Page 27 of The Cursed Queen

"I'm right behind you, don't worry—" But before Vivienne could finish what she was saying, she and I both heard loud thumps coming from behind us. We turned to see the door rattling as someone tried breaking through it. My lock spell was holding on, but it wouldn't last forever.

"Shit," Vivienne cursed, then gestured for us to leave. "Go! Hurry!"

"No!" I gasped. "I won't leave you!"

"Yes, you will. You must!"

Another bang sounded, and the magic barricading began cracking from the force of the impact. Another slam and the wood began splintering. A few seconds and we would meet whoever was coming for us. I could have Andriel fry whoever it was, but Vivienne would get hurt in the crossfire. Virgil and I could hop down and fight them off. We could take them.

"Go!" Vivienne screamed at us once again.

"Andriel, fly," Virgil said.

"What? No, we can't!" I made to jump off Andriel's back, but Virgil wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. I growled and tried to break free from his hold, but even with my growing physical strength, it was no match for Virgil's hard muscles. "Release me at once. We can't leave her like this."

"We don't have a choice," Virgil argued, then to Andriel, he said, "We need to leave now."

I was already crying, praying to any god who could hear me to not let this happen. I couldn't lose the only person who truly loved me. Who spent my entire life watching over me. She was the first friend I ever made before Virgil.

I cried and screamed as Andriel flapped his massive wings to take to the sky. At that moment, the door finally flew open, and the guards rushed out swarming the balcony, swords and spears drawn. Vivienne pulled out a dagger before turning to face them. I struggled harder to break free, but it was too late. We were already high in the sky, and the sight of Vivienne grew smaller and smaller from the distance. I screamed her name one last time before she was completely out of sight, and likely dead now.

Sera

Andriel and the other dragons flew above the clouds before flying north. This way, we'd be concealed rather than out in the open. It was no longer my mate and the other two dragons, but that dragon who was under the control of the rider Virgil killed. He, too, was now following us home. At least now we knew we could set them free by killing the druid knights riding them. But their numbers were still greater than ours. We'd need to regroup and return with an army if we had any hope of saving the other shifters.

But my mind wasn't on that at the moment. I gave up struggling after a few minutes and was now seated with Virgil behind me. My head hung low as I cried for the friend I lost. How could we do that? How could we have abandoned her like that? Guilt and shame threatened to suffocate me, but Virgil's hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality.

"I'm sorry," Virgil said, loud enough to be heard over the whistling of the wind. "I know this is hard for you."

"We could've saved her," I muttered, unsure if Virgil could hear me but couldn't find it in me to care.

"Not without endangering ourselves or putting the other dragons at risk. I know it's hard to believe right now, but we did what was best."

"Listen to him, my lady," Andriel's voice rang in my head. "I can sense your anguish, but she allowed us to flee before we became overpowered. In the heat of battle, there will always be lives lost, and there's nothing we can do to change it. So instead, let's honor her sacrifice by making sure we make it to Dragon's Peak in one piece."

I didn't argue with him. I knew Andriel was right, but it was hard for my heart to believe it while constantly wondering if there was a way we could've saved her. There were at least a dozen druids that surrounded the balcony, with no telling of how many more were on the way. Logically, I could see the outcome looking grim if we had stayed and fought, especially with the constant sharp pains I was going through. But we didn't even try. Maybe we could've found a way.

Maybe it was wishful thinking on my part.

Virgil's hands ran up and down my arms from where he sat behind me. His chest pressed against my back. "Her spirit will live on inside us all."

I nodded, but said nothing. I spent the entire flight reliving the events that took place from the moment I stumbled upon Andriel until the point of our rescue. My mind went back to Vivienne and what she revealed to me moments before our departure. There was so much she left out; now I wasn't sure I'd get all the answers I was searching for. I thought of my mother, questioning what she'd do now that I wasn't under her control anymore. Now, I was a traitor. Someone who organized an attack on the kingdom to rescue the wonderful creatures trailing behind us.

How would my mother spin this to the public? She would undoubtedly make herself the victim, whereas I would be the ungrateful little princess who went rogue. Meanwhile, those poor dragons would continue to suffer until we rescued them. I wasn't sure what would happen now. We were returning toAndriel's home, but would Virgil and I be welcome? What would they think of me once they found out I was the princess of the very kingdom solely responsible for the capture of their people?

"Hey, it's going to be okay, Princess," Virgil whispered in my ear.

I laugh a humorless laugh. "You may as well stop calling meprincess. I don't think I'll be welcomed back to my kingdom ever again."

"It matters not, for you will always be my princess,"Andriel telepathically said.

Grinning, I repeated Virgil's words to the winged behemoth.

"I know you've only recently met each other, and your interactions have been rather brief these past couple of weeks, but I can already tell he treasures you so much."

The truth of his words sank in. From the moment I met Andriel, I knew he and I would have an unbreakable bond. I didn't know much about being mates, but I believed something had brought us together. We were two flames coming together to form an inferno.

The warm feelings lasted a few seconds longer before the pain started again. I cried out, hunched over myself as I struggled to breathe. I vaguely heard Virgil's voice, but couldn't hear what he was saying or who he was talking to. All I knew was that something was wrong with me. What if we got it wrong? What if I was cursed, after all, and now I was feeling the full force of it after not taking the dragonsbane all this time?

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