Silas flew away from the desert just as the sun rose over the horizon. The wind rushed over his wings, cooling the heat that still radiated from his scales. He didn’t glance back at the burnt land behind him. There was nothing worth looking back at.

  He flew west, low over the land as the world blurred beneath him. When he neared Walford, he angled north, adjusting his wings with a slight tilt. The sun continued its climb, lighting up the ground below. By early afternoon, Silas finally descended just outside the southern gate of Jux.

  The moment his paws touched the ground, the dragon shifted. Rhett stood in his place—naked, breathless, covered in sand and dried blood. The ground beneath his feet was like a muddied pit, scarred and worn down from the recent battle.

  A soldier from Vespera, who was stationed at the edge of the city, spotted him immediately and rushed forward, pulling off his cloak without hesitation.

  “Take this, Your Majesty,” the man said, offering the heavy clothing with both hands.

  Rhett accepted it, not out of shame or because of the cold—he felt neither—but because walking naked through the city of Jux would only stir panic. And at this point, he couldn’t afford more chaos.

  He threw the cloak around his shoulders and walked forward through the gate. People stared as he passed, with a few recognizing him as their king. But he didn’t pay them any attention—not a single glance or word.

  When he was halfway to his brother’s castle, three men came running toward him. Matteo, Noah, and Joel. They looked winded and anxious as they came to a stop.

  “Rhett!” Noah said, panting. “What happened? Is Amara—”

  But before he could finish, Rhett moved past him. In an instant, he grabbed Joel by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the wall of a nearby building. Joel grunted, stunned as the air was knocked from his lungs.

  “What—” he gasped, struggling to breathe.

  “Who are you loyal to?” Rhett demanded with a growl. His eyes burned dark orange as Silas stirred just beneath the surface.

  Joel blinked, confused but not afraid.

  “The people first,” he said firmly. “Then you.”

  Rhett held him there for a second longer. Then, slowly, he released his grip, letting Joel fall back against the wall. The king reached out and gently placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. However, Matteo stepped in, pushing Rhett away from Joel.

  “What in Eena’s name was that? What is going on with you?”

  Rhett adjusted the cloak, pulling it tighter around his body before speaking.

  “Joel knew the men who attacked Amara.”

  There was silence as the Vespera princes instantly turned their heads toward Joel.

  “I had nothing to do with what happened to the Queen,” Joel quickly stated, raising his hands in surrender. “I swear it.”

  “No, I believe you,” Rhett said with a sigh. “That’s why I asked who you were loyal to.”

  “Alright, so who did it, then?” Joel questioned. “Who are these people I supposedly know?”

  “Myles and Willie,” Rhett replied as his expression darkened.

  Noah blinked, trying to think back into his memories to see if he recognized the names.

  “Who?”

  “They were… companions of mine,” Joel explained in a low voice. “Willie, not so much. But Myles—Myles was someone Rhett and I both trusted. Someone we worked with.”

  “What about Amara?” Matteo questioned as he slowly turned to Rhett. “Is she…?”

  “She’s alive,” Rhett said quickly. But then his shoulders sagged, and he shut his eyes for a moment. “Our sons didn’t survive, though. And she’ll never be able to get pregnant again.”

  Noah’s lips parted, but nothing came out. Matteo took a step back, as if the news hit him like a punch to the chest. Joel stood frozen, stunned as he stared at the ground. For several minutes, no one knew what to say.

  “Rhett…” Matteo began. “I—”

  “What’s done is done,” the king cut in, shaking his head. “I don’t want to talk about it. Not now. Maybe not ever. I… I just buried a piece of myself in Onlon, and I’d rather not add to it. Please.”

  Matteo nodded slowly as he let out a soft exhale. He reached out, laying a hand on Rhett’s shoulder.

  “Alright. Then… what about the ones who did this? Those bastards. Were they caught?”

  “They didn’t even make it off the castle grounds,” Rhett murmured.

  “So you’ve…?” Noah asked cautiously, unable to finish the question.

  “They’re dead,” Rhett answered in a low voice. He opened his eyes, staring hard at the three men. “That’s all you need to know. Not the how. Not the where.”

