Chapter 85 CHAPTER SIX

Chapter 85 CHAPTER SIX
HAVEN

Draven lied when he said he won't be taking me to Elaria. He just did that so I don't give out my location to anyone in case I tried to reach out. I'll give it to him, he's intelligent.

The guards – castle guards – drag me into the courtyard where a large crowd of people are gathered. I catch sight of my husband and the girl who looks so much, she could only be my daughter. She's on the grass, held down by two guards.

Auren is tied between a pole , eyes drained of all the energy in his body. He looks pale and weak and my heart aches. I want to run to him and hug him, but the guards don't let me move. They drag me to where Draven is sitting and throw me on the ground.

“Ah!" Draven exclaims with excitement. “You are here! Finally we are complete."

“What do you want?" I ask, my voice coming out weak and strained. My head spins like I'm drunk on something.

" It's simple,” he says, leaning forward. " I want your husband to move inside the palace and get me the infinite flame from the vault, and you, you'll do me a little favor. You'll harness the Ethereal Essence into a more subtle magic retainer from which I can use."

Auren laughs mockingly, c but it's cut off the sound of the whip landing on his back. Once. Twice. Thrice. By the time they get to the eight whip, he's bleeding all over the place and his eyes go paler. He coughs out enough blood to feed a vampire.

“Auren!" I scream, trying to run to him but the guards won't let me go. “What the hell did you give to him? You poisoned him didn't you?"

“Not something serious, love." He smiles. “Just something I put in his coffee everyday and kill him slowly from the inside. It took such a long time to take effect that I almost thought it wouldn't work, but here we are.”

" How could you!” My daughter cries trying to free herself from the guards holding her. “You are Dad's best friend! He took you like a brother and you betrayed him like the coward you are."

The guard holding her slaps her across the face and she falls to the ground. He grabs her by the hair and pulls her back up to her knees.

“Now, like we discussed," Draven continues like nothing just happened. “Do we have a deal?"

“You can go fuck yourself," I tell him. Auren coughs out more blood and his head falls forward like he's tired of holding it up or simply doesn't have the energy.

I don't need a sorcerer to know that my mate is slowly dying. I don't know what he put in that poison, but Draven is slowly achieving his mission to kill Auren.

I reach out for my magic but I can't find it anywhere. The spell Isolde casted is so strong that I can't even search for people through the mental road.

“How about they fuck your daughter instead?” He asks nonchalantly and I see red instantly. I charge towards him but I'm pulled back by the guards who brought me in.

“You won't get away with this!" I yell, tears clogging my vision.

" Just give me what I want, and I'll let you go. No one will get hurt, and I'll even give your little husband the antidote so he won't cough out all his blood and die on you.” Draven persuades.

I stare at my daughter and my husband. I just reunited with my family and now they'll tear me apart from them?. How is any of this fair?

I can't channel the Ethereal Essence in a smaller magic retainer because that'll be like offering Draven the continent on a silver plate for him to destroy. It's not only the lives of my family that's on the line. Other citizens of Drakorath, the fae people, the elves and every other creature in the forest of Elaria.

If he gets even a smile version of the Ethereal Essence, he's going to burn down this world.

Nope, not happening.

Draven's face darkens and his smile vanishes. In a second he's before me, choking me and pressing me into the ground. “Give it to me! Give. It. Now!"

I choke out a cry and he releases me abruptly, his face filled with shock like he had no idea what he just did.

“If you won't give it to me willingly, I'll have to persuade you." He turns his head towards where my husband is tied. “Resume the whipping!"

Like she's been waiting for the command, the witch standing beside Auren raises the whip and brings it down on his already bleeding back. Again. Agan. Again. And fucking again.

Auren grunts, pulling at the chains hard as the whip lands on his back without stopping. The pain in his eyes bleed into me even without the mate bond.

" Tell me, and I'll make them stop,” Draven says. "Just take me to the vault, give me the flame and channel the magic like I asked, and all this comes to an end.”

" Haven…" he chokes out between painful grunts. “Don't give him the flame…don't…don't give him anything."

The pain in his voice guts me, and for some reason I feel my spin more than usual. He is willing to give up his life to protect his people. He's always been the ideal king that way.

I stare at my daughter crying and my sister sobbing into Imogen's chest and him consoling her.

I need to be strong for them. Draven needs me to be strong and healthy, that's why he hasn't hurt me as much as he did the others. No matter what I do, he won't kill me. So I turn to him.

" I won't tell you what you want to know and give you what you want. You can go fuck yourself, Draven.”

His gaze darkens and he frowns. "I'm trying to be nice here but you're not making it any easier.” He stretches his hand and someone hands him an arrow dipped in some black liquid. “Guess you need some convincing."

He takes a bow, places the arrow and aims for Auren.

“No!" I scream as he lets go of the arrow. I watch as it travels towards Auren, but before it can touch him, it's stopped by another body.

Said body collapses to the ground and the face rolls to face me.

Annaleigh!