Chapter Sixteen__Part:1

Kaden’s POV

The light swallowed her whole.

“Astrid!” I reached out instinctively, but my hand grasped at nothing. The air hung thick with the aftershocks of her disappearance, the room now impossibly empty. It was as if the warmth had drained from the very walls, leaving behind only cold silence. The brilliant glow from the amulet dimmed, and with it, all the energy seemed to fade, leaving behind a heavy, aching void.

She was gone.

I stood frozen, my chest tightening as the weight of her absence settled in. The council members exchanged nervous glances, their eyes flicking between the spot where Astrid had just stood and me. But I barely registered them. All I could see was the look on her face before she vanished, the way she mouthed those final words, I’m sorry.

I tried to steady my breath, but the raw emotion that had filled her eyes haunted me. Pain, fear, and then the finality of that silent apology. It felt like a knife twisting in my gut. She was gone, and I had no idea where she had taken herself or when or if she would return.

My heart twisted painfully. She had left… and I had let her.

Joran, Torin, and Varel stood nearby, their faces filled with concern and confusion, but they said nothing. They knew better than to push me right now, especially in a moment like this. My thoughts were scattered, my focus shredded. I couldn’t think about the council or even the looming threat of Sven, not when Astrid, my mate, had slipped through my fingers.

I paced the length of my study, my mind racing. Where could she have gone? The monk’s cryptic words echoed in my head: You hold the power that can save us. His reverence toward Astrid, his belief in her being the key to something far greater, hadn’t escaped me. But none of that mattered now. All I cared about was finding her and making sure she was safe.

My voice felt trapped in my throat. I had been so close, so close to convincing her to stay, to give me more time to explain, to make her understand. But I had failed. She needed space, and I tried to give it to her, but it wasn’t enough. She was scared and overwhelmed, and I couldn’t protect her from it.

“I should have stopped her,” I muttered, barely realizing I was speaking out loud. “I should have done something.”

“You couldn’t,” Joran said quietly, stepping forward. His tone was measured and calming. “Astrid needed space. Forcing her to stay would have only made things worse.”

“I don’t care what should or shouldn’t have happened,” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “She’s gone, Joran. And we have no idea where she is or what danger she might be in.”

Joran bowed his head slightly, not pushing further. He was right; of course, forcing her wouldn’t have helped. But knowing that didn’t ease the tightness in my chest.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. Torin. His presence was steady, solid. “We’ll find her,” he said, his voice unwavering. “Wherever she is, whatever she’s facing, we’ll bring her back.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting those words settle over me. I needed to pull myself together. There was too much at stake, too many enemies circling for me to lose control now. Sven was out there, waiting for his moment to strike. I couldn’t afford to be reckless.

But even as I tried to clear my mind, the image of Astrid’s tear-filled eyes refused to leave me.

“Get the scouts ready,” I ordered, my voice rough. “I want rogue activity tracked near the temple ruins or any other place Sven might be targeting. Keep a close eye on the borders.”

Varel nodded and moved swiftly to carry out my orders. Joran and Torin stayed behind, their presence grounding me, reminding me I wasn’t in this alone.

The amulet had taken her somewhere she thought she needed to be. I had to trust that she would find her way back to me. Please come back to me. Please. But the uncertainty gnawed at me, the fear that Sven’s reach might be even greater than I anticipated.

I straightened, pushing the emotions aside. I couldn’t let them take over. Not now. “We’ll prepare for Sven’s next move. He won’t stop. Not until he gets the amulet. And Astrid.”

Joran’s face hardened. “Then we’ll stop him. Before he gets the chance.”

Torin stepped forward, his brow furrowed in thought. “If Sven knows what the amulet can do, he’ll be desperate. Sending rogues is just the beginning. We need to be ready for anything.”

I nodded, the weight of responsibility settling over me once more. Astrid was tied to this prophecy, but Rathguard was my kingdom. Sven wasn’t just a threat to her; he was a threat to us all.

“Then we fortify our defenses,” I said, my mind already working through the next steps. “Alert the council. I want every border watched, every scout on alert. We can’t afford to let Sven gain any more ground.”

Joran and Torin exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison. “Consider it done,” Joran said.

As they left, I turned back to the window, staring at the darkening sky. Somewhere out there, Astrid was alone, wrestling with her power and her choices.

And Sven... he was waiting.

But whatever was coming, I wouldn’t let him win. Not while I still had breath in my body.

“Your majesty…” Elder Elandra walked up to me.

I rolled my eyes and turned to face her and the rest of the council. “I don’t have time right now. The council can wait. I have to meet Joran and Torin.”

“Understood; we will put up the force field around the kingdom and the palace,” I heard Ronald say behind Thalor.

Elandra looks back at me, “He’s right, your majesty. We will ensure the safety of the force field.

My eyes shifted between them, “So be it.” I glared at Ronald before he broke eye contact and looked down to the floor.

I leave the study, running out of the palace. I shift into my beast and let him run to our subjects. Both of us think of Astrid, our chest aching.

You let her go. I heard his voice thunder.

Do you think I wanted to? The amulet took her.

I want her back.

Me too.

You better deal with Ronald before I rip his pathetic limbs apart.

I might just let you.

Joran meets me as I sprint toward the border, tension thick in the air. Ahead, I spot Torin battling a wave of rogues, fending them off with brutal efficiency. The chaos swirls around us, but my focus narrows when a group of four red-eyed rogues charges straight for Joran and me.

Without hesitation, I mind-link Joran and Torin. Flank them on the left. Torin, take the right. I’ll go for the middle.

On it, they said in unison.