Page 42 of Fire & Ice

Marcus rushed forward first with me close behind. There was no time to lose. It was imperative that we revive Deakon immediately if we were to have any chance of finding out where Beau was and how Sara was manipulating him.

Marcus used his heightened senses to detect the faint sound of Deakon's heartbeat while I moved closer to the fallen man and bent down beside him. Taking a deep breath, he reached out with his power and created a small stream of water that momentarily soaked Deakon, rousing him from unconsciousness.

Gasping for air, Deakon opened his eyes. Startled, he scrambled away from me until his back hit the wall. He coughed and sputtered, the shock of waking up in such an unfamiliar place written on his face.

"What happened?" He breathed out, his voice ragged and hoarse.

Marcus stepped forward—his face grim but determined. "Tempest happened."

Deakon's eyes widened as he processed this information and a look of fear flashed across his face before he composed himself again. He regarded both Marcus and I carefully before he sighed, "No, Sara and Charlie happened. They've been manipulating me, Beau, and Tempest, using some kind of magic to manipulate our feelings to make them think they're in love with them," Deakon finally said. "Sara and Charlie want Beau and Tempest for themselves."

I shook my head in disbelief. "This is madness!"

Marcus clenched his fists angrily. "Not on our watch," he growled as he stepped closer to Deakon, towering over him ominously. "Tell us how Sara has been controlling you." His voice was low and deadly serious.

Deakon nodded in agreement before turning to me. "You have to find a way to stop this from happening, Prince Gabriel. If you can't, then all of the Southern Kingdom will be at risk, if one of them should lose the other..."

Deakon shifted uneasily as he looked around the room as if searching for an escape route before finally meeting Marcus' gaze again. With a sigh he began talking slowly, hesitantly at first but gradually gaining momentum as more details poured forth from him. My heart thudded in my chest as Deakon's words sunk in. Charlie and Sara had been working together to break apart Tempest and Beau? I felt a stab of betrayal—Charlie had acted innocent enough when he was chasing after Tempest earlier in the forest, but it seemed he had been playing us for fools all along.

By the time Deakon had finished talking, Marcus and I were both filled with a rage that burned like fire in our veins, our expressions mirroring each other's shock and determination to protect Tempest and Beau. We had to get to them before it was too late.

"We need to find a way to save them," I said. "And fast."

"Do you have any idea where they are headed?" Marcus asked.

Deakon shook his head, regret etched across his features. "Not Charlie," he replied slowly. "But I can tell you this. There is only one place where Sara will feel comfortable enough with her power… The palace's dark forest. There is a cottage there."

Deakon looked up at us, his eyes filled with conflicting emotions. "Sara… she... I do care for her. I don't want to hurt her, but I can't let her go through with her plans either." He swallowed hard before continuing. "Please be gentle with her," he pleaded.

Marcus nodded in understanding. "We will do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe, Deakon," he said firmly.

I tightened my grip on Deakon's arm in support and called for some guards to come and help him back to the infirmary. As they arrived and half-lifted him off the ground, Marcus and I both gave him a final look of reassurance before turning away. We had a mission now—a place to start.

As we set off towards the dark forest where Deakon had told us Sara would most likely be hiding out, my thoughts were peppered with worry about what we might find when we got there. Would Tempest and Beau have already been taken? Or worse… would they have already succumbed to whatever magic Charlie and Sara wielded? The thought made me shudder as we reached the edge of the forest, where the canopy of trees blocked out most of the light from above.

I peered into the darkness nervously, searching for any sign of movement amongst the shadows as Marcus stepped forward into the gloom first, sword drawn ready for battle if necessary. I stayed close behind him as we moved slowly through the trees until finally, just ahead of us tucked away near a rock face hidden from sight, was an old cottage made from logs that had clearly seen better days.

My heart thudded against my chest as Marcus motioned for me to stay put while he crept silently forward towards the cottage. He disappeared into the shadows, and I waited, my senses on high alert for any sign of danger. Several agonizing moments passed before he reappeared, his expression grave.

"They're inside," Marcus whispered.

Chapter 42

Beau

As I walked through the dark forest with Sara, I could feel an invisible weight pressing down on my heart. Though I tried to push away my doubts and focus on the overpowering feeling of lust that brought me here, there were moments when flashes of déjà vu would appear in my mind, like a single lightning strike amidst the darkness, creating an image of a woman with mahogany skin and hair made of fire. Who was she? I felt like I recognized her somehow, but it was hard to tell. All I knew for sure was that she wasn't Sara.

As I strolled beside her, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. I knew that something wasn't right, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Sara, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease. She chatted away, telling me about her plans for our future and how she couldn’t wait for us to complete the Mating Ritual.

I tried to push the nagging feeling to the back of my mind and focus on Sara. I knew that she was trying to charm me with her sweet words and gentle touch, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.

Finally, we arrived at the little old cottage by the river, a memento of the past. It was a cozy little place, with a thatched roof and a small garden out front. Sara led me inside, and I couldn't help but admire the way the moonlight spilled in through the windows, casting a cool glow over everything.

Then there it was again—a seductive smile of ruby lips, black eyes swirling with fire and then the vision was gone from my mind.

I looked up at Sara, trying to hide the sudden wave of confusion that had swept over me. "Who are you?" I asked, my voice little more than a whisper.

Sara smiled and stepped closer to me, her eyes boring into mine. She placed her hands on either side of my face and gently kissed me. At the touch of her lips, my heart tightened in my chest as if a vice had been closed around it, restricting it from fully beating. I fell to my knees, and the woman from earlier danced through my mind as if she had always been there.

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