Chapter 114: Capture & Confessions

Katria POV

I'd forgotten how much stuff I owned.

Clothes covered nearly every surface of our bedroom while Rosia proudly "helped" by dragging socks into increasingly impossible locations. "Rosia."

The tiny purple snow leopard looked up with one of my boots hanging from her mouth. "No."

She chirped defiantly and trotted away.I sighed. "You're lucky you're adorable." A soft chuckle came from the doorway. I turned to find Nethrys leaning against the frame, watching us with an expression I'd come to recognize over the past few days. Peace. He looked... peaceful. Or he had. Now his smile was gone. His silver eyes had become distant. Listening. Feeling. My stomach tightened. "Nethrys?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, shadows crept across the floor toward his feet. The room suddenly felt colder. He looked at me. "Katria."

Every instinct I possessed screamed. Something was wrong. "What happened?"

His jaw clenched. "They've found us."

My blood turned to ice. "Who?"

"Chaos." The word barely left his mouth before the entire castle shook. BOOM! The walls trembled violently. Glass shattered somewhere below. Rosia hissed, her fur standing on end as she leapt onto the bed. Another explosion thundered through the palace. Stone cracked. People screamed. Outside, horns began sounding across the fortress. "They're here."

Nethrys crossed the room in two strides. His hands found my shoulders. "Katria." His voice was calm.Too calm. "I need you to listen carefully."

I nodded immediately. He closed his eyes for a brief second. Shadow magic spiraled around one hand before disappearing into the air. "What are you doing?"

"I've sent a message."

"To who?"

"Aeloria." My eyebrows shot upward. "The alliance." His gaze locked onto mine. "She will know." Another deafening impact rocked the castle. Dust rained from the ceiling. "I've tied the message to our pact." He smiled sadly. "If I'm taken..." My heart stopped. "...she'll be able to find me."

"No." I grabbed his hands. "No, I will not go without you Nethrys."

"Katria."

"No. I will not leave you behind."

He gently cupped my face. "My love." Tears instantly filled my eyes. "We may be captured."

The words shattered something inside me. "But if we are..." He rested his forehead against mine. "I need you to trust me."

"I do."

"I need you to play along."

My breathing became uneven. "Whatever happens..." Another explosion interrupted him. Closer. Much closer. "...do not fight them."

I stared at him. "What?"

"Promise me."

"But..."

"Promise me." The urgency in his voice terrified me.

"I promise." He kissed me. Not desperately. Not frantically. Slowly. Like he was memorizing my lips. It felt incredible. When he finally pulled away, he smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too." The bedroom doors exploded inward. Shadow creatures poured into the room alongside armored soldiers wearing Varos' crest. Rosia roared. Actually roared. The tiny snow leopard launched herself at the nearest soldier with all the fury of a creature ten times her size. The man screamed as claws raked across his face.

"Rosia!" Nethrys stepped in front of me. Darkness erupted from his body. Living shadows swept across the room, smashing soldiers backward into the walls. Three shadow creatures dissolved instantly beneath his magic. Another wave replaced them. Too many. Far too many. The battle spread through the castle. Steel rang against steel. Magic exploded through the halls. People shouted orders. Someone was crying. Nethrys fought like a storm given human form. Every movement precise. Every spell devastating. No wasted motion. No hesitation. Bodies flew. Shadows screamed. For one breathtaking moment, I actually believed we might escape.

Then the room went black. Not darkness. Something heavier, older and just fucking wrrong. The shadows around Nethrys faltered, and his expression changed instantly.

"...Chaos."

A voice echoed through the castle. "You disappoint me Shadow God."

Every shadow creature immediately stopped attacking. Every soldier knelt. The room parted, and Varos walked through the doorway smiling. His hands were clasped behind his back as though he'd arrived for afternoon tea rather than an invasion. "Hello, Nethrys."

Nethrys didn't answer. His entire body had gone rigid. Varos looked delighted. "I warned you what would happen if you forgot your place." He glanced toward me. "And you." I instinctively stepped closer to Nethrys, and gis arm immediately wrapped around my waist, shielding me behind him. "No." His voice was low.Dangerous. "You will not touch her."

Varos laughed. "My dear Shadow King." He looked genuinely amused. "You no longer get to make demands." More soldiers flooded into the room. Dozens. Hundreds, perhaps. They surrounded us completely. Nethrys leaned closer without taking his eyes off Varos. "Remember your promise."

I nodded almost imperceptibly. Play along. Varos raised one hand and black chains erupted from the floor. They wrapped around Nethrys first. He struggled just enough to make it believable before allowing them to bind him. Then they reached for me. Every instinct screamed to fight. Instead...I remembered my promise. The chains locked around my wrists. Rosia snarled furiously until one of Nethrys' shadows quietly wrapped around her and carried her beneath the bed. Safe and hidden. Good. Varos slowly approached us. His grin widened as he looked between us. "So."

His eyes sparkled with cruel satisfaction. "It really is love."

Nethrys said nothing. He simply stood straighter despite the chains. Varos circled us once. "I almost admire it."

He stopped directly in front of us. "Almost." His smile became vicious. "Our master is eager to see you." The words sent a chill down my spine. Chaos. We were being taken to Chaos. Varos snapped his fingers and a portal of writhing blackness tore open in the center of the room. Cold air poured through it. Wrong air. Air that smelled of decay and nightmares. Soldiers shoved us forward. As we crossed the threshold, I caught the faintest pulse of warm magic brushing against my mind.

Hope. Aeloria. Somehow...She knew exactly where we were....and she was coming.

~

Aeloria POV

Breakfast had become my favorite time of day.

