The betrayal

Chapter 10: The Betrayal

The armed men moved quickly, their weapons glinting in the dim light of the room. I stood frozen, my mind racing. How had they found us? And why were they here?

"Stay back," Sey growled, stepping in front of me, his golden eyes blazing with fury.

His hands were clenched into fists, and I could see the faint shimmer of scales forming along his arms—a sign that his dragon powers were awakening.

Kaela, meanwhile, had drawn a dagger from her belt, her expression cold and calculating.

She positioned herself beside Sey, her eyes locked on the intruders. For a moment, it seemed like the three of us were on the same side.

The leader of the armed men—a tall, broad-shouldered man with a scar running down his cheek—stepped forward, his sword pointed at Sey. "Hand over the queen, Dragon, and we might let you live."

Sey's lips curled into a snarl. "You'll have to go through me first."

The tension in the room was visible, the air thick with the promise of violence. I glanced at the map, still clutched in my hand, its runes glowing faintly. If I could just find a way out of this…

Before I could act, Kaela moved. In a flash, she lunged at the leader, her dagger slicing through the air. But he was faster. He sidestepped her attack and brought the hilt of his sword down on her head. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Kaela!" I shouted, my voice filled with panic.

Sey didn't hesitate. He surged forward, his body shifting as his dragon powers fully manifested. Scales covered his skin, and his hands transformed into claws. He moved with inhuman speed, disarming two of the men before they could react.

But there were too many of them. The remaining men closed in, their weapons raised. I knew Sey couldn't hold them off forever.

"Aurora, run!" Sey shouted, his voice strained as he grappled with one of the men.

I hesitated, torn between the instinct to flee and the need to help. But before I could decide, one of the men broke away from the fight and lunged at me. I stumbled back, my hand instinctively going to the dagger at my side. But I was too slow. He grabbed my arm, his grip like iron, and yanked me toward him.

"Let her go!" Sey roared, his voice echoing through the room.

The man ignored him, dragging me toward the door. I struggled, kicking and clawing at his arm, but he was too strong. Just as we reached the threshold, a voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

"Enough!"

The man froze, his grip on me loosening slightly. I turned to see a figure stepping into the room—a woman, tall and regal, her presence commanding immediate attention. She wore a flowing gown of deep crimson, and her eyes glowed with an otherworldly light.

"Release her," the woman said, her voice calm but firm.

The man hesitated, then obeyed, letting go of my arm and stepping back. I stumbled away from him, my heart pounding.

The woman turned to me, her expression unreadable. "Aurora," she said, her voice soft but filled with an undercurrent of power. "You've caused quite a stir."

"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice trembling.

She smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I am Lysandra, Queen of the Dragon Kingdom. And you, my dear, have something that belongs to me."

I glanced at the map in my hand, its runes glowing faintly. "You mean this?"

Lysandra's smile widened. "Among other things."

Before I could respond, Sey stepped forward, his body still partially transformed. "Lysandra," he said, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and something else—something I couldn't quite place. "What are you doing here?"

Lysandra's gaze flicked to him, her expression hardening. "I could ask you the same question, Sey. You were supposed to bring her to me, not play the hero."

My heart skipped a beat. "What?"

Sey's expression darkened, but he didn't deny it. Instead, he turned to me, his golden eyes filled with regret. "Aurora, I—"

"You lied to me," I said, my voice shaking with anger and betrayal. "This whole time, you were working for her?"

Sey didn't answer, but the look in his eyes was enough. I felt a surge of anger, hot and blinding, and before I could stop myself, I slapped him. The sound echoed through the room, and Sey's head snapped to the side. He didn't retaliate, just stood there, his expression unreadable.

Lysandra laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "Oh, this is rich. The great Sey, brought low by a mere mortal."

"Shut up," Sey growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Lysandra ignored him, turning back to me. "Now, Aurora, let's not make this more difficult than it needs to be. Hand over the map, and I might let you live."

I clutched the map tightly, my mind racing. I couldn't let her have it—not if it meant giving her the power to destroy my kingdom. But what choice did I have? I was outnumbered and outmatched.

Before I could decide, a voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "Let her go!"

I turned to see Arl standing in the doorway, his sword drawn and his expression fierce. Behind him were a dozen of my guards, their weapons at the ready.

Lysandra's smile faded, replaced by a look of cold fury. "You're too late," she said, her voice filled with venom. "She's mine now."

Arl didn't respond, just charged forward, his sword flashing in the dim light. The room erupted into chaos as my guards clashed with Lysandra's men. I stumbled back, my heart pounding, as the sound of clashing steel filled the air.

Sey grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not painful. "We need to go," he said, his voice urgent.

I shook my head, pulling free of his grip. "No. I'm not going anywhere with you."

Sey's expression was pained, but he didn't argue. Instead, he turned and joined the fight, his dragon powers fully unleashed. I watched as he tore through Lysandra's men, his movements swift and deadly.

But Lysandra was no ordinary opponent. She moved with a grace and speed that defied logic, her glowing eyes filled with a cold, calculating intelligence. She dodged Sey's attacks with ease, her movements almost too fast to follow.

"Aurora, run!" Arl shouted, his voice filled with desperation.

I hesitated, torn between the need to escape and the desire to help. But before I could decide, Lysandra turned her gaze on me, her eyes glowing brighter.

"You're not going anywhere," she said, her voice filled with a dark promise.

The last thing I saw was Lysandra's hand reaching for me, her fingers glowing with an unnatural light.