“Until next time, my king.”

I slammed the door in her face, listening as her dark chuckles faded down the hallway. I shook my head and seized the bottle of wine. I missed Wren.

After Kali left, I destroyed the bottle of wine I’d found stashed in my room. And did I stop with the single bottle. I finished the one in my room, then bullied Spike out of another two. At some point in the evening, I finally passed out, not even making it to the large bed. I was startled awake by a sound, like clattering feet trying too hard not to be heard. I shot up from the floor, my body crouched defensively towards the open balcony. I ignored my raging headache as the wind blew his scent right towards me. He was outside, waiting for me.

I shifted and appeared behind him, latching onto his arm and yanking. Before he could yell or attack, I twisted his arm behind his back and took him to his knees. He grunted in pain but didn’t fight me. Then I smelled him. Smelled her. Fury and anger raged through me, my vision turning red. His arm was bent so severely I was threatening to break it, but still he refused to fight back.

“Where the fuck have you been? The Cantradians are besides themselves! And where is my mate?”

Thad blinked, shock settling on his face for a moment before he shook it off.

“I don’t have time for any of that right now. How do I treat a sick draken?”

My heart skipped a beat, and I fought to get the words out.

“Where is she?” My words were a deadly hiss, and Thad had to gall to shake his head at me. I slammed him against the exterior wall, but to my surprise he fought back, shadows and darkness throwing me from him and hurling me over the balcony. I twisted and flared my wings, flying upwards and diving back to him in seconds. He hadn’t been kidding about the half-breed thing. That would have to be dealt with later. Wren was more important.

“I order you to—”

The shadows came again and I threw myself to the ground, dodging them. I nicked my chest with a claw, igniting my own blood magicks. My skin glowed under the night sky, and Thad’s eyes widened. The shadows halted, black magick threatening to clash with white. We stood panting in front of each other, bleeding in various places and tentatively reaching out with tendrils of power.

“I don’t have much time. This was my first time shifting, but—”

“Where is Wren?” My voice was a deep rumble within my chest. The only reason he wasn’t already dead was the fear in his eyes, and it wasn’t for himself.

“Wren is sick. Her skin is ice cold, and she shakes uncontrollably. I suspect it’s poison from a blade she took to her wing. I tried what you told me back in Cantrada, but it’s not enough.”