Chapter 42

Chapter

Forty-Two

Rose

A collective gasp shot through the room, and the king's expression darkened. "You dare?—"

"Rose," Magnus snapped, cutting him off. "Tell him what he wants to hear." He added the last in a barely audible whisper I'm sure meant only for me, but it was obvious others had heard.

Not that it mattered when I could feel the tension radiating from my mate, making it clear he was barely holding on to his control. The king's magic was still affecting him, and I could see the strain on his face as he fought against it.

And still my lip curled at the idea of swearing anything to this piece of filth. He deserved nothing. I measured my next words even though I knew they went against what Magnus wanted. But he also didn't have all the facts. Those biscuits paled in comparison to the real plan. I took one last steadying breath as I fingered the vial hidden in my pocket. Magnus would have to get over not knowing my true intentions. I only prayed to the Goddess that this worked.

"I'm here to stand at Magnus's side. That is the only allegiance I owe to anyone."

The king's lips curled in a sneer. "Then you are a fool, girl. Magnus is nothing but a bastard?—"

"Mind your tongue, uncle ." Magnus interrupted, his tone deadly this time. "You speak of the future king."

The tension in the room ratcheted higher as the king's eyes narrowed dangerously. "We shall see about that." He then turned his gaze back to mine. "I guess it's true what they say about an omega," he snickered. "They really are only good for one thing."

His words sent a shiver down my spine, and I could feel Magnus tense even further. But it was my head that nearly exploded where I stood as outrage poured through me. I'd endured less than ten minutes of this man and was ready to slit his throat. How Magnus had put up with a lifetime of this was beyond my comprehension.

"One thing you can know for sure about me, your majesty,"—I paused until he looked on the edge of his seat for some kind of sweet devotion from the silly omega only good for one thing—"is that my one thing is better than your sum total will ever be. Too bad you won't survive to understand what that means. You are a horrible bastard male, who doesn't even deserve to breathe the same air as the true dragon king."

Silence descended around the room and for a moment time truly seemed to stand still. I fingered the glass vial as I pulled it from my pocket just as the room exploded around me.

The king's mouth gaped in shock, a second before the mottled look of rage twisted his face into an ugly mask. "Guards!" he shouted, leaping to his feet. "Seize her!"

But it was too late. I had already thrown the vial to the ground, shattering it on the stone floor. A cloud of green smoke filled the air, and the guards began to cough and choke. But more importantly, the energy in the room rippled and shuddered, the tension palpable as the king's magic was stretched to the breaking point.

His eyes widened and a slow smile spread across my face as I sprang into action, barely ducking under the hand reaching for my arm. I twisted away and pulled at the metal hilt on his side at the same time, unsheathing the guard's heavy sword.

If not for my recent training, it might have clattered to the ground. Instead, I wrapped my hand tightly around the hilt and grasped it to my chest as best I could and ran for Magnus.

He was still a prisoner of the King's magic, but I could feel it fraying at the edges. My spell was hard at work tunneling its way through. As fear seized my heart, so did a strange sense of calm that assured me to trust in my own skill more than the King's. My hair stood on edge and my skin tingled the closer I got to the man I cared for.

In the chaos, Magnus lunged at the men surrounding him, his dragon claws extended. They tried to fight back, but they were no match for his strength and speed. Within moments, the half dozen guards were on the ground unconscious, and Magnus was stalking his way towards the dais were the King sat mesmerized by the melee in front of him.

When the magic finally snapped, it sent everyone in the room flying, including me. The sword clattered to the ground, and I crashed into a wall.

"Rose!" Magnus shouted, his attention turning my way.

I managed to shake my head, imploring him with my gaze to keep his focus on the King, and thank the Goddess, he got the message. This was our one and only shot. He had to take it.

A dragon's roar split the air and fire erupted everywhere. The stench of burning flesh immediately filled my nose, and the accompanying screams flooded my mind. It was a terrifying sight to watch a room full of men burn all at once and one I wouldn't soon forget.

Dragging myself to my feet, and ignoring the pain in my head, I limped as far away from the flames as I could. I searched for a weapon or something that I could grab to help Magnus, but the potion had been my big move. I only hoped he kept his shit together long enough for the innocents to flee the castle.

I was almost to the door when it crashed open and more guards swarmed the room. Before I could attempt to back away, I was surrounded and grabbed from every direction. One of the guards wrenched my hands behind my back and pain shot through my shoulder, making me scream.

The dragon roar grew louder, and we all turned to face Magnus.

The guards faltered, loosening their grip and I twisted free, stumbling. But I didn't get far before another grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Let him go or I gut her where she stands!" the guard holding me yelled, pressing a knife to my neck.

Magnus froze, the flames dying on his tongue.

Defeat and rage warred in my mind. I struggled to break free, but they were all vicious and unyielding. Much more of this and they were going to rip my arm from the socket.