  Noah quickly nodded.

  “Understood.”

  “Good.” Rhett turned his attention back to Matteo. “Now that that’s settled—I have a task for you.”

  “Of course,” Matteo said without hesitation. “Whatever you need.”

  “Fly to Onlon. Today. I want you to escort Amara and the rest of the court back here. I don’t give a damn what rules your parents put in place. If anyone so much as threatens my wife—shift and kill them. No hesitation.”

  This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

  Matteo bowed his head slightly, placing a hand over his heart.

  “I’ll protect her with my life. With the Creators as my witness, I swear to you—no harm shall come to Amara.”

  Rhett held his gaze for a few seconds, then gave a curt nod before looking at Joel.

  “Can Jux handle an influx of people?” He questioned. “I know it’s a lot, and Emmett’s castle was in disarray the last time I saw it, but—”

  “We’ll manage,” Joel interrupted gently. “Vespera already confirmed a shipment of grain and meat is en route. There’ll be plenty of food. As for the castle, the princes have been working to clean it up. Most of the rooms are ready.”

  “Then give Amara my chambers,” Rhett instructed. “Leave Emmett’s empty. The rest can use whatever rooms are left.”

  “It’ll be done,” Joel nodded.

  Noah shifted on his feet, frowning as he reluctantly met Rhett’s gaze.

  “I get why you want Amara to leave Onlon… but why bring her here? We’re close to the Drurus border. Too close.”

  “When I left, we were still pushing them further into their own kingdom,” Rhett stated. “Has that changed?”

  Noah hesitated to answer as he rubbed the back of his neck.

  “I’m not sure. Something happened the morning I was sent away. There was a commotion—soldiers running around, gathering weapons and armor. Jesup didn’t explain, only put me on a horse before telling me to ride east. He ordered me not to shift until I was back in Sylvaris.”

  Rhett growled in his throat as he turned his head toward the west. Though the buildings around him blocked his view, a feeling of uneasiness crawled up his spine. He couldn’t see anything—but something was definitely wrong.

  Myles said Kohen was the one who told him to hurt Amara… Silas hissed from deep within his mind. You think it’s a coincidence that happened just days after we pushed Drurus out of Jux?

  No, Rhett muttered as he clenched his fists at his sides. They did it to get me away from the rest of the army.

  “Matteo!” Rhett growled as he snapped his gaze back to the others. “If, for any reason, Drurus comes back this way, your only job is to get Amara to Vespera. No exceptions.”

  “I’ll fly her there if I have to,” the prince vowed. “Don’t worry—either Noah or I will always be with her. We swear it.”

  Rhett nodded before turning on his heels and walking toward the city gate. No one asked where he was going. They didn’t need to. Rhett was heading back to the front. Back to the army.

  At the edge of the city, he spotted the soldier who had lent him a cloak earlier. Without a word, Rhett shrugged it off and handed it back. He went barefoot through the muddy field, stopping when he was far enough from the city walls.

  Rhett let go, and within moments, Silas emerged. The dragon stretched out his wings before launching into the sky, angling west—toward Drurus.

  They flew low, nearly touching the tops of the trees as they scanned the land below, looking for any sign of an army—theirs or Arnav’s. But nothing stood out to the dragon. Everything was clear except for the muddied trails left behind from when he and his men marched through the area.

  Three hours passed in silence. The sun was slowly dipping below the horizon, darkening the skies. Then, just as the last rays of light faded, they saw them—a large army gathered along the eastern side of a river. Horns sounded from the camp below—short, repeated blasts—and Rhett instantly recognized the pattern.

  It was his army.

  They were further west than where he had left them—but only by a few miles, if that. If the Drurus army had attempted to attack his men after his departure, it seemed as though it had only slowed their march toward the west. It hadn’t completely halted their progress or sent his army rushing back toward the borders.

  As Silas flew slowly over the camp, his eyes scanned the ground for a safe place to land. However, in their flyover, Rhett noticed how the camp was stretched too far along the river, risking gaps in their defenses. But the longer he looked, the more curious things became.

