Page 101 of The Heart of the Dragon

As that thought went through my head one of the soldiers grabbed her arm and tried to pull her from me. I held fast, but I couldn't keep hold for long. They'd rip her arm off. So I let go of her and dove for her waist, releasing her knives. "Fight like I taught you. Vulnerable tendons. Please, Rose. Fight."

She looked like she was in a daze, but her instincts managed to kick in, and she began fighting to get free. When her blade came down and sliced through the wrist of her assailant, I smiled. She'd learned well. He would not live to survive this night.

Unfortunately for me, helping her had cost me what little time I had to fight for my own life. At least six soldiers grabbed me, and as I flung and punched each one away, two more took their place. I had no shortage of ego and fighting ability, but even I knew these odds were impossible. And Rose had been pinned down as well. The awakened mate bond fueled me now as I fought and fought and fought.

"Stop fighting or I'll slit her throat." How I heard the guard's words over the adrenalin rushing through my body I didn't know. But my blood turned to ice as I froze where I stood, turning to see the man who'd dared to touch my mate. It didn't matter that we weren't fully bonded, fate had given her to me and no mere fae would get to take her away.

"If you do, everyone you know and love, and everyonetheyknow and love will burn at the feet of my dragon." The low words rumbled viciously from my throat, every bit as potent in their truth as any I'd spoken. However, I wasn't going to make a move yet. For now, I would have a better chance negotiating for her life than fighting for it. "I demand to speak with the king!"

Their deaths were already written. No matter what happened. It was done. As for my uncle, his death would no longer be quick. The dungeon was out of the question. He would bleed for this.

"You don't even get what is happening do you?" Another soldier from my side sneered. "The king doesn't want to see you. Not alive, anyways. He's demanded your head on a"—pain exploded through my entire body on his hesitation, robbing me of breath—"pike, but first, I'll take your heart," he finished.

I looked down to see a sword run through my chest, and likely the very organ he sought. As blood bubbled in my throat, I looked at Rose to tell her I was sorry, only to watch the guard slowly drag the blade across her neck.

Chapter

Thirty-Eight

Rose

I didn't feelthe blade across my neck at first. I still couldn't breathe at the sight of Magnus run through with a sword the size of a sledgehammer. My vision narrowed as it contracted and expanded with the room. Lights flashed, words stretched, and I felt like I was being ripped in half all over again.

No. This could not be happening again. I needed more time. Time. Why wasn't there more when I needed it? I wasn't ready.

When the room finally came back together again, stitching itself piece by piece, I surged forward with my fingers at my neck until a hard set of hands caught me.

"Magnus?" I prayed it was him. Dear Goddess, please. I'd do anything. This had to be a nightmare.

"Of course. Who else would it be? What's wrong?"

I opened my eyes and drank in his big, beautiful, scarred face, certain I'd never seen anything more perfect in my entire life.

"Are you okay?"

He pulled his brows together as concern washed over his features. "Of course I am. My soon to be mate just made me the happiest man in this realm or any other. I only hope I recover enough to go and visit Corvina later. We really need her help getting inside that castle unseen."

"What?" I jerked free of his arms, and despite the still spinning room, I realized we were not in the same place as before. It was the day…before?

I scrunched my eyes closed and took a quick second before opening again. Still not where we were supposed to be. What the hell was happening to me?

"Whoa." Magnus scooped me into his arms and off my feet. "I don't know why you are swaying or shaking like your bones are about to break. But how about we get back in that bed until we figure it out?"

I closed my eyes and pressed my face into his chest, inhaling deep at the same time. This was what I needed. Him. His heat on my skin, and his scent all around me. If I could, I'd burrow deep and potentially stay there. Whatever nightmare loop I was in, I couldn't take another round.

"We need to leave here now," I whispered. "This isn't going to work."

"What do you mean? We just talked about this. What happened in the last five minutes that has you so freaked out?"

The idea of rehashing this all again sent a hard shudder up and down my spine. But what choice did I have? Only this time I had to convince him to believe something I didn't even understand.Thank the Goddess we had more time this go round. If he hadn't even talked to his witch yet, then I had hours to come up with a new plan. Namely, get the hell out of this village. He'd said there were other kingdoms. Surely one of them would give us—did they offer asylum here?

"I've watched you die twice. I can't do it again."

"What the hell does that mean?" He reared back and I grabbed at his shirt to try and keep him close.

There was no avoiding or getting out of this so I forced myself up to a sitting position and took one last fortifying breath. "Two minutes ago, I was in your castle throne room and had to watch one of the guards run you through with a sword while a knife was pressed to my neck." Before he could say anything, and I could see that he was about to burst, I held up my hand to stop him and rushed to continue. "I know it sounds crazy. But it wasn't the first time. The first one was worse in a way, but not really, because watching you die felt like I was dying too. And I probably was about to, when I blinked and suddenly was back here. That's why I was shaking, and barely breathing. Because you were dead, and there was nothing I could do to stop it."

I slumped forward as I felt the weight of the world, or at least my world, pressing down on me.

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