Chapter 92 Untitled Chapter

Chapter 92 Untitled Chapter
Armed with the map and a sword, Prince Lyon gathered a twenty man crew for his journey. 

He had chosen his very best, his most faithful and loyal men. He knew this journey would be long, very likely perilous, and he wanted to have only those he trusted the most at his side for it.

He told them in succinct words, “if any man here wants to leave now, he may go. Neither I nor the crown will hold it against him. This mission isn’t going to be smooth unlike others, where we knew our enemy, this time it’s very different. The only thing we know about where we’re going is that it’s going to be very dangerous. Knowing all this,” he asked, looking them all in the eye. “Do you still wish to go?”

When no one moved a muscle, all astride their horses, looking at him with fierce looks on their faces, Lyon let a proud light shine in his eyes. He had chosen well.
He opened his mouth to praise them when he spotted movement from the corner of his eyes.

He turned only to see that it was Kai, Rina’s best friend. He hadn’t seen her since he had been back, and she looked unrecognizable. She approached him, a horse trailing behind her.

“Prince Lyon,” her voice was light, eerie, “I want to join your mission too.”

He shook his head. “you don’t even know where we’re going.”

She stepped closer, her eyes content on his, “But I do. You want to get your mate back." Her fingers jerked back to the palace, “because whoever’s in there, she isn’t Rina. And I want to join. I want to make sure my best friend’s okay.”

He sighed, he hated to do this. “There’s no way I can allow you to go, Kai. It’s going to be dangerous. Definitely no place for an omega.” 

He winced as he said the words but it was the truth. If they were attacked, Kai would be the first person the enemy would go for because she was the weakest. And he didn’t fancy telling his mate that her friend had been hurt because of him.

Instead of feeling offended, Kai just smiled, a slow, wide grin that raised his back up. “You don’t need to worry about me, Alpha, I can take care of myself just fine.”

Lyon regarded her for a minute. His conscience shouted that he shouldn’t allow her but he didn’t have the time to argue. If she wanted to come, then let her.

“Fine,” he acquiesced. “But stay close to me.” Then he turned to his men who were already on horseback, and raised his hand to the sky, howling, “Warriors, let’s go get our queen back!" 

And with that the men and Kai began their journey to the Veil.


RINA 

The walk back to the royal palace was every bit as excruciating as she had known it would be, perhaps more so.

All her bones ached, her joints and muscles creaked and yet the one thing that kept her moving was the thought of finally seeing Lyon once again.

Even now she could feel the bond that connected them both growing stronger as she got closer to the royal palace.

Very soon, she would be seeing Lyon, oh the things she would tell him. She would tell him she loved him and that she would never ever withhold the truth or lie to him again.

The days, weeks she had spent without him was nothing she wanted to relive again.

“Rina!”

The harsh voice jerked her back from her inner musings and she glanced up to see two faces peering up at her.

She blinked slowly. “What? Are we there yet?”

Omaron scoffed, rolling her eyes but Tabitha just smiled. “You were far away from us just now. Where were you? Omaron and I had tried to get your attention many times.”

Rina's face heated. How could she tell them she had been thinking about Lyon? Omaron would surely ridicule her for sure. And the last thing she wanted was to give the keeper more ammunition for that.

“It’s nothing. I was just… thinking.”

“Well get your head back in the game,” Omaron grumbled. “We have a world to save in case you’ve forgotten.”

Rina’s lips tightened. “I know exactly what’s at stake, Omaron, you don’t need to remind me. After all, just like in the dungeon, you always leave me to do all the work, don’t you?”

“That’s it.” Omaron snarled, throwing her sword to the ground. “If you want a fight, come on then, come at me. Let’s see what you got.”

The tension wrung tight as the two squared off, weeks of animosity finally coming to a head.

But before anything could happen, Tabitha shoved them off, snapping in exasperation. “What is wrong with the both of you? I think that it is the both of you that has forgotten exactly what it is we came here for. It’s not for you, neither is it for me. We have a world to save here. Literally, the lives of everyone in the universe depends on you two and this is the childish behavior you are displaying?”

She sighed wearily and the evident disappointment sank like stone in Rina’s guts.

“Fine then. If you two want to fight it off like animals, please by all means do. Maybe we'll finally be able to get some real work done around here.”

She motioned for the two to continue their fight with both hands, but they remained still, their faces turned away and looking down.

Tabitha sighed, the anger that had come so suddenly seeping away like the mist after the early morning sun. What did one know? Turns out even the dead could get angry too.

