53. The Queen

Chapter fifty-three

The Queen

My eyes blinked rapidly as my vision focused on the room I stood in, morphing back into the throne room when my consciousness had just been wherever Elianna hid within the realm.

Locking eyes with Azenna, who stood only feet from me, I shot her a sinister smile. My stare then moved to the crone, who stood in a near trance beside her, eyes glowing as she used her magic to see through our wyvern’s mind.

“It’s done then?” I asked.

Her lips curled into a smile that I assumed mimicked my own. “It is done. The wyvern found a large city at the foot of the Ezranian Mountains.”

“Silcrowe?” I wondered aloud. “We had destroyed it.”

“It appears to have been remade,” she answered. “But not to worry. It ceases to exist once more.”

I stood from my throne and began to pace along the dais. “I don’t believe she was there. She’s hiding elsewhere; otherwise, I would have been able to hear the commotion or seen a reaction from her regarding it.”

“What did you see?” Kellan asked as he leaned against the far wall, arms crossed .

I ignored the blatant disrespect in his stance. “She was sleeping when I emerged, which we had anticipated, as it was just before dawn. She was in bed with a human, a wedding gown on her floor.”

Adler nearly threw himself from the wall and stalked toward the middle of the room—his eyes locked on me. “Wedding gown?! Surely your eyes—”

“My eyes can see quite fine, Captain,” I cut him off, and a grin slid across my face. “We interrupted her wedding night.”

His entire body stiffened, and his jaw locked as I gave him the news of his ex-claimed lover.

I tilted my head to the side. “Did you wish to marry a treasonous snake, Captain?”

“Absolutely not, Your Grace. I’m just not sure why she would seek a marriage alliance with human scum. I doubt there are mortal families left with ties to significant numbers of men.”

“From what I gathered, she cares for him. Which is good to know that she has a weakness aside from my two remaining children.”

Adler’s eyes flared for a second, but I didn’t miss it as his initial reaction to the news. “Aye,” he answered.

He thought I didn’t recognize the bite in his tone or how his eyes watched me in a calculating manner. Ideally, I would dispose of him when the time came, too, but as of now, I knew that Elianna either feared him or loathed his existence, and that could work to my advantage .

“Did you get any information regarding where her whereabouts might be?” Azenna asked, bringing my attention back to her.

“Considering I stated she was in a dark bedroom, the answer would be no,” I snapped. “Perhaps I would have been able to get a better understanding if you could have transported my physical body there as well.”

“As we have discussed before, Queen Idina,”—the High Witch’s voice was slick with challenge—“we may not open portals to places we have never been, and considering we do not know where she is, that’s not possible to do at this time. Even for the High Witch.”

“I have scouts posted across the realm that send word daily. No one has seen her or any mortals in known areas as of late,” Kellan chimed in.

My neck whipped in his direction. “Nor have they spotted my two living children?”

“Unfortunately, there has been no sign of Princess Avery nor Prince Finnian,” he answered. “We are under the presumption that they are with her—wherever she may be. Forgive me for this next question, but do you not consider the acts of your children treasonous?”

My nostrils flared as I clenched my teeth. “Are you Captain or King?” His eyes narrowed in on me in response. “I do not answer to you, Kellan Adler. You will do well to remember that. Otherwise, the only traveling in your future is a walk to the gallows in the city square.”

He stood perfectly still for a few moments as something resembling pure hatred slithered into his eyes. “Apologies, my queen. ”

I huffed out a breath of annoyance. “Now, back to why we are here. We weren’t able to find her whereabouts. So, you will prepare to have our armies march north. You are bound to find her eventually, and I’m running out of patience.”

“Of course,” he answered sternly as his eyes drifted to the crone, who remained still as she steered the wyvern back to Isla. “Can I expect my mount back before you plan on having us leave?”

“Your mount?” Azenna tsked as she raised a brow in his direction. “Foolish male, you own nothing of magic.”

Adler looked as if he would strike the witch—the skin of his neck flushed the moment the words left her.

“Yes, Captain, you will not depart until the wyvern returns from its journey, and we have a better idea of where Elianna and her army lay hidden. Now, go do something useful. Your presence here is no longer needed,” I ordered.

He gave a poor excuse of a half bow and stalked out of the room. My eyes leisurely roamed to the two witches, who stood watching him with knowing smirks.

Adler wasn’t fooling anyone.

Kellan

Storming through the streets of Isla, I searched for any familiar face that I thought I could trust. I desperately needed to form a new plan—everything had gone to shit since the High Witch and her crone had arrived in Isla, and while I was pleased with the newfound power that derived from their wyvern, they still left me at a significant disadvantage.

I no longer had my own fleet that obeyed my orders above that of the crown’s—what we had journeyed back to Isla with from our last battle was a fraction of what had always been beneath me. The entire fucking Velyran army reported to me, but I couldn’t trust a gods-damn one of them.

Perhaps killing Callius was a catastrophic mistake, for while he had become wary of me and my integrity when it came to the crown, if he were here, these witch bitches wouldn’t be. That I was certain of.

Idina had welcomed them with open arms after witnessing a fraction of their power. I couldn’t help but wonder if Callius was here, if he would have been able to steer her in a different direction.

While I eliminated one threat to my plans, I created an entirely new one—one that had significant strength and influence. The first threat that I had ever deemed viable against me.

I had foolishly underestimated the link between mates, thinking that Idina’s grief would force her to latch onto me in a time she needed comfort. The plan was for her to either seek a husband and king out of me after falling for my false sympathy, or desiring a lord as her aide. Instead, what I received was being shut out entirely—the threat of my title and a trip to the gallows constantly looming.

But while Callius had warned me that the wrath of a female scorned could rival that of the gods, he forgot that the same could apply to a cornered, desperate male .

I would win this war for the vile queen and destroy Elianna as she desired. Then, once the victory was claimed, I would end her life as well—making me the realm’s conqueror and newest heir.