The grand hall was chaos.
Even when the Light-Fae magic was rooted in water, the unexpected attack had left destruction in its wake. The air smelled of charred wood and burnt fabric, a sharp contrast to the pristine elegance the hall once held.
The remnants of the vision still clung to everyone's minds, twisted with the scent of smoke and the horror of Kairan's unleashed power.
Aldric's gaze swept over the devastation. Guards scrambled to help those who were injured, nobles murmured amongst themselves, some looking to him with fear, others with accusation. His mind whirled with confusion and disbelief.
He had seen it with his own eyes—Kairan wielding fire magic. But Kairan was a Light-Fae. How could he command fire? And at such an intensity, powerful enough to reduce the ceremonial decorations to ash and leave the pillars scorched?
The world seemed muted to Aldric. Words of others became nothing but muffled noises, drowned beneath the pounding of his own heart. His father's voice eventually cut through the fog.
"Take the traitor to the dungeon. We will deal with him once we ensure the safety of everyone." Roderic's command was ice-cold, his expression rigid.
Aldric stiffened. His fists clenched. "Stop!" he barked, his voice sharp and commanding. "He is your king's mate."
The guards halted, turning to bow to him. But his father's gaze was unforgiving.
"Where is his mark then?" Roderic challenged, his voice low and scathing. "And even if he has your mark, he's a traitor. You would have your people bow down to a traitor?"
Aldric's throat tightened. His gaze swept the hall once more, catching the frightened faces of nobles, the tension in the air thick and suffocating. His own people stared at him, waiting for him to speak, waiting for him to take control of the situation. Waiting for him to choose.
"Look at your sister," Roderic continued. "She would have died today. Because of your 'mate'."
Aldric's eyes darted to his sister. Lyria lay on the ground, the physicians attending to her wounds. Her hair was disheveled, her face pale, her breathing shallow. She had tried to shield herself with water magic, but the impact had thrown her against a pillar, leaving her bruised and broken.
"Fine," Aldric said through clenched teeth. "But not the dungeon. To the chambers. I will take him there myself. He is still my mate, marked or not."
He lifted Kairan from the ground, cradling him in his arms. Kairan whimpered, his fingers curling weakly against Aldric's chest, his breathing shallow and uneven. Aldric's heart twisted painfully at the sight.
He brought Kairan to their chambers, laying him gently on the bed. Kairan's skin was clammy, his cheeks flushed with fever. His body trembled, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Aldric reached out to touch him, but Kairan recoiled, his eyes glazed with pain and confusion. Aldric's chest tightened, a terrible ache searing through him. This was his mate, broken and terrified, and he didn't know how to help him.
The door slammed open, and Roderic stormed into the room, his expression harsh.
"Chain him to the bed," Roderic ordered the guards who followed him. "He's too dangerous to be left free."
"No!" Aldric snapped, stepping between the guards and the bed. "Father, please—"
"No, Aldric." Roderic's voice was unyielding. "You saw the destruction he caused. This is necessary."
Aldric's shoulders sagged, his gaze dropping to Kairan. His father's words burned into his mind, twisting and writhing like a poison.
But he couldn't argue. Not when so many had been hurt. Not when Lyria had nearly died.
He stepped aside, his hands shaking as the guards moved forward, chaining Kairan's wrists to the bedposts. Aldric felt his soul fracture at the sound of the metal snapping into place.
He stayed by Kairan's side, his fingers entwined with his mate's until a messenger arrived to inform him that Lyria had awakened. With a last, lingering glance at Kairan's unconscious form, Aldric left.
A few hours later...
Kairan woke to cold metal against his skin. His arms ached from being held above his head, his wrists bruised by the unforgiving cuffs. Panic rose within him.
Where was Aldric? Why was he alone? His throat felt tight, his chest heavy.
He strained against the chains, his breathing shallow. Horror twisted his stomach as fragments of memory resurfaced—fire, destruction, Aldric staring at him with something worse than fear. Horror.
The way Aldric's eyes had widened, his expression contorted with disbelief and something else—something that cut Kairan deeper than any wound. Revulsion? Betrayal?
Kairan's heart clenched painfully. The one person he had trusted above all else had looked at him as if he were a monster.
Tears burned at his eyes, frustration and fear tangling into a painful knot. The memory of fire ripping from him, uncontrolled and violent, played over and over in his mind.
And then—another memory surfaced.
The day his mother died.
He remembered the sensation in his hands, the heat burning beneath his skin, desperate to be released. Just like it had been today.
His mother's voice echoed in his mind. "If they find out… they will hurt you. They will end you."
He remembered her laying in the cold forest ground. Her eyes were wide, something between pride and sorrow etched into her expression.
"Oh, my child…" she whispered, her fingers touching his heart. "They will harm you if they find out… I'm sorry, my love. This is the only way I can protect you."
She spoke words in an ancient tongue. A spell.
Kairan felt the energy inside him respond to her call, it surged and then dulled.
Did she… Did she seal my power? Is that what happened? he thought to himself.
His mother was a healer witch. Kairan remembered her wielding a different kind of power that day, her power fierce and wild. Was it Fire Magic? Was she also a half-breed? A witch and Dark-Fae?
But even if she was… how could he use both water and fire magic? They were total opposites. That was impossible. Right?
His thoughts twisted and tangled, his mind unable to settle on any single truth.
He pulled against the chains, desperation clawing at him. His eyes burned with unshed tears.
What am I…?
As footsteps echoed down the hallway, Kairan braced himself, his heart hammering in his chest.
Someone was coming.