“Look, I don’t know what it is that happened between you two back in the spiritual realm and honestly it doesn’t matter. If you can’t find a way to forgive whatever it is and work things out, we’ll never win this battle. So what do you say? Call it a truce?”

There was a slice of silence before both of them grumbled under their breath.

“I can’t hear you,” Tabitha whistled.

“I said fine,” Omaron spat out in frustration.

“Why don’t you both hug it out? To seal the deal?” 

The both of them reacted with a shiver of disgust but she simply grinned, she was enjoying this. “Come on, we don’t have all day.”

Hesitantly, the two moved towards each other with Tabitha shouting encouragement and Raze looking on wondering what these humans were doing, when just at the last moment, Omaron recoiled and shoved her hand instead.

“Let’s shake on it.”

Rina sighed in relief. “Fine by me.” 

The two shook hands and glanced at the ghost witch.

“Happy now?” Their look said.

Tabitha threw them a mock disappointing glance, before sighing again.

“That will do. Let’s go.”

They carried the three-in-one who were yet to wake up, and Omaron, her sword and continued their journey into the royal palace. They were close now, in the virtually empty town before the palace gates before a thought occurred to her. 

“How are we going to get inside? The palace guards think I’m in the palace, and that Tabitha’s dead and Omaron isn’t even a werewolf. Add to the fact that we’re carrying three unconscious beings and a hell hound and we’ll be locked up before we can even say a word.”

“That’s actually why we were trying to get your attention the first time,” Tabitha said. “According to Omaron, back in the sun god’s castle you were able to somehow contact Lyon through the mindlink, is it true?”

Rina nodded slowly, remembering the circumstances that had led to that happening. Her heart clenched.

“Yes, I was able to contact Lyon but it comes at a cost. I have to offer my blood as compensation.”

“Everything comes at a cost, these days,” Tabitha murmured, her voice half in awe. “But the mere fact that you were able to do that is phenomenal. That skill was thought to have been lost along with the concepts of true mates. But you and Lyon… you two are smashing away everything we thought we knew.”
Rina’s face turned beet red, not liking the weight of expectation that was forming in Tabitha’s eyes. Self doubt and anxiety, her long time friend, were eating away at her.

What if she wasn’t good enough? What if somehow everything had been a huge mistake and she would wake up and find herself as a kitchen slave once again? 

What if? What if ? What if?

“Rina? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Tabitha’s eyes softened as if she could sense the turmoil going on inside Rina’s brain

“I know what I’m asking for is a lot from you but could you help us again one more time? Today being the new moon festival, security will be tighter than normal and with the three still resting, there’s no way we can sneak in there undetected. We’re going to need Lyon’s help.”

Rina was already nodding her head before she finished. “You don’t need to ask, of course I’ll help.”

Resolute, her hands reached for the dagger and slipped it out of her boots. Reachinginside her, she tried to stir up again that ancient, mystical power that needed zero prompting, not when it came to what it loved most. Blood.

Using the sharp edge of the blade, she made three clean slice on the flesh of her arm and bit her lip to keep from whimpering.

Closing her eyes, she went to that part of her mind that held the matebond and tugged.

‘Lyon, if you’re there, come to me.’

She waited but there was no answering response.

‘Lyon? My love? I need your help. Please answer.’

But there was no response, no answering tug to show that he had heard her, unlike he last time. There was just a swirling darkness.

She opened her eyes to see them staring at her inquiringly.

She shook her head. “I couldn’t get to him.” She frowned. “It was like something had blocked him off.”

“Blocked him off? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” she frowned, trying to remember that sense of wrongness she’d felt. “I could sense dark magic and it was really strong.”

Her eyes widened in fear. “Could this mean that the sorceress has Lyon?” She asked, her voice high in panic.

“I’m sure that’s not it.” Tabitha sought to reassure her. “Have you forgotten just who the alpha prince is? The dislike might be mutual but he’s smart. There’s no way she’s getting to him.”

Rina nodded, trying to key in with what she was saying. Lyon was literally the strongest warrior. He was safe. He had to be safe.

Just then her ears tingled and she looked up. Raze growled in warning. But it was too late.

Tall, hooded figures surrounded them from every side, cutting them off from every form of escape. 

“What the hell—”

Before Omaron could finish, four darts whistled out from the mouths of the men and lodged themselves deep into their necks. Taken off guard, they were unable to dodge it and one by one they fell, until only Rina remained. She clutched her neck and swayed.

The last thing she saw was the familiar form of a woman as she appeared right in front of her.

“Frieda?”