Chapter 538

Nina

I crouched low in the underbrush, my heart pounding against my ribcage. Peering through the fronds, I could just make out the cave entrance that would lead us to Mila’s palace, and hopefully, to my husband.

But it wouldn’t be so simple to get in. This time, there were guards stationed at the entrance—and a lot of them, too. Getting inside would be no easy feat, and might even be impossible to do without being seen.

“That’s a lot more resistance than we were anticipating,” Matt muttered, crouched beside me with Jessica and the others. A cluster of Kai’s warriors fanned out behind us, their expressions grim.

I swallowed hard. “What are our options?” I asked, my voice low. “Is there another way inside?”

One of the warriors, crouched by my side, shook his head. “The only other cave entrance is on the other side of the mountain, and is likely guarded like this as well.”

A heavy silence fell over our group as we digested this information. Taking the entrance by force was beginning to seem more and more impossible by the second.

“I could cause a distraction,” a lilting voice suddenly piped up.

I turned to see Daphne edging forward, her red hair catching the light. Her bird form could be useful, with its small size and agility. But it was dangerous.

“Absolutely not,” Matt interjected. “It’s too dangerous, Daphne. Those brutes could swat you out of the air like a gnat.”

Daphne bristled and placed her hands on her hips. “Are you doubting my abilities?” she scoffed.

As the two continued to bicker in hushed tones, I felt a gentle hand on my arm. I glanced over to see Lori leaning in close, her eyes serious.

“She’s right,” murmured. “Daphne’s abilities may be our best chance at causing enough chaos to infiltrate the palace. If she can create an opening, even just a small one…”

She trailed off, and despite my reservations, I knew she was right. A wave of resignation washed over me as I realized that perhaps this was the only way.

Matt seemed to come to the same conclusion, for his shoulders slumped in defeat. Slowly, he turned back to Daphne with a look I couldn’t quite read—fear, maybe.

“Just... be careful,” he said, swallowing hard. “Okay?”

For a beat, Daphne’s fierce expression softened into something impossibly tender and sad.

Then, rising up on her tiptoes, she flung her arms around Matt’s neck and kissed him firmly. The rest of us looked away, smirking and blushing at the sudden display of affection from the usually-shy Daphne.

When they finally parted, she nodded and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’ll draw them off for as long as I can,” she said simply.

Then, giving us one final nod, she shifted and flitted off in a flash of red feathers.

Within seconds, her bird form began to weave dizzying patterns around the startled guards, near-impossible to track with the naked eye. The guards swatted and stumbled, shocked by her sudden divebombs until they finally stumbled far enough away from the cave entrance.

“Now,” Luke said softly, gesturing to the warriors.

Without a moment of hesitation, Kai’s warriors surged forward, forming a loose semicircle around the cave mouth. Taking cues from Matt, they spread out with practiced efficiency, already lashing out with their gleaming blades as the first few guards snapped to attention.

“We need to move quickly,” Luke hissed beside me, crouched low and ready to sprint at a moment's notice. “Lori, you coming with us, or—?”

“I’m staying here,” replied, pulling a small knife out of her belt. “With Jessica.” She looked over at her girlfriend, who merely nodded and shifted in the blink of an eye, crouching to allow her to ride on her back.

Giving my friend’s arm one final squeeze, I rose into a half-crouch alongside Luke and Tyler, keeping my strides low and measured as we began to advance toward the skirmish.

The sounds of battle raged around us, of clashing steel and grunts of exertion. Overhead, Daphne’s flickering form kept up its breakneck pace, whirling and diving in a dizzying frenzy.

Finally, we reached the entrance of the cave. It was unfathomably dark inside, but I knew that soon, torches would light our way the closer we got to Mila’s palace.

I swallowed hard against the sour taste coating my tongue. The dragon's den.

“Stay close and keep quiet,” Luke murmured, shooting me a sidelong look. I nodded and took Tyler’s hand, remembering my promise to my mother—to not let my brother out of my sight.

