40. Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty

Valpar

It wasn't here. The parchment was nowhere to be found, and I didn't know how to tell my miresa. What will she say? She was going to read it, prepare herself for what was yet to come, and I had lost it!

I wiped my sweaty hand across my clammy face, feeling the dampness on my skin. My brows furrowed, creating deep lines of worry on my forehead, as the drums pounded harder in my chest; the rhythmic thumping echoed in my ears. The weight of my failure settled heavily upon me, suffocating any ounce of confidence I had at being a good male for her. I had always prided myself on my strength, on being a shield to protect her from the harsh world outside. But now, I found myself utterly powerless, losing the one thing that could prepare her.

All I could do was hold her when the time came for her to remember. I still didn't know what she would decide: To know it after I had claimed her or know it little by little, but whatever she did, I would support her. She was mine, branding her or not.

Even if it killed us both.

I balled my hands into fists and leaned on the table. I waited for my miresa to say something. She would have by now, she was not normally this quiet.

Bassza.

I whipped my head to the bed to find the leash that I had her tied to still wrapped around the bedpost, but instead of her waist being tied, it was a bundle of pillows.

What?

I yanked the pillows off the bed, desperately searching for any sign of her. The sharp edges of my claws tore through the fabric, sending a flurry of feathers swirling through the air, filling the room with a cloud of downy chaos. As I tore through the layers, a surge of heat welled up in my chest.

"Calliope!" I roared and it echoed throughout the cave. "Come out, now!"

There was no answer, so I darted into the bathroom, the closet, and even checked the back of the cave to see if she went to the heavy door.

She wasn't here!

I turned my back for a moment, not even long enough for the dust to settle and my female had evaded me!

"Calliope!" I roared again and gathered my weapons. I strapped my sword to my back while I ran down the passage. I didn't care if I was making noise. I wanted all the fucking kingdom to know that I was coming, and I was going to retrieve my female.

I stepped out into the light sources and covered my eyes. I took a large breath, searching for her scent. She couldn't have gone far. I did not have my back turned for long, but when I took in the air around me, I could only find remnants of her calming aroma.

I tilted my head back, seeing if she had climbed the boulder behind, trying to toy with me, but when I gazed upward I saw something far in the sky. I squinted, covering my eyes from the glare of the light sources and what I saw, I could hardly believe.

A fairy—or a fae holding onto a rope and a person hanging below it.

I didn't think I'd ever seen that before.

My eyes widened.

She wouldn't.

She would.

If it was to find her companion she would do anything. Even if it meant putting her life in danger.

Fuck!

"Calliope!" I screamed, but she didn't turn her head, I cannot even tell if she was able to turn her head or not. They were so far away, and each second was a waste of time.

With a burst of adrenaline, I sprinted recklessly through the dense forest, disregarding any notion of stealth. My sole focus was on speed, determined to prevent her escape, refusing to let her slip from my sight. My pace quickened, propelling me towards the Golden Light Palace. As I crested a hill, a breathtaking sight unfolded before me: a vast pasture dotted with horses, leisurely grazing. The sight of these magnificent creatures filled me with a surge of exhilaration, spurring me onward.

I pursed my lips and let out a sharp whistle, the sound slicing through the air. Squinting my eyes, I scanned the scene filled with the horses, hoping to catch a glimpse of my horse, Ulam. Suddenly, a deafening rumble reverberated through the air, growing louder with each passing second. My heart leapt with anticipation as I turned around and my eyes widened at the sight of Ulam galloping towards me. As I soared over the last barrier of the courtyard, a rush of wind hit my face, accompanied by the unmistakable warmth of Ulam's breath on my neck.

He raced alongside me once he caught up. I grabbed his mane and jumped, pulling myself onto his back. I was grateful that Osirus gave us the largest breed of horses because I would need his strength to get us to my mate.

The guards near the palace gates must have heard the commotion, because they left their posts to see me coming around the side of the palace.

"Tell the king, Calliope has been taken!" They all looked at each other like idiots but I didn't have time to stop. I had to continue.

Sensing my urgency, Ulam quickened his pace, his hooves thundering against the soil, leaving deep indentations in the soil. As we raced through the forest, the overhanging trees seemed to taunt me, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers, obstructing my view. I strained my eyes, but I was losing sight of her amidst the dense foliage.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I tapped Ulam's sides with my heels. His breath was heavy, but I felt the excitement running through him.

He sped up even more, the wind whipping past us as we raced through the dense forest. Branches snapped and leaves swirled around us in a frenzy as Ulam charged forward with determination. My heart pounded in my chest, the adrenaline coursing through the branches on my arms as I pushed him faster, desperate to catch up.

As we burst out of the trees into a clearing, I could no longer see the floating fae with my helpless mate, dangling from a rope.

"Calliope!" I shouted, again, my voice raw with emotion. Ulam snorted beneath me, his powerful muscles rippling with each stride.

