by Bianca Cole
She shakes her head. “No, I’ll leave that to you.”
I smile, finding it adorable how embarrassed she is about that night. There’s nothing embarrassing about the way we met. “We met the same night they took over the castle at the ball Lance held.” I pause a moment. “Did Lance have anything to do with the takeover?” I ask, glancing at Flynn.
He shrugs. “I’m not sure. I haven’t heard anything about him.”
A sinking feeling settles in my gut as I remember what an asshole I was to him when we last spoke. He could be dead for all I know. I can’t believe how blind I was to my best friend’s scheming.
“Enough of that. You are telling us how you met.” Lucy claps her hands together, breaking me out of the daze I’d fallen into.
“Of course, Ilsa came into the ball with the intention of learning where her family was. The moment she stepped into the ballroom, I knew she was my mate.”
Lucy smiles at Flynn. “Sounds familiar, although Flynn broke into my home.”
Ilsa gasps. “Didn’t you freak out?”
Lucy shakes her head. “I was so powerfully attracted to him. I could hardly think straight.”
Ilsa’s pink cheeks darken to red, and she looks at her plate.
“We danced before I stole her away and told her she was my mate.” I glance at Ilsa. “She wasn’t so powerfully attracted to me since she ran away.” I run a hand through my hair. “I ended up chasing her out of the castle.”
Lucy smiles. “And, then what?”
“I took her on a flight to Lake Tahoe, and we swam. Then we parted ways.” I feel sadness grip at my chest as I remember what came next. “I watched Ilsa drive away and then entered my castle to my sister’s screams.” I glance down at the table. “You know the rest.”
Lucy nods. “Yes, I’m very sorry to hear about your sister, Aiden.” She sighs. “It sounds like it was the perfect night until then.”
She’s right. It was perfect until that point. Charles destroyed everything, and I won’t rest until I kill him. The betrayal hurts me more than I can put into words, but that pain feeds the rage inside me. The next time I see him, I will tear him apart, if it’s the last thing I do.
Flynn shifts in his seat. “You’ll need that rage if you are going to bring about change.” He nods. “And, if you are going to save your mate’s family from the mountain prison.”
Ilsa gives me a questioning look, as she didn’t hear our conversation earlier. “You know where they are?”
“I’m ninety-nine percent sure, yes.” Flynn nods. “Aiden’s father created a prison for the supernatural, and if your brother was invited to meet with him, that’s where they will be.”
I realize that this looks bad on me. Ilsa doesn’t understand that I didn’t know. As our gazes meet, it’s impossible to ignore the flash of hurt in her eyes. It cuts me more than she’ll ever know. The fact she thinks I’d ever lie to her or keep something like this from her hurts.
I can’t lie to her, she’s my mate. Our bond is tenuous on her side, and I need to navigate this carefully. I need to prove to her that I’d never do anything to hurt her.
14
Ilsa
Can I truly trust Aiden?
He may be my mate, but how could he be unaware of a prison camp for witches operating not far from his own home. His father set it up for fuck’s sake.
Ever since we found out, I’m torn. I’m unsure whether or not to accept Aiden’s help to break them out or to go it alone.
His father has killed countless numbers of my kind. I know that doesn’t define who he is, but I can’t shake the feeling that we aren’t meant for each other.
I feel my chest ache as that thought enters my mind. I’ve given all of myself to Aiden in a way I’ve never done before with anyone. Not just my body, but my heart and soul too. I’ve jumped in fully and accepted the way I feel.
What if I made a mistake?
Aiden appears in the door behind me, making me jump. “Morning, love.” He looks uncertain as he runs a hand through his hair slowly. “Are we going to talk?”
“About what?” I ask, turning my attention back to the mirror in front of me.
He swallows. “About the fact you don’t believe you can trust me after what you learned last night?”
How the fuck does he know that?
“I never said—”
“You don’t have to. It was written all over your face at dinner. Then, when we got back, you weren’t exactly hands-on like you have been.”
