The palace trembles.
Vanda feels the vibration in his bones as he races through the eastern wing, flames coiling under his skin. Every guard who crosses his path senses the danger and presses against the wall, heads bowed. None dare slow him.
The magic trail is unmistakable—Rosa's. Sweet and sharp, like crushed violets laced with iron. It draws him through twisting corridors until the air itself shimmers with heat.
Too slow.
The thought lashes his mind like a whip.
He bursts into Daya's hall, power surging. The heavy door to her chamber glows faintly with a sealing spell. Vanda's eyes blaze gold.
"Rosa!" His voice rattles the stones.
Inside, Rosa tilts her head, the faintest smile curling her lips. "You came quickly," she purrs.
Daya stands frozen near the wall, back rigid, terror flashing in her wide brown eyes. Rosa's spell shimmers between them, a thin veil of violet light.
"Release her," Vanda growls.
Rosa traces a finger along the shimmering barrier. "So possessive. Is this the mighty dragon prince everyone fears? Brought to his knees by a maid?"
Flames flicker down Vanda's arms. "You mistake restraint for weakness."
"Do I?" Rosa lifts her other hand and the barrier thickens, pulsing like a living thing. "She's such a fragile thing, Vanda. One touch—"
"Try," he snarls.
The chamber shakes. The seal fractures with a scream of splitting air. In a burst of molten light the barrier shatters, violet sparks scattering like dying stars.
Rosa stumbles but recovers, eyes glittering. "Impressive. But can you protect her from this?"She sweeps her cloak wide and hurls a sphere of black fire. It whips across the room, shrieking.
Vanda steps forward. A roar erupts from his chest—half human, half dragon. Flame answers flame. Golden fire surges from his palms, colliding with Rosa's magic in a blinding explosion. Heat scorches the stone floor. The windows shatter outward, raining glass into the courtyard below.
Daya shields her face, heart pounding. The clash of powers shakes the walls like an earthquake.
Rosa's laugh cuts through the roar. "You've grown stronger. I almost like it."
Vanda bares his teeth. "This ends tonight."
They circle each other, magic crackling like a storm between them. Vanda moves with predatory precision, each step driving Rosa toward the balcony. But she is fast, her spells twisting like serpents.
A shadow slips through the doorway—Captain Myron, sword drawn. "Your Highness—"
"Get Daya out!" Vanda commands without looking.
The captain darts to Daya's side. "Come!"
"No!" Daya protests, but the captain grips her arm. "Please, my lady. You'll only distract him."
Vanda senses Daya's hesitation. "Go," he orders, voice edged with flame. "I'll find you."
The command breaks her resistance. She lets the captain pull her toward the corridor, heart aching as she looks back.
Rosa catches the glance and smirks. "Ah, the beloved maiden flees. How touching."
"Face me," Vanda growls.
Their magic collides again, light and shadow tearing through the room. Stone cracks, tapestries ignite. The ancient palace groans beneath the fury of two powers born for war.
From the courtyard below, guards shout and bells clang—the alarm spreads through the Dragon Kingdom.
Vanda feels the dragon within him surge higher, demanding release. Scales ripple beneath his skin, his pupils narrowing to burning slits.
Rosa's eyes widen in delight. "Yes…show me the monster."
He exhales a single, searing word: "Leave."
Flame erupts, a torrent of gold that drowns the chamber in blazing light. Rosa leaps back, shielding herself with a whirl of shadow. The force hurls her across the balcony and into the night.
Smoke swirls in her wake, but her laughter lingers—sweet and venomous. "This is not over, dear prince!"
Silence follows, broken only by the crackle of dying flames.
Vanda stands amid the wreckage, chest heaving, eyes still glowing. The dragon inside him snarls for pursuit, but he forces it down. Daya first.
He turns, already moving to find her.