The chamber shook as the Guardian dragged its massive body out of the shadows. It wasn't a wolf, and it wasn't a lizard. It was a Chimera—a beast from the old world with the body of a lion, the tail of a serpent, and scales that looked like hardened iron.
"Stay back, Elara!" Silas shouted.
He didn't wait for the beast to strike. He moved like a blur of black smoke. He leaped into the air, his silver dagger glowing with a dark, purple energy. He landed on the creature's back and drove the blade deep between its scales.
The monster let out a deafening roar that made my ears bleed. It thrashed its heavy tail, smashing a crystal pillar into a thousand pieces. Silas held on tight, but the beast slammed its body against the stone wall, knocking him off.
Silas hit the ground hard. He tried to get up, but the monster's heavy paw pinned him down. The beast opened its mouth, revealing rows of jagged teeth dripping with green venom.
"Silas!" I screamed.
I felt a surge of cold, white-hot panic. I couldn't just stand here and watch him die. He had spent his whole life looking for me, and I wasn't going to lose him now.
I felt a strange itching sensation under my skin. It started at my fingertips and rushed up my arms. My vision turned white. I didn't shift into a wolf this time, but I felt the wolf's power pouring into my hands.
"Leave him alone!" I yelled.
I pushed my hands forward. I expected a punch, but instead, a blast of pure silver fire erupted from my palms. It hit the monster square in its chest.
The beast screamed—not a roar of anger, but a shriek of pure pain. The silver flame didn't just burn; it seemed to eat through the monster's armor like acid. The Guardian scrambled backward, releasing Silas, its glowing eyes full of fear.
It looked at me, then at the statue of the White Wolf, and let out a low whimper. It realized who I was. The creature bowed its head low to the ground, shivering, before retreating back into the dark tunnels of the mountain.
Silence returned to the chamber, broken only by the sound of my heavy breathing. The silver light around my hands faded, leaving me feeling weak and dizzy.
Silas crawled to his feet, coughing. He looked at the charred ground, then at me. His eyes were wide with a mix of shock and total devotion.
"You used the Silver Flame," he whispered, his voice shaking. "That is the mark of a True Queen. Only the first Royal could command the fire without shifting."
He walked toward me, his steps unsteady. He didn't stop until he was inches away. He reached out and took my hands in his. They were still hot from the magic.
"Do you have any idea what you just did?" he asked, his voice low and intense. "You didn't just save my life, Elara. You just signaled to every supernatural creature within a thousand miles that the Queen has returned."
"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, my heart still racing.
Silas pulled me closer, his grip tightening. "It means Thorne is the least of your worries now. There are ancient kings who will want your power. They will come for you."
He looked down at my lips, and this time, there was no monster to stop him. The air between us was thick with the scent of ozone and burnt stone.
"But they will have to go through me first," he murmured.
He leaned down, and his lips finally met mine. It wasn't a soft kiss. It was hungry, desperate, and full of the dark heat that had been building since we met. It felt like a claim—not like the cold bond Thorne had forced on me, but a choice.
As we stood there in the glowing blue ruins, I realized my old life was truly dead. I wasn't a servant, and I wasn't just a rejected mate. I was something dangerous.
Suddenly, a low vibration hummed through the floor. It wasn't the monster. It was a rhythmic tapping.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Someone was clapping.
I pulled away from Silas and looked toward the tunnel we had fallen from. Standing there, covered in dust but looking deadlier than ever, was Thorne. He wasn't alone. He had a dozen warriors with him, all holding crossbows aimed at Silas's heart.
"What a touching scene," Thorne sneered, his golden eyes glowing with murderous jealousy. "But I think it's time the 'Queen' came home to her King."
He stepped into the light, and I saw what he was holding. It was a collar made of black glass—an anti-magic stone.
"If I can't have your love, Elara," Thorne said, his voice dropping to a cold whisper, "I'll settle for your soul."