Dawn stared at her mate with wide eyes. This was fantastic but dangerous at the same time.

"Since yesterday I was experimenting on the illusions that my mother has woven around me. I concentrated on breaking them. I walked around the apartment I am being held prisoner at. There was this illusion of a female servant wearing skimpy clothes and looking like you. She was readying my bath. When I stepped in the bath, I focused on breaking the mirage of her wearing skimpy clothes," said Daryn when he remembered how the servant's skirt pulled up when she spread her legs. All he could see was Dawn pulling up her skirt. The illusion made him hard as rock, but he knew that it was a lie. "I closed my eyes and then focused on my inner core. There was a feeble orange light that floated somewhere down. I fixed on it and pulled it out. When I opened my eyes, I looked at the servant and the illusion blasted. Her original clothes were revealed but she still looked like you. A shocked expression on her face confirmed that she knew what I did."

​​

Dawn cupped his cheeks in her hands and said, "Oh my God, Daryn! I am so proud of you!" While she said that, her own body was tense.

"But I didn't break the illusion in which she looked like you because Sedora had told me that if any of her people get injured because of me blasting her illusions, it would affect you physically, so I let her look like you…" his voice trailed off. "I didn't allow her to touch me."

Dawn kissed his lips and then curled her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his neck. "That's fine baby. We have to take baby steps." She smiled against his skin thinking that she was able to create illusions and not break them while her husband was able to break them and not create them. Both were imperfect, but it would do. They had killed so many people. It had become crazy. She was responsible for the death of two women in two days.

"If you like I can help you with your powers Daryn," said Brantley. "Though I don't really know much regarding how to hone skills of sorcerers, I can definitely guide you with basic things. That being said, these things take a lot of time and that is something we don't have…"

"I agree," said Daryn. "We don't have time. I so want to get out of this place!"

"But how did you manage to blast those demons into fragments?" asked Brantley. "That magic is very dangerous and very rare."

"I don't know…" Daryn kissed his wife on the crown of her head. "While sitting on the throne, I was slowly shattering one illusion after the other in my drugged state. It was very difficult to focus but it seems that my body recognized the dosage of the drug and acted against it gradually. I still feel dizzy… When I reached the gold cage where Dawn was fighting with the winged demons, it was too late."

Brantley remembered that Daryn had roared her name. It was like a cry of the Lykae he was. His fists were clenched into tight balls and every muscle in his body strained and bulged out. Next moment his eyes smoldered orange like molten lava. He had jumped off the stage to be with his mate. However an invisible wall stopped him from entering the arena. There was chaos on the podium. Sedora watched him with wide eyes and mouth. She froze on her throne.

Another roar came out of his chest and the winged demons blasted away in fragments.

People around him ran helter-skelter.

Daryn was narrating his experience, and in the end said, "The whole incident left me with a terrible headache. And I have no idea why every woman after that didn't appear like you. There was no illusion, thankfully."

"But didn't Sedora say that Dawn would also be injured if any of her people were wounded?" Brantley asked.

"Well, the Zor'gans aren't her people." Daryn shrugged. "She is no more in their good books. Dolgra died a painful and disgraceful death." Why was Dawn getting antsy?

Dawn laughed. Her stomach grumbled and before she even pointed at food, Brantley brought the tray to her.

"You need to eat a lot Dawn," he said seriously. "Also I have to reinforce that magic around you."

Dawn took a mouthful of fish steak and groaned in satisfaction. The way she ate, it was as if she was having sex with food. Daryn's cock twitched. Brantley's cheeks flushed. It was difficult to see this twenty-three old girl as his mother-in-law.

"How did you manage to come here Daryn?"

He picked up another fish steak and she wrapped her lips around it. His imagination skyrocketed. "I— a d— deal is a deal," he managed to speak coherently. "S— Sedora—" Dawn chewed the steak and wrapped her lips to bite off more from his hand and in the process she lightly bit his fingers. His mind became blank.

She asked innocently, "What about Sedora?"

"I am sure Sedora couldn't counter when you mentioned that even if Dawn can't come to you, you have to go to her and honor the deal?" Brantley completed his sentence, understanding the Lykae's complicated situation.

"Y— yes." Daryn's neck was red.

"Cool!" said Dawn. She climbed out of his lap and focused on eating more food. "I need a lot of energy. I don't know what task she will throw tomorrow!"

Ileus returned. "Would you like to go out with me hunting for the night?" he asked.

The three stared at him. "You are looking as ridiculous as you are sounding Ileus!" Daryn chided him. "Where's Brenda?"

A rumble in the ground broke their attention.

"What—" Dawn said but there was another louder one. The tent shook slightly.

"Don't tell me that an earthquake is coming!" Dawn said.

Ileus laughed. "If it isn't, then it should!" Then he became serious and said, "Anyone for hunting?"

"Hey! Before I forget—that dagger saved my life, man!" said Dawn. She got from the bed and hugged Daryn's crazy cousin.

Ileus smiled, "It's okay Dawn. We do what we have to do." As usual he sounded mysterious.

When she removed herself, she said, "I think I lost it in the ground. I was holding on to it, but I don't know what happened after I fell unconscious…" she bit her lip.

Ileus lifted his shirt. He flashed a smile. "It is back with me!" He pointed at the belt on which it was strapped.

"Awesome!" Dawn chuckled.

Ileus stared at her. "Would you join me for hunting?"

"No…" she went back to eating.

"Where's Brenda?" asked Daryn again.

"She is still wondering how she was so good at shooting arrows. She is analyzing… things… her existence… pondering whether she is also a hybrid…"

"Actually her archery skills were crazy hot!" Dawn interrupted.

Ileus nodded. "So anyone for hunting?"

"No!" the three denied in unison.

Ileus's face fell and he walked out of the tent.

"Even I am leaving," said Brantley. He knew that the couple needed alone time. He could sense that Dawn was on the edge. "But let me reinforce the magic."

She nodded and once she finished eating Brantley wrapped her tummy, his mate, in the warm red lights of his protection, of his seal of love.

Daryn watched him with pure appreciation.

Another rumble…