I feel my cheeks heat. “Maybe I was just tired.” I shrug.
He moves into the bathroom, approaching me. “Ilsa, you can’t lie to me. I’m your mate. My senses are second to none when it comes to you.”
I’m in so deep. I can feel my distrust eroding from Aiden’s intense stare. “Okay, it’s hard to accept that your father has some torture camp for witches in the mountains close to your home, and you had no idea about it.”
A flash of hurt flits onto his face. “You have to believe me, love. My father always believed I was weak.” His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “That’s why he kept this from me because I wouldn’t have stood by it.”
It makes sense, but I’ve always had trouble trusting. It’s even harder when it comes to dragon shifters or faeries. They’ve oppressed witches for too long. Now, two of them are asking me to trust them. “I find it hard to trust, Aiden. I hardly know you.”
He nods. “I understand but let me prove myself to you.”
I bite my bottom lip. “Why are you so desperate for this to work?”
“Because I’m yours, and you are mine.”
That statement is so simple and yet so complicated. I can’t be Aiden’s, and Aiden can’t be mine. “It can’t work.” I shake my head. “You’re the king of the dragon shifters.”
He smiles at me in the mirror. “Yes, I am, and I’m also your mate.”
In a blink of an eye, everything has changed. My family disappeared, and now I’m falling for a dragon shifter against my will. There’s nothing I can do about it. He’s right. We fit together. We’re made for each other, even if it doesn’t work in the real world. “Witches and dragons aren’t supposed to be together.”
He wraps his strong arms around me. “Well, we’ll have to break the mold, won’t we?”
I know changing years of tradition isn’t that easy. Brutality is a part of shifter nature, and a lot of that brutality was directed at witches and warlocks for centuries, if not millennia. Our power was feared, even though we’re weaker than the fae. “I don’t think it’s that easy.”
“When my mother was alive, she loved my father.” Aiden’s eyes glisten with tears. “She told me all the time that true love is the most powerful magic on the earth.” He meets my gaze. “I’ve believed that ever since. She was an amazing woman, and unfortunately, her death led to my father’s brutal nature.” He grimaces. “Had she been alive, I’m pretty sure things would have turned out differently.”
I squeeze Aiden’s arm. “I’m sorry, Aiden. I wish I could have met her.”
“She was a kind woman. I know that she would have accepted Elaine’s mate without question.” He sighs. “What I’m trying to say is I love you with every ounce of my being. Our love can change things. It has power.”
Tears prickle my eyes hearing him tell me that. “I love you too.” The words escape my lips before I can even think about it because it’s the truth. My heart is utterly lost to him after only four days together. All of me is lost to this shifter whose arms feel like home.
He smiles and twirls me around, kissing me softly. “Then trust me. I’d do anything to protect you and get your family back.” He kisses me again. “I’ll do anything to make amends for the crimes my father committed.”
I melt into him as he continues to kiss me softly and passionately.
He breaks away and searches my eyes. “When do you want to attempt this?” he asks.
“As soon as possible. You heard Flynn, they a
re alive, for now.”
He nods. “We’ll go right away, but first, I need to ask Flynn to get his men ready. We will free your family and then go and reclaim my castle.” Aiden glances at me, and his eyes scan across my clothes. “You need to wear something protective.”
I tilt my head to the side. “I don’t have anything.”
He smiles. “You’re a witch. Conjure something.”
“Good point.” I focus my power into creating some leather armor. We might have to fight the guards if they don’t accept Aiden as their king and leader now.
My magic has felt more powerful ever since I met Aiden. I can feel it getting stronger inside of me by the day. It burns around me and encases me in brown leather armor with gilt detailing and a cloak.
“Wow, you look amazing,” Aiden says, eyes flooding with desire.
I twirl around. “Thank you.” I stop and stare at him. “Why do we need to break in there when you are the king now?”
