"So, are you going to tell me exactly what has happened over the past few days? Or am I going to have to guess?" Lyza suddenly asks, looking quite irritated.I fold my hands in my lap with a sheepish smile. "Right, okay. So, when Kaine left to come here, I went to visit my cousin. She helped me reverse the fertility spell and put Peter's soul in a vial.""Where is the vial?""Kaine has it.""What else?"My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. I thought she would be upset but she looks happy—no . . . relieved. "Uh well my cousin has been exiled for several years now. But before that she cursed me."Lyza frowns. "She cursed you?" She repeats carefully.I nod. "Well we really only call it a curse because it's a particularly harmful and debilitating spell. It diminished my power significantly but unfortunately I exiled the one person that knew how to remove it," I sigh."Yeah karma's a bitch that way," she remark

"I should never have let them go alone.""You'd probably be gone too."I close my eyes tightly and clench my hands into fists. "Then at least I'd know if they're even alive," I murmur."My Queen—""Don't you dare call me that!" I snarl, my eyes blazing red as Mitalonys threatens to take over. "Until they are proven to be dead, they will remain the kings of the dragons. Until they are found, I am not your queen!"He bows his head. "How would you like me to address you?""Zari will do fine," I mutter."How will we show our respect?" He asks in disbelief."You will do as I ask and find my sons," I growl.He bows again. "Yes my—" he pauses for a moment. "Of course."I watch as he hurriedly leaves the room."It makes them uncomfortable to address you without a title."I glance over at Mika with a raised eyebrow. "Their discomfort means nothing to me. I will not allow them to assume my son and his mate are dead," I growl."Would you allow them to call you Luna? You held that title quite pro

It's disturbing. We've been in this prison for at least 4 days now and still we've seen no one. We fall asleep and there is food and water in each of our cells when we wake up but I don't know who brings it. Well, I'm not entirely sure if sticky red paste actually constitutes as food but it seems to keep me satiated. "Jaxon?" I readjust my position against the wall, moving closer to the bars. "Yeah baby what is it?" "Do you think they're going to kill us?" The fear in his voice makes my chest tighten. "No one is going to touch you Ash. I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it," I growl. He is quiet for a few moments. Then his tentative voice reaches my ears again. "Jax I'm scared," he whimpers. My eyes start to water and I grit my teeth in frustration. "I know baby," I murmur. I want to bang my head against the wall until everything goes numb. He does not deserve any more pain, Azazel growls.

Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump. "Wake up!" Thump thump. "Jaxon please wake up!" Thump thump. "Please wake up." Thump. "Jaxon?" Thump. "Jaxon . . . please . . ." My breath stops in my throat and I gasp and sputter as a metallic liquid fills my mouth. I cough, my lungs stinging and my stomach aching. I slowly pry open my heavy eyelids, spitting out the blood that coats my tongue and dribbles past my lips. I wipe my mouth on my arm and grimace at the bloody streak it leaves on my skin. "Shh just stay still." "What's—" My voice gives out. I cough violently, my entire body convulsing at the force that racks my chest. More blood spatters onto the stone. "Please don't talk—you're going to make it worse." Ash? "I'm right here," he whispers. I can feel his leg beneath my head and his hand gently stroking my hair. What's happening? "The blade has poison in it and he . . . he cut you," my mate murmurs. Am I dying? His sharp inhale pierces my ears like a knife. "Jax plea

I don't think this can get any more uncomfortable. My gaze flicks between Syrra and Jada—both avidly searching through books on opposite sides of the room.I lean towards my mate with a raised eyebrow. "You know the chance of success would increase if you two worked together."She glares at me. "Well no shit. Does it look like she's willing to work with me though?" She snaps.I look past her to the other side of the library where her cousin is sitting on the floor, her mate standing beside her—I pause. Nix isn't just standing next to Jada, they're standing guard."No it doesn't look like she's willing," I sigh, leaning back against the bookshelves. "So exactly how powerful is she?"Syrra purses her lips in annoyance. "Much more powerful than me with about a century more experience," she mutters under her breath."Then, no offense, but why didn't she just take the throne back from you?" I ask quietly."I prefe