I watch in horror how her tower exploded and was engulfed in flames.
“No,” I yelled again as tears shook me. “No, no.”
“Albert we need to get out of here.”
“I can’t.” I cried.
“You are the king. I’m sorry about Kate, but we need to go otherwise we will die.”
“Then go. I’m not going with you. I’m nothing without her.”
“Paegeia needs you. Please. I’m begging.” I went down on my haunches against the wall as the castle trembled again.
My love was dead. She was dead.
“She could’ve made it out. Don’t lose hope. Just come with me. Please.”
I didn’t move, just sobbed.
“It’s Kate for crying out loud.”
I got what he was saying and I got up as more explosions went off. They were tearing the castle to pieces.
We made it to the elevator.
Caleb wasn’t there, but a few others were.
We all got in. I was nothing without Kate. Why would Goran kill her. He loved her.
The door struggled to close, but they managed to force it. Then it still wouldn’t move. It was too full.
I had to take my chances. I wasn’t leaving without her. I got out and shoved Helmut back in as he tried to follow. I tried to shut the door. Our daughter was going to come home.
Kate was still here. I would find her.
I ripped the chain that held Katherine’s ring from my neck. She had thrown it in my face one night and never asked for it back. I had kept it save. I pulled mine off and put them together in Helmut’s hand even as he begged me to get back into the elevator.
“You will know what to do with them when the time comes.” Tears welled up in my eyes. He looked at the rings confused.
“Don’t do this, please.”
“I can’t live without her. Go, and I’m sorry, Helmut.”
I closed the door, pushed the lever and the elevator shot down.
I cried and went on my haunches.
Just as I was about to make my way to the compartment in the wall, I felt the heat and saw a huge ball of fire in front of me.
The noise drowned out my hearing and everything tumbled in from underneath me.
When I woke up screams were all around.
I couldn’t move. My face ached and I coughed as my lungs were filled with smoke. I was lying at the edge of the indoor swimming pool. I must have fallen five storeys and was still alive.
Rocks and debris were all around me. Screaming was coming from outside.
My people were going to suffer under Goran. He was pure evil.
I prayed to a higher power and saw a small tiny root that was protruding from the ground. I dropped some of my blood on it, and did a spell with love, my love, Kate’s love.
The earth started to shake and it didn’t stop.
Exhaustion consumed me as the magic took all my strength. My dragon blood was gone. Depleted through the sacrifice I made for my people. They would be saved.
I woke up and found Goran standing next to me.
“Why can’t you just die?”
Angry tears filled my eyes. “I should’ve known that it was you. Why, why did you kill Kate?”
He chuckled but tears rolled down his cheeks. “She wasn’t supposed to die, you were. Why couldn’t you just let her be that day, Albert? I knew your love for her wasn’t enough. You have only brought her misery for the past twelve months.”
“She is dead, Goran. The love of my life is dead, and you know nothing.” I chuckled with angry tears in my eyes too.
“I could’ve made her happier.” He screamed down at me.
I spit in his face. “She chose me. She will always choose me.”
Goran hit me hard in the face and I spit out blood. “That was for stopping our wedding.”
Two hundred and forty years he had been waiting for this chance to betray me. I should’ve known that he wouldn’t let Katherine go.
“The wyverns that killed her paid. They are all dead.”
“She is too. That is on you. You killed Kate.”
“I didn’t kill her, I loved her.”
I chuckled. “You have a funny way of showing your love. Your father was right. He should’ve killed you when he discovered that you could speak their language.”
He hit me again and crouched next to me. He picked up my face, and held it against his.
“I knew one day all of you would leave me and so you have. Your little magic won’t work Al. I will get through whatever you wielded and I will take what was yours, what you owe me.” He screamed and then he laughed. “You know I’m right. You don’t have enough power to make it last.”
I laughed at him as I knew what he meant. I needed dragon blood to make it last.
“Wrong again, Goran. Magdel wasn’t my mother.”
His smile disappeared.
“I gave it up to trap you in this hell whole for as long as you live. The Rubicon will never be yours.”
He grunted and kicked me full in the face.
Light’s out.
It was up to Elena and Blake to save our world. I just hoped Kate didn’t tell him about her. That was all I could do now.
The Forgotten Queen
The story of Prince Louie and his first love, Guinevere. How their love shifted the change in Paegeia.
Available in the Playing with Fire Boxset for only 99c.
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About Adrienne Woods
Adrienne Woods is a USA Today Bestselling authors with three series and a standalone novel under her belt.
Her international bestselling series the Dragonians Series, the Spin-of series called the Beam Series and Dream Casters Series.
Forbidden: a Red Riding Hood retelling got her on the USA Today list and her newest is Starbeam.
To find out more about her novels please visit www.adriennewoodsbooks.com
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