Bianca's mouth fell. She raised herself on him and stared at him with wide eyes. Her skin tingled with emotions that cruised through her body. Her husband, her mate—he was too good to be true. "How can this be?" she asked, fingering his hair. She loved them from day one.

"That is how I am tuned to you Bia," he said softly, almost in a whisper.

​​

Bianca moved up his chest and lowered her lips to his. She closed her eyes when the kiss deepened. When she pulled away, she rested her head on his forehead. "I hope my dream doesn't get busted."

His hands curled around her waist. "No Bia… I hope my dream doesn't get busted. Right now I am living my dream, my fantasy. I want it to last for a long time." His shoulders shuddered. "Now do you understand?"

She rested her head on his chest. Now she understood why he was so overprotective about her. He had always been waiting, and waiting for so long that he couldn't digest the idea of her facing his worst enemy—an enemy she was born to slay. The man had become selfish, and she totally understood that, because if she were in his place, she would have done the same. "But how long can we avoid it hubby?" she asked. She unbuttoned his shirt and kissed his chest.

"As long as it takes, wife."

"I don't want people to suffer because I lacked and I certainly don't want them to think wrong about you." She looked up at him. His possessiveness was evident in his eyes.

"I don't care."

"You have to free me for this, my love. This is bigger than all of us."

"You don't know how to kill them. I don't know how to do that. Do you think I will let you go and deal with the Shadows without a plan?" He stabbed his fingers in his hair. "From what I can imagine they are like a plague. And they will eat everybody who comes in their way. Don't you realize? Sedora has freed these Shadows. She must be building the army from so long!"

"That's why I am telling Brantley. We are not left with a choice. Let's just— let's just go ahead and finish this task and live our life. Otherwise with this threat looming large, I won't be able to live without guilt. And—" She bit her lip. Sliding down from his body, she sat down and pressed her head in her hands while looking in her lap.

Brantley got up and held her hand. "And what Bia?" he asked, feeling anxious.

She looked up at him and asked, "Your prophecy tells that I should be the one to slay Sedora, that I am the only one who can slay her. She is surely malice personified." How is this possible Brantley? The entire Lore is filled with magical creatures, with people who are so strong that they can take over the world single-handedly. My mother told me about the vampire king—he is one of the most powerful men. You—the dragon rider, Ileus, the dark wizard! You all are much more powerful than me, then how is it that a person like me can kill Sedora."

He took her hands in his and covered them from all sides. He swallowed his saliva and then exhaled heavily. "The prophecy says that only a queen born in unnatural circumstances could kill Sedora. Chances of birth in unnatural circumstances in the Lore aren't low, but a queen born under unnatural circumstances and one who is my mate—now that is not even one in a million chance, because the Stone of Solaris was stolen."

"Oh my God!" said Bianca. "I feel I was engineered!"

He cupped her face in his hands. "Yes sweetheart, you were engineered by the Lore to empty it of its greatest evil!" His heartbeat increased.

She stared in his hazel eyes. "Then shouldn't you let me go and finish the task?"

He became quiet. Canting his head, he kissed the corner of her lips. "Then what about me, Bia? What about me?"

She climbed on his lap and kissed his deeply as he cradled her. "You have to guide me and be with me. Together we can do this and we will do this! Every time I curl my hands in your hair, I feel that scar and it kills me from the inside. I have this urgent urge to murder who did that to you." His voice was menacing.

"Bia…" He pressed her to him. "What will I do if anything happens to you?" He shuddered.

"Nothing is going to happen to me if you are with me, okay?"

For the rest of the night, Brantley couldn't sleep. He watched his wife sleeping. He committed every outline, every contour of hers to his memory. It was towards dawn that he slipped himself beside her and went off to sleep. He had made his decision.

It was past 11AM and everyone in the palace was pacing with anticipation. When Brantley and Bianca came out of their bedchamber, they were surprised to note that Lazarus was there along with Emma. He hadn't left. He nodded. They all walked to the meeting chamber, which Brantley sealed with his spell to make it sound proof.

Brantley was holding a map, which he spread on the table in the center. It had a big red mark that showed the position of Zor'gan. As everyone gathered around the table, he pointed at Zor'gan and said, "This is where Sedora is. Hidden, and god knows having what numbers of her army. Combined with that is the army of Kar'den—the winged demons with bane blood. I have heard rumors about Aed Ruad's constant involvement. Now—" he looked around at all those who were present there, "I need a plan from all of you that is going to involve you and how you will take help from the others to ward off the combined army."

Everyone started speaking at once. It became a loud cacophony as they argued amongst each other.

"Stop it!" Nusgroth's sharp voice came in and everyone started looking at him. He stared at Bianca first. Then he drew her gaze from her and looked at the others. "The only way to stop the Shadows is when one of us becomes a Shadow and leads the army of ghosts. Only then can Shadows be killed."

Bianca's face blanched. Mind dizzy at what Nusgroth just said, she thought her body froze. She sank in the nearby chair. So that is why Brantley was so panicky? She looked at him and at once knew that he was going to faint. Daryn came beside Brantley and held him tightly, as Dawn and Darius walked to Bianca and she held her daughter's shoulders. Dawn's lips were quivering.

"This is insane," said Darius. "Do you know what that means?" He said with anger and fear, as his hands closed in tight fists.

Nusgroth went to sit in his chair. He put his elbow on the armrest to rest his head in his palm. He looked past Darius towards Bianca and said in a low, calculated voice, "I know what that means. You see Sedora has been making that army ever since Dawn defeated her and she escaped to Zor'gan."