I regret that I haven't been honest with him from very beginning, then I could’ve easily fixed this. Even Lenin and Jetli are silent for a change, while my heart keeps thumping loudly in my chest. I should’ve heeded the druid’s advice more closely.
When we reach residential buildings, I turn around to face my uncle.
"What the hell happened back there, Edvard? You were meant to protect him. I counted on you?" I ask, as anger rushes through my veins, spreading like a deadly poison. I know that I shouldn't be so harsh, but everything’s falling apart. I lost Jorgen and Ruscal along with those damn wild shifters taking over my beloved city.
"We got surrounded as soon as we entered the other part of the forest, just before we entered the mountains. That idiot, Jorgen suggested we split up, saying that way at least one of us could escape. He sacrificed himself so I could disappear when it was too late for him to follow me. He must have known that he had no chance to escape without his magic. I take back everything that I said about him earlier. That man is devoted to us, Asri and we will get him back. Don't worry, I will do anything to reunite you two again," Edvard says. I'm still shaking, still not believing that I’ve been so reckless, but anger won't change anything.
Jorgen’s been captured by his own brother and now he probably wants nothing to do with me. It’s my own fault for not coming out with the truth sooner as the druid suggested. I only hope all is not lost.
"Maybe, but he just found out that I’ve been lying to him ever since Ruscal hurt Jetli. I'm the reason that he’s not a mage anymore, I'm the reason that everything’s so screwed up," I say, knowing deep down, that I destroyed my happily ever after, even before it truly began.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Refusal.
"You shouldn't go on your own. They’re expecting you, Astri," I hear Edvard’s voice in my head and try to ignore it. The corridor in front of me is dark and water keeps dripping down on my face. I nearly fell into a deep canal when I was trying to figure out my way around the tunnels, and I know there are other traps too. Ruscal’s holding his prisoners in the underground cells, in the older part of the castle.
Tension becomes the forth entity in the darkness, and I'm sensing it inside me. Earlier on, Lenin and I had a disagreement and now he isn't speaking to me. Too bad that no one understood that I wanted to do this on my own, and wouldn't dare risk anyone else's life. Lenin’s stubborn and he demanded to come along, but I told him no.
Edvard was trying to talk me out of it, but I wasn't ready to listen to anyone. Ruscal ruined everything when he revealed my lies, and I didn't even have a chance to explain myself to Jorgen.
"Jorgen’s going to understand because he still loves you. You made a mistake, Astri, and people do make mistakes. Bratlav has the other flask, and we just need to steal it back."
I shake my head, thinking about what Aria was saying earlier. Jorgen confessed his true feelings for me, but he never actually told me that he loved me. But despite that, I knew that our connection was real.
I sense shifters nearby, so I use my invisibility spell. Jorgen most likely has guards watching him around the clock, but I have Edvard’s magic that he brought with him from the Asian World. If anyone’s waiting for me, then they’ll get a taste of its power.
Sweat drips down my face as I keep jogging through the long tunnel. Even Edvard told me that it was a stupid move, but I don’t care.
Ruscal and his people have no idea that there’s a secret entrance to the castle through the cave in the Black Forest. Bratlav doesn't even realise that he could’ve snuck inside the castle; that this passage was right under his nose. I'm risking my life, but I need to get Jorgen out of there, so we can figure out our next move. I don't have any more venom, Derek used the whole flask on Jetli, but I already know that I need to get it back from Bralav.
Time isn't on my side again as usual, because I have no idea what Bratlav’s planning to do with it. I need to hurry.
"Right, focus Astri. You don't have time for hesitation,” I tell myself and then walk through the low gate with dragons embodied all around it. Right around the corner, I hear the guard's voices. There’s at least three of them and they’re sitting down, talking about the situation in the city. At least one of them isn't happy with the way things are going.
I take a small pouch from my pocket and move my palm over it, releasing the energy, just the way Edvard showed me earlier on. Slow, rippling power starts coursing through my fingers, and I feel its warmth. I take a deep breath and then throw the pouch in their direction. The substance explodes, and dark, suffocating smoke begins drifting around.
All the guards hit the floor, and by the time I walk past them, they’re unconscious. A bubble of nervous excitement rises inside of me, and I wonder how Jorgen’s going to react once he sees me again. Edvard chose not to comment about the duke's reaction, but my own heart’s going to guide me. We’ve mated, and he knows how much I’ve been devoted to him–travelling and giving away part of my passion, just so he could be a mage again.
