The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 86: Battle between Siblings

Chapter 86: Battle between Siblings

>>Aelin

A jagged fracture split across the ceiling, snaking through the stone like a bolt of lightning. For a heartbeat, everything held still—then the entire roof gave way.

Stone rained down. My pupils shook as I saw the witch’s hand draw closer and closer to me. Her presence had consumed so much of me, I barely had time to notice before a massive chunk of debris came straight for my head. My breath hitched, my body locked in place, but before I could even react to either of the things that were going to kill me–

Drakkar grabbed me.

His arm yanked me hard against him, just as the slab of rock crashed into the ground where I had been standing a second ago. Dust exploded around us, and screams rose from the demons below as the temple began to cave in.

"Where is Ariston?" Drakkar’s face moved around, looking for my guard.

I shot my head around to look at the witch. My eyes darted around everywhere

Where did she go!?!? Did she get slammed under the slab?! My thoughts were immediately followed by the feeling of dread, knowing it wouldn’t be possible.

"This is no place to fight," he muttered, his wings already flexing, his eyes darting upward toward the crumbling ceiling, "We’re leaving." He grabbed my waist, taking me in his embrace

But we weren’t alone.

A sharp pulse of magic filled the air, thick and suffocating. It slammed into my chest, crushing down like an invisible hand gripping my entire body. My knees buckled, and for a terrifying second, it felt like the ground was pulling me in—dragging me down into the ruins.

!?!?!

The witch.

I turned my head just in time to see her. I knew it! I knew she escaped the slab too!

She strode toward us, her dark eyes gleaming. Her lips moved, murmuring something ancient, but it wasn’t something I could hear.

And then came the fire.

A surge of violet flames erupted from her fingertips, twisting toward us like a living beast. The heat burned before it even touched me, the air warping and distorting as it cut through the chaos.

Drakkar didn’t wait.

His wings snapped open, and he launched us into the air, escaping the fire attack that passed by under us.

A jolt of pressure broke against my ribs as we left the ground, his grip firm, unyielding. We soared upward, dodging the falling rubble and the suffocating magic below. The temple’s structure groaned, giving way, more debris crashing all around us.

Above us, I saw it—

The opening.

A gaping hole in the ceiling where Draegon and Alishay had broken through. The sky lay beyond it, open and waiting.

But the way was closing fast.

Drakkar beat his wings harder, faster, twisting through the collapsing stone. A massive column splintered beside us, dust and shards pelting my face as we barely slipped past it.

Then, with a final surge—

We burst through the rubble.

The cold wind of the outside world hit me like ice. His wings spread full length as we both paused in the air to look around. Then we both looked down and saw the collapsing temple that normal people didn’t even know existed.

Drakkar was worried, "Ariston," He whispered my guard’s name and I looked back at him, "Shit,"

"Ariston was with you?" I asked and he nodded. He licked his lips and began to look for a place to put me down.

"He’s far more than capable of getting himself out of there, but I’m still worried," He spotted a safe street and flew there, "I’m going to go back in and find him."

"But the entrance is almost blocked!" He was about to set me down when a violent clash in the sky made us both turn to look at the two humanoid dragons fighting in the night sky.

Drakkar set me on the side path. Then we both looked at Alishay and Draegon. In the distance, the festival was still being held but all the people had begun to notice the fight in the sky.

Drakkar wasn’t sure what to do or why Draegon was so full of rage. But he had something else on his mind as well.

"I’m going back in to get Ariston." He unfurled his wings and began to ascend when suddenly a loud shriek was heard in the sky. Drakkar stopped in the sky and we both looked at the duo fighting

!!!

Only to find that above us while Draegon and Alishay were locked in combat, their wings beating furiously against the howling wind, a third figure had appeared out of nowhere.

!?!?

Ariston!? I was surprised to see him.

He had a blade in his hands which pierced straight through Alishay’s chest.

A sickening crack echoed through the open air as the force of the blow sent her body lurching forward. Her lips parted—not in a scream, but in something soundless, something unreadable. For a moment, she simply hung there, suspended in the sky, the dark blood already beginning to spill.

Drakkar froze beside me.

His golden eyes widened in disbelief, his breath catching as Alishay’s head turned—slowly, horribly.

She glared at Ariston who I have no idea how he managed to land an attack on Alishay while she was fighting in the air. But before Ariston could pull his sword free, she snarled and spun in midair, her talons slicing toward him.

