Chapter 86 Lily's Danger
Drakon's POV
"Elara, stop!" I grabbed her shoulders as ice spread wildly from her hands. "You're freezing the entire castle!"
"I can't control it!" Terror filled her eyes. The ice kept spreading down hallways, up walls, coating everything in deadly frost.
I pulled on our mating bond, channeling warmth through the connection. "Yes, you can. Remember the training. Breathe with the magic. Don't fight it."
"But Lily..."
"Is safe. Look."
Elara's panicked eyes found her sister. Lily stood unharmed inside a protective ice bubble. The assassins were frozen solid like statues.
"You protected her perfectly," I said firmly. "Now protect everyone else by stopping the spread."
Elara took a shuddering breath. The wild ice slowed. Then stopped. The castle remained half-frozen but no longer growing.
"Good. Now pull it back slowly."
She closed her eyes, concentrating. The ice began retreating, melting into harmless water. Within minutes, only Lily's room remained frozen and the three assassin statues.
Lily burst from her bubble and threw herself at Elara. "You saved me!"
"Always." Elara hugged her sister tightly, tears streaming. "Always."
Guards poured into the room. Thorne examined the frozen assassins.
"How did they get past our security?" He demanded.
"Dark magic." I pointed to symbols burned into the unconscious guards' foreheads. "Morgana's doing. She sent them specifically for Lily."
"Why target a child?" Thorne's voice was disgusted.
"Revenge." I helped Elara and Lily to their feet. "If Morgana can't win, she'll hurt us by destroying what we love most."
Elara's face went pale. "Then everyone I care about is in danger. You, Lily, Faye, my mother..."
"Which is why we increase protection on everyone." I turned to Thorne. "Triple guards on all family members. No one moves through the castle without escort. And these assassins..." I gestured to the ice statues "we interrogate them when they thaw."
"If they survive the thawing," Faye said, entering the room. She examined one frozen assassin critically. "This level of flash-freezing may have killed them already."
"Good," Lily said fiercely. Surprising everyone. "They tried to murder me. They don't deserve mercy."
"Lily!" Elara gasped.
"What? I'm just being honest." Lily crossed her arms. "I'm tired of being the helpless little sister everyone protects. I have magic now. I can fight too."
"You're twelve years old," I said gently. "You shouldn't have to fight."
"But I will if I have to." Lily's eyes were hard beyond her years. "Because that's what our family does. We protect each other. No matter what."
Pride filled me. This brave child was going to be a formidable woman someday.
"For now, you'll stay with Faye," Elara insisted. "Protected by the strongest magical wards we can create."
"Fine." Lily allowed Faye to lead her away. "But I'm learning combat magic. And you can't stop me!"
Once they left, I turned to Elara. She was shaking, coming down from the adrenaline.
"You did well," I said softly. "You saved her."
"I almost froze the whole castle. I lost control..."
"You regained it. That's what matters." I pulled her close. "Your power responds to your emotions. The stronger you feel, the stronger the magic. We just need to train you to channel it properly."
"What if next time I can't regain control?" She looked up at me with frightened eyes. "What if next time I hurt someone I love?"
"Then I'll be there to help you stop." I kissed her forehead. "That's what partners do."
She relaxed slightly against me. The mating bond pulsed warmly between us.
"Your Majesty!" A guard ran up. "The frozen assassins, one is starting to thaw! His lips are moving!"
We rushed back to Lily's room. One assassin's ice was indeed melting. His mouth moved weakly.
Faye cast a truth spell. "Speak. Who sent you?"
"Queen... Morgana..." the assassin gasped. "And... Princess... Celestia..."
"We knew that already," Thorne said impatiently. "What's their plan?"
"They... need... the child's... blood..." The assassin's eyes flickered. "For... the ritual... Blood moon... three days..."
"What ritual?" I demanded.
"To steal... your powers..." More words spilled out under the truth spell. "The heart of winter... and soul of flame... require... blood sacrifice... of innocence..."
My blood ran cold. "Lily's blood. They need Lily's blood to steal our powers."
"Not just steal," the assassin continued. "Consume. They'll absorb your magic and become... unstoppable."
"And they need to do it during the blood moon?" Elara asked.
"Yes. When the barrier... between worlds... is thinnest. They'll open a portal... to the shadow realm... and summon an army... of darkness."
The assassin went limp. Dead from the combination of freezing and truth spell.
Silence filled the room as we processed this information.
"They're planning to end the world," Faye whispered. "Not just conquer kingdoms. Actually end everything."
"Unless we stop them first." I straightened. "We have three days. We need a plan."
"We need an army," Thorne corrected. "Even with your combined powers, you can't fight shadow realm demons."
"Then we'll gather allies." Elara's voice was steady despite her fear. "Every kingdom that doesn't want to see the world end. We'll unite them all."
"That's impossible in three days," Thorne protested.
"Nothing's impossible when you're desperate." I took Elara's hand. "We start sending messages immediately. To every ruler, every magical creature, every..."
A massive explosion rocked the castle. We ran to the windows.
The sky had turned blood-red. Three days early.
"The blood moon," Faye gasped. "It's happening now. They moved the timeline!"
Below, in the courtyard, a swirling portal of shadow opened. Queen Morgana and Princess Celestia stepped through, surrounded by hundreds of shadow creatures.
And behind them, something massive stirred in the darkness. Something ancient and terrible.
"What is that?" Elara whispered.
The shadow parted, revealing a creature from nightmares. Part dragon, part demon, all darkness. Its eyes glowed red. Its roar shook the foundations of the castle.
Morgana's voice boomed magically amplified: "Drakon! Elara! Bring us the child or we release the Shadow Dragon on your kingdom! You have one hour to decide!"
The creature roared again. Several castle towers crumbled from the sound alone.
Elara and I looked at each other. The same impossible choice staring us in the face.
Sacrifice Lily to save the kingdom. Or refuse and watch everything burn.