  They weren’t spread too thin. They had grown.

  There had to be hundreds more tents than when Rhett had left—easily several hundred more men. By a rough estimate, it looked like the army was close to fifteen hundred soldiers now, if not more.

  Where did all these people come from? Rhett wondered, narrowing his eyes as Silas continued to circle the camp.

  If reinforcements were sent out, we would’ve heard something in Jux, right? Silas inquired.

  You’d think so… Rhett muttered. He paused as he looked at the ground below. Perhaps they’re Riven soldiers.

  Yasir and Zayn must be too impatient to wait for us to reach Lake Velmora, Silas growled. While we’re out here breaking our backs chasing Drurus’s main forces, they’re just strolling through the countryside.

  Rhett exhaled heavily, not in disagreement, but because he didn’t have the strength to think about it any longer. His body ached, and he was mentally exhausted.

  After one final circle around the army, Silas turned and descended, flying low until they found a section of woods far away from the tents. Trees cracked and splintered beneath the dragon as he landed. Silas cleared out a narrow path with his tail, pushing aside broken branches and fallen trees before shifting.

  Within seconds, Rhett stood in the clearing with steam curling off his bare skin. It didn’t take long before torches appeared in the distance, weaving through the trees.

  “Rhett!” Someone shouted.

  “I’m here!” He called out, lifting a hand to his mouth and letting out a loud whistle to guide them toward him.

  The lights converged quickly as four men hurried through the woods. Rhett recognized them instantly—Tristan, Jesup, Jadiel, and Ashur. But there was a fifth lagging behind, shorter than the rest and struggling to keep up.

  The man was wide in the chest, and as he stepped into the glow of the other torches, his red hair stood out.

  Rhett’s eyes widened in surprise.

  Walden…

  It hadn’t been Riven’s men he saw adding to his soldiers.

  It was Ruggeweyn’s.

  Rhett crossed his arms over his chest. He barely acknowledged the worried looks from the others as he locked eyes with Walden.

  “Rhett, what—” Tristan started, but Rhett silenced him with a raised hand.

  “What are you doing here?” The king demanded in a cold voice.

  Walden met his gaze without hesitation, planting his feet and raising his chin.

  “Serving my kingdom,” he said simply.

  “Ruggeweyn?” Rhett questioned.

  “No… Sylvaris.”

  “Is that so?” Rhett’s brow shot up. “So your brother just—what? Had a change of heart?”

  “I may have taken most of his army without his consent,” Walden replied, pursing his lips. There was no pride in his tone, only grim honesty. “I imagine Quinn considers me a traitor now. So... I probably don’t have a home to go back to.”

  Rhett stared at him for a few seconds before finally speaking up.

  “Then why risk it? Why throw away your title, your land, your family name?”

  Walden’s gaze dropped to the ground as he exhaled softly.

  “Because… regardless of what happened in the past, I swore an oath to follow you once. Back when you were just a prince in your father’s army. And now…” He lifted his head again. “Now I want to swear it again. But this time, to you as my king.”

  “All those men you brought with you,” Rhett said as he finally let his arms fall to his sides. “They’ll swear their loyalty to me as well?”

  “They wouldn’t have come otherwise.”

  “Alright,” Rhett stated with a single nod before turning his gaze to the others. “Take me to the tents. I want to know everything that’s happened since I left.”

  The group began moving, walking through the woods toward the camp, but Tristan stayed rooted in place. Rhett paused beside him, noticing the worry in his friend’s expression. He reached out, placing a firm hand on Tristan’s shoulder and squeezing it.

  “She’s safe,” Rhett murmured. “Molly Rose wasn’t hurt. She and her baby are both doing fine.”

  Tristan let out a shaky exhale before swallowing the lump in his throat. Without the king saying it, he could tell that something happened to Amara or the twins—if not both.

  “Rhett…”

  “I’ll explain everything,” Rhett said gently. “But first, catch me up on what’s been happening here. Please.”

  Tristan wanted to argue, but he nodded softly instead. He turned, and the two of them followed the others toward the camp.