Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 758: Home

The ravens descended with a flurry of wings and deafening caws, diving at the guards and pecking ferociously. The guards shouted in confusion, trying to fend off the relentless assault. The birds seemed to be everywhere at once, creating a perfect storm of distraction.

Maxi smiled, satisfied with the pandemonium unfolding outside. "There you go. Your path is clear," she said, turning to Islinda.

Islinda took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. "You should come with me, Maxi."

"I told you that I have to be here in case someone comes in to check up on you."

"No," Islinda shook her head, " I know Andre. He’s smart, Maxi. With this amount of chaos, he would know something is up and surely come to check on me. You cannot stop him, Maxi, not unless you can shape-shift into me or something, you cannot, so don’t be stubborn and let us go together." Islinda tried to reach for her hand, but Maxi stepped away.

Maxi said to her, "If both of us leave the palace, they would assume Aldric kidnapped you and the gods know what they would do to him next. Aldric has suffered enough of their oppression already. But if I’m here, I’ll tell them you’re safe and be able to do a bit of damage control."

"But Maxi —"

"Go. Aldric already knows you’re on the way. Anything the bird knows, he knows it."

Islinda was fearful for Maxi’s sake. If anything were to happen to her, it would be on her and she wouldn’t be able to face Issac.

Islinda said with emotion, "Issac, he —"

"Understood the risk. Now go, Islinda. It would only be a matter of time before they ask for reinforcement and the birds cannot fight them forever.

"Fine." Islinda said, putting on her veil and extra cloake in case she stumbled on anyone in the way and they recognized the marks on her face.

"I’m done."

"Now go."

Islinda moved toward the door, ready to slip out into the night. But before she could touch the handle, Maxi grabbed her arm firmly and steered her toward the window.

"What?" Islinda’s voice was laced with shock as she realized she was two floors above the ground. The distance to the ground seemed immense, and the thought of jumping made her regret having dinner with the king; her stomach churned.

Maxi said. "The hallways will be swarming with guards intent on protecting the royal family. Outside, in the middle of the chaos, is your best chance. The birds will cover you."

"You want me to jump?" Islinda’s voice trembled with a mix of fear and thrill.

Maxi nodded, her grip still firm on Islinda’s arm. "Don’t worry, you won’t die."

Islinda took a deep breath, trying to summon the courage to leap from such a height for the first time in her life. Her mind raced, and her heart pounded in her chest. She looked down at the dark, chaotic scene below, the ravens continuing their relentless assault on the guards.

"Okay. I just need a minute to gather my —" Islinda began to protest, but Maxi, out of patience, decided for her.

With a swift motion, Maxi pushed her out the window. Islinda let out a scream as she fell, the wind rushing past her. The ground seemed to rush up to meet her, and for a moment, she was sure she was going to crash.

But then, somehow, at the last minute, Islinda seemed to find her composure, the earlier fear gone and now she was filled with excitement. Islinda managed to land on both feets. Although it wasn’t a graceful leap like the ones she sees the Fae taking almost all the time, but it was something. On the bright side, she hadn’t landed on her face and made a fool out of her breath.

Unharmed, but slightly winded, Islinda looked up to see Maxi watching her with approval. However, she gave the dark Fae horse shifter the middle finger. So much for trust between sisters. Maxi smirked at her, right before her expression shifted and Islinda knew that was her cue for making a move.

Islinda grabbed the medallion tightly as if scared of losing it in the chaos, the energy thrumming in her hand. The adrenaline surged through her veins as she darted through the chaos, the birds above creating the perfect cover for her escape.

Guards shouted in confusion, trying to swat away the birds that swooped and dived at them relentlessly. Hence, they did not give attention to a certain conspicuous figure trying to sneak out at night. Maxi’s plan was working, and Islinda felt so proud of her.

Islinda had to give it up to those intelligent birds. It was as if they had carved a path for her, chasing every guard from their posts so she could make a swift departure. So it wasn’t surprising to see the outer gate unguarded, the sentries having rushed to deal with the avian assault.

Or so she thought.

Islinda was just about to leave when she heard, "Stop there! Put your hands in the air,"

Islinda froze at the spot, lifting her hand at once.

"Turn around, show yourself!" Another voice said and Islinda realized with dread that there were two of them. Her mind began to race, she couldn’t defeat one Fae, not to mention two.

She slowly turned and just as she feared, it was two guards. Islinda swallowed, wishing by chance that the birds would somehow appear and deal with this problem for her, however, none did. They were occupied.

"Who are you?! Take the veil off!" The first one ordered.

"What?" Islinda gulped, her heart beating faster now. Things were about to get bad.

"Take off the mask now!" The other commanded, raising his dangerously looking spear towards her as if about to attack if she made the wrong move.

Islinda began to panic realizing things were about to get worse. They couldn’t see her face. They would know what she was.

"N-no, I can’t..."

"Show your face now before we attack!" The other one was aggressive, his once normal spear now lighting up with electricity.

A sudden surge of anger overwhelmed Islinda. Without fully understanding the source of her fury, she found herself commanding with unexpected authority, "You will not bother me. You will leave me alone."

To her astonishment, she watched as a swirling black mist emerged from her mouth. The mist billowed out and drifted toward the two guards. Their eyes darkened momentarily, turning pitch black before returning to their normal color.

The transformation in their demeanor was instantaneous. The aggression and vigilance that had marked their stance vanished, replaced by a placid, almost mechanical compliance. In unison, they spoke with unsettling calm, "We will not bother you. We will leave you alone."

Without further reaction, the guards turned and resumed their posts, their focus no longer on Islinda. They continued to monitor the palace, seemingly unaware of her presence. Islinda was left in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what had just transpired. However, she didn’t question it and took advantage of the opportunity it presented.

Now outside the palace gate, she caressed the medallion now brimming with so much power than before, as if the palace had subdued its relentless energy. With a smile on her face, Islinda thought of the one place she wanted to go.

Home.