Page 124 of The Crown of the Dark Prince
I gasped, instinct taking over as I lunged forward, my blade finding his neck. The spray of blood was hot against my face as he fell, his weapon clattering to the ground.
There wasn’t time to check on the fallen ally. No time to grieve.
No one else even seemed to notice.
We kept moving, each step feeling heavier than the last as the weight of the battle pressed down on me.
Finally, we stopped outside the sweeping double doors of the grand ballroom.
My lungs burned, my chest heaving with every ragged breath. My fingers tightened around the hilt of my blade, the metal slick with blood.
“You’re up,” Iris said, her voice calm but firm. She adjusted her grip on her blade, poised to burst through the doors.
Right.
My turn.
We burst into the grand ballroom, weapons raised and ready, prepared to face a onslaught of the kingdom’s most elite swordsmen. The heavy doors groaned on their hinges as they swung open, and we braced ourselves for the clash of steel.
But there was only silence.
I exchanged a wary glance with Iris as the stillness pressed down on us, thick and suffocating. Slowly, I stepped forward, every nerve taut, every muscle coiled to strike. The Grand Ballroom had always been a marvel—ornate crystal chandeliers, vivid banners cascading from the high ceiling, and flowers that seemed to bloom perpetually in defiance of the seasons.
But today, it was nothing more than a hollow shell. Overturned chairs and shattered tables lay strewn across the floor, their splintered remains darkened with smears of blood. The space felt cavernous, every footstep echoing as though the room itself were holding its breath.
At the far end of the room, slumped on the great throne of the castle, sat the Dragon.
My breath caught, my stomach knotting with dread. He was barely recognizable. His dark hair hung in matted, tangled waves, as though he’d been tearing at it. Dried blood caked his hands, streaking down his forearmsand staining the open collar of his shirt. But it was his eyes—hiseyes—that stopped me cold. Their golden glow, once fierce and commanding, now burned wild and unhinged, more beast than man.
“There!” he screamed when he saw me, his voice shattering the stillness. He lurched forward on his seat, pointing a trembling, bloodstained finger directly at me. “You’ve come!”
His words were a ragged snarl, laced with frenzied triumph. My throat tightened as he leapt to his feet, his movements jerky and erratic.
“Where’s Pasnia?” I demanded, forcing my voice to stay steady. The Dragon only laughed—a deep, guttural sound that sent chills racing down my spine. I wasn't sure he even understood what I was saying. I glanced to Iris but she only shrugged, just as confused as I was.
"Vyncent," I said his name tentatively, holding my hands up in mock surrender, not wanting to upset him further. "Is anyone else here with you?
He only tilted his head at me, chest heaving as he panted. "Youruined everything. You poisoned my son against me. This is all your fault."
He snarled, the sound a violent roar that echoed around us.
Then he launched himself into the air.
Oily black wings erupted from his back, tearing through the fabric of his shirt with a sickening rip. They were grotesque, uneven, dripping with some foul substance that might have been his blood as they flapped erratically, propelling him forward in spasmodic bursts. The rest of his body refused the shift, leaving him a twisted, mangled figure as he careened toward us.
“Move!” Iris shouted, her blade already drawn.
He was too fast for that.
The Dragon’s weight slammed into me, driving me to the ground with bone-crushing force. Pain exploded in my skull as my head struck the marble, the impact reverberating through my entire body. The world swam, my vision darkening at the edges as I gasped for breath.
“Thea!” Iris’ voice rang out, sharp and panicked.
The Dragon roared, his wings flaring as he scrambled to his feet, his movements animalistic and uncontrolled. “Guards!” he bellowed, his voice raw and savage. “Arrest them! Kill them! Kill them all!”
The doors to the ballroom burst open, and a flood of guards poured in. Their eyes glinted with unnatural madness, their movements jagged and fevered. Pasnia’s influence twisted them, bending their wills into something barely human.
The Dragon only stared down at me with rage and disgust as I struggled to steady my vision. "I'll take care of you once and for all."
