Chapter 184: Waking up in Alina’s clutches

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In the brightly lit king’s chamber In the Dragon realm, Draven’s eyes blazed with a mix of anger and fear as he paced back and forth. The heavy air hung with tension, and the Princes, including the king, stood with furrowed brows and clenched fists. They had managed to bring back Draven against his will, he had insisted on going after Alina, but they had tried to make him reason that Alina had teleported and he had no idea where she would have taken Rhea to, but even so he wasn’t listening.

However, the king had managed to overpower the shocked Draven and draged him back to the Dragon realm. But now that he was fully back to his senses, he was enraged beyond words and was pacing around the king’s chamber.

The king’s stern gaze met Draven’s, and he spoke with authority, "You can’t go after her because you have no idea where Alina took her to. With your current body strength you..."

Draven’s temper flared, and his voice thundered through the chamber, cutting off the king’s words, "I don’t care. If I have to search the whole of the human realm, I will find Rhea. And let me tell you something, none of you can stop me from going!"

Without waiting for any response, Draven turned abruptly and stormed out of the chamber, his every step echoing his determination. He brushed past his friend, prince Zack at the entrance without a word, leaving a trail of unspoken intensity in his wake.

Prince Zack who hadn’t gone with them to the border had no idea what happened to Rhea or why Draven looked so angry, he walked into his father’s chamber with a frown. But before he could even ask any questions, the king rose from his throne, a sense of urgency in his eyes. "Zade, Stefan, come with me. We must assist Draven. Even if he finds Alina, it would be hard for him to fight her alone. We need to ensure the girl’s safety before Draven turns on us for not doing anything."

The princes, sensing the gravity of the situation, didn’t hesitate. They rose in unison, following their father out of the chamber, ready to support Draven in his relentless pursuit, their steps echoing the urgency of the mission at hand.

***

Rhea’s eyes fluttered open, her head throbbing in protest as she glanced at the unfamiliar cracked celling that met her eyes. With the hot temperature, she was certain she wasn’t in the dragon realm but the human realm. However, she wasn’t certain where exactly she was in the human realm.

Rhea glanced around her surroundings. Hay-strewn floors and a single lamp on the wall casting long shadows on the walls. As her gaze swept the unfamiliar surroundings, a chilling realizations hit her, she had been in the borders with the dragons before she was knocked out by Alina and brought, to who-knows-where this place was.

Through the window, the night unfolded, dark and ominous with no moon. She tried to move, but a sharp pain shot through her limbs, and that was when she noticed – her limbs were bound by Alina’s magical chains.

Rhea looked across the room and saw Enzo laid on a bed of hay, eyes closed, his vulnerability exposed. Alina hovered over him, tending to his injured neck with a tenderness that sent shivers down Rhea’s spine.

Panic gripped her as she tried to use the core’s powers but it wasn’t responding, and then she realized it had been probably sealed by Alina.

Fear etched into her heart as she knew the reason Alina had taken her. She had taken her for the core. But then she realized Alina hadn’t ripped her heart open when she was unconscious and that made the fear in her heart subside a little.

Rhea started to silently ponder on what Alina was planning by not ripping the core out yet. Alina had taken her along with Enzo, but instead of taking them to her residence, she had stopped halfway. What was the reason for bringing them to this hay room?

Rhea looked towards Enzo and immediately knew why they had stopped here. His eyes were closed and his forehead was covered in cold sweat that reflected the lamplight on the wall. His lips were pale and his face was ashen. It looked like something had gone wrong with him that made Alina stop to treat him here.

Enzo was an ordinary human with no powers, the speed of teleporting must have affected his fragile heart to make Alina stop halfway.

"Nick," Alina suddenly spoke almost startling Rhea out of her wits, "how are you feeling?" She asked softly.

Rhea looked towards Enzo and noticed he had opened his eyes, he looked bewildered as he looked around his surroundings. But when his eyes cleared on Alina’s face and felt her hand on his neck, he raised his hand and pushed her away from him. Even though he was weak, he still managed to distant himself from her.

"Don’t touch me!" He yelled out through hoarse throat.

Alina silently looked down and pretended not to hear or see the hate in his eyes and voice. She forced out a faint smile, "Nick, you shouldn’t have taken off the robe I made you that day. Even though it can’t cure your heart, it would have protected you from any harm and also protect you from the dagger that traitorous girl placed on your neck."

