Chapter 84 CHAPTER FIVE

Chapter 84 CHAPTER FIVE
AUREN

I stare at Draven standing at the front line, hundreds of witches rallied behind him, and my mother by his side, and I wonder if the universe is playing tricks on me.

It isn't.

I don't need to ask any questions, nor demand any explains. The scene before me is very well self explanatory.

Draven, my best friend and right hand for over five decades has been colluding with the witches this whole time and I didn't know about it. I trusted him blindly and h stabbed me in the back.

And my mother? Isolde? How come she's still alive after Haven sacrificed herself in Euron to seal her in there?

" Guards,” Draven says nodding the guards on stand by. “Take the king and his daughter to the courtyard. Have the king tied to the post and the girl on her knees."

I let out a laugh at his audacity, but it's cut short when four guards step forward and actually take hold of my arms.

“What the fuck!" I scream, struggling against them, but my body is weakening by the second and my strength is hanging by a thread. “Let me go!"

Draven laughs so hard that tears spring from his eyes. "You still think you hold all the power don't you? How pathetic."

“Papa!" Annaleigh 's voice sounds behind me. I turn around just in time to see three guards dragging my daughter away like she's some criminal taken for execution. “Stop!"

“Let her go!" I yell, struggling. “I command you as your king to let her go!"

“King?" Isolde scoffs. “You are no longer the dragon king, Auren. I'll suggest you stop fighting the guards and save your energy for when you actually need it. The poison works fast once activated and you will burn out rather quickly."

“I'd rather you save that strength for later," Draven says. “I'll really enjoy breaking you." He turns to the guards and nods. " Take him away.”

SbdI'm being dragged away to the courtyard.

“Have everyone assemble at the courtyard," Draven orders, his voice carrying more authority than I've ever heard from him in over five centuries. I turn back and see that he's following behind with his entourage of witches.

I reach out desperately for Rhaegar, wishing for even just a miracle, but nothing happens. All my efforts are met with dead silence. Whatever hindered our powers likely stopped our connection.

I don't understand why I'm suddenly so weak, but it's like with every second that passes, the energy is being drained out of my body, making me powerless and at the mercy of my own guards.

I'm taken to one of the posts and tied there like the criminals I used to sentence to death.

In seconds, the courtyard is full of people, all just watching silently at the unfolding events. Draven sits on the King's throne and Isolde takes the seat beside him meant for the queen.

“How does it feel, Auren?" He asks, his voice ringing throughout the yard, dripping with hate and malice. “To be at the mercy of someone weaker than you? How does it feel to be at the receiving end of cruelty? How does it feel to be on your fucking knees at my mercy?"

“I trusted you," is the only thing I can get out through gritted teeth. “I fucking trusted you, Draven."

“Lesson number one, never trust the enemy. You are smart enough to know that, Auren."

Another flash of pain zaps through my body. It's like my heart is being ripped out of my chest while I'm watching. "You were never my enemy, Draven. You were my fucking friend!” I don't know where I get the energy to raise my voice, or it's due to how betrayed I feel.

Draven laughs again and the sound begins to irritate me. "You were always my enemy, Auren. I was just good at hiding it. I'm waiting for our special guest so I guess I'll tell you a little story before she arrives."

“But first, we have a gift for you," Isolde turns to one of the witches behind her and nods..

The girl steps forward with a thorned whip and a bucket of a very familiar liquid. Bale leaf.

The guards takes hold of my shirt and tear it into pieces and I suppress a scream when the first whip touches my bare back. White hot pain slashes through my brain like a virus and I bite my lips not to sob.

I scan the place.

My guards who are now on Draven’s side and so are a lot of the people who live in this palace. On the other side are Imogen, Mira and Lyra. Lyra is in Imogen's arms, weeping while Mira stands beside them, face emotionless

My heart breaks knowing I've failed them. I've failed my family and my people, the people I was supposed to protect. Here I am kneeling before them defenseless.

I bow my head back down, refusing to stare at my daughter who's been weeping non-stop. I can't bear the look in her eyes. It'll kill me before any poison has the chance to do that.

“You were so naive, Auren," Isolde mocks. “Just like your father. You trust too easily."

“All I had to do was play the hero and boom, you're game. You take me in and turn me into a dragon, completing my metamorphosis into an Uncilli."

An Uncilli?

I have heard of them. Hybrids that are turned by pure blooded. They are said to be powerful and strong with lots of abilities. To think Draven is an Uncilli, leaves me unsettled.

I've spent close to five centuries with an Uncilli and I didn't fucking know! I'm truly a failure.

" That made my plan much easier and better to execute,” he continues. " Watching everything from afar and placing Isolde and Eurolys at the front lines was fun. I planned everything, and they merely executed it.”

" So everything that's been going on this whole time has been all your master plan?” Imogen asks, anger flashing in his eyes as he holds Lyra closer to him and brushing her hair with his fingers. " The attacks, the setups, the seal cracking…all that was you?”

" Genius, ain't I?” He smirks. "It was also my masterplan that had Tyren finding the ritual that says if Haven stepped into Euron and sealing it from inside would keep Isolde locked for ever.” He laughs shortly and shakes his head. " How naive of y'all to think that. She merely freed Isolde so she could return to my side once more.”

Hatred burns in my chest as he keeps on explaining the things he did and no one could link it back to him. He reveals how everything Eurolys did to Athalia was all part of his plan, so was the time when Eurolys asked Athalia to get the forbidden magic. Uncillis can't channel forbidden magic, same as witches. That's why he needed to use Athalia, Eurolys and Isolde for it.

When he's done explaining his masterplan, he smiles at a guard. " Our guest is here. Send her in.”

I turn my head to the entrance and feel my stop when I see my mate dragged across the courtyard and thrown before the king like a thief.