Page 114 of Song of the Heart Scale
I lunged.
Jacob barely had time to flinch before Uncle Bai’s arm shot out and caught me by the shoulder. I shoved against it, growling, but he held firm.
“Let me go! I’m going to killhimand then I’m going to Dragon Valley to get her back!”
“Enough!” Uncle Bai snapped. “This is not the time to make enemies of possible allies.”
My eyes were wild. “Helefther!”
“And you abandoning your plans now won’t bring her back any faster,” he said, lowering his voice. “You know what’s at stake tonight. You want her safe? We need Lord Mercer. We need the Nightwing.”
My jaw clenched as fury trembled inside me, white-hot and overwhelming. I wanted to throw Jacob into the gutter. I wanted to fly to Dragon Valley, tear open the dungeon doors, and burn down every stone that stood between me and Cat.
But Uncle Bai was right. Damn him.
Cat would want me to think like a soldier. Like a commander. Like a prince.
I stepped away from Jacob, though cold fury leaked from every pore. “You should go home,” I said darkly. “Before I change my mind.”
Jacob looked as though he might argue, but then he wisely thought better of it. He quickly bowed and mounted his horse again, galloping away without another word.
Uncle Bai released a breath. “You handled that better than I expected.”
“I want to kill something.”
“So use that fire to get what we came for.”
I turned toward the waiting carriage, its lacquered black door gaping open like the mouth of a beast. I climbed in without another word, Uncle Bai following.
As the carriage rolled through the shadowed streets of the Northern District, I stared out the window, every muscle rigid with frustration. Torches flickered to life along the main roads as the sun inched closer to the horizon. At a glance, the city lookedpeaceful, but I knew better. Beneath the stone and steel, Elaria was cracking. Fracturing.
And if Cat was hurt...
I pressed my fist to the side of the window.
We passed into the Southern District and The Gilded Serpent came into view, its opulent silhouette framed in glowing lanterns and flowing silk banners. Music trickled into the street from inside, faint but distinct. Laughter, perfume, and poison. A house of secrets.
Tonight, I would secure our army.
And then I would raze the empire to get her back.
Because I made a vow.
And nothing in this realm—or the next—would keep me from her.
The Gilded Serpentloomed like a shadow-draped mirage in the heart of the Southern District—its roof aglow with lantern light, flinging golden reflections across the cobblestone streets. The scent of jasmine smoke and spiced wine lingered in the air, bleeding through the heavy velvet curtains that guarded its entry. Music wafted from within, sensual and slow, while the muted hum of voices hinted at whispered secrets and indulgent sins.
Uncle Bai walked beside me, his posture regal even beneath the cover of his traveling cloak. We moved through the main hall without a word, flanked by dancers swaying in silks and half-masks, their bodies draped in gold chains that caught the lamplight like stardust. I ignored them.
My mind was elsewhere.
Cat.
My hands clenched at my sides. The image of her being dragged into one of Thorne’s prison cells would not leave me. My dragon stirred beneath my skin, clawing to be released, but there would be no help for her unless this meeting succeeded. It took every ounce of discipline I had not to turn on my heel and fly to Dragon Valley.
We reached the second floor where Lysandra waited, her corseted silhouette framed by flickering firelit sconces. She dipped her chin in greeting as her eyes briefly flicked toward me, though her expression was unreadable.
“He’s waiting in the crimson chamber,” she said, then turned on her heel to guide us down a winding hallway.