He shrugs. “The guards won’t know I’m king or that I’m even aware the place exists.”
I smile as an idea comes to my mind.
“What’s the smirk for?”
“I’ve got a plan.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me into his chest. “I get a feeling I’m not going to like this plan.”
“You are the king now. If you approach the prison with me as your prisoner for the camp, we’ll get in easy. They can’t deny you entry.”
Aiden’s eyes narrow. “Isn’t it safer for me to burn them all to a crisp?”
“Surely we should give them a chance to do the right thing. Your father ordered them, but he’s dead. You’re the king now, and they should listen to you.”
He smiles at me.
“What’s that look for?”
He shakes his head. “You are perfect.”
My cheeks blaze on fire at his compliment. “How do you inform Flynn of the plan?”
He nods his head toward me.
My brow furrows. “What?”
“Conjure him, love. You’re a witch, now start acting like one.”
I swallow hard. The thought of conjuring a faerie makes me sick to the stomach. It’s a sign of disrespect to conjure someone like that, especially a king.
I shake my head. “That’s not a good idea. I’d rather send him a message.”
Aiden lets out a huff but nods. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about him in the past few days, he likes to get on with something. He hates planning and wants to jump headfirst into a task. It’s a strength and a weakness.
I write down a note on a piece of paper and picture Flynn’s face clearly in my mind. “In manibus,” I mutter, and the paper bursts into flame and disappears.
“Now what?” Aiden asks.
I meet his gaze. “Now, we wait.”
He looks disappointed. “I hate waiting around when I pumped to go.”
I laugh. “Well, go fly it off, then.”
He shakes his head. “No, I’m not leaving you alone.”
I glare at Aiden, knowing that he’s protective because he’s my mate, but it’s getting on my nerves. “Aiden, what do you think I did when you weren’t around?” I ask, tilting my head to the left. “I live alone in San Francisco, and until four days ago, we’d never met. You need to stop with this.”
He rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, it’s in my nature.”
A flash of blue light catches my attention in the kitchen, and I rush in there. “Flynn, you got my message?”
He nods. “Of course, my men are on their way to the castle. They will stay hidden until we arrive.” He smiles. “I intend to come with you.”
I glance back at Aiden, who looks a little uncertain. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
He nods. “Certain. I’ve heard rumors that your father kept fae locked in this prison too. If that’s the case, having me with you will be a strength.”
Aiden glances at me. “What do you think?”
I look back at Flynn. “I think the more help, the better. We’ve got no idea what we are walking into.”
Flynn claps his hands. “I like this one. She’s got the brains.”
Aiden’s eyes narrow. “Yes, she does.”
“Shall we.” Flynn holds out both his hands to us.
“What?” He tilts his head to the side. “Surely, we will fly.”
Flynn laughs. “I know a quicker and easier way than that. Trust me.”
I want to trust this man, so I step up and take his hand first. It’s impossible not to notice how Aiden’s jaw clenches the moment he sees me touch another man. He’s quick to take his other hand and set his free arm around my waist.
“Prepare yourselves,” Flynn says, as suddenly the room begins to spin. He’s dispersing with us. I knew all fae could disperse, but I didn’t realize they could take passengers.
When we stop spinning, I bend over, trying to regain my bearings. My stomach twists with sickness. Once I stand again, I see we’re at the base of a mountain.
“Couldn’t you have taken us straight to the entrance?” Aiden asks.
Flynn shakes his head. “Not without knowing what it looks like, I’m afraid we’re going to have to walk the rest of the way.”
Aiden glances at me. “How is the plan going to work now? I was supposed to be bringing Ilsa as a prisoner.”
Flynn smiles and clicks his fingers, clapping his wrists in iron. “Looks like you’ve got two prisoners now.”
I stare up at the mountain, feeling my nerves increase. My parents and brother could be up there somewhere, being tortured. I hope to God that we get to them in time—the alternative is too hard to consider.
