"For Hommis, this can't be happening," I whisper, suddenly seeing Richard and Beatrice in their drive way. They seem to be in a hurry. Elizabeth, their maid is walking towards them, dragging two large suitcases towards their super-fast sports car.
"What is it? Come on Astri, we can’t stop now," he says. He probably senses that I'm standing next to him, although he can't see me.
Surprisingly, my aunt already noticed him. She can't see me and it's difficult to say if she recognises him or not.
"It's my aunt and uncle. We’re on their street and they’re looking straight at us," I tell him.
It's strange seeing them now, under these circumstances. I feel like it's been months since I left their home.
My aunt pats her hair and nudges her husband. For a second they whisper something to each other, staring back at the Duke of Rivenna.
Jorgen tightens his jaw and glances in their direction. I hope that he isn't planning to talk to them. That would be a very bad idea. Richard barks at Elizabeth and the maid quickly goes back inside the house. We’re only several alleys from the old mill and we can't afford to be held up. My aunt and uncle are most likely already thinking about what they can get in exchange for information about the Duke's whereabouts. They’ve always been motivated by money.
"Go Jorgen. We can come back later, and it looks like they’re leaving anyway," I hiss, wanting to push him to keep moving. Jorgen’s vulnerable out here, exposed, but he doesn't seem to hear me. He’s already approaching them. Nothing’s changed, my aunt and uncle are still the same heartless, bitter humans, but now they have a chance to prove me wrong.
There’s no way that I'm going to appear; after the last meeting with my aunt we haven't exactly been on good terms. I just don't want to ruin anything now.
"It's him. I told you Richard, that's the Duke," I hear my aunt, saying to her husband who backs away towards the house. Both have a few large suitcases and it looks like they’re going on a trip. I glance around to make sure that no one suspicious is hanging around the area. My beast senses shifters nearby, but apart from the nosy neighbours, we’re safe.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Donovan," Jorgen says, clearing his throat. I have no idea why he even wants to talk to them. Nothing good will come from it. My uncle exhales sharply, probably remembering their last encounter.
"The entire court is looking for you Duke. Why are you here? We thought that you would be with my niece. Your twin wants her dead," my aunt says, frowning. I don't hate her anymore; after so many years I just feel sorry for her. She obviously has some issues, but I have too much on my plate to worry about her right now.
"I'm aware of it. Are you guys going somewhere?" he asks and I kind of want to nudge him, reminding him that we shouldn't be wasting our time talking to them.
"We’re leaving the city before that brother of yours figures out that Astri’s related to us. We don't want to end up dead. Besides, Richard paid one of the shifters good money to transport us out safely. We suggest you do the same before any one sees that you're back," my aunt adds, and my jaw drops. I can’t believe that she's giving Jorgen advice, actually telling him to disappear.
The two of them must really be petrified if they’re leaving now.
"I appreciate your advice, but my people are relying on me. I cannot abandon them. My father wouldn't want that."
"We figured that you weren't the murderer, but that's beside the point," my aunt adds, smoothing her hair. She looks stressed and it seems that she lost a bit of weight too. "He has another shifter, apparently another Wyvern, so we’re leaving before we get dragged into this mess. It looks like Astri has other family after all."
Chapter Thirteen
New order, and death.
I don't want to believe anything coming out of my aunt's mouth. She’s lying again, probably trying to keep Jorgen here for a bit longer.
On the other hand, she doesn't have any reason to make up this story. What if she’s right? What if Ruscal managed to capture Aria or Edvard?
"Are you saying that my brother’s holding another Wyvern? Are you sure, Mrs. Donovan?" he asks.
We need to get out of here, and I'm not planning to reveal myself to them. They’ve said and done enough.
I sense other shifters approaching the area and they might be under Ruscal's orders. It's unsafe for Jorgen to stay here. None of this was supposed to happen. My aunt frowns, looking annoyed that the duke keeps questioning her.
