Page 134 of Enchanted Crown
Three winged shifters soon joined us, unable to keep up with Zaire’s intense speed, but I felt their presence and saw them as I looked over my shoulder. Jagen, Whit, and Malachi’s second in command.
I felt a shiver which did not feel as if it was my own, though I was also terrified to my core, so it was a bit harder to decipher what was mine and what was hers.
Es,I begged.Are you okay?
I have shifted into my human form,she told me.Hold on.
The minute it took her to say something more waged a war on my heart. I knew she was still breathing because I could feel her, but I didn’t know what was going on. There was a big difference in Esta being alive and Esta being okay. A difference I couldn’t bear.
I am going to try to trade myself for one of the hostages. It’s the only way I can stall and save their life.
I hated it. I hated every minute of it, but it was in character for Esta to do so. To try to save even one of her people’s lives like that.Keep stalling,I told her.We are on the way. In force.
Morana did not know that Esta and I were bonded and speaking through that bond, so Morana likely felt that she had the upper hand. Still, she had to know that we would never leave Esta alone for long. Her time was limited.
But remembering that Morana did not know that Esta and I were already bonded, I forced my wings, which were still out, to retreat. I had to use that to my advantage if needed. That and with as fast as Zaire was flying, it was easier to tuck them in anyway.
There are six hostages,Esta told me.One from ea?—
She cut off, and my heart left my chest, but I again knew she must be speaking and dealing with Morana. I could connect thedots enough to know she was saying there was a hostage from every Dra Skor city.
If I shift back to my dragon form, she will kill them,she told me around the rage and fear I felt down the bond.But I am afraid she will anyway. Why else would she have one from each city? She is trying to destroy my reputation and legacy as queen. By having their deaths fall on me. By making sure this is felt across all of Dra Skor.
I cursed and quickly filled Zaire in, who communicated to Jagen and the others.
Stall,I begged her.I know it goes against your every instinct. I know you could shift and take her out of the equation.
Not with a hostage with a dagger to their throat,she argued logically.I could handle it in my dragon form, but at least one of them will die. The only chance all seven of us live is if I wait.
So keep stalling. Keep her talking. Even if she’s angry. We are coming, Esta. Help is coming.
I love you, Keir.
No,I snapped.No goodbyes. This is not the end of us. You hear me? You fight until I get there and then we will handle her together when I arrive.
After a moment, I remembered Nyx was always at The Drak, preferring his lair even now that he was healed.Where’s Nyx?
We are in my lair and she forced me to shift right away to save one of the hostages. I am not sure he knows anything is happening.
I relayed that information to Zaire. “Make sure he waits for us,” I told him. “He and Malachi both. We have to proceed with caution. At least one of the hostages is being held with a dagger to their throat.”
I felt an increase in rage down the bond, gasping out.Es?
She’s wearing one of my jewels.
We will make sure you get it back,I promised.She’s taunting you right now because she thinks she has the upper hand.
How far are you?she asked.
Over halfway,I told her.
Zaire might not be my favorite shifter, or even in the top five, but dammit if he wasn’t fast. The farther we flew, the larger the gap between us and the others got. We were going to beat them there by minutes. And those few minutes could make all the difference.
Hurry,she told me.She is getting angrier by the second. More impulsive.
We shot toward The Drak as fast as we could, knowing that we would collide with Morana when we got there. The day we had been scheming for was finally upon us. And though I promised Esta we would handle it together, for the next ten minutes, she was on her own.
I held on to our bond with everything I had. Ignoring the wind streaming by my eyes so fast the result was that my eyes burned. Every hope and dream I had was on the other side of that bond, facing our enemy...alone.
