Chapter 255

Chapter 255
Elenna's POV

I kept close to Aurelian's back as we moved through the forest's edge, staying within his shadow. My heart pounded with each step we took toward the rebel stronghold. The night air bit at my exposed skin, but fear kept me warm enough.

Aurelian remained in his human form, a decision he'd made for my safety. Even so, I noticed the red glint in his eyes—a sign he was highly alert, ready to transform at the first sign of danger to protect us both.

What confused me was the silence. The soldiers who had been hunting us earlier had completely retreated. The forest was eerily quiet now.

"Shouldn't they still be searching for us?" I whispered, my voice barely audible even to myself. "Dawn is hours away. The hunt shouldn't be over so quickly."

Aurelian nodded, his eyes scanning the darkness. "Millicent seems to have called them off. Something else is happening."

"What does that mean for us?"

"It means we continue as planned," he replied. "If the hunt is cancelled, so are its rules. We're free to leave the forest's boundaries."

We approached the fortress walls that began to emerge from the darkness. The structure resembled the ruins we had visited earlier, a remnant of old wars, but unlike those ruins, this fortress stood intact and maintained. I wondered how long the rebels had been planning their revolt to keep such a place as their headquarters.

Suddenly, Aurelian's arm shot out in front of me, stopping me from stepping into a clearing. He pulled me down beside him into the undergrowth. I held my breath as a patrol of soldiers passed by, their footsteps crunching on the dry leaves.

I studied them as they walked past. They seemed lazy, disinterested in their duty. If they had been more attentive, they would have sensed the Dragon King's presence nearby. Their negligence was our advantage.

After they passed, Aurelian lifted his nose slightly, scenting the air. His senses were far more acute than mine, capable of detecting things I couldn't even imagine.

"This way," he whispered, guiding me along a specific path.

We followed the perimeter of the fortress until we reached a section where the inner buildings came close to the outer wall. Near the ground, a series of barred vents allowed hot air to escape from below. Steam rose from them in the cold night air.

Aurelian stopped abruptly. "I hear them," he said, his voice tight with focus.

"Who?" I strained my ears but could hear nothing beyond the distant sounds of the forest. "I can't hear anything."

"Adrian and Doria," he answered.

Relief flooded through me so intensely I nearly collapsed. They were alive. Both of them. Together. The weight that had been crushing my chest since Doria's disappearance lightened. I could breathe again.

Then Aurelian added, "And Millicent."

My relief instantly transformed into confusion. "Millicent? How can that be?" I searched Aurelian's face for answers.

His expression showed he was equally puzzled. "I don't know, but my senses don't lie."

Before I could ask more questions, Aurelian grabbed my shoulders and pushed me to the ground. A series of loud marching sounds came from the direction of the estate, growing louder by the second.

Aurelian covered my body with his own, protecting me. I trusted him completely and remained motionless beneath him. Through the gaps in the underbrush, I saw soldiers rushing from behind the walls, moving toward the approaching forces.

When they had passed, Aurelian relaxed and helped me to my feet.

"They're giving us the distraction we need," he said, a dangerous smile playing on his lips.

"What's happening?" I asked, bewildered by the sudden activity.

"I don't know why Millicent is in the fire dungeon, but her army has come to rescue her."

The marching grew louder, and I could see more soldiers assembling inside the fortress.

"They're about to go to war with each other," Aurelian concluded, his eyes gleaming with opportunity.

Adrian's POV

Despite another beating that left my body aching, I kept my spirits up. The pain was worth it if it meant Aurelian would know where to find me. I was no longer fighting alone; I had Doria to consider now. She wasn't a warrior like me. Though she had shown remarkable strength, she had never experienced torture before.

I found myself more determined to help her escape than to secure my own freedom. Despite the severe beating, my dragonblood remained strong. I stood up quickly, my healing abilities already at work, skin and muscles beginning to mend themselves.

"Adrian, please lie down and rest," Doria pleaded, concern etched across her face.

"No time," I replied, shifting from my half-dragon form back to human. If Millicent's troops were coming, I needed to be ready to fight to protect Doria and myself—and possibly Elenna and Aurelian, if they arrived.

Just as I fully stood, I caught a familiar scent—Aurelian's presence had reached us. I made no visible reaction, not wanting to give Millicent any information.

Millicent sat smugly, apparently pleased with the war about to begin, as if she had already foreseen her victory.

"I don't understand how this infighting helps your cause," Doria questioned. "Killing each other only reduces your numbers."

"You've seen Solan's behavior," Millicent responded calmly. "He's no longer fit to rule."

"With reduced numbers, you'll never take over the kingdom," Doria argued. "Even if civil war breaks out, Aurelian remains a powerful leader with a massive army. A divided rebellion stands no chance against him."

Millicent's smug smile never wavered. She looked at Doria with pity, as one might look at an ignorant child.

Although she was temporarily our unexpected ally, summoning troops to fight against our captors, her ultimate goals were undoubtedly self-serving. Once rescued, she would betray us, as we supported Aurelian.

Solan was a foolish leader, obsessed with Elenna to the exclusion of all else, but it was precisely this foolishness that had kept me alive. Millicent was craftier and more ruthless. Had she controlled the rebellion, open warfare would have erupted long ago.

"Oh, child," Millicent said with a cunning smile. "When Elenna dies, the problem of the Dragon King's power will solve itself. They're fated mates, aren't they? With her death, Aurelian will lose his mind, and the entire kingdom will stand with the rebellion."

In the darkness, I heard Aurelian's barely audible growl.

The time for waiting was over.