style="font-size:15px;"> Finally, the Prince spoke, “It’s not in my nature to break my word, but I’m afraid circumstances force me to do so. Victor is demanding your extradition, and I can’t refuse him.”
That’s all. It’s done. The verdict was passed. It took a huge effort for Selene to keep her face calm. She was afraid that any movement or word could destroy her. So she just continued to stare at the Prince in silence.
“Believe me, this decision was very difficult for me,” he said. “Many years ago, you asked for my protection, and in return, you served the clan faithfully. You’ve always been loyal to me. But right now, I can’t change anything. I’m sorry, Selene. I hope you understand.”
Selene understood. Victor had been searching for centuries for a way to influence Adrian, and it seemed that he had finally found it. Whatever it was, Selene believed that if the Prince had had the chance to keep his word, he would have done it.
Adrian looked at her dejectedly, waiting for her to say something. But Selene only found the strength to bow her head respectfully, indicating that she accepted his decision. Greg and Thomas looked down at the floor, and Maria was grinning with glee.
There was an eerie silence in the room, broken only by the ominous clink of Greg’s handcuffs. He slid his hands behind Selene’s back, closing the heavy gold bracelets with the image of the falcon of Horus around her wrists. A chill ran through her body, and her muscles loosened. Thomas came over and joined Greg in taking Selene by the elbows as they headed out of the hall. Neither of them dared to meet her eyes. Maria trotted ahead impatiently.
When the guards opened the doors for them, Selene turned to the Prince over her shoulder and asked, “What will happen to the prisoner?”
He seemed to be prepared for any words, but this question clearly caught him off guard.
“Lucan declared him a traitor, and traitors are known to be executed.”
Selene said nothing and turned away. They led her out of the hall, and the doors slammed shut behind them.
***
Selene spent the entire time trying to collect her thoughts as they descended into the dungeon. Uneasy premonitions gripped her heart, and the magic of the handcuffs resisted fiercely, refusing to yield to her efforts. But the girl did not give up, knowing that there was no time to think. Outwardly, she was unperturbed, but inside, a quiet storm was brewing.
Their procession stopped in front of the cell door. On its metal surface was a winged sun disk – an ancient symbol of the sun god, designed to protect against evil. So the legend that vampires couldn’t enter a house uninvited was partly true. Selene felt that if she crossed the threshold, she would lose her freedom forever. If the Prince was willing to sacrifice her, Selene wasn’t.
The moment Maria opened the door, Selene mustered the last of her strength, forcing the magic of the handcuffs to retreat in front of her. The golden bracelets opened with a loud clang and fell to the stone floor. She felt a surge of strength and a slight tingling sensation all over her body.
Greg and Thomas were distracted by an unexpected sound. Selene ducked and summoned her daggers with a sharp flick of her wrists. In an instant, she severed the tendons under men’s knees, and their bodies collapsed to the floor at the same time. Taking advantage of the guardians’ weakness, Selene pushed them into the cell and locked the door. This would buy her a little time before someone showed up and freed them.
Meanwhile, Maria was already rushing to the exit, realizing that she could not compete with Selene, since she always trusted her gift more than her physical strength.
Selene decided not to waste time chasing Maria and not to try to stop her from raising the alarm. She knew that the security cameras had already recorded everything that had happened. Instead, she hurried to Sol’s cell.
As she flitted her slender fingers across the panel and punched in the access code, Selene prayed that security wouldn’t change it. To her relief, a beep sounded and the green light turned on. Abruptly, she flung open the door, burst into the cramped, dank cell, and without another word began to free Sol from his shackles.
“What’s all that noise? What are you doing?” he asked, frowning up at her.
“Saving us,” Selene said, using her silver dagger to cut through the wolf’s shackles, sending out a shower of sparks. “Help me out, and I’ll explain the rest when we’re safe. In the meantime, sit tight.”
She crouched down in front of Sol and placed her hands on the silver hoop that encircled his broad neck. Sol didn’t resist, watching her movements carefully, his golden eyes searching her face. Selene summoned her gift and channeled it into the power contained in the collar, just as she had done with the handcuffs before. This time the task was much easier: the restraining magic yielded almost effortlessly, and Tyr’s bindruna flashed with a dazzling silver light, then faded away, opening the collar. Sol breathed a sigh of relief and rose to his full height, stretching his arms and neck. It was much taller than Selene had expected, and she was struck by its power. She felt especially small next to him.
“That’s better, thank you, fagr,” the werewolf boomed, crunching his neck in satisfaction.
Selene smiled wryly, “Come on, we need to hurry.”
They hurried out of the dungeon, passing sliding doors that weren’t locked. Apparently, the guards were waiting for them at the top, not wanting to engage in battle in such a tight space.
As they waited for the elevator, Sol ventured, “You still haven’t told me your name.”
“Selene,” she said.
“Selene,” Sol repeated with a wistful smile, as if tasting her name. “It suits you.”
Before she could answer, there was a slight clink and the gleaming elevator doors slid open. The cabin was empty, just as they’d expected. Selene and Sol went inside.
On the way upstairs, Selene secretly texted Frey, glad that her phone hadn’t been taken away. There was only one word in the message: “It’s time.”
Moments before the elevator reached the desired floor, Selene and Sol prepared for battle. Selene clutched the silver daggers in her hands, and Sol made a smooth gesture with his right hand with the ring. Immediately, a dazzling golden sword materialized in it, patterned runes adorning its blade and hilt.
However, when the elevator doors finally opened, there wasn’t a soul outside.
Chapter 7
The dark marble corridors were filled with tense silence. Selene’s sensitive ears picked up only the steady, powerful beat of Sol’s heart. They stepped carefully and silently on the polished floor, trying not to make a single sound, while simultaneously disabling the security cameras.
At the next bend, Sol suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. Selene followed suit and immediately caught a familiar scent. A flash of golden light came around the corner and shot towards them. After a moment, the big blue eyes and tousled hair that Selene knew so well appeared in front of them. Sol hurried to cover Selene, putting her behind his back with his left hand. A blow from a fae blade (the one from the library) left a deep scarlet streak on his forearm.
The
