It took us longer than I expected to reach Avion.
The kingdom of birds is one of the most dangerous places in this world, and the only reliable way to approach it is by flight. We crossed vast plains and treacherous routes, navigating winds that shifted without warning and paths that crumbled beneath careless steps.
The closer we drew, the more unsettled I became.
The land was wrong.
Too quiet.
Birds are never silent. They fill the skies with sound, movement, color—especially here.
"Sire," one of my men murmured, scanning the horizon, "I don't see or sense any birds. They usually fly constantly… show off their wings."
I felt it too.
The silence clawed at my instincts, sharp and unrelenting. Every fiber of my being screamed the same warning—
She's in danger.
She needs you.
Now.
"Stay alert," I ordered. "Move carefully. Be ready to defend yourselves. Something is deeply amiss."
The ascent was brutal—jagged stone, unstable ground, paths eroded by time and wind. One misstep could send us plummeting to our deaths. We moved light and fast, barely touching the earth.
When we reached the summit, my breath caught.
Ruins.
Feathers littered the ground. Straw and broken nests were scattered everywhere, crushed and torn apart as if a storm had raged through the aerie. The air smelled wrong—fear, blood, decay.
What happened here?
Where are the birds?
Where is Sienna?
I signaled my pack to spread out, hold position, and search for threats. As I moved forward, her scent reached me—faint, but unmistakable.
I followed it to a small nook beside the throne of Avion's king.
My hand brushed the stone.
The ache in my chest deepened.
I missed her more than I had allowed myself to admit.
Inside the nook lay rotten fruit, scattered seeds, wilted flowers. She had tried to make this place feel like home. Feathers were piled together—woven, bound, shaped into something resembling a blanket.
I gathered it carefully.
It carried her scent the strongest.
Where are you, Sienna?
Did Talon sense our approach and flee? Why must it always be this hard to reach you?
"Sire," Theo called out. "We found someone."
He dragged forward a pink-feathered harpy, injured and trembling, hiding within a cave.
"Please," she sobbed, collapsing. "Let me go. I didn't know who she was. We had nothing to do with her. She was only our king's captive."
"What is your name?" I asked firmly.
"Lyca," she whispered. "If you're here with the bats… if you're looking for her—she's not here anymore. Leave us alone."
Bats.
My blood ran cold.
"What do the bats want with her?" I demanded. "Why would they hunt her?"
Only one answer made sense.
Vera.
She wouldn't stop. Not until she claimed what she wanted.
"We're not with the bats," I said sharply. "Where is Sienna? Did they take her? Where is your king?"
Lyca shook violently. "Our king ordered us to scatter. He took her with him—to protect her. The bats were chasing them."
Theo stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Tell us everything. About the bats. About Talon."
I rarely saw Theo like this—so driven, so desperate. He was like a brother to me. I trusted him with my life. Watching him now, I realized something painful.
He spent more time with her than I ever did.
The realization cut deep.
I left her.
I took her presence for granted.
I believed my pride would keep her safe.
How blind I was.
"The bats came suddenly," Lyca continued, voice breaking. "They were looking for the vessel. They attacked our flock. Talon fought them, bought us time. When we returned, Talon confronted Aron—the King of Bolivé. Then Talon took Sienna and fled."
She pointed weakly toward the dark forest beyond the peak.
"I don't know if he reached our other post… or if—"
She broke down completely.
I stared into the forest ahead.
Dark smoke rose in the distance. The same corrupted stench I had encountered before lingered in the air.
Please… don't let us be too late.
My heart thundered as I imagined what Sienna must be enduring. She didn't belong in this world—thrust into danger, hunted, used. Since her arrival, she hadn't known peace.
She was the Goddess of Abundance reborn.
And none of us had given her the reverence—or protection—she deserved.
"We move now," I commanded. "We catch them before Vera does."
If returning her to her world meant her safety, I would do it—no matter the cost.
That is how much she mattered to me.
Not just as a destined mate.
But as someone I truly loved.
I hadn't known her as long as Theo or Rocco, yet her presence had changed me instantly—as if I had always known her. As the first one she met in this world, the responsibility was mine.
And I would not fail her again.
I threw back my head and howled—a promise carried on the wind.
I am coming for you.
I ordered part of my pack to remain behind in case Talon returned, then surged forward with the rest.
Then—
A sudden chill crawled down my spine.
My heart lurched violently, like it had dropped into an abyss.
Something was terribly wrong.
She needs me.
Now.