RAVENNA

Part 35

Michael cursed under his breath, gripping his bleeding arm. "Damn bastards fight like rabid wolves."

Sebastian, wiping blood from his lip, turned to Nikolai. A grin tugged at his mouth, sharp and merciless. "Saints, Nik... if I'd been a heartbeat later, you'd be minced ice on the ground. And you're the heir? How in hell are you going to lead our family when a pack of duskborn nearly has you on your knees?"

Nikolai scowled, chest still heaving. "Shut it, Sebastian. You weren't the one staring down firestorms."

Sebastian chuckled, low and teasing. "No, I was the one putting them out while you fumbled like a half-trained squire." He clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder, hard enough to sting. "You're lucky I like you."

Bowen snapped, his voice cracking through the cold. "Enough. My granddaughter and Marcus are in that river. Save the family squabbles for later."

The brothers exchanged a glance, Sebastian's grin fading. He looked at them for details, they quickly filled him in. Sebastian nodded. "Then we find them. Fast." Nikolai ordered the guard to send search party for both and bring them.

~

The search party had gone down to the river, with the diver plunging into the cold waters to scour beneath the surface. After hours of tense searching, someone finally shouted, "Here! Your grace! We've found the boy!"

Sebastian and the others rushed to the spot. Marcus lay there, bruised and battered, blood trickling from a wound on his head, his clothes torn. His lips and fingertips had turned blue from the cold, despite being a wolf. One of the guards muttered a body-warming spell and wrapped him in a blanket.

"Take him away. The spell won't hold for long. Hurry!" Sebastian barked, his voice tight with urgency. He had always known Marcus to be lively and spirited—nothing like the sight before him.

Marcus was swiftly carried to the hospital while the remaining guards resumed the search for Nieve.

"I think we need to broaden the search," Nikolai Michael said, his voice low and measured, his arm in a sling.

"Do so. Deploy your men throughout the city. Every corner of Veymar is to be searched. Leave no place unchecked," Sebastian commanded, his tone formal, authoritative, leaving no room for hesitation.

Nieve took cover in a small, shabby bookstore. Though humble, it was now the most comforting place she could imagine. The owner handed her a cup of warm tea and offered her a jacket. After a few moments, when she felt steady enough to move, she left, determined to reach her destination—school or Kim's. The bookstore owner informed her that the school was closer, so she chose that path.

The streets were silent; the world had long since fallen asleep. Snow blanketed everything, sparkling under the faint light of the moon. After walking for nearly an hour, she noticed three figures in red-and-silver capes, standing as if searching for someone. When they spotted her, they approached.

"Miss? Are you Nieve Winston?" one asked.

Nieve hesitated, saying nothing. Observing her uncertainty, another spoke, his voice formal and commanding. "We are the royal guards, ordered to find you. Kindly follow us."

Hesitant, Nieve took a few steps behind them. But before she could go far, a sudden gust of wind lifted the guards into the air, snapping their bones and killing them instantly. Nieve gasped, terror creeping into her chest.

Then, the girl in the red dress appeared. Nieve froze, her fear palpable. The girl gestured for her to follow, but Nieve did not move.

"They were not royal guards," the girl said, her voice calm and formal. "They were impersonators. If you do not believe me, you may examine their teeth or their skin."