Page 121 of The Crown of the Dark Prince
His eyes softened, his thumb brushing the base of my neck. “I know how to take care of myself.”
Maybe he could.
But only for so long.
If I didn’t successfully send Pasnia back to the Underworld, it was only a matter of time before they all died.
“What if I can’t stop her?” The question escaped me in a trembling whisper.
His lips brushed my forehead, lingering just long enough to steady me. “There’s no time to think like that, Thea. Right now, we just keep moving forward.”
He nodded toward the house, taking my hand in his and tugging me gently. “Come on. Let’s get you fed and in bed—as your king ordered.”
With a wry grin, I looked at him from the corner of my eye. “I think I might need some help falling asleep. I’m really on edge.”
Clay smirked and pulled me closer. “I think I know just the thing to help you relax.”
I’d never been in battle before. Never seen war unfold from the battlefield. Never faced the possibility of saying goodbye to my friends without knowing if they would come back.
An ominous stillness hung over us as we positioned ourselves atop the mountain overlooking the castle. Below, palace soldiers lined the ground in rigid formation, their weapons gleaming in the faint light. They were ready for us. Ready to meet us. Ready to kill us. Even the air seemed afraid to move, not a single breeze daring to interrupt the tension between the opposing forces.
Clay strode toward me, his hair mussed and shadows dark beneath his eyes. Despite his command that we all rest before the battle, he hadn’t slept. He’d spent every second visiting the injured, refining battle strategies, issuing orders. And yet, even now, he moved with sharp, unyielding focus.
When he reached me, he didn’t hesitate. His hands framed my face as he pulled me into a kiss—desperate and consuming. I melted into him, momentarily forgetting what we were about to do.
When he pulled back, his golden eyes searched mine, as though memorizing every detail. “Keep her safe,” he said to Iris over my shoulder, his voice hard and commanding.
Then his gaze softened as he spoke to me. “I’ll see you in my chambers when this is all over, princess.”
“Count on it,” I whispered, trying—and failing—to keep my voice steady.
He was gone as quickly as he came, tearing his shirt from his body before shifting. Wings erupted from his back, his form expanding as he soared into the sky. His battle cry split the silence, a feral sound that echoed over the valley.
From her perch atop a rock, Iris scoffed. She twirled a long blade between her fingers, the ruby in its hilt catching the light. “You’re the Goddess here. He should tell you to protectme.”
I raised a brow. “Do you need me to protect you?”
She scoffed again, brushing off her pants. “Of course not.”
There was a time when I would have teased her, when she would have smacked my arm and grinned. But those days were gone. The ease between us had fractured.
Another roar from Clay tore through the sky, a feral command that sent shivers racing down my spine.
That was the cue.
It was time.
I met Iris’ gaze, seeing that same tension in her eyes.
The world froze.
And then…
“Charge!” Rankor’s voice thundered, cutting through the stillness like a blade. He spurred his horse into a gallop, the sound of pounding hooves reverberating through the earth.
Kent surged forward at his side, his twin swords gleaming in the faint light. The soldiers behind them shouted out in a chorus of defiance and desperation as our rebellion hurtled toward the enemy echoed their cries.
The clash was cataclysmic.