15
Aiden
Ilsa’s plan is dangerous but genius, but Flynn being here makes me uneasy. There’s no reason it shouldn’t work. I find it hard to believe that the men guarding this prison haven’t heard of my father’s death.
The mountain looms in front of us as I try to stop my head from spinning from what Flynn forced upon us.
“Couldn’t you have taken us straight to the entrance?” I ask.
Flynn shakes his head. “Not without knowing what it looks like, I’m afraid we’re going to have to walk the rest of the way.”
I glance at Ilsa, realizing we haven’t even discussed what we’re doing about Flynn. “How is the plan going to work now? I was supposed to be bringing Ilsa as a prisoner.”
Flynn smiles and clicks his fingers, clapping his arms in iron. “Looks like you’ve got two prisoners now.”
He’s a quick thinker, I’ll give him that. Flynn has been a help, and I trust him, but I still feel uneasy working so closely with a faerie.
Ilsa stares up at the mountain, clad in her sexy leather. She drives me wild with need, but I need to focus. It’s going to be a tough trek, particularly for her.
I walk over to Ilsa, grabbing her wrists before she even notices me.
“What are you—”
I slap a pair of metal handcuffs on her wrists. “We have to make it believable. “
She licks her bottom lip slowly. “Why haven’t you got these out before?” she breathes, thinking Flynn won’t hear.
He chuckles behind me. “Yes, do tell, Aiden.”
She turns bright red.
I smirk, not a bit embarrassed by Flynn overhearing. “Maybe I will, tonight.” I nod toward the mountain. “Let’s do this, love. Let’s get your family back.”
She smiles. “Okay.” Her hand entwines with mine, and I glance down at it.
My stomach twists with nerves. As long as we find them alive, she’ll have to explain our bond to then.
If they aren’t, then I don’t know what it will mean for us. Could Ilsa love a man whose father killed her family?
I swallow hard, feeling the fear rise inside of me—fear that I could lose her. It would end me.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Nothing.”
Her brow furrows. “Aide
n, don’t lie to me.” She squeezes my hand. “Tell me what is bothering you.”
I nod, despite knowing I can’t tell her the truth. I can’t speak my worst fear in case it becomes reality. “What if your family doesn’t approve of us?”
She laughs. “That’s what you are worried about?”
Not exactly.
I’m worried your family isn’t alive, but I keep that to myself.
She shakes her head. “It’s not like I’m royalty. My parents have no say on who I have a relationship with.” It doesn’t make me feel any better. The fact is my father trapped them in a damn concentration camp.
Why would they be happy about his son mating to their daughter?
“Okay.” I keep my hand in hers and start to walk, but she jolts me to a stop.
“Aiden, they will love you, anyway.” She looks serious now. “My parents are the most open-minded people I know, trust me.”
I smile. “Thanks, love.” I kiss her softly.
Flynn clears his throat. “Very touching, but can we get on with it?” He raises a brow. “My men are waiting for us at the castle.”
I nod and break away from Ilsa, staring up the looming mountain.
“You’re sure the entrance is up there somewhere?”
Flynn nods. “Yes, I’d bet it will be near the summit, but I’m not sure.”
Luckily, we’re all fit, but I’m not sure Ilsa is used to hiking.
“Okay, let’s go.”
We head upward in silence until Flynn starts to hum. I try to ignore it as we head toward the halfway point.
I glance back and notice that Ilsa is struggling to keep up with both of us. We forget she’s a witch, hardly stronger than a human in physical terms.
“Are you okay, love,” I call back.
She quickens her pace and catches me up. “I think you forget that I’m no dragon shifter. I’m a witch and no faster than a human.”
Guilt tears through me. “Sorry, I’ll slow down.” I encase her hand with mine and slow down my steps, glancing at Flynn. “Can you slow it down, Ilsa can’t walk as fast as us.”
He glances back and nods. “Of course, sorry, I struggle to walk at the speed of humans.” He tilts his head. “And witches, it would seem.”