I stumbled backward and anticipated an agony, but it never happened. I opened my eyes and came across Penum and Lee, standing side to side.
"My lady, you can't back away in this kind of situation." Penum enlightened me while Lee just played with his dagger.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I snapped at them, baring my teeth.
"Calm down, princess. You must train for the upcoming combats to put up some fight." Lee announced as he swung the hook at me.
The rest of the two hours went by, Lee manhandling me and me falling on every surface while Penum lectured me.
"Their eyes flicker when they use powers most of the time, my lady." Penum gave me a hint.
I growled in a fighting stance at Lee while he casually circled me. Penum was reading some book with glasses on the bridge of his nose. Sometimes he would peek at us from above his glasses, but often he didn't disturb himself.
"So gaze at their eyes and consider that the same words were told to the others as well."
So my opponent could hide when he gathered the energy, and I had to do the same. I shut my eyes and summoned the shadows as Lee taught me. The wisp of smoke danced across his arms as I transformed them into snakes and wrapped him in heavy clouds. Lee did the same to threaten me as he invaded my mind, but I rose my mental shields.
He lifted his eyebrows in surprise as I took over. I caught the hang of the breaking mental shields as I studied Axel's technique.
I tried to claw at his walls, but suddenly I crushed them as he gasped audibly. I could detect as Penum placed his book and glasses on the table and shifted his body to face us.
"H-How?" Lee stuttered.
In his mind, I saw many, many things. I was fascinated as the pieces of his thoughts were shoved into my sight. Then I spotted as his shadow snaked from behind me and gripped my legs as I fell. These visions reflected his intentions.
I swiftly turned around and gathered my shadow serpents before me to meet Lee's ones in time before they attacked me. As my beasts fought the enemies, I slipped the dagger from my belt and felt as Lee's hand came in contact with the back of my neck. I caught his wrist and yanked him forward as I placed the knife on his neck.
Penum chuckled while I kicked Lee in the popliteal fossa causing him to grunt and drop on his knees. Lee called his shadow snakes back, and I grinned in triumph.
I faced Penum as he beamed proudly at me and nodded at me in approval.
"Okay, let me go." Lee hissed.
After few minutes, Penum cleaned and organized me as well as the library with his magic.
"Any news about my mother?" I approached the lord.
He sighed before shaking his head, "Unfortunately, none, my lady."
"And what about that thing?"
They exchanged gazes. Lee gave his father a few jerks of his head, and then they both focused their eyes on me.
"It's destroying villages one by one. It reached Grey's homeland, and he had to withdraw for a time."
Damn! That was why I couldn't catch a glimpse of him in the past few days.
"Don't we know his condition?"
"He's alright, but his village isn't. It was a dependent kingdom, but Axel conquered it and declared it the part of the dragon clan land."
"Doesn't this kingdom have a name like mine did?"
"Not officially, but we call it a dragon's land."
"What does that thing want anyway?"
"We don't know yet, but crushing our land would be a fair guess. The dark wishes rule its mind."
Our discussion ended with a few lessons of Penum's, and then I dashed to the main hall, my stomach twisting in hunger.
"But I sense her presence!"
Axel's growl rang in my ears as I stilled few inches away from the giant doors.
"Axel, you're suggesting that she reincarnated in Rebel's body. You understand that, don't you?"
My eyes almost jumped out from their sockets as I restrained myself from expressing my aghast. What were they talking about?
"Fuliko?" The second one sounded like Ash as he addressed the fox.
"I don't know," he paused for a second, "but will if you let me interact with her often."
Silence.
"Fuliko, from now on you will be beside the princess at all times."
"Axel…" Ash whistled at their current circumstances. "That's some… deep shit."
"It is. But if it's true," Axel let out a breathy chuckle. Did he sound utterly relieved?
"What about your powers? Grey told me everything."
"I have to find another way."
"I know it's getting harder, but Rebel is the only rational way."
What? What were they hiding from me? Why was I a rational way? Or whose reincarnation was I?
"Your majesty!"
Adriana stormed in front of me out of the blue, flinging the doors open and barging in. I stood there dumbstruck as I was totally exposed to their alarmed gazes. Like I hadn't been eavesdropping on them minutes ago. Adriana stole only their glances, and then the men in the hall gawked at me.
"I-I just came," I mumbled as Axel narrowed his eyes but looked down at Adriana.
"What happened, Adriana?"
"The palace is under attack! Lord Danu sent me here."
Ash cursed under his breath as he shoved his long fingers in the hair.
"Rebel!" The authoritative voice shook me out of my thoughts, "Come to me."
Axel was glaring at me as I raced to him without giving his words a second thought.
"Did something happen to you?" Axel asked and immediately clasped my hand in his.
His brows were knotted together as I felt his pulse speed up. Was he worrying about me?
"No. I'm fine, but who dared to intrude on dragon's territory?"
"The same question bugs me," Fuliko stated as he came out from the shadows. "The centuries passed since the last attack on these lands. First that th-"
Axel's growl of disapproval and a warning glare shut the fox. I was well aware of the 'thing' Fuliko was about to mention.
"Whoever they are, they will regret it." Ash snickered as his eyes glowed yellow.
My brows jumped up at his elongated fangs and predatory posture. There was so much humane in them compared to their animalistic side it made me shiver.
Axel just smirked as his claws punched out. His eyes were remaining dark blue, but the ominous glint in them told another story.
The guards crowded the hall. I imagined how many of them would have gathered in front of the palace.
"Axel," I whispered, but he caught on as he gazed down at me.
"You know you have nothing to worry about, don't you?"
"And why is that?"
A smirk tugged on his lips before he responded, "Because you are with the strongest."
I couldn't help but smile at Axel's confidence in the tense situation. Cocky, huh? I was getting used to his character as it soothed my nerves. How, dude?
His vicious smirk was replaced with a gentle smile as he bore into my eyes.
"Well, it's cute, isn't it?"
The seductive voice echoed in the broad hall as I snapped my head to the stranger. He strode towards us with carelessness lingering around him. He had dark blue hair and matching eyes. The ugly scar was stretched from his right eye to the opposite part of his jaw. The heavy aura that slithered behind him was suffocating.
"How did you dare step on my lands?" Axel growled and leaned forward as if to pounce at his prey.
"It hasn't changed at all." The man spoke. The scar did nothing to mar the sharp and splendid features.
Block!
I built mental shields as I couldn't terminate my eyes from the unknown threat before me.
Who was he anyway?
"Oh, the young lady from the River kingdom doesn't know me?" His razor-sharp gaze landed on mine, and my breath hitched in my throat. How could he read my mind even with my mental shields high up? Who the hell was he?
"One step and you are dead," Axel growled as he yanked me back and stepped in front of me.
The guards wielded their swords, and Ash walked to Axel's side.
The man chuckled and then waved his hands as he spoke, "No need to worry. I would never harm my step-daughter."
Stepdaughter? WHAT?