And together, the three of us ventured into the cave, leaving behind the screeching echoes of battle raging outside.

…

The narrow path sloped downward at a steep incline, the rocky walls slowly closing in around us. I maneuvered carefully, trying to keep my breathing steady and calm as the hot, oppressive air grew thicker and harder to draw into my lungs.

We continued on like this for what felt like an eternity, the sounds of the entrance slowly fading to a dull murmur behind us. Before long, the path opened up into a sprawling network of tunnels crisscrossing ahead, their edges illuminated by the eerie glow of flickering torches that never should have existed.

Our footsteps rang out in the hollow stillness as we crept down the winding tunnels, peering around each corner with trepidation. At every turn, it seemed, lurking in wait was another thrall guard, soulless and vacant behind their dark helmets.

Thankfully, Luke’s quick reflexes allowed him to subdue the first few sentries without incident before they could raise the alarm. Still, with every guard taken out of commission, the risks continued to multiply—it would only be a matter of time before they were discovered missing.

Finally, after disabling a handful more straggling patrols, we spied a narrow side passage—and seized our chance. Luke, Tyler and I swiftly traded our clothes for three of the fallen guard’s uniforms, although they hung a bit loose on our much smaller frames.

After several tense minutes of tugging and adjusting, we checked our appearances and nodded at one another.

“Not half bad,” Tyler murmured as we swapped helmets last, obscuring our faces. “As long as we don’t have to talk to anyone, we should be able to pass well enough.”

I gritted my teeth, ignoring the cloying sensation of sweat already pooling in my palms. Just stay calm, I told myself. You can do this.

And so, hand in hand, we ventured further into the impossible palace.

The tunnels grew wider and warmer as we progressed deeper, with occasional glimpses of guards, who didn’t give us a second look in our uniforms—thankfully.

More than once we had to stop and reorient ourselves, the network of passages becoming increasingly more maze-like with each turn. But finally, after what felt like an eternity skulking through the shadowed recesses, we came upon a broad, arched doorway.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I realized that I knew this place. It was the inner chambers, where Mila kept her most favorite prisoners—where Enzo and I had escaped from last time.

And somewhere inside, no doubt, was Enzo.

Another empty stretch of corridor... a sharp right turn… and then there was what appeared to be a private antechamber. One adorned with a single oaken door, unguarded and slightly ajar.

My heart leapt into my throat as I felt my wolf bristle inside of me. Could this be it?

Before I could second-guess myself, I surged forward, pushing open the door—and froze at the sight in front of me.

There, not ten feet away, stood Enzo himself. His tall, muscular frame was dressed in simple linen clothing, his broad back muscles rippling beneath the fabric as he faced away from me, clearly absorbed in dressing for some impending ceremony.

My vision blurred, my throat constricting. He was here. Safe, seemingly unharmed—just as infuriatingly beautiful and whole as the day he had left, or rather, the day he had been taken from me.

Enzo stiffened, the muscles in his back going rigid as he turned to face me. “Could I have a few more minutes?” he asked, his eyes slightly wide with a fear that I could practically smell from here. “I’m not quite ready.”

I said nothing, too frozen to speak. For a few long moments, we just stared at each other. Then, almost of their own volition, my trembling hands lifted up to my helmet, slowly prying it off my head and letting it drop to the floor with a dull clang.

Like a tidal wave crashing over rocks, all the air rushed out of me at once. Because there, staring back at me with naked shock and wonder, was the gaze of the man I loved. Not the glazed, hollow stare of a mindless puppet, but eyes that were filled with warmth, recognition—and love.

For a single, breathless heartbeat, we simply drank in the sight of each other, as if neither of us could comprehend that this was real. That we were both here, in the flesh, alive and whole.

Then, without a word, Enzo closed the distance between us in three long strides and crushed me against him, his arms enveloping me in a breathless hug as his lips crashed into mine.