Page 131 of Madness of Her Mages

Aurora frowned. “Uncle Nikkos won’t let us go.”

It’s by the stables and pens with the animals,Em said through thought when Uncle Nikkos looked back at them, agleam in his eyes as if he expected them not to behave.Do you remember seeing it when we were flying?

She swallowed as her nerves made her throat feel funny.Yeah.

Em tugged on her dress, her plea echoing in Aurora’s mind.Take us there.

Aurora shook her head.We should ask Uncle Nikkos to take us.

Em’s eyes nearly crossed.He won’t let us go outside.

Aurora clutched her rumbly tummy. She didn’t want her auntie and uncles to get mad at them for leaving, but she didn’t want everyone to die, either.What do we do with the ball?

Ember dropped her doll before looking back up at the top of the tent.My friends said to take it far away where nobody lives.

Now Aurora was really scared. She didn’t want to go so far away.Like the caves we slept in when our uncles first took us from Pappo and Yaya?

Yes, like there. Please, Rora. If we don’t, we all die.

Shiri

BLAZE TUGGED ON MYhand, and I matched his long strides as we followed Drae back out of the tent. The wind had picked up, cooling down the camp as stars lit up the night sky. Just as we reached our tent, I spied Lady Veronica outside a nearby tent, protruding her feathers and batting her lashes at two tall, tanned, and handsome fire mages.

I caught her gaze as she leaned in to one of the mages, her fingers trailing across the bulge in his biceps. When she stared at me as if she could see through me, I released Blaze’s hand and told him to wait.

Did Malvolia give you the news?

Lady Veronica’s voice startled me when it rang in my head. I gave her a look as if to indicate, ‘What news?’

Her spies reported your sister outed Duke Viggo and his niece as demons.

“What?” I mouthed to her as a jolt ran through me. “When?”

This morning before the wedding. Your sister fought them and brought half the castle down before Duke Viggo and his niece escaped. Now the dragons are refusing to fight for King Fachnan. It won’t be long before Prince Helian and your sister take over Fachnan’s court.

No,I thought to myself,my aunt didn’t tell me.Instead, she tricked me into believing my sister was still surrounded by demons and then manipulated me with talk of love.The evil bitch.

Lady Veronica’s laughter echoed in my skull.That thought I heard clear as a bell.

“Ember! Aurora!” Nikkos screamed as he ran out of the tent, nearly knocking us down. His eyes were wide with panic. “Where did they go?”

My head spun and my heart seized. “I don’t know.”

Drae threw up his hands, giving Nikkos an accusatory look. “I thought you were watching them.”

Nikkos spun a quick circle like a dog chasing his tail. “They were playing quietly, and then they vanished.”

I lunged for Drae. “We need to find them!”

Nikkos clenched his hair by the roots. “They could’ve gone anywhere!”

I breathed through a tightened chest while remembering our prior conversation. “They wanted to see the stables, the dragons, and the beach.”

Drae nodded, his mouth set in a grim line. “You check the stables.” He pointed to the direction of the stables. “Blaze and I will check the wall of dragons. Nikkos checks the beach.”

“EMBER! AURORA!”

My heart raced as I ran through the horse stables. I cringed when I heard male and female grunts and groaning coming from one of the stalls and saw a set of wings flapping above the stall door. I hoped my nieces hadn’t seen that. I checked the other stables, but I found nothing other than a few restless horses.

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