Dance of Fate

Chapter Sixty Three

Hybern slowly turned his gaze to Azriel, his smile wide and unfaltering. The male scanned him slowly, and Azriel began to tremble with rage.

"You were right to call him a lovesick male, dear Asteria."

Azriel made a sound that was more animal than Fae. It only made Hybern smile wider. His lifeless eyes suddenly flared, as if he'd had an epiphany. He turned to the Cauldron, and then back to Azriel.

"No," Asteria begged, thrashing against the chains that bound her. How she could even move, Azriel did not know. After what she had done in Adriata, and what they had done to her back... It enraged Azriel so much he could hardly breathe.

"I'll do anything." She pleaded, so frantic and desperate that it made his heart shatter. He couldn't stand to be so close to her and not be able to touch her, to hold her.

Hybern let out a short, sharp laugh. "Yes, you certainly will. You'll both do anything I say. At least you'll be together. Or should I make you fight to the death?"

Without any warning, power erupted through the dark tent. Azriel shut his eyes against the blinding white, Asteria's scream ringing in his ears. He felt it all around him, the ancient, raw power that could destroy him in a second. That should have already destroyed him.

Yet it didn't touch him.

Azriel slowly opened his eyes. He was cocooned in violet power, shielding him from whatever the Cauldron was about to do to him. Among the violet, shadows swam, even though he hadn't summoned them. Couldn't summon them. The ground trembled as the two forces fought, the feel of magic around him so strong he couldn't breathe.

But then it stopped. And he was alive. Untouched.

Asteria stared at him with awe and relief and shock. She let out a shuddering breath as she realized he was intact. Her eyes fell to the his hand. Azriel followed her gaze, to the ring around his finger. And surely enough, the violet glimmering around it was brighter than usual. Azriel clenched his fist to hide it.

The king, oblivious to the fact that a ring had somehow saved Azriel, slowly turned to Asteria, striding up to her. His face twisted into a thing of pure rage. Asteria looked away from Azriel, meeting the king in the eyes with a defiance that made him love her impossibly more.

"How did you do that?" He seethed.

Asteria tilted her head back to look at him, smiling slightly. "I don't know." She said, her expression bland and innocent. Azriel almost smiled at the sight, at the pride that rushed through him.

Hybern looked away from Asteria, meeting eyes with Orion. Azriel could do nothing but scream as the male drew back the whip. And he could do nothing but watch as he lashed Asteria's brutalized back, blood splattering around them as she let out a cry of pain.

Azriel thrashed and thrashed, chains ripping into his skin. He felt blood trickling down his wings.

Orion whipped Asteria again, and again. Azriel had never felt so helpless, had never hated himself so much for not being able to do anything. For not being able to protect his mate.

Hybern held up a hand, and Orion stopped. Asteria sagged forward, the chains at her wrists above her head holding her upper body up. She panted, clearly fighting to grasp onto consciousness. Her violet eyes glistened with tears, the scent of her blood coating the air.