The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 156

CASSIAN

I moved silently, my dagger drawn, my senses sharp. The passage narrowed as I went, the walls pressing close, the ceiling low enough that I had to duck.

Where are they?

How many of them are there?

How did they get past my men? Or were they already here? 

A sound.

Footsteps.

Ahead.

I pressed myself against the wall, blending into the shadows.

Three men emerged from the darkness, armed, masked, moving with the precision of soldiers. They didn't see me.

I made sure they never had a chance to.

\---

The first man went down with a blade to the shoulder, not lethal, but enough to disable. The second turned, drew his sword, and met my dagger with a clash of steel. The third ran.

Coward, I thought. You won't get far.

I disarmed the second man with a twist of my wrist, slammed him against the wall, and watched him crumple. Then I went after the third.

He was fast.

I was faster.

My magic surged through my veins, the power I rarely used, the power that made me something more than human.

I reached out with my mind and pulled.

The man stopped mid-stride.

Froze.

His body locked in place, muscles straining against invisible bonds.

I walked up to him, slow and deliberate.

"Who sent you?"

He didn't answer.

Couldn't answer.

I was holding his throat closed with nothing but thought.

"Who sent you?"

Still nothing.

I released his throat, just enough to let him speak.

"Go to hell," he gasped.

"Been there," I said. "It looks like this."

I knocked him unconscious and dragged him back to join his friends.

\---

The fight spread through the hidden passageway. 

My men engaged the infiltrators in every part of the palace, every passageway, every corridor, every hidden alcove, every location the spies were hiding. Steel clashed against steel. Voices shouted in the darkness. Blood sprayed across ancient stone.

I fought alongside them, dagger in one hand, magic in the other, moving like a storm through the enemy ranks.

These are Norwyn's best, I realized. Trained and disciplined.

But they weren't expecting us.

They thought they would have the element of surprise. They didn’t know we knew they were going to attack. That we knew their plans and their secret hideouts. 

They were wrong.

One by one, they fell.

Captured. Killed. Driven back into the darkness.

And then, 

Silence.

\---

Rennick found me near the eastern tunnel entrance, wiping blood from my blade.

"Your Highness."

"The King?"

"Secure. No one approached the study.” 

"The ballroom?"

"Intact. Our men in disguise haven't moved. The guests don't suspect anything."

"And the infiltrators?"

"Twenty-three captured. Seven dead. We're still searching for stragglers."

I nodded.

"One more thing, Your Highness." Rennick's voice shifted. "One of my men found this one near the wing where the ladies of the selection are housed. He seems to have deviated from the group."

My chest tightened.

"Deviated?"

"Yes, Your Highness. The others were heading toward the ballroom. This one was moving alone. Toward the residential corridors where the ladies of the Queen selection stay.” 

Toward her.

Toward Lira.

"Leave him with me," I said.

"Your Highness…” 

"Leave him with me."

Rennick hesitated.

Then he nodded, gestured to the guards, and disappeared into the shadows.

\---

The man was young.

Younger than I expected.

He was bound, wrists tied, ankles shackled, but he held himself with a defiance that reminded me of someone.

Her.

He reminds me of her.

The guards stepped back, waiting for my orders.

"Leave us," I said.

"But Your Highness….” 

"Leave us."

They went.

The door closed behind them.

And I was alone with the prisoner.

\---

I studied him.

Dark hair, disheveled. Dark eyes, blazing with rage. A bruise blooming on his jaw, a cut above his eyebrow, blood drying on his knuckles.

He had fought hard and lost. 

But he hadn't broken. He still looked at me with contempt. 

Not yet, I thought. But I'm not here to break him.

I'm here to find the truth.

"You weren’t with the others," I said.

He said nothing.

"You were heading toward the residential wing. The ladies' quarters. Why?” 

Still nothing.

"Why?"

He spat at my feet.

I didn't flinch.

"Brave," I said. "Or stupid. I haven't decided which."

"Just kill me and get it over with."

"I'm not going to kill you."

"Then I have nothing to say."

"We'll see about that."

I crouched in front of him, bringing my face level with his.

"You're not from Norwyn," I said. "Your accent is wrong. You don’t even look like them."

He said nothing.

"Which means you're not here for Norwyn. You're here for something else. Someone else."

His eyes flickered.

Just slightly.

Just for a moment.

But I saw it.

"Her," I said. "You were going to her weren’t you? To either warn her or to protect her."

"Go to hell."

"Is your name Callum?"

He went still.

The defiance flickered.

The rage wavered.

And I knew.

Callum Sutton.

The son of the man my father executed.

The brother of the woman I loved.

The enemy who had been planning to burn my kingdom to the ground.

Standing before me.

Bound and bleeding.

And utterly, completely caught.

"How did you know?" he asked.

His voice was quiet now. Resigned.

"I happen know your sister."

Callum's eyes widened.

"Lira," I said. "She's here. In the palace. Under a false name. Pretending to be someone she's not. Isn’t that your sister?” 

"You know."

"I already know everything."

He stared at me.

"You're not going to kill me then.” 

"No."

"You're not going to turn me in."

"You’ve been caught already. There’s not much I can do for you…” 

"My sister. I know you love her.” 

The words hit like a blade.

I said nothing.

Callum laughed, a bitter, broken sound.

"My sister," he said. "The avenger. The girl who swore she would burn this kingdom to the ground. The girl who promised to avenge our father." He shook his head. "And she fell in love with you. Of all the men in the palace. It had to be you.” 

"It was never supposed to happen."

"It was never supposed to be any of this." His voice cracked. "She was supposed to come here, gather information, and leave. She wasn't supposed to stay. She wasn't supposed to care. She wasn't supposed to…” 

"To what?"

"To become someone I don't even recognize anymore."

We sat in silence.

The torchlight flickered.

The shadows danced.

"Your father," Callum said finally. "He executed mine. For treason."

"I know."

"Did you know it was a lie? Is that what he told you?” 

I hesitated.

"Did you know?" he repeated.

"I don’t know the details," I said. "But I believe you."

Callum stared at me.

"Why?"

Because I had seen the grief in Lira's eyes. The rage. The desperation. Because I had watched her hold a dragon hatchling like it was the only thing keeping her alive. Because I had held her in my arms and felt her heart breaking against my chest.

Because I loved her.

Even now.

Even knowing everything.

"Because your sister doesn't know how to lie about the things that matter," I said.

Callum was quiet for a long moment.

Then:

"What happens now? What happens to me?” 

"I don't know."

"You're the prince. You're supposed to know."

"I am the prince," I agreed. "But I'm also a man. And I'm tired. And I'm scared. And I don't know how to save everyone."

"Save?"

"The attack. The ball. The dragon." I met his eyes. "A dragon is coming. Tomorrow. And I don't know if I can stop her."

Callum's face went pale.

"The red dragon that was seen flying overhead the palace?"

"The same."

"But Lira… Lira said she was helping her…” 

"Lira told me she tried to stop her." I leaned back. "But it’s too late.” 

"Then what do we do?"

"I don't know, but I will do one thing for you. You need to run. I’ll set you free. When I do, run and never look back. I’ll make sure your sister is safe.” 

“I swear it on my life.” I said.