Not because of the food. Although the enchanted cinnamon rolls were admittedly life-changing. It was because everyone was together. Dorian sat beside me looking impossibly awake for someone who claimed to hate mornings. Calren was attempting to steal bacon from my plate while insisting it was "shared property." Rhyven sipped his tea with infuriating elegance. Riven watched the ocean through the greenhouse windows, quiet as always. Tavren already had three books open beside his breakfast. Zorath was somehow on his fourth helping. Nyra and Arren sat across from us laughing together.

For one beautiful, fleeting moment...Everything felt normal. I swallowed a bite of fruit and looked around the table. "So..."

Six pairs of bonded eyes immediately landed on me. "I have something to tell you all, and it's hella important."

Calren narrowed his eyes. "I don't like that sentence."

"You never do."

"Because it usually ends with explosions."

"Sometimes."

"Most times."

I pointed my fork at him. "Stop being rude." Before another word could leave my mouth...Something slammed into my mind.

A violent burst of shadow and silver magic ripped through the bond I'd forged only hours before. I gasped and the fork clattered onto my plate. My chair scraped violently backward. Then I was standing on top of the dining table before I even realized I'd moved. "Oh my gods!"

Every person in the cafeteria shot to their feet.

"Aeloria!"

"What happened?"

"What's wrong?"

My heart hammered against my ribs. The magic wasn't words. It was panic, fear, and desperation. Then...A thread. Silver and black intertwined. A tracking spell. "Nethrys."

Everyone froze. "Nethrys?" Dorian repeated.

"He sent an emergency SOS."

The room fell deathly silent. At that exact moment Kaelthys' voice crashed into my mind like a tidal wave. "LITTLE QUEEN!"

"I know!"

"I felt it."

His roar shook the ocean. Even from miles away. "The sea answers your call." Outside, answering roars echoed across the coastline. Sea serpents. Merbeasts. Every creature beneath the waves was waking and mobilizing. I spun toward everyone.

"Call your beasts!"

Chaos erupted instantly. Calren threw two fingers between his lips and unleashed a piercing whistle that echoed across the island. High above us, an enormous cry answered. Zephyros. The giant hawk circled once before diving towards us. Zorath slammed his fist against the table. "PYRRHOS!"

A deafening roar answered from the mountains as fire streaked across the sky. Rhyven didn't even have to call. Nyros was already there. I could feel the massive manta ray racing toward shore through the bond. Tavren looked toward the cliffs. His enormous sea lion emerged from the surf moments later, barking loud enough to shake windows. Everyone moved at once. Questions exploded around me.

"What happened?"

"Where are they?"

"How bad is it?" I raised both hands. "LISTEN!" Silence. Mostly. I took one steadying breath. "You can all hate me later." Six suspicious expressions answered me. "I went to meet Nethrys."

Every single one groaned. Dorian actually pinched the bridge of his nose. "Aeloria..."

"I KNOW!"

"You lied!"

"I KNOW!"

"You snuck out!"

"I KNOW!"

Calren threw both hands into the air. "I can't believe you."

"You can absolutely believe me."

"...Fair."

I pointed dramatically. "No interruptions." Nobody looked convinced. "I met him." I swallowed. "We formed an alliance."

The room went completely still. "A magical alliance." I looked toward the ocean. "Witnessed by Kael. And by the sea. And the storm." Thunder rumbled in the distance as if agreeing. "Nethrys told me everything." I looked around the room. "He loves Katria." Every expression shifted. "He refuses to allow Chaos to turn her into Anatria's vessel."

Nyra's eyes widened. "So he's..."

"Defected."

Riven nodded slowly. "That explains much."

"He was supposed to arrive here in two days." I pointed toward the silver-black thread only I could see. "At sunset." My voice hardened. "But instead..." I looked toward the horizon. "...he sent an emergency SOS."

The thread pulsed violently. "They've been attacked." The words barely left my mouth before Kael spoke again. "Chaos." The single word made my blood run cold. I nodded. "They've been captured." Silence. Then I added the worst part. "By Chaos." The cafeteria exploded.

"WHAT?!"

"No."

"Damn it."

"We're out of time." I climbed off the table. "We are absolutely out of time." I looked at every person gathered there. "I was visited by a divine being last night."

That got everyone's attention again. "They told me the alliance changed our fate." I took a shaky breath. "They specifically told me to stay this course." No one interrupted. "They said Nethrys is our ally so long as he resists Chaos." I pointed toward the tracker. "We need them."

"The war changes if we lose them." Dorian stepped forward first. "What do you need?" Relief flooded me. No arguing. No lectures. Just action. "I'll track him."

I looked around. "I'll rip open a portal directly to his location." Calren was already strapping on weapons. "We go in."

I nodded. "We extract." Rhyven grabbed several elemental rings from the nearby table. "Element of surprise."

"Exactly."

Tavren was already shouting orders to nearby guards. Nyra pulled twin daggers from her belt. Arren picked up an enormous war hammer like it weighed nothing. Riven met my eyes. "We leave immediately."

"Yes." I looked at every single one of them. "Katria and Nethrys are to be rescued." I pointed sharply around the room. "Unharmed." Another point. "They are allies." One more. "And if anybody forgets that..." My Leviathan magic surged. "...so help me, gods."

Nobody argued. Nobody questioned me. Instead...Zorath grinned. "So..." He cracked his knuckles. "...we're kidnapping our allies from Chaos."

I blinked."...When you say it like that..."

"It sounds awesome." I couldn't help laughing. Then I raised both hands. "LET'S FUCKING GO!"

The area exploded into movement. Warriors sprinted toward the armory. Messengers scattered. Beasts roared. The entire island awakened for war. Power flooded through me. It felt...Different. Bigger. Stronger. I welcomed it. My body shifted, and blue light exploded around me. My bones stretched, and my wings erupted from my back.