At the crack of dawn, there is a loud knock on the door. Jemal is startled by the rough voices outside and it seems that the royal guards have caught up to them. The two boys are cowering in a corner, scared that the guards will attack them.“Do not worry!” He assures them. “Pretend to be my slaves and do not do anything!”“B-But…” Same glances at the room where Anna and Lavi are resting. Jemal is worried too but he cannot hold off the guards.“Open up!” One of the guards outside demands. “Otherwise, we’ll break down the door!”“Do you not know that I am a diplomat?” Jemal snarls. “I will not open the door to some rude omega like yourself!”

“The former Emperor had gone to Soloma and tracked her down,” Lavi narrates. “My mother used to live in a remote village. She was the most beautiful woman there. Her sparkling blue eyes used to make many people fall for her but she was a priestess in the local temple. She had taken a vow of celibacy because she was hiding a secret.”“What secret?” Anna probes.“She is a direct descendant of the Dragons,” Lavi reveals. “Our ancestors were among the Dragons who stayed faithful to the Moon Goddess. They fought against the treacherous gods but were defeated. Some of them escaped, though, and hid their powers. Over time, they stopped using their powers and blended in with the humans in order to keep their existence a secret. Many Dragons were being hunted for their powers or for their perceived betrayal in the wa

Lavi and Anna rest in the cave for the whole day. Anna managed to recover from her injuries and the color on her face is also returning. She can walk as well albeit slower than usual. Lavi stood guard at the cave, not sleeping a wink. Anna sometimes wonders why he does not sleep. Is it because of his paranoia? Or something else?“I can stand guard,” she offers. “You should sleep. You did not sleep for days!”“I can sleep at will,” Lavi mutters but his eyes are quite reddish. He is exhausted and even though sleep sounds nice, he knows that he has to hold on until they reach Soloma. Anna, however, is not going to let it go.“Rest!” She scolds him. “No one can stay up this long. Not even you. I can see that you are tired. I promise, I can handle myself.”But Lavi shakes his head. “It will be night time soon and we will be traveling in the dark,” he explains. “I cannot fall asleep now. I can hold on for a day or two but I will not be using my powers for a while. It will only make me even

Back in Pir, Timur is thinking hard. He heard the disturbing news about how Lady Ariel was allegedly killed by the Crown Prince and his mistress. After the news broke, he heard that Anna had been taken captive but Lavi helped her escape and now they are on the run. “How am I going to find them?” He mutters to himself. Should I inform Emperor Alexei? He attended the Ball on behalf of the Emperor but little did he know that he would run into the long lost Princess! Emperor Alexei was unable to attend the Ball because his mate, Roseanne, has been ill due to her pregnancy. Telling them about this issue will sour the relationship between Ezealyra and Faika. “I will have to tell Leo about this,” he decides. “There is no other way. But first, I need to investigate this issue.” He instantly leaves to visit the now ruined castle. The Emperor and Empress are still living there albeit in makeshift tents. They are overseeing the repair work but it will take them months to build it back to it

The bright rays of the sun break Lavi’s sleep the next morning and he slowly opens his eyes. Instantly, a welcoming scent of cocoa hits his nostrils and he inhales it deeply, calming his soul. Anna’s sleeping figure appears in front of him and he gazes at her.She is not mumbling in her sleep but rather, her lips are curled into a pretty smile as if she is having a good dream. Her dark hair is slightly brushing her face and she is hugging him tightly, not letting go. Lavi snickers at her possessiveness. In her sleep, she looks like a little child.“You know, you can seduce and mark her now,” Airen tells him. “She seems to be inclined towards you.”“I will not mark her,” Lavi says warily.“Why not? You like her. She likes you. What is the problem?”Lavi sighs. “The prophecy,” he replies. “The prophecy is the problem. She will kill me one day. Ras told me that he can break the mate bond without hurting her. I know that he can do it.”Airen is not pleased by this. He knows about the prop