"We don't have time for this nonsense. That mage, Ruscal, has another Wyvern, and he's going to kill him if that stupid girl doesn’t turn herself in. That mage wants to do an exchange: her life for the other shifter. He announced it on the TV last night," my aunt says, confidently.
I instantly feel sick, and blood rushes to my ears. She doesn't look like she’s lying.
"Beatrice, we have to go now. We shouldn't even be talking to that fool," Richard barks at her and she purses her lips in a hard line.
"Goodbye Jorgen, I hope that you make the right decision," she says. I should be shocked, but my heart starts pounding against my ribcage. This can't be happening— no. Ruscal’s captured my family and we’ve only just been reunited.
Moments later, my relatives get into the car, spinning out of the driveway. They drive off in a hurry while my uncle keeps staring back at Jorgen. I can't move—I feel paralysed from head to toe.
"Astri, where are you damn it? This spell is slowly driving me crazy," Jorgen says, bringing me back to reality.
"Here, for Hommis. I really hope that they were lying. Ruscal's people must have caught them when they were escaping from the camp," I say, grabbing his hand, and pushing him forward. "Come on. The old mill isn’t far. We’ll know more once we get there.
I thought that the worst was behind us, that after saving Jorgen things would be easier, but obviously Ruscal struck again.
This is it. I might never see my aunt and uncle ever again, but I'm worried about my real family.
We keep rushing through the streets, finally reaching the old mill several minutes later. We use the basement entrance to get inside, while my emotions are running high. I try to figure out if there are any other protective spells left, but we seem to get through the basement just fine. Then, a split second later, we’re being bombarded with small stones flying from every possible direction. I start screaming, trying to use my magic as a shield when someone shouts.
"Hold on Jetli, it's Astri, and lordi lord! I can’t believe my own pixie eyes!"
The attack finally stops and Jorgen gets stuck in the window. Seconds later, two mini creatures are attempting to hug me, sticking their small hands into my neck.
"Lenin, Jetli, for Hommis, it's so good to see you. Was it Edvard or Aria that’s been captured?" I ask.
It's all too much when I finally spot Emilia on the stairs standing next to Aria. They’re both staring at me in silence. It's obvious; Ruscal captured Edvard. Ruscal’s going to let him go once I turn myself in. Of course, that bastard knows that I’ll do anything to save my family.
We all stare at each other for some time, while Lenin explains everything. Aria looks terrible, her eyes are swollen and it’s obvious she’s been crying a lot.
"What happened after we vanished in the portal? The camp was riddled with protection spells. No one was supposed to know about our location," I finally manage to ask.
Jorgen nudges me forward and we walk upstairs.
"I believe there was snitch in the camp—someone sold us out to Ruscal.” Emilia explains, then continues. “Edvard was captured first, there were just too many of them and they were using dark magic. Aria tried to help him, but it was too late. We all had to get out. It's wasn't safe. Five from our camp were killed, and there are several wounded shifters upstairs. This happened three days ago." She’s staring at me and Jorgen like she’s trying to figure out if we managed to find something.
We start climbing to the higher levels, passing several floors. It looks like the entire mill is occupied. Derek
seems busy on the second floor, running around tending to the wounded shifters laying on the floor.
Emilia hugs me tightly and I sense that she’s relieved that we’re back.
"Astri, you're back,” Alex says, running up to me as soon as she sees me. Thank Hommis. I was afraid that I would never see you again."
"I stabbed a few shifters in the eye. I thought I was brave lordi lord, but I'm not happy that I didn't hurt more of them," Lenin says, flying next to Jorgen and Jetli sits on my arm. The Pixie looks worried. I bet that she heard about Ruscal's demand. The mage is aware of my weakness.
"We really shouldn't be staying here. It's not safe. Wild shifter’s patrol this part of the city now. Sooner or later they’ll figure out that we’re here," Emilia says and I can't agree more.
