Chapter Sixty-Four

Poppy.

Jeremiah was sleeping in my arms when Daegal entered the room.

Excitement and nerves slithered down me. I was excited to see him but I didn’t know what it meant for him to show up during this chaos. Was he not frightened by the ground splitting? Or was he coming to get me because he was so frightened?

What was going on outside? No one would tell me. I saw the debris flying around but I couldn't tell the cause of it.

Melinda turned to face him and covered her mouth. “It’s a dragon,” she said, more to herself than Daegal. A dragon? As in what the entire kingdom consisted of?

"A dragon?" I asked.

Those emerald orbs shifted toward me and held. “He’s being taken care of. Is there any sight of her?”

“Not yet,” Selena said. “But I feel her. She’s close. Inside even. Waiting for something."

The ground shifted again and I tightened my arms around Jeremiah. “Is the ground still splitting?” I asked. "Or is that the fighting?"

Daegal walked over and slid his fingers into my hair. “Yes. I think we need to move you. The castle is going to get swallowed up if the ground doesn’t stop.”

Rachel made a face from the corner. “Poppy doesn’t need to move right now, Daegal. With her complications—,”

“We have no other choice, Rachel,” Daegal said. “We need to get you all to the bunkers before the castle sinks. No one will make it if that happens."

She pressed her mouth together. Mostly because Daegal was the king but because she knew he was right. This castle was made of pure brick and would bury us all alive.

The ground had been continuing to split for however long. We wouldn’t make it if it collapsed on us.

I pulled my feet from the bed and put them on the floor. Jeremiah stirred in my arms. “Could someone get the clothes and crib from the nursery? I don’t want to lose those.”

Melinda nodded. “I’ll grab a guard and have it carried over.”

She left the room and Daegal looked at me. There was so much emotion on his face. He touched my mouth with his fingertips. “I’m carrying you,” he said, his gaze lowering to our baby. “I love Jeremiah almost as much as I love you.”

Tears brimmed my eyes and I felt a lump growing in my throat. Despite the chaos, I felt his love wrapped around me.

The castle shook again, and he picked me up with ease with Jeremiah tucked away in my arms. “Gather Poppy's clothes and anything you need. I can’t say if this castle will be here much longer.”

Rachel grabbed her equipment, while Selena grabbed clothes and pushed them into a small bag in the closet.

The guard outside of the window grabbed comforters from the bed and pillows for Poppy. “I don’t know what waits for us out here,” Daegal said. “She could ambush us in the hallway. Or wait until we’re safe in the bunker. I need both guards on either side of us. I can’t protect Poppy the way I need to while carrying them.”

Everyone nodded in agreement as he carried us into the hallway.

Melinda waited at the top of the staircase while one of the guards held the crib with remarkable ease. All of Jeremiah’s clothing was piled into the crib. I was so thankful to have those right now.

Although, all of this was madness. Carrying and moving all of these things because of Kelli. Daegal slid beside Melinda and descended down the stairs.

Daegal’s eyes shifted toward mine and held. “How do you feel?” he whispered. "Are you in pain?"

I smiled. “Good, considering. I want to sleep, to be honest. I'm exhausted."

Daegal nodded. “I hope you will be able to soon, Ember. I’m going to make sure that this ends and we’re able to enjoy ourselves.”

I laid my head against his shoulder and listened to everyone’s footsteps thundering down the staircase.

Daegal cut across the lobby, through the living room, and to the back door. He pulled the knob but the door didn’t open.

I looked down as he jiggled the knob and sat me on the edge of the couch next to him. He kicked the door to no avail. The glass didn’t break. The door didn’t waver. It was completely fine under the pressure.

He looked back at Selena. “Any ideas?”

She shifted in between Melinda and Rachel. Placing her palms outward, she attempted to unlock the door.

Neither of the sliding glass doors budged.

Daegal cursed under his breath and slid his palm over his head. “How can we get out? "

Selena looked at the front door and the windows. “I’m sure she’s locked us completely inside. I—I…”

Daegal stepped forward and braced his palms on Selena’s shoulders. “Listen to me. My wife and child are in this building. If we do not get out we will all die.”

“I know that!” Selena shouted. “I told you I wasn’t as strong as she was when you brought me here. You should have expected this, Daegal. I didn't promise to be some grand witch. This is the part where we have to come up with something. We have to face the cards.”

Kelli’s laughter stiffened my spine. I looked around the room, seeing her leaning casually against the railing of the staircase.

She looked different. Darker. Her hair was midnight black. The features of her face were sharper and her clothing clung to her like a second skin. The cloak was gone. The dress was gone.

But the smile never wavered.

“You should have listened to her, Daegal. Selena is a mere pup compared to me. Especially now that I have no limitations. You're up the creek, Brother."

Kelli’s gaze shifted toward mine. “You delivered your son well, I see. I was almost hoping you’d have complications. Give Daegal a little punch in the gut before the grand finale but this will do, too."

Daegal’s fists tightened as he positioned himself in front of me. I watched the muscles in his back flex and his wings flutter as if he were prepared for flight.

“Let my family out of this castle. I’ll fight you until the death. They don’t deserve this—,”

She shoved from the wall and leisurely walked toward us. I could hear her footsteps, but I couldn’t see a thing past Daegal’s wings.

Jeremiah moved in my arms and I looked down at his tiny face.

“Here we go with the they don’t deserve this. You should have thought about that before you took the throne from me. You broke your promise. You shoved me into that realm to die alone. You will reap the consciences.”

Daegal looked at Selena who stepped beside him to block Kelli’s view from me.

“You bargained for something I could not give. If you had any love in your heart you would have done the same thing for your mate. But who the hell would love this beast you’ve turned into.”

She laughed loudly and it sounded like a true villain’s laugh. “This act you’re portraying is awfully pathetic, Daegal. The good man who makes heroic choices. You undermined me. Now,” I heard a loud crack, “it’s time for all of you to die.”

Melinda stepped behind Daegal and tucked me into her arm. I felt her heart beating erratically. The guards set down our belongings and faced off with Kelli.

I listened as the wind began to tornado around the room and the couch moved beneath me. Melinda guided me to the floor and held me close to her. The lamp in the far corner lifted from the ground and then the table.

She was making a tornado inside of this house.

I wasn't sure which death I preferred. A tornado or an entire castle collapsing on top of us.