"Don't do it," I screamed. "Finish what we came for," I begged. I didn't even know if Magnus had heard me. He was barely a man at this point. He'd somehow managed to subdue his dragon enough not to take out half the castle at once, but he still looked more dragon than man.

And if the rage I saw in his eyes meant anything, we were two seconds away from a full-on dragon barbecue. He opened his mouth to say something, or so I thought, but instead flames came out and they were aimed in my direction.

Yes. He'd made the right choice.

I love you.

I mouthed the words to him, or at least in his direction and then closed my eyes and waited for the fire to engulf me.

In the split second between when I closed my eyes and the heat began to warm me, I felt the guard's grip on my arm loosen. I ignored the pain from even that, and quickly surveyed what lay in front of me. This was my chance. It had to be. I twisted as fast as I could, ignoring the burning pain in my muscles, until his hand fell away, and I was free. With no hesitation or daring even a split second to look in Magnus's direction, I sprinted toward the door amid total chaos. More screams erupted behind me, but I didn't stop to check. For Magnus's sake and mine, I had to get clear.

But I stumbled as a wave of heat and the scent of freshly burnt flesh engulfed me. My stomach pitched, but by sheer determination and no small miracle I stayed on my feet and kept going. It was only when I reached the closed door and discovered it bolted from the outside that I finally stopped and turned.

The melee behind me was much worse than my imagination had conjured as the fresh pile of smoking ash where I'd been standing seized my mind. People were running in every direction and guards were attacking all of them indiscriminately. Dear Goddess. They'd all gone mad.

I saw no way out. I'd have to go back through the door we'd entered, which was currently surrounded by guards, or be stuck in this room.

I whirled back to Magnus, desperate for his help, only to find him locked in a fierce struggle with the king. Their forms blurred as they traded blows, magic crackling dangerously in the air around them, threatening all of us.

Magnus's muscles strained as he grappled with his uncle, their faces contorted with rage and determination. Helplessness washed over me as I realized my mate was just as trapped in this chaos as I was. The idea that the king still thought he had any control in this situation made my blood boil. How dare he? Every bit of this destruction was of his own making, and he alone would be responsible for all the lives lost in this insanity. He would not hurt his nephew again.

"Magnus," I shouted, hoping he could hear me. When he turned and sought me out in the crowd I nearly sagged in relief. "We're trapped!" He glanced around the giant room and unfortunately that gave the King the only distraction he would get. But it was enough.

He drew a dagger from his belt and plunged it into Magnus's side.

"Magnus!" I screamed again, sheer panic flooding me. No. No. No. I ran for the dais, ignoring everything happening around me. The only thought running through my head was to save the man I loved.

The king laughed, and had I been several feet closer, I would have clawed his eyes out for his treachery. This had to end. His reign of terror on this kingdom had to end. Clearly, taking away his magic wasn't enough. The man had to die.

One second later I spied Magnus's dragon claws extend and swipe across the king's face, leaving behind deep, disfiguring gashes. My inner self cheered while I tried to push people out of my way so I could get closer. Magnus took another swipe, until the king's face looked marked eerily similarly to his own.

Was that what the king had done to him? My stomach revolted.

"Magnus!" I couldn't stop yelling his name. Not with the red I saw blooming across his entire shirt and running down his side. None of which had seemed to slow him down yet.

This time, he didn't turn to me. He kept his focus on the bastard in front of him. "You are done and I am King, now. And my first act as such is to sentence you to death. Although I should imprison you and make you live with the mangled flesh of your precious face."

A sick, gurgling laugh sounded from the older man still managing to stay upright in the face of Magnus's wrath. If I was honest, it both surprised and impressed me that he hadn't tried to run.

"You'll never be king," he sputtered. "No one here will accept you. The bastard dragon that even his own mother didn't want to keep. Please."

I gasped, coming up short at the sharp blade of his words digging into my own skin as much as I imagined it did Magnus.

However, the nastiness spurred me into action again. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I was damned sure going to do something to shut him up. He couldn't talk to my mate like that.

"How dare you!" I screamed, the words seething through clenched teeth, finally close enough to be heard without shouting. "He's far more king already than you have ever been. My mate is superior to the likes of you in every way and you deserve nothing less than to burn in a pit of fiery hell of his making."

Both the King and Magnus fell silent, turning their shocked gazes to me. If we didn't make it out of here after this, I had a feeling the look on Magnus's face at this moment would carry me into the afterlife as a happy woman.

There was nothing but pride and love shining in his eyes.

"What would you know? You're only an omega. And I've yet to see any evidence that is even true, so maybe you are even less. Which gives you no right?—"

"He gives me the right. The fact that he is here to end the reign of the tyrant bastard king. Don't you get it? You've already lost. One more breath and you cease to exist and there isn't a damned thing you can do about it. So why don't you shut the hell up, and let me talk to the important man in the room?"