I spot Thayer talking to an older shifter. He and Jorgen shake hands. The old mage looks a little bruised, but I'm glad that he’s here.
A few other shifters gather around me, and I explain what happened once we crossed over to the Neverworld. Shifters and mages are listening, most likely hoping that I found a way to defeat the monster. None of us want to risk anymore lives.
It's difficult to talk about the prophecy, about the fact that we witnessed the past, and that Jorgen saw his dead mother.
"For Hommis Astri, this is exactly what we needed. Ruscal will lose credibility if his people find out about this," Emilia says, but I'm not sure if it matters that much right now.
"Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that he has Edvard and he's going to kill him," I point out, feeling that I have to consider turning myself in. Ruscal has no mercy and Edvard doesn't mean anything to him.
He’s a Wyvern and Ruscal wants him dead either way. He’ll try to kill us both.
"Thayer, have the other shifters returned yet? Jorgen asks. “We need to know if Vaclav and Duncan are on board."
"They're on the way, my lord, but there’s a terrible hurricane just outside the border of the Eastern World, they’re being forced to wait there until it passes," Thayer explains and Jorgen curses, aware that this kind of storm might last for several days.
It might be too late then.
Silence stretches for several long moments. No one’s willing to say that I should turn myself in, although I know everyone’s thinking about it.
"Right, I have no choice then. I have to turn myself in. My uncle’s going to be executed if I just sit here, hiding out," I say, and Aria bursts into tears. She hasn't said a word so far, and I understand that this must be difficult for her.
"Don't be absurd Astri, he'll kill you the first chance he gets,” Jorgen argues, sounding angry. “Then, he’ll murder Edvard too. That man hasn't got a drop of good blood in him."
Maybe what we saw in Neverworld would matter more if Ruscal hadn't captured Edvard.
We’re all trapped in the mill, and I don't expect a miracle anytime soon.
"We started recruiting shifters in the city, trying to see if we could bring enough of them over to our side. We have at least two hundred shifters and mages who are willing to help up," Alexandra states and her husband Tom nods, backing her up.
It's a start, but the morale around here isn’t great. Ruscal has a whole army of mages and wizards backing him. I don’t even dare to think about how many wild shifters he has.
"All right, we’ll wait and see what happens," I say, then leave Jorgen with the rest of the group. Emilia brings me some food and Aria joins me, telling me that she doesn't expect me to hand myself over in order to save her father.
My mind seems blank, but despite what everyone’s telling me, I know what I must do.
My fire magic can bring death—it's the only advantage that I have. I tried to use it against him eleven years ago, but it backfired. Now things are different, and I'm stronger.
Ruscal’s always been a coward. Years ago, I was only a child—a little girl that had no idea the extent of her own powers.
I hear Jorgen arguing with the others downstairs, talking about what we should do next. He can try to deny it, but he can't save me—no one can. I have to face this scum alone.
Soon after, exhaustion takes over and I head to the highest floor, attempting to get some sleep. For some reason, I want to be alone, away from everyone. There’s a lot that I have to think about and I need to make the final decision on my own.
When I lay down, my thoughts begin racing away. It takes me a long time to finally drift off. The Pixies arrive at some point, making themselves comfortable. When Lenin starts snoring loudly I feel a little less anxious. I finally feel like I'm home again.
Hours later, in the middle of the night, sudden movement wakes me up. Someone’s walking upstairs. I hear their heavy steps, but I'm not fully awake.
Then I sense him. Even though he doesn't have his beast, my stomach instantly tightens with desire. Jorgen's aftershave is recorded into my memory, infusing and paralysing all my senses. He slips under the blanket next to me and wraps his arms around me. I don't dare move, afraid that this might only be happening in my head. He doesn't say a word, only moves closer.
Heat rises through me, lifting every small hair on the back of my neck. I want him to kiss me. I want to be with him before I face Ruscal. Yes, we were together when I was in heat, but it was primal.
Now we’re together because we’re in love.