He leapt. I found that his clothes looked a little loose on him.

His body pushed off from her back at the last second, the steel blade still lodged in her chest as he dropped.

Drakkar didn’t hesitate.

He shot forward, his wings cutting through the wind like a blade.

I barely had time to react before he was gone—diving at full speed toward Ariston, who was plummeting to the earth.

I looked back up. Alishay’s rage twisted her features. Her mouth curled into something monstrous, her fangs bared, but it wasn’t just anger—it was panic. She was losing too much blood.

The black liquid that leaked from her wound spilled across her chest like ink.

But Draegon saw it too. And he didn’t let it go to waste.

He lunged. His claws glinted in the pale light, and the second she turned toward Ariston again, he struck.

The impact sent them both spiraling downward.

Draegon’s clawed hand ripped through her wing, tearing through the leathery flesh in a shower of blackened blood. Alishay screamed, twisting in the air, her body trying to right itself, but Draegon was already on top of her.

He didn’t stop.

A fist—slammed into her ribs. A knee—crashed into her gut.

Every hit forced another guttural noise from her throat, her movements growing slower, weaker. Her body jerked under the force, her strikes becoming wild, desperate.

And then he went for the blade.

Alishay barely had time to react before Draegon grabbed the hilt of Ariston’s sword.

For a second, he let her feel it. The steel twisted inside of her. She shrieked, black blood spilling from her lips.

Then—

He wrenched it free.

The moment the blade left her chest, black liquid poured from the wound, coating her in her own abyss-tainted blood. Her wings faltered, her body shuddering violently as the full force of her injury hit her at once.

Draegon didn’t give her time to recover.

He drove his claws into her side—

And flung her downward.

Drakkar and Ariston reached the ground, carefully the demon prince put the human on the road while both of them kept their eyes on the battle.

I couldn’t take my eyes off either.

Alishay was plummeting.

Draegon was following.

***

>> Queen Darcelle

The wine was rich tonight. A deep, bold red, much like the silk that draped over my skin.

I swirled the glass in my hand, watching the liquid stain the sides before taking another slow sip. The sitting room was dimly lit, the warm glow of the candles flickering along the gilded edges of the furniture. Beyond the arched doorway lay my bedroom, its grand bed untouched, though I had no plans of sleeping just yet.

Sleep rarely came easily these days.

I exhaled softly, reclining in my chair, my mind tracing over old wounds—old betrayals.

My husband. My king. A man who had once sworn himself to me, only to let himself be led astray by a pathetic concubine. A wench who had given him nothing but fleeting pleasure, yet he had tossed me aside for her like a forgotten relic.

And then—my daughter.

My only daughter

Gone.

Vanished into the arms of some unknown thing. A creature, a shadow, an anomaly that stole her away from me. One moment, she had been mine, and the next—she was something else.

A creature I no longer recognized.

I took another sip, rolling the wine over my tongue. The taste could not dull the bitterness in my soul, but I liked the way it settled on my palate.

That’s when I heard it

A knock.

I exhaled through my nose. I had no interest in visitors.

"Leave." I didn’t bother raising my voice.

A pause. Then the guard spoke, "Your Majesty, forgive me, but I have urgent news."

I rolled my eyes, setting my wine glass down with a soft clink. "If it’s so urgent, then speak," I said lazily. "You’re already disturbing my evening. Get on with it."

The guard hesitated, but then his voice came through the heavy wooden door.

"There is a commotion at the commoners’ festival."

I hummed in mild amusement. "And?"

"A fight broke out... between your kids,"

I stilled.

A flicker of something surfaced in my chest. My children? He better not be referring to Draegon. That little bastard is not my child. I let out a slow breath, reaching for my glass again. But Draken isn’t the type to get involved into something like this.

Drakkar though... But who is he fighting with? I felt a headache coming in. I rubbed my temples.

"Who is it?"

"Your majesty, it’s Prince Draegon-"

"Oh for Hell’s sake-" I cut him off but he cut me off in fear again when he heard my annoyed voice

"And Princess Alishay."

The wine glass froze at my lips.I felt the blood in my veins turn ice-cold.

Alishay?

I placed the glass down, rising from my chair in one slow, deliberate movement. The silk of my robe cascaded around me, my hands tightening into fists.

I turned toward the door, my voice dangerously soft.

"Say that again."

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