempted me with a beastly force, but I restrained myself. I knew she felt something similar, yet I couldn't force any closeness. Everything I did, I did with moderation, careful not to scare her away. After what that fool did to her, I couldn't risk losing her.

I couldn't lose her before I even got her.

She was mine. No matter how long it took for her to want to be with me, every second was worth it.

I teleported to Ancia, just five minutes away from the Central House. My heart pounded so loudly that any creature passing by could probably hear it. It felt as though I had run miles when in reality, I was just thinking about her. I was thinking of my angel.