From the skies, my birds are my eyes. When Sienna granted me the favor of letting them watch over her, I was elated. Knowing she was safe brought me peace. Still, I kept them at a distance, and because of that, they could only see so much.
For days, something felt wrong.
My unease was confirmed when my avian scouts returned in a frenzy—Juno was in chaos. Sienna was missing.
I didn't waste a second.
I took to the skies, wings cutting through the wind. Halfway there, I saw Aron running below at impossible speed, his face carved from fury. He had felt it too.
When I reached Juno's gates, Rocco surged from the sea, water cascading off his shoulders, Chance at his side.
"Are you here for her?" I asked. "Did you sense it too?"
"She's my mate," Rocco snapped. "Our bond dragged me here. I should never have let her come to this cursed forest."
Aron didn't bother with words. He roared at the gates, his voice shaking the ground.
"Open them before I tear them down myself! Gideon—come out and face us!"
So much for him being the calm one.
The massive gates of Juno creaked open. Dense shadows swallowed the light beyond them, towering trees locking the kingdom away from the world. Juno had always been closed—second only to Mariner's Bay—but seeing it now felt wrong, like a trap waiting to close.
Then Gideon appeared.
He looked nothing like the king who once fought beside me in Velaris. His shoulders sagged. His eyes were hollow. My instincts screamed—Sienna was in danger.
Rocco didn't wait. Water formed into floating daggers and shot toward Gideon. Gideon dodged them all. Rocco summoned more—dozens, then hundreds—before charging with his spear. Gideon blocked him, barely. Rocco struck again, smashing his fist into Gideon's face and sending him reeling.
Enough.
I beat my wings and slammed a wall of wind between them.
"Kill each other later," I said coldly. "I don't care. I want answers. Gideon—where is Sienna?"
Silence.
Rocco forced himself through my wind barrier and raised his spear again, but a young wolf stepped in front of Gideon.
"She's not here!" the boy shouted. "She's missing!"
"Theo," Rocco said, lowering his weapon. "Lucky for you, Sienna likes you. Otherwise, I wouldn't hesitate. You've got more spine than your useless king."
I folded my wings and stepped forward beside Aron. Gideon stayed slumped, broken.
"How does someone vanish from a kingdom this guarded?" Aron demanded.
Nori stepped forward, shaking. "She was last in his dwelling. She was excited—happy—to talk to him."
Every eye turned to Gideon.
Aron grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him like he weighed nothing.
"What did you do to her? Did you hurt her?"
Gideon said nothing.
I turned to Nori. "Did anything strange happen before she disappeared?"
Her eyes widened. "A snake. Before the wolves found us in the jungle. He appeared—terrifying—but Sienna seemed to know him. Then he vanished."
Aron went rigid. Without warning, he struck Gideon again, knocking him to the ground.
"You let someone like that near her?" Aron roared. "You swore you cared—and you failed her!"
"What makes you think the snake took her?" Rocco asked. "He's crossed paths with her before."
"That snake has been watching her for a long time," Aron said. "Waiting. And this careless king gave him his chance."
I didn't stay to hear more.
"If that snake has her, I'll find her," I said, spreading my wings. "Fight if you want. If I find her first, she's mine."
Rocco laughed bitterly. "Whoever finds her keeps her—as long as it's not him. And you," he said to Gideon, "you wanted her as your mate but never bonded with her. You're not even one of us."
I stared at Gideon in disbelief. He had never bonded with her?
I laughed. "Then you're not even counted as a rival."
I took to the skies.
One by one, the others left too—Aron running, Rocco diving back into the sea, and even Gideon forcing himself to follow.
Too late for regrets.
Now, all that mattered was finding her.