Rhea, who was listening recalled the robe she was talking about, her heart swelled with rage. She didn’t even realize when she blurted out, "You devilish bitch! You should be ashamed of yourself for making that robe with another being’s skin. But it’s a pity the robe will never be worn by your lover again because it’s with it rightful owner!"

Alina, who had been focused on Enzo the whole time hadn’t realized Rhea was awake until she’d spoken those words. Alina turned her head and shot Rhea a dark glare, but Rhea continued to speak.

"Draven’s scales have now mended with his body, you will never lay your hands on them again!"

Alina gritted her teeth, "You foolish little girl, you talk a lot of crap that makes me want to snap that head of yours. And for your information, I will make him hand back his scales to me just like I will rip open that chest of yours once I take you back."

Instead of crawling away in fear, Rhea’s gaze locked onto Alina’s, a storm brewing in her eyes. In that charged moment, memories flashed before her – the images of Alina stabbing Draven and the pain he had endured two decades ago, inflicted by this very woman before her. Rhea completely forgot her fear for Alina and her blood boiled with anger.

"I swear to the Heavens, if you ever lay a hand on Draven or any part of his body, I will fight you with everything in me!"

Alina, caught off guard by the girl’s audacity to threaten her even though she was, but a little girl, amused Alina. She chuckled, "You are in love with El-Dezeus," she said with a knowing smile, and then added mockingly, "What a pity I have killed his heart for him to ever trust another woman with it again. He will never love you, little one." She taunted.

Alina’s words jabbed a nerve in Rhea’s heart, but she didn’t let it show and instead glared at her, "You are an evil witch!"

Even though Enzo was weak, he still heard and understood the words spoken between the two women. He grabbed Alina’s arm, "Those scales on that robe were actually...you actually ripped them off that man?" He asked in pure disbelief as he suddenly realized the reason why Draven hadn’t wanted to be around him. It turned out Alina had been the cause.

"How could you..." He whispered in disbelief.

Alina glanced at Enzo and lightly replied as if it wasn’t a big deal, "It’s nothing, he’s just an animal. I stabbed him and skinned out his dragon scales to protect you, Nick, it’s nothing serious."

Alina’s words made Rhea’s heart twist. Rage erupted through her veins. However, she didn’t get the chance to speak before Enzo, who looked on the brink of death earlier, raised his hand and land a sharp slap on Alina’s cheek.

Enzo yelled, "You are a heartless wench! He is a living person with a soul and heart. How could you do such a thing to him and yet speak as if it was nothing?!" He forcefully pushed Alina away from him with every strength in his body, "Get away from me. I hate you with every fiber of my being!" He stood up, but he couldn’t support his own body and heavily fell back onto the hay floor.

Alina sat on the floor in shocked disbelief of the slap. She could barely feel the pain of the slap on her cheek, but she felt it in her heart. It clutched at her heart and squeezed in a painful way that made her press a hand to her chest. Not once had her husband ever raised his hand on her in the past. Even when they had a disagreement, he would hug her and never raise his hand, but now...

"Nick, you_" Alina began but was cut short by Enzo. "Don’t," he warned darkly, "ever call me that again. I am Enzo, Aurora’s husband. I am not Nick and I will never be your Nick!" He yelled out clutching his chest with hot tears rolling down his cheeks. "I married Aurora knowing she was a dragon and that is against the human rules, you should kill me for breaking the rules. Kill me!"

Alina didn’t even move a muscle, she just stared at Enzo as he yelled for her to kill him. And when Rhea thought she wouldn’t speak or do anything again, Alina reached out a hand and touched Enzo’s bleeding neck, where Rhea had cut him. Her voice was slightly trembling as she said, "Nick, you are sick, you should rest before I take you back home tomorrow morning."

Enzo had already used the strength in his body to yell. He was already weak to the point he could no longer push her away from him. However, he still shifted his head away from her reach. He felt disgusted by her mere touch, he couldn’t stand it.

Alina’s outstretched hand froze in midair as he moved away from her. She silently withdrew her hand and turned her sorrowful eyes away from Enzo, who had laid on the hay and turned away from her.

The night quietened down as Enzo and Alina seemed to be lost in their own silent sorrows. Rhea just quietly sat there and watched them while praying and hoping in her heart that Draven would track her whereabouts through the connection of the core and get her out of here before Alina would rip open her chest. She also hoped he wouldn’t come alone to rescue her...

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read