The Crown's Fire - Chapter 135

Chapter 135: Escape
Tarah swiftly arrived at the hidden dungeon where Devon imprisoned Nikolai and Ezekiel. Chaos reigned inside, evident from the destroyed walls with a clear sign of a fierce battle. From her vantage point, she witnessed Mineah engaged in combat with Devon, while Ezekiel and Nikolai lay unconscious on the magical carpet nearby.

“Vulcan’s power is mine!” Devon screamed at Mineah. “You bjtch!”

He raised his arm to attack, to which Mineah quickly responded by casting a divine barrier to protect herself, her husband, and Ezekiel from the man’s assault.

“You all don’t deserve to live!”

His attack came hard and fast, and it took Mineah her all just to resist the wave of dark magic washing over her barrier. As Mineah struggled to maintain her barrier, Tarah searched for a chance to attack Devon amidst the chaos. With Levi on her back, she had to be careful and make smart decisions in this intense situation.

‘”The dragon’s spirit, Khal,” Tarah hummed while staring at the flaming mist lingering in the air. The mist coalesced and hovered over Ezekiel’s body seemingly waiting for something to happen.

[Kiel, can you hear me? Grab hold of Khal right now!] Tarah urgently called through their bond. [Please, Ezekiel! Take the dragon’s spirit hovering over you now!] Her pleas echoed, filled with desperation. Unsure if Ezekiel heard her, Tarah’s worry grew as Khal remained suspended over him.

According to their agreement, Khal should have remained with Ezekiel even if Vulcan’s soul already vanished, yet the dragon’s spirit lingered outside. Tarah knew the danger Ezekiel would face if Khal didn’t return to his body.

Closing her eyes, Tarah invoked the dragon’s bond, reaching out to Khal. [You promised to stay with him! We made a deal, Khal. Go back to Ezekiel’s body now, please. He needs you! You formed and agreed to a life and death bond with him!] Tarah’s voice quivered with emotion, tears streaming down her face.

Where had she gone wrong? Tarah had vowed to keep Ezekiel safe, yet now he faced great danger. She blamed herself for his plight and she was determined to keep him alive, no matter the cost.

[I’m trying to go back but something is blocking me,] Khal reasoned, his voice strained. Tarah focused all her energy on the bond, reaching into Ezekiel’s subconscious mind. There, she found him in a daze.

“Kiel,” she called, approaching him swiftly in his subconscious mind.

“Tarah?” he gasped, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Let Khal enter your body, or else you won’t wake up, Kiel,” Tarah urged urgently. “Your body is going into shock after Vulcan’s soul. You need Khal back right now, so don’t resist your dragon. You and Khal are now one.” She spoke with conviction, emphasizing the importance of allowing Khal to return.

“Don’t leave me,” Ezekiel murmured, pulling her closer to him as if his life depended on it.

“I won’t. I’ll come back to you after this. I just need to make sure Levi is safe. I’ll come back and explain everything,” Tarah promised with a reassuring smile.

“We’re running out of time. Devon will regain consciousness soon, so let Khal inside your body now,” Tarah reiterated before leaning in to kiss Ezekiel, then cutting the connection. Gasping for air, she opened her eyes.

She quickly looked at the flaming mist, which slowly merged into Ezekiel’s body, prompting Tarah to release a sigh of relief.

“No!” Devon’s furious growl reverberated through the chamber as he regained consciousness. “It should’ve been mine!”

Once again, a powerful spell crashed against Mineah’s barrier, causing cracks to form and threatening to break through. Mineah struggled to hold on, but Devon’s relentless assault kept coming.

With determination, Tarah gathered her strength and firmly grasped the sword in her hand. “Get out of here!” she shouted to Mineah before thrusting her sword into Devon’s back.

“Arggh!”

“I’ll hold him off!” Tarah yelled, her sword still embedded in Devon’s stomach. “Go!”

Devon’s body was bathed in his own blood, his expression a mix of surprise and anger as he turned his head to see Tarah. Meanwhile, Tarah remained resolute, driving the sword even further into his back, her determination unyielding.

“You… You… Do you really think you can kill me?” Devon gasped, his hands shaking as he gripped the blade currently jutting out from his stomach. “You won’t be able to escape me because you belong to me!”

“Tarah?! What are you-”

“No time to explain!” Tarah cut Mineah off. “I don’t know how long I can-”

But before Tarah could even begin to try and tell her what to do, Devon had already pulled himself free from her sword. He now stood at the ready, gravely injured, but still deadly.

“That hurt,” he scoffed as he spat a bit of blood at Tarah’s direction. “I’ll make you pay for that.”

Devon slowly advanced towards her, his voice dripping with malice. “You… You shouldn’t even be alive anymore if not for me,” he growled, his gaze fixed on Tarah. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but I’ll make sure that you’re-”

“Hey!”

Both Devon and Tarah stared at Mineah as she stood defiantly on the magic carpet.

“What’s the big idea here?” Devon scoffed at Mineah. “Do you want to die first?”

“Maybe I do,” Mineah challenged with a smirk. “That’s assuming you can catch me first.”

“Oh? Well then, let me take the bait then,” Devon cackled. “I don’t care that you’re planning something. I just want my pound of flesh for taking what’s rightfully mine!”

Mineah quickly willed the carpet to move just as Devon lunged right at her. Using the carpet’s speed, they zoomed through the castle’s hallways, all while dodging Devon’s constant attacks of dark magic.

*

On the other hand, Tarah wasted no time. She grabbed the golden dragon’s sword and activated her energy reserves, creating a protective barrier around herself and Levi. This barrier would be impenetrable to demons and dark energies.

“Sister, you’re losing energy,” Levi whispered worriedly.

Tarah chuckled. “Don’t worry, Levi. Your sister is more powerful now. We’ll be able to escape. I’ve prepared for this moment for so long…”

“Tarah?!” Mineah’s voice suddenly called out amid the chaos while dodging Devon’s attacks on her magical carpet.

“Just a few more seconds!” Tarah shouted back, her focus fixed on creating the escape portal for Mineah.

“You will all die here!” Devon’s scream echoed through the chamber, his rage palpable.