Chapter 166 Burning Cacophony (3)

Chapter 166 Burning Cacophony (3)
A U T H O R

“It’s nice of you to come here,” Athena smirked, twirling a dandelion between her fingers. Her voice was light, almost playful, but her eyes stayed sharp and calculating. “But I’m afraid Perseus isn’t here.”

“What?” Severus and Bernadette said in unison, their voices tight with disbelief.

Behind them, their troops stood tense and ready, having surrounded the serpent colony the moment they arrived. They hadn’t taken any chances. Every soldier was poised to attack at the first sign of a signal. They needed to find Perseus, and they needed to do it fast.

Athena’s reception had been unusually warm, almost friendly, which put everyone even more on edge. She led them into her throne room—a cold, echoing space lined with polished stone and intricate carvings of serpents. The air felt still and heavy.

Severus exchanged a quick, wary glance with Bernadette. He could feel the tension tightening his shoulders. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“He went to find me a groom,” Athena continued, her smirk never fading.

“And why would he do that?” Severus asked, his voice low and careful.

“Because he turned down my offer to marry him,” she said, her tone dripping with smug satisfaction. “And by sundown today, he’ll be left with two choices—marry me, or die fighting. That is, of course, if he doesn’t find the groom he promised.”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” Bernadette cut in, her voice steady despite the unease tightening her chest. “But Perseus is already married. We’re here because his wife—”

“She’s pregnant. I know,” Athena nodded, her expression unreadable. She had spent days wrestling with her council’s decision. She had waited years for Perseus, only to lose him to another woman—one already carrying his child.

But Thomas had promised her a suitable replacement groom—one of noble blood, strong enough to stand beside her. Maybe if she couldn’t have Perseus, she could at least have a man cut from the same cloth. Knowing Thomas was Perseus’s father had almost convinced her. Perhaps his sons shared more than a last name.

“But he is okay, isn’t he?” Severus pressed, his voice dropping even lower. “We were worried he might be…”

“Dead?” Athena finished for him, a dry laugh escaping her. “Perseus Cage doesn’t die that easily. The Creator clearly has a soft spot for him. You’re welcome to wait outside for him. My servants can prepare a suite for you.”

“No,” Severus declined, his tone firm but polite. “We’re grateful for your hospitality, and for helping Perseus when he was injured. But we’ll be on our way to Eretia now. We’ll ensure your groom is delivered safely.”

“Very well then,” Athena replied, her smirk returning as she waved a dismissive hand.



Once outside the castle walls, Severus and Bernadette walked quickly, their hands clasped tightly together. They needed the contact—an anchor to keep themselves from breaking under the stress.

“A groom?” Severus muttered, shaking his head. “Why does she need to get married so badly? And since when are serpent shifters open to cross-breeding?”

“It’s different for them,” Bernadette explained, her voice low and thoughtful. “Athena has stayed unmated for years. It’s taken a toll on her health. She needs a husband to produce heirs, maintain her power, and survive her next heat cycle.”

“Wow,” Severus said, a faint grin touching his lips despite the tension. “You’re smart.”

“That’s what you get when you marry a bookworm.”

“And I love every bit of it,” he replied softly. “Now let’s just hope Perseus has actually figured something out and isn’t walking into another trap.”

He helped Bernadette onto her horse before swinging up onto his own. They met Commander Skye just beyond the tree line.

“Commander Skye,” Severus called out, his voice clear and commanding. “Reassemble the men. We’re heading to Eretia.”

“We spoke with Athena,” Bernadette added. “She says Perseus is already on his way there to find a groom for her. If we move quickly, we can intercept him, ensure his safety, and make sure Athena doesn’t double-cross him once the task is done.”

“I’ll alert the men right away,” Skye said with a sharp nod.

Bernadette pulled a worn journal from her saddlebag and unfolded a detailed map across her lap. “There’s a shortcut behind the serpent shifter kingdom,” she said, tracing a route with her finger.

“Isn’t that Howler’s Forest?” Severus asked, leaning closer. “The cursed rogue lands?”

“Yes,” Bernadette replied, a sly grin spreading across her face. “But we won’t be going through it—we’ll be going around it. Through a portal.”

“Right,” Severus said, relief easing some of the tension from his expression. “I almost forgot I married a witch.”

