The Princess's Revenge Chapter 140

Valencia’s POV

I woke up in my own bed, disoriented and confused. The last thing I remembered was sitting in Dr. Vance's stone house, watching him work on Logan's broken body.

How did I get here?

I looked down. Someone had changed my clothes. I was wearing a clean nightgown. My shoulder was bandaged where the sword had cut me.

The room was dark. Heavy curtains blocked the windows, but I could see a sliver of light beneath them. Afternoon light, not morning.

How long had I been asleep?

I tried to sit up. Pain shot through my shoulder and I gasped. My whole body ached.

Logan.

Panic surged through me. I reached out through our bond, searching desperately for him.

There. Faint, so faint I could barely feel it, but still there. He was alive.

I closed my eyes and focused on the bond. Through it, I could sense his presence. Unconscious.

Dr. Vance, I called through the mind link. Dr. Vance, can you hear me?

Several seconds passed. Then his voice came through, tired but clear.

Luna. You're awake.

How is Logan? Please, I need to know.

He's stable. Out of immediate danger. The next twenty-four hours will tell us more, but his vitals are holding steady.

Relief flooded through me so intensely I felt dizzy.

Where is he?

Still in the stone house. I'm monitoring him closely. He hasn't woken yet, but that's normal given his injuries.

Can I come see him?

There was a pause.

Luna, you collapsed yesterday morning. You were unconscious for over thirty hours. Your body needs rest. The transformation and everything that happened took a severe toll on you.

Thirty hours. I'd been unconscious for more than a day.

But I need to see him, I said.

I understand. But please, eat something first. Regain some strength. Logan isn't going anywhere, and he needs you healthy when he wakes up.

Dr. Vance was right. I knew he was right. But the thought of Logan lying alone in that stone house made my chest tight.

Alright, I said finally. Thank you, Dr. Vance. For saving him.

I did what I could. But Luna, it was you who saved him. If you hadn't gotten him here when you did, nothing I could have done would have mattered.

The mind link faded.

I sat up slowly, gritting my teeth against the pain. My muscles protested every movement.

The room looked the same as always. Logan's sword leaned against the wall in the corner. His cloak hung on a hook by the door. His boots sat neatly beside the wardrobe.

I stared at those boots. They were covered in dried mud and blood. Evidence of the nightmare we'd barely escaped.

Something broke inside me.

I started crying. Not quiet tears, but deep, wrenching sobs that shook my whole body. I pulled my knees to my chest and buried my face in them, letting it all pour out.

Images flashed through my mind. King's Fang burning. The castle collapsing. Flames consuming everything. Screams rising into the night sky.

How many people had I killed?

Guards. Servants. Innocent people who had nothing to do with Elton's schemes. They'd all died because I lost control.

I saw Logan's face, pale and covered in blood. Saw Mason falling with arrows in his chest. Saw the other warriors dying around us.

All that death. All that destruction.

And it was my fault.

I couldn't stop the dragon. I'd begged it to save Logan, offered it everything. And when it woke up, I couldn't control it. The rage had been too powerful, too overwhelming.

I was dangerous. A monster with power I didn't understand and couldn't master.

What if it happened again? What if I lost control and hurt the people here? What if I hurt Logan?

The sobs wouldn't stop. My whole body shook with them. My throat felt raw.

A soft knock on the door made me freeze.

"Valencia?" It was Delphine's voice. "Can I come in?"

I tried to speak but couldn't get words out past the crying.

The door opened slowly. Delphine entered carrying a tray. She saw me curled up on the bed, sobbing, and her face filled with concern.

"Oh, Valencia."

She set the tray on the table and hurried to the bed. She sat beside me and pulled me into a hug.

"It's alright. Let it out. Just let it out."

I cried into her shoulder. She held me tight, one hand stroking my hair gently.

"I've got you. I'm here."

Eventually, the sobs slowed. My breathing became more regular. I pulled back, wiping my eyes with shaking hands.

Delphine's face was full of worry and sympathy. "I brought you some tea and food. You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"I know. But Dr. Vance said you need to regain your strength." She squeezed my hand. "Please, Valencia. Try to eat something."

I nodded weakly.

Delphine got up and brought the tray over. There was hot tea, bread, cheese, and some dried fruit.

I took the tea first. The warmth felt good in my hands. I sipped it slowly.

Delphine sat beside me again. For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then she said gently, "Valencia, what happened? You and Alpha went to King's Fang and then you came back and he was dying and you were a dragon."

Her voice wasn't accusing. Just confused and worried.

I set down the tea. My hands were still shaking.

"It was a trap," I said quietly. "Elton knew we were coming. He'd planned everything."

I told her about the dungeon. The iron gates trapping us. The arrows raining down from every direction.

"Logan shifted into Knox and covered me with his body. He took every arrow meant for me. There were so many arrows, Delphine. Hundreds of them."

My voice cracked.

"Mason and his warriors tried to protect us. But they all died. Every single one of them. I watched them fall."

Delphine's hand tightened on mine.

"Logan broke through a wall to escape, but there were more warriors waiting outside. Over a hundred of them. Logan was already dying. He could barely stand."

I closed my eyes, seeing it all again.

"That's when I called to the dragon. I begged it to help us. I offered it everything. My life, my soul, anything it wanted. I just needed it to save Logan."

"And it answered," Delphine said softly.

"Yes." I opened my eyes. "I transformed. I put Logan on my back and we flew away from King's Fang."

I stopped. The next part was so hard to say.

"But then I lost control."

My voice dropped to a whisper.

"The rage was too strong. The dragon wanted revenge for what they'd done to Logan. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. I breathed fire on the castle."

Tears started falling again.

"I burned it all, Delphine. The whole castle. The courtyard. Everything. The flames spread into the city itself."

I looked at her, my vision blurred with tears.

"How many people were in that castle? Guards, yes, but also servants. Kitchen workers. Stable hands. People who had nothing to do with Elton's plans. And I killed them all."

"Valencia—"

"I'm a murderer," I said. The words felt like knives in my throat. "I murdered innocent people. Men, women, maybe even children. They burned alive because I couldn't control the dragon."