My own steps thump inside my head, I keep passing cell after cell, knowing that he’s close. The underground prison is like a labyrinth, and I'm conscious of the time. Ruscal must have sent extra guards to keep an eye on things in the prison. He can't afford to lose Jorgen, his own brother is his only bargaining chip.
Lenin couldn't understand why I didn't want to take him with me. We’ve never fought before, but I was adamant that I needed to do this on my own.
"Jorgen! Where are you? I came back to get you out of here," I shout, seeing at least a dozen cells right in front of me.
I dart from one side to the other, fear spiking so fast that my palms are covered with a fine sheet of sweat.
"Go away, Astri, you shouldn't even be here, it won't change anything."
I hear his voice and keep walking. He’s sitting in the last cell on my right, and even in the darkness I recognise his features. My heart practically explodes into mush. I didn't realise until now how much I missed him.
"Jorgen, we both know that you can't stay here. Ruscal’s planning to execute you publicly," I tell him, and anger tightens his expression. He gets up slowly and walks up to me, and I can't believe that he’s real. Whatever happened in the past, our connection is still there. Heat savages my body, pouring into my bloodstream when he finally looks at me.
"You’ve been lying to me for weeks. Why didn’t you just tell me once you learned it was my brother who killed your parents? I would’ve been angry, but we could’ve found a way to work things out," he asks, and my heart hurts knowing he’s still holding a grudge.
I want to touch him, but the detached look on his face turns my stomach upside down. Time is running out and the other guards might be here any second.
"I was trying to tell you, but there was always something in the way. Please Jorgen come with me. You have allies in other cities and we can fight back. Ruscal has never been the true ruler of Rivenna. And he has the venom. We can–"
“No, there is no we. I can’t trust anything you say and after everything we’ve been through together, you should’ve trusted me, our relationship, but instead, you broke me, us. I can’t be around you. You betrayed me, Astri,” he cuts me off, with pain and anger in his eyes. My heart’s breaking into a million pieces.
"I thought that out of all people, you would’ve understood. I thought you were him for months, and all I wanted then was a revenge. I would’ve never done it if I knew the truth from the start," I shout now, and I feel my fingers melting the bars. It's the magic that my uncle gave me, and I was only supposed to use it to free Jorgen.
"It doesn't matter, Astri. The fact is that you were deliberately keeping it from me. I’ve lost my dignity, family and power. Nothing else matters now," he adds, and I shake my head, not believing that he no longer wants me in his life. He keeps staring at me like he doesn’t know me.
"No Astri, there’s nothing that we can do together anymore. I understand why you did what you did,
but the lies hurt the most. I love you Astri, but you’ve broken our trust. I’m not sure what you can do to gain it back at this point. Everything has been a lie," he says, and the pain gets real then. Tiny flecks of my sorrow and emotions are floating into the air. I can't breathe, unable to understand why he can’t just give me another chance His eyes gleam with resentment and pain as they move over my face.
"No, you're not serious. We mated and this shouldn't change anything. Please, let's get out of here. Let me fix this,” I beg now, knowing that more tears are slipping down my cheeks. It hurts, it hurts so much to look at him, knowing that can’t forgive me.
I sense the guards, they’re going to be here at any moment and this is my chance.
"I have to remain here with my father who was struck with a spell. We both know that he cannot be moved right now, and I wouldn’t risk it anyway."
I glance at the cell next to Jorgen and I know that it's Hans. Jorgen’s right, his energy is barely there and he seems unconscious. Ruscal must have used some sort of spell, disabling is own father–coward. Jorgen's red-rimmed eyes are staring back at me, and I feel the pain I’ve caused him.
"I'm sorry that I lied to you. I’ve been trying to fix this since I discovered the truth. I’ll do everything I can to win your trust back. I’m getting that dragon venom back and finding Emilia to remove that spell from your father. Please don’t give up on me just yet," I say, realising that he’s not going to come with me. That this is it. There’s no more us until I can prove myself. I’ve made a terrible mistake and now I’m paying the consequences. I turn around and start walking through the darkness, then more tears begin burning my eyes.
"We shall see, Astri," his pained voice echoes around when I start running. Deep wrenching pain slices through me, reaching deeper and deeper into my heart.
I leave him behind, knowing that he’s never going to forgive me if I don’t fix the mess I’ve made once again.
End of Book 3
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Wyvern's Passion (Mage Chronicles Book 3) Page 19