Warrior King New Worlds (Crystal Kingdom #6) - Milly Taiden Page 0,61
a building.
Silvo’s laugh turned into a terror-filled scream. Luzzeh lunged toward him, arms out, and the dark magic jumped back to him. It must’ve sensed the oncoming transformation of a living organism into cold, hard metal.
Then her world slipped into pain-free darkness.
Chapter Thirty-One
Lying on the rocky slope in his dragon form, Ferrus waited for the next and final shot of dark magic to rip through him, destroying his body and mind. Screams from the Kappies were all around him as they ran around in chaos.
He heard his name, and Valori slid to a stop beside his snout. “Ferrus.” He opened his eyes. “Thank the goddess of the mountain you are alive. How badly injured are you?”
He didn’t care about his physical well-being at the moment. He needed to know his mate was safe. Changing to his fae form, the damaged muscles, bones, and organs regenerated to heal all the effects of the dark magic on him. He lay on his side, panting like he had run up the entire mountain nonstop.
“Where is Lilah?” he said between breaths.
The elder’s smile melted away. “We are searching for her.”
He pushed himself to sit up. “Searching?”
Shinni popped out of the entrance. “Prince, come quickly, the King is dying.” What? His mind tumbled around, trying to understand all that was happening. Last he knew, they were losing the battle against a horde of Kappies. Where had they gone?
Valori grabbed his arm and pulled him up. “Ferrus, you must go to the throne room now.” She half dragged him inside until things cleared, and he could think again. Whatever had hit him messed him up badly. He heard the words again: the King is dying.
He snapped to attention then ran with fae speed through the tunnels to find his father on the floor outside the entrance to his rooms. Several fae in the room were kneeling and crying. Around his father’s shoulders, his blood had pooled.
Ferrus knelt and placed his hands on the King’s forehead and chest. “Father, change into your alpha dragon and heal yourself.” Like him, his father had a dragon inside that had lain dormant for hundreds of peaks.
His father breathed out, “Ferrus.”
The prince lowered his ear to the king’s mouth. “I am here, Father. Transform before you die.”
“Ferrus,” whispered the king, “I tried to save you from the pain of losing a mate, but I was wrong. Wrong about so many things. When your mother died, the father you knew died with her. I could not stand seeing our fae with their mates and happy, knowing I could never see my only love again. I forbade mates, Ferrus, out of envy. Out of grief. Do not let it continue.”
“Rest, Father, while we heal you.” He glanced up. “Valori, please.” The elder pushed through the room full of fae to his side. She sprinkled a dusty mixture in a bowl onto his wounds.
“It is too late for me, my son. I wish to go to the place your mother exists. I want to hold her in my arms again and tell her I love her. I have missed her so much, son.”
To his surprise, his sister’s presence calmed him. “Father,” Ferra said, “go freely to where the sun always shines on you, and the rock is soft under your feet. You have raised an upright and brave heir to make sure we will continue to grow strong. Rest with peace, Father.”
“Thank you, daughter. Find your mate and be happy always.” His eyes rolled to meet Ferrus’s tearful ones. “Same for you, son. Be happy with your mate always—”
The King’s eyes closed, and his chest became still.
Chapter Thirty-Two
When Lilah woke, she stared up at a stone ceiling. Not her canopy bed at home. She wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad at that. No, she took back that thought. She was happy. The love of her life lived within these rock walls, and she wanted to be with him. Last she remembered, Silvo was about to kill him with dark magic.
She bolted straight up in a bed and looked around. In the room around her, several men lay on softened-rock beds sleeping. They each had scratches covering their body, but those scrapes were covered with a gray powder that she assumed was a mix of rock and ash.
“She’s awake!” came from the entrance of the cave room they were in. From there, those words echoed out, but with different voices until the sound faded away. They really needed to find a way to