“All I need is that piece of clothing Commander Skye found near the river,” Bernadette said, her voice growing focused. “With it, we can trace Perseus’s energy. We’ll be with him in no time.”

The travel through the portal was a race through time. Just when they thought they were going to be squashed and left for dead in an unknown location, the blinding flash of light ceased, and they landed right at the bridge of Eretria. It was almost like a race, a frantic sprint against the clock to get to their destination, but they were not alone. Thomas was hurrying out with his horse galloping in the wind, and from the look in his eyes and the way he held his face, they knew something was wrong.

“Thomas Black?” Bernadette called out in shock, just as Severus stepped out of the portal. The soldiers with them, all members of Severus’s pack, were swift and efficient, moving with practiced ease. They blocked Thomas’s path, each one pointing their weapons at him, their forms solid and unyielding like a wall.

Thomas pulled to a halt, his horse panting heavily as Severus pointed his sword at him, his knuckles white. “Where is Perseus?” he growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble, blocking his path.

Thomas had been the one to throw Perseus off the cliff. Severus had been there, watched it all unfold, but he had also seen when Thomas jumped over the cliff after him. And he’d heard from Eleanor about their shared blood relation, but none of it was enough to make him trust him. Not when so much was at stake. The need to get the king back was pressing, and Severus had a strong belief that a crook was forever a crook. It didn't take much for someone to slip back into their old ways. Not even blood.

“Look, I really don't have time for this,” Thomas barked, his eyes darting from side to side as he gauged his options, trying to find a way to escape.

“Severus,” Bernadette whispered, her voice a plea, her eyes scanning his face. She could see the urgency in Thomas’s eyes, the frantic desperation that spoke of a much larger problem. "We're Perseus's friends, and we're just coming from the Serpent Shifters. Athena told us that Perseus came here,” she said to Thomas, trying to soothe him, searching his eyes for a flicker of understanding that Perseus was okay, that all had gone well.

They reached a fair ground of understanding given their history as father and daughter-in-law.

“We came here to fetch George. He's the one who is supposed to be married off to Athena, but there's a huge problem that I need to stop now.”

“What problem?” Bern asked, her heart pounding in her chest.

“What have you done to Perseus?” Severus hissed, his sword unwavering.

Thomas continued talking to Bernadette, refusing to get angry at Severus. He knew the Beta’s trust was hard to earn, and he didn’t have the time to fight a battle of words with him. “I just found out that George is in Bloodthorn, and he may harm Eleanor. Perseus just left; he hasn't gone too far. We need to stop him.”

“What if you're lying and you have Perseus abducted?” Severus countered, his suspicion outweighing his rationality.

“When did this happen, Thomas?” Bernadette questioned, her breath quickening, a sense of dread pooling in her stomach.

They had been so relaxed. The war was over, Thomas and Meredith were gone, and there was no other enemy posing a threat. Eleanor was left with only the palace guards and the royal army, who were all still trying to recover from the previous war. Now, their complacency had come back to bite them.

A bitter taste filled her mouth as she realized her children were there, too. They could be in danger. George was someone she had always found hard to read or understand. He could be loud, quiet, or moody, but he had never posed a threat to any of them. He loved the children and played with them often, but with the dangers of how she had betrayed Raphael, she couldn't decide if she could trust him. The man had a right to be angry with her, but would he take that out on the innocent children he’d come to love? The thought made her skin crawl.

“We can't take any chances, but we can't risk it, Severus,” she told him, her voice low and serious.

“But we can't trust him either,” Commander Skye bellowed, his voice filled with a similar distrust.

“Commander, you could leave with Thomas. Severus, you stay here and make sure Perseus isn't in Eretria,” she ordered, her mind already racing with a plan.

“And you?” Severus's expression softened as he turned to her, his gaze intense. “Where would you be?”

“I'll be with Athena, stalling her so we can get enough time,” she smirked, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

“You've always been so bright, Bernadette,” Thomas completed, a grin spreading across his face. "It's a shame that you're repeatedly stuck with dumb men,” he glared at Severus, who seemed to have a scowl permanently etched onto his face.

Severus parted his lips to speak, but Bernadette held him back. "It's okay… we don't have time to fight that.”

Bernadette worked on the portal that led to Bloodthorn just as Thomas and the rest of the soldiers left, leaving her and Severus alongside his men. He pulled her close and claimed her lips with a heated kiss.

“Good luck,” she grinned, pulling away.