Page 162 of Severed Heir

They threw me through an ice portal, and the world spun. When it settled, Callum’s sneer snapped into focus. His cold hands gripped my wrists and shoved me toward the looming steel gates of Malvoria.

“Charles?” I rasped, my voice raw.

Callum scoffed. “Think again. I’ve been sent to retrieve you.”

“Why?”

His grip only tightened. “Call for your dead brother. See if he comes. Call for your quelless lover, see if he can save you.”

I thrashed in his grip, but my strength was gone. “Take me back!” And it wasn’t Ravensla I wanted in that moment.

He didn’t answer. He just dragged me through Malvoria’s dark halls until I stumbled into the main courtyard and froze. Caius stood bound and silent. Damien lingered nearby, his expression unreadable. They were all here—the heirs of Verdonia.

“What is this?” I demanded. “What are you doing?”

“Rounding us up,” Caius muttered. “To fight.”

I heaved against Callum’s grip, fury rising in my chest. “To fight? How is this even allowed?”

“They don’t have a choice,” Callum said. “The heirs of Verdonia are being conscripted for the war that’s coming.”

Charles stood at the far end of the hall, arms crossed, watching in silence.

“Charles!” I snapped. “What the hell is going on?”

He didn’t respond.

Callum leaned in, voice low. “Don’t waste your breath. Charles won’t protect you.”

Charles raised a hand, and the room fell silent. “You’re all here because you’re the second strongest beings next to your Serpents,” he said. “You’ve been conscripted to fight the Forgotten.”

Damien’s voice cut through the quiet. “Do the Serpents know you’ve stolen their heirs?”

“They know,” Charles said.

“And they allowed this?”

“They don’t have a choice.”

Callum yanked me forward. My heels scraped against stone as I tried to resist. “No,” I hissed. “I won’t fight for you.”

Callum chuckled and gestured to the guards along the wall. “Kian. Care to join me for this one?”

Kian stood at the edge of the hall. “What?”

“Come on,” Callum said. “Beats dungeon duty after your little rebellion in Colindale. You followed Severyn withoutpassing initiation. And now?” His smirk sharpened, curling at the edges like something rotting. “We need her dragon. Maybe a shadow can coax the beast to purr.”

Kian’s jaw tightened. His fists clenched at his sides, shadows coiling faintly at his fingertips before vanishing. “I won’t go with you.”

Callum tilted his head, almost amused. “Pity. I thought you’d finally accepted your place.”

“Kian,” I said quickly, my voice soft but urgent. “It’s okay.”

He looked at me and then gave the smallest nod.

Callum didn’t wait. He shoved me hard. I stumbled and fell, landing on my knees.

“I can walk,” I snapped, trying to rise.

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