The Crown's Fire - Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Levi’s Dreams
After Devon was finished with her, Tarah hurriedly made her way to see her brother in his confinement tower. Despite her churning stomach, Tarah knew she had to hurry and accomplish what she needed to do so she could quickly return to Ezekiel. She reached the stairs but couldn’t contain her disgust any longer so she ended up vomiting near the nearest loophole.

“Why are you throwing up after being intimate with the king?” Marla’s voice startled her from behind.

“I’ve been feeling unwell since before I even arrived here, Marla. Don’t start with me…” Tarah grunted irritably, turning to face the mistress with narrowed eyes. “And why are you here? Don’t tell me you’re here to bully my brother again!”

Marla chuckled and replied, “I’m just here to check on him and see if he’s doing well. His Lord may have spared you for now, but not me. I know you well, and I won’t let you betray him after all his efforts.”

‘What efforts?’ Tarah’s thoughts raced with bitterness. ‘Efforts to destroy the world and spread darkness? To kill innocents, especially those who refuse to submit to him?’Tarah wanted to shout about Devon’s twisted rule and his destructive actions, but she restrained herself. Instead, she smirked mockingly, “Get used to seeing me like this, Marla. Devon’s control over me is weakening. He’ll claim me once he obtains the dragon’s power. Who knows, I might even get pregnant afterward. Unlike you, I’m not barren.”

“You! Whore!” Marla screamed, moving to attack and slap Tarah, but Tarah quickly grabbed her wrist.

“If I were you, I’d focus on removing the protection barrier around my brother’s tower. Who knows? I might still change my mind and escape from Devon, just like you’ve always wanted, right?” Tarah knew Marla well, understanding the desperation that drove her to want Tarah gone from Devon’s side by any means possible.

Marla fell silent, prompting Tarah to add, her tone unwavering, “Let me remind you, Marla, that I will be your future Queen. Do you honestly believe I’ll remain passive once I hold that position? Like everyone else, I’m desperate to survive, and I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure my survival.”

She smirked confidently. “Your only chance right now is to help me escape, as you’ve done before. But if that fails, I’ll have no choice but to accept my fate as Devon’s queen. And anyone who opposes me, including you, will face the consequences.”

Tarah abruptly released Marla’s wrist and swiftly left the mistress alone as she continued on her way to Levi. Tarah knew that Marla remained fearful of her potentially disclosing their previous involvement in her escape attempt to Devon before. She was confident that Marla wouldn’t spill the beans about their conversation to Devon. She was certain that Marla would even do as she suggested to wear the protective barrier that Devon had cast around the tower.

Tarah finally arrived at Levi’s bedchamber and quickly opened the door. A smile spread across her face as she saw her brother engrossed in a board game with Asura. As Asura started to rise, Tarah signaled for her to stay quiet.

Wanting to surprise Levi like before, Tarah approached him, but he noticed her presence and turned toward her. “Sister!” Levi exclaimed, rushing over to hug her.

“It seems I’ve interrupted a serious board game,” Tarah chuckled, glancing at Asura, who greeted her politely.

“See? I told you my sister would arrive today!” Levi beamed at Asura.

Asura chuckled and explained, “He foresaw your arrival three days ago, right after he won against me in chess. He won our first round just a while ago.”

Tarah nodded in understanding, then bent down to hug Levi and kissed his cheek.

“Sister… I saw you in my dreams in the past two days,” Levi suddenly whispered in her ear.

“You did? Is it a good dream or a bad one?” Tarah asked, curious.

“There’s a good one and a bad one. Which do you want to hear first?” her brother replied.

“How about the good one first?” Tarah suggested.

“You’re getting married to a handsome man!” Levi exclaimed, catching Tarah off guard. She blinked rapidly, disbelief written on her face. The news encouraged her, reinforcing her belief that she and Levi could successfully escape from Devon’s clutches. But then came the bad news.

“And what’s the bad news?” Tarah inquired.

Levi took a deep breath and sighed deeply before sharing the troubling details.

‘That can’t be,’ Tarah thought, her face paling as she listened to Levi’s revelation. ‘Could it be my punishment? The consequences I have to face as a dragonrider who merged the dragon’s spirit with Ezekiel’s own?’ Despite her fear, she reassured herself that at least it wasn’t her life that was in jeopardy.

Tarah spent a little more time with her brother and discussed a few more things with Asura before she sought out Devon to create a portal back. She found him inside her bedchamber, still naked. She gritted her teeth, knowing what was about to come before she could fully leave and return to Ezekiel.

“The place where I picked you up with my portal, isn’t that too far from the royal estate in the capital where you’re staying?” Devon questioned.

Tarah anticipated this inquiry and couldn’t possibly reveal that she could now cast a teleportation spell.

Meeting his gaze, she confidently replied, “I can’t risk asking for you inside the royal estate, especially knowing how well it’s protected by a barrier from dark magic, The private royal guard Prince Ezekiel assigned to me can cast a teleportation spell within Ebodia’s territory and cover a certain distance toward its borders. She suggested a hot spring near the spot where I called for you. I had her drink a sleeping pill while she looked after me in that hot spring. It will soon wear off, so please, let me go now to avoid suspicion.”

Devon’s face darkened as he cursed in annoyance. Tarah stood her ground as he firmly added, “We can’t afford any hiccups in our plan now that we’re so close to success.”