I positioned myself in front of Magnus, providing him with just enough cover while we both kept our focus on the king. Fortunately, no guards were stepping in to intervene. The shift in the room's power was already unmistakeable. A quick glance at the dagger embedded in Magnus’s side made my own face pale. With blood pouring from the wound, it did not look good at all.

"I'm fine," he growled as if reading my mind.

"You're not." I worried my lip and contemplated how the hell we would fix this. "We need a doctor."

Laughter erupted from the old man in front of us and I whipped my head around to glare at him. "You think this is funny?” The outrage in my chest was enough to make me feel like my head was about to explode. It was then I realized I still held a sword in my good hand.

"It is funny. Watching you guard him like you're his little pet dog is adorable. But too bad it won't do either of you any good. He's going to die. And once you know the truth about him, you'll be glad he's gone."

The finality of his words made my blood run cold. That didn't sound like an idle threat. He seemed to know something I didn't. I swiveled my head back and forth between them waiting for someone to give me a clue.

"What?" the king continued. "Did you think I wouldn't know? That a demon spell would hide her heathen ears from me? I could smell the dark fae on her the moment she walked into the castle."

I looked between the King and Magnus, more confused than ever before. My hands flew to the sides of my head before I could stop them. To be honest, I'd once again completely forgotten about them. There'd been no time to get used to them before they'd disappeared. But what did my ears have to do with all of this?

"Your prejudices about where I might have come from don't matter anymore. You've been defeated."

The King snorted. "Silly girl. If you think you can get rid of me that easily, you might as well cross back over to your side of the realm. At least until I'm ready to take care of you—again." He laughed maniacally. "Although I guess this time I will have to take care of it myself instead of letting Magnus do it."

The shock of his words nearly stopped my heart. My head was about to explode. I dropped my hands back to my sides and clenched my fists opened and closed several times.

"Fuck," Magnus hissed.

"Liar," I shouted.

"Don't believe me?" he continued. "Then ask him yourself. But you'd better do it quick, little girl." His laughter deepened. Because that's not just any blade I ran him with. It's forged with stygian steel and laced with a concentrated dose of valerian. Both deadly to a dragon."

I shook my head. It couldn't be true. I'd seen first-hand what that herb did to him. "You're wrong," I seethed again. "He and I have already dealt with that poison. It maims, not kills."

"Not at that dose, it doesn't. I knew this day would eventually come and I've had years to plan for it, and plan for it I did. The steel is said to have been mined from the depths of the underworld, making it perfect for delivering poison directly into a dragon's veins. " His sick laughter continued until I couldn't take it anymore. I turned to Magnus, noticing that while he still looked as big and imposing as ever, his color no longer looked right.

Fuck. Was it actually possible?

There was only one thing left to do. I lifted the sword and swung it towards my mate, who caught it perfectly. His lips curved up slightly at the corners and it warmed everything inside me.

No sooner had the blade left my grasp, when another hand grabbed me and I had to spin and fight off another assailant. Goddess above, it was like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole with these people.

"There's absolutely nothing you can do. That poison is already weaving its way through your system. In minutes it will be in your heart and forcing it to stop bea?—"

With a sick thud, and a spray of bright red blood arcing through the air above me, the king’s diatribe ended as abruptly as it’d begun. The guard I'd been fighting stared over my shoulder in shock, no longer fighting me. I sagged in relief, knowing without turning back that the asshole behind me had lost his head. And yet, I couldn't help but steal a look. I had to be certain this ordeal was well and over.

It was a gruesome and bloody sight to behold as Magnus stood towering over the headless body of the fae king. My stomach began to churn, as I dropped to the ground unable to take my eyes from the body lying in a heap, his head a few feet away, mouth open and eyes wide in sudden fear.

Magnus had taken him by surprise.

I covered my mouth to keep the contents of my stomach down as pure relief shuddered down my spine.

It was definitely over?—

Another loud crash came from the far side of the room accompanied by what sounded like a— I stared in disbelief. A dragon roar.

What the hell?

In the big gap that had once been a doorway, now stood a man/dragon partially shifted, with familiar black and red scales covering most of his body, except for his head. Next to him stood a hooded woman dressed in thick brown leather with a bow and arrow drawn and at the ready, and they were both surrounded by tiny little creatures that kind of looked like Ensley, but somehow despite their size, managed to be even more menacing than her thorny body.

Before I could process what to say or do, movement through that crowd caught my eye. Speak of the devil. Ensley pushed her way through the mass of bodies and took her place next to Isaac and Kitra.

Another roar sounded, and a blast of fire erupted around the room, forcing all the remaining guards to run for cover in the opposite corner.

"Looks like we made it just in time," Isaac said. "Although, damn… I would have enjoyed getting here before the beheading. That would have been cool to watch."

"Isaac!" Kitra admonished with a smirk as I dropped to my knees.