Sometime later, we must both drift into a deep sleep and I'm convinced that this is only happening in my imagination.
When I wake up in the morning Jorgen’s gone. There isn't any evidence that he was in this room at all.
I lay there staring at the beams above me, convinced that I was only dreaming about him last night.
Jetli’s flying around, gesturing and trying to point at Lenin. She’s probably annoyed that he’s still fast asleep.
I shake my head, telling myself that Jorgen showed up in my room last night and I couldn't have imagined it. Maybe I should just ask him about it, then I’ll know for sure. In a matter of seconds, I put some decent clothes on and head downstairs.
"Here, drink this. Some of us have been up all night discussing what we should do next," Aria says, handing me a warm cup of coffee. There’s no point asking questions. The kitchen in the mill wasn't working properly, but it seems that a shifter must have fixed it while we were gone.
Jorgen’s sitting at the table. He gives me a stiff nod when I walk in, which completely confuses me. I don't want to ask him about last night in case I'm slowly beginning to lose my mind.
Lenin stretches, commenting that the food’s been bad since there’s so many mouths to feed now. I can't help but to roll my eyes. I need to ease the tension in my shoulders; forget about Jorgen and last night.
Slowly, more shifters start showing up and it looks like Jorgen’s arranging some kind of meeting. I hate to rain on his parade, but the truth is that we’re still outnumbered.
The only option is to hand myself over to that psychotic murderer to avoid other people risking their lives for me. There isn't any way out of it. Soon the whole room is filled with shifters and mages. Most of them are strangers, mages from all around the city who want to join the Duke. Many of them are staring at me; some greet me, and I respond. Jorgen still pretends that nothing’s changed between us, and I think that I'm going crazy.
"We’re going to raid the castle tonight. A few of us were recruiting more people late last night. Apparently, Ruscal sent some of his people away, so this is our chance. We expect less shifters to be guarding the castle walls tonight,” Jorgen explains.
"We can't let Astri walk straight into Ruscal's hands. She's too valuable and she’s done enough to save Rivenna," Thayer states and everyone agrees. I listen to the plan, thinking that Jorgen must have lost his damn mind. It's a suicide mission and I can't let them die for me.
I suspect that even if I voice my opinion no one’s going to listen to what I have to say.
Several minutes later when everyone knows their positions, and the entire plan is laid out, I grab
Jorgen's arm. A jolt of electricity moves through me. He glances at me and his eyes are full of brewing fire for a split second. I can't be wrong; he might be saying one thing, but he still has feelings for me.
"Jorgen, this is crazy. You have to stop this madness. I can't let those shifters die for me," I tell him, pushing all my feelings and expectations away.
"There’s no two ways about it. We’re doing this and everyone’s on board, Astri," he disagrees, pursing his lips into a thin line. He seems angry with me and I don't understand what’s going on. I didn't ask him for this and I haven't tried to change his mind. "I can’t lose you to that bastard. I won’t allow the prophecy to be fulfilled because you still belong to me."
Chapter Fourteen
An escape.
The heat of his breath is covering my face making my knees weak. I part my lips, trying to understand what he just said. I wasn't dreaming last night—he came into my room. He wanted to claim me back.
My breathing quickens and I want to tell him that I don't want to lose him either. He doesn't give me a chance to say anything, because he quickly pulls away and follows Thayer downstairs.
I'm confused, wondering what the hell just happened between us. Jorgen obviously still wants me, but he isn't ready to move forward. Maybe he just doesn't want to be open about it. This relationship may cause outrage in the city, but I'm done worrying about other people’s opinion. We’ve been through enough.
Why do men have to be so confusing?
"What was that about?"
Another voice startles me and I nearly jump when Alexandra appears next to me.
"What was what about?" I ask.
"The Duke looked at you like he was ready to mate with you again. The heat between you two was off the charts," she comments, smiling and I'm aware when more heat rushes to my cheeks.