Princess's Revenge: Slave to the Soulbound King Chapter 145

Adelaide

The air in Silverhowl's ancient forest felt wrong—thick with an unnatural tension. Beside me, Thalia moved with increasing difficulty, her face pale in the moonlight. Elara clutched her satchel of magical components as we navigated the undergrowth with careful steps.

"We need higher ground," I whispered, pointing toward a rocky outcropping ahead.

We climbed the moss-covered stones, and at the summit, I pulled out my field telescope. What I saw through the lens made my blood run cold.

In the valley below, a massive force of vampires moved in organized columns. Their black and crimson armor gleamed in the pale light—at least three hundred soldiers in disciplined formation.

"Vampires," I said grimly as Thalia reached for the telescope. "An entire army. Elara, you were right—Morgana isn't just trying to control Lycanthar. She's bringing her entire race back to reclaim the continent."

Elara's face went ashen. "Master Carl's worst fears were true."

Thalia lowered the telescope, her expression resolute despite her weakness. "Then we must move faster. Draven and the Wolf King are in even greater danger."

We skirted wide around the vampire encampment. As we moved deeper into the forest, I felt a strange energy—familiar yet different, like moonlight refracted through crystal.

"Wait," I said, kneeling beside a cluster of ferns. Green sparks of residual magic clung to the vegetation. "Someone used powerful elemental magic here recently."

Thalia knelt beside me, her fingers tracing the magical signature. "This is Vespera's magic. These traces are fresh—no more than a day old."

"We follow this path," I decided. "If Vespera escaped whatever happened at the Keep, he might lead us to answers."

As evening approached, we heard voices ahead—cold, harsh tones that made my blood freeze. Five vampires emerged from the trees, their armor marking them as scouts.

"No sign of the traitors yet," one said. "But Lord Garrick's orders were clear—find Vespera and the beast before they can reach the border."

My heart clenched. If Garrick was giving orders to vampires, our worst fears had been realized.

Another vampire sniffed the air. "There's something else here. Fresh blood... human blood."

He turned toward our hiding spot behind a fallen log. My hand moved to the concealed dagger at my thigh. A small forest creature provided a brief distraction, but they began searching methodically.

The first vampire rounded our hiding place. I struck with precision, my blade finding the gap in his armor. He collapsed silently.

"Now!" I hissed.

Elara unleashed brilliant white light that sent the remaining vampires stumbling backward. Thalia conjured a shimmering barrier despite her weakness.

We crashed through the underbrush, branches tearing at our clothes. I practically carried Thalia as we fled, the vampires' roars echoing behind us.

"They can track our blood scent," I panted. "We need shelter."

Through the trees ahead, I spotted a cluster of ancient stones overgrown with thick vines. We pushed through the concealing vegetation and found ourselves in a narrow cave opening. The moment we crossed the threshold, I felt a powerful magical barrier.

The cave was far larger than it appeared, its walls carved with intricate symbols that pulsed with inner light. Ancient runes dedicated to Selene covered every surface.

"This is a sanctuary," Elara whispered. "A place of refuge blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."

Hours passed as we rested. Thalia had fallen asleep, and Elara was organizing her supplies when I heard a faint sound from deeper within the cave.

I rose silently, dagger in hand, and followed a soft green glow to a vast underground chamber. At its center, a figure knelt beside a stone altar.

A magical barrier materialized between us, and the figure turned. Relief flooded through me.

"Vespera!"

His expression shifted from wariness to shock. "Adelaide? How... what are you doing here?"

"Looking for answers. And hopefully, finding friends."

His grave expression told me the answers would not bring comfort. "Adelaide, I need to prepare you for what you're about to see. Garrick has betrayed us all. He's allied with the vampire Morgana, and together they've seized control of Lycandor Keep. They tried to murder the Wolf King, but I managed to save him. Barely."

He led me to the far end of the chamber. There, on a bed of ancient stone covered with healing moss, lay a figure that made my world tilt.

Lycanthar.

He was barely recognizable. His powerful frame had been reduced to skin and bone, his silver hair dull and matted. But it was the wound across his chest that made me gasp—a gaping tear weeping black blood, surrounded by dark veins that spider-webbed across his pale skin.

"What happened to him?"

"Garrick tried to kill him while he was weakened by years of magical poisoning," Vespera explained grimly. "I used my remaining power to transport us here, but his wounds are beyond my abilities. The black magic has infected his very essence."

I called for Thalia and Elara. When Elara saw Lycanthar's condition, she immediately examined the dark veins.

"This is the same corruption Master Carl discovered," she confirmed. "Only the pure blood of a Moon Bride can cleanse this level of magical toxicity."

I stared down at the man who had once been my captor, my tormentor, and despite everything, my deepest love. Four years of hurt and anger warred with the desperate need to save him.

"The ritual," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Tell me what I need to do."

Thalia reached out weakly and squeezed my hand. "Adelaide, are you certain? After everything he put you through..."

I looked down at Lycanthar's still form, remembering not just the cruelty, but the moments of tenderness, the sacrifices he'd made to protect me.

"The Moon Goddess didn't give me this power to choose who deserves salvation," I said quietly. "And whatever lies between us, I won't let the vampire poison consume what's left of the man I once knew."

Elara explained the ritual as I rolled up my sleeves. "The blood must be given willingly, and you must maintain physical contact throughout the purification."

I knelt beside the stone bed, my hand hovering over Lycanthar's fevered brow. Fear and determination warred within me as I prepared to begin the most dangerous magical working of my life.

"Let's bring him back," I whispered, and drew my dagger across my palm.