Ulam galloped faster, his powerful muscles rippling beneath me as we raced through the dense forest. I could hear branches snapping and leaves rustling around us, but my focus was solely on finding Calliope. The image of her being taken by that fae flashed in my mind, igniting a fierce determination within me.

Where the hell did she go?

I let out a roar, continuing our journey in the same direction. Who the hell was that, and why did she leave? Why the fuck would she leave the cave and not speak to me?

I jutted out my jaw, feeling my tusks tense against my lips. I wasn't about to give up. I would run my horse ragged and then continue my journey on foot, until I found her.

We burst into another clearing and as I was about to tap Ulam's sides again, a gigantic shadow came overhead. It circled and followed us until I jerked my head above me to see what it could be. The light sources cast a shadow, so I couldn't see the color of its underbelly, but there was no mistaking that a dragon was hovering above us.

I slowed my horse with a quick tug of his mane. He came to a stop but pranced when the large black dragon landed before us with a thud.

Creed!

My horse yelled in surprise. He cried out, jerking his head back and forth until he reared his front legs up. I jumped off, pushed Ulam away from me and slapped his backside to move away from the black dragon.

It'd been years since I saw the Black Dragon. He was a good male, but I didn't trust his dragon form not to eat my companion.

"You smell of Calliope." Creed's deep, dragon voice rolled like thunder. Unlike most of the shifters of Bergarian, dragons were the only ones who could speak in their animal form. Creed jutted his nose in the air, black smoke rolling out of his nose. "Are you mates?"

"Yes," I puffed out my chest and I put my arm over it. "She is mine, but she's—"

"Been taken," Creed finished for me. "I saw from the mountain. They were flying high enough to see, an impressive height. It's dangerous for a human."

I wiped my hand down my face. "Did you see where they went? What the fuck took her? I need to get her back. I will fucking rip that fairy shit to shreds!"

Creed shook his body, his wings unfurled, and his tail lashed around the ground. "I'll take you to her. If the wind is right, perhaps I can catch her scent."

Instead of feeling the weight of humiliation from my shortcomings in finding my mate, I choose to seek aid from the Black Dragon. Determinedly, I sprinted towards him, while my horse galloped back to the palace. Creed's powerful wings unfurled, and he soared into the sky. His sinewy talons firmly grasping my shoulders, sending a surge of adrenaline through me. I could hear the rush of wind in my ears as we ascended higher, the sound growing louder with each passing moment. The dragon's scaly talons brush against my skin. As we rose, I reached behind me, swiftly drawing my sword.

"Easy, it will take time. They are far ahead of us. Fairies are fast and you are heavy."

Did he just call me fat?

I growled beneath my breath, but soon we were in the air. I didn't have time to be frightened. I had flown in the air before by the fae one upon a time using a rope swing system. It didn't mean I liked it, but my mind was still stirring with my miresa.

Moon Fairy, who took her?

"A pixie was following the fairy—do you know," Creed began, but I growled and gripped my sword.

"That stupid pixie and fairy who have bothered my mate. I should have taken care of them. I never thought they would amount to something so brash! I'll kill them both!"

Creed's chest rumbled and he held onto me as we caught a headwind.

"I have failed her in so many ways. I have done it again," I whispered to myself.

Creed huffs. "That little human is resilient, strong even. When she visits during the change of seasons she watches my parents' hatchings. No easy feat for a female of her size."

I groaned.

Creed snorted. "When the Goddess is involved, she will bring the right souls together at the correct time and place. You being paired together is no accident, do not question if you are not good for her. It will only make you truly unworthy."

I turned my neck to see the underside of his jaw. "Since when did you paint pretty pictures with words?" The last time I saw him, he was a male of few words and thought the world might end at any moment.

His scarred, scaled lips curved into a smile. "Having hatchlings of my own gives me a new perspective."

The male differed from when I first met him years ago, before the war. It was good that he had calmed himself. I would smile more once my female was found.

He took us higher into the air. With two sets of eyes searching, I knew we would find her soon. The further south- east we traveled, the more worried I became. We were closer to the Vermillion Kingdom's territory and though not all vampires were evil, the ones I dealt with in the war were not pleasant.

"I smell her, she's in the thicket," Creed snarled, and puffs of smoke left his nostrils. "She isn't alone, the smell of a witch is near."

I took a firm grip on the hilt of my sword and my jaw jutted out. I had no problems facing a witch, her power would have no effect on me.

Creed took us down, bolting through the wind at top speed. I felt the wind beating at my face. As we got closer, I saw my miresa tied up with vines, a witch with white flowing hair and her arms reaching out. Fire burned in my belly, rage consumed me, and Creed and I let out deafening roars as he dropped me in front of the witch, where I landed with a ground-shattering thud.

The witch was taken aback, although her vines did not loosen around my female. I stomped forward, waving my sword and cutting the vines that connected to my female. My miresa shook them off and I felt Creed landing behind me, breaking the trees to make room for his massive body.

"Prepare to die, witch."