Page 67 of Red Queen

Alexandru, my fierce and relentless ally, may never breach these walls to rescue me.

“Love and redemption.” I’m so foolish to even believe…

Such luxuries have no place in a world ruled by bloodshed and betrayal. The taste of defeat is bitter yet familiar. It isn’t the loss of the battle that cuts the deepest; it’s the potential of dying alone and the loss of Alexandru’s bed.

Pain racks my body as the poison works, but it only propels my resolve instead of smothering it. I will not succumb to Catarina’s twisted disloyalty. I am Eleanna Cordon, Queen of the Sagori vampire family, Mistress of Ravens, and this is not where my life ends.

This isn’t over. It can’t be. Not while I still draw breath. Not while revenge burns within me like an eternal flame.

As I think this the world wavers and turns dark.

Chapter

Thirteen

Alexandru

The stone walls of the stronghold press against me, cold and relentless, echoing the defeat that weighs heavily on my soul. The chill in the air mirrors the hollow emptiness in my chest, yet within that void, the image of Eleanna burns fiercely—a vision of fiery red hair and eyes as clear and blue as the summer sky. The thought of her vibrant spirit possibly subdued at Catarina’s cruel hand sends a sharp pain through me.

My hands clench involuntarily, the leather of my gauntlets stretching and groaning, a futile attempt to grasp the fading echoes of Eleanna’s presence. Each creak of the leather is a whisper of her name, a reminder of what I’ve lost, of the failure that clings to me like a shadow.

The mere thought of Eleanna’s fiery spirit extinguished under Catarina’s backstabbing twists a knife in my gut.

Ivan’s gaze is steady, troubled. “Your orders?”

“We stop at nothing. We get her back.”

The man nods and I note Nadia is in here, too.

The doors open and Nicolai and Marianne come in.

“General.” Nicolai’s voice cuts through the silence, Marianne standing resolutely at his side.

Nicolai steps up to me. “General. Our spies state that Eleanna’s being held in the dungeons, and she’s still alive.”

His news hits me like a punch to the gut, setting my pulse racing.

It’s not over yet.

“Still alive…” My voice sounds hoarse with disbelief and hope warring within me.

Dare I believe it? Dare I hope?

Marianne’s gaze is unwavering as she speaks. “We need your leadership now more than ever, General Amanar. We’ll stand by your side once more.”

Conflicting emotions assault my mind—the desire to right the wrongs done to Eleanna battling against the fear of facing Catarina’s wrath again. But deep down, I know there’s only one choice.

I rise from the solitary bench, the weight of leadership settling on my shoulders once more. Every fiber of my being screams for action, to tear through the night and reclaim what is ours. The poison may be slow acting, but time is a luxury we don’t have. My mind races, strategizing, calculating.

“We must move swiftly, strike hard.” With a steely resolve, I meet their eyes. “Prepare the troops. We ride at dawn.”

“We won’t let you down, General,” Marianne says, her tone steady as bedrock.

“Nor will the enemy live to see another dawn,” Nicolai adds, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “The items you gathered to bring down Catarina.”

I clench my hand. “We take them, use them if the opportunity arises.”

Once we get her back.

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