Damar’s grip on me was tight enough to bruise, his fingers digging into my shoulders as he pulled back just an inch.

His emerald eyes were wide, scanning every centimeter of my face, his nostrils flaring as he caught the scent of the copper-thick blood on my hands.

He didn’t look at the dead red-scale at my feet with curiosity; he looked at it with a chilling, raw terror. Like he could rip it apart all over for having to put me through this.

​"You put yourself in danger," he said, his voice trembling with a vibration I felt deep in my own chest.

His hands moved to my neck, his thumbs frantically wiping at the crimson spray on my collarbone.

"Ari, you were supposed to be behind in the Palace. You were supposed to be safe."

​"I was safe, Damar," I started, but I was interrupted by the heavy, thudding footsteps of Noah and Fenric as they skidded to a halt in the mud beside us.

​Noah’s chest was heaving, his usual cocky swagger replaced by a frantic, jagged energy. "Little Tiger," he breathed, his hand coming out to grip my arm, his fingers shaking. "My heart nearly stopped. If that venomous bastard had been a second faster..."

​"Well, fortunately for me, he wasn’t," I said, trying to keep my voice steady even as my own adrenaline began to crash. "The trap worked exactly how I designed it."

​Fenric didn’t say a word at first. He stepped over the headless body of the red-scale, his red eyes burning with a terrifying mix of fury and relief.

He reached out, his large hand cupping the back of my head, pulling me firmly against his chest for a brief, bruising second.

​"The risk was too high," Fenric growled, his voice thick and low. "You’re not a fighter, Arinya. You are the mind of this valley. We are the claws that are meant to protect. You should not have had to use yours."

​"I know what you’re saying but if I had stayed in the palace, if I hadn’t come here, they would have bypassed you on the ridge," I argued, looking between the three of them. "They would have hit the vents and it would have been too late by then. And besides, I wasn’t alone. Solin and Talia were here with me. Even the beavers." Though their job was just to secure the trap. "I knew I could handle this one so I did. Praise me, don’t scold me."

​Damar’s forehead dropped against mine, his breath coming in jagged hitches. He was still vibrating—that low, rhythmic tremor of a predator who had almost lost his mate.

"I feel that the nest of the red scales is moving, Ari. They are desperate. And a desperate snake doesn’t care about what stands in their way—they only care about the kill. Seeing you stand in front of that male... I felt my soul wither."

"But you saved me, didn’t you?" I asked and he paused. "I know I can always count on you when I am in a tough situation that I cannot handle." I looked at the others. "All of you. So, don’t worry too much. Nothing happened."

​The weight of their collective worry was heavier than the battle itself. They weren’t looking at me like a fragile doll but they were looking at me like a treasure that had been left out in the rain.

​"I’m right here," I whispered, reaching out to touch Noah’s blood-stained cheek and Damar’s trembling hand. "I’m whole. We’re all whole."

​Noah let out a sharp, ragged laugh, finally finding a bit of his usual spark, though his eyes remained dark.

"You’re a menace, Arinya. A terrifying, blood-stained menace. But don’t you ever do that to us again. My heart can’t take 85 when you act like a front-line soldier."

​"I’m the Queen," I reminded him, a small, weary smile finally touching my lips. "And a Queen protects her people. Especially when her Kings are busy elsewhere."

​Fenric sighed, the tension in his shoulders finally beginning to bleed away, though he didn’t let go of my arm.

"Let’s go inside for now. Before another shadow moves in the grass and Damar decides to level the entire forest."

"Solin, Talia, let’s go," I said and they nodded. Talia helped Solin brush off the blood stains on her white hair and then grinned.

"I’ll wash you," she said. "Once it’s all over."

Ah, I could see the intent in her eyes. She wasn’t even trying to hide it and Solin knew it too. But she didn’t mind. Her lips curved, a rare smirk you’d hardly see on that calm face; one that makes even your bones shudder.

"Alright then. I’ll hold you up on your word."

Brr. Those two are really something.

​As we walked toward the palace, the three of them walking by my side so closely, I could barely move my arms.

Geez, its not like I’ll die if they give me a little breathing space.

I was just about to sign when my nose caught the whiff of red scale blood coming from the Palace. My entire body went rigid and I looked ahead.

"That..."

"Stay behind me, Ari," Damar hissed, also sensing it but my face had already contorted and fear had gripped my heart and sense.

Was he kidding? How did he expect me to stay still in a time like this?

There was snake blood coming from where the vulnerable were hiding. Where my babies were hiding!

I dashed out of their protective circle before they could even stop me. If there was a snake, I would tear it to pieces. And if they dared touch my people... if they dared touch my babies...

I opened the doors with a heavy slam and paused to find two snake bodies on the floor, a pool of blood gathering under them.

I followed the trail to a figure standing in the middle, his hands bloody and his eyes slightly glazed from the sight and smell of blood.

It was Thalor.

"Thalor?" I called with a voice as soft as a whisper and he paused, raising his head to smile at me.

"Ah, Arinya. Welcome back." He said with a light tone that did not fit the damage he had done. I looked around at the folks who were all hurdled at the edge.

They seemed calm, not like ’nothing had happened’ type of calm but they weren’t panicking and had seemed to ease up.

My eyes frantically watched for my babies and then found them in the arms of some sheep girls. This made my heart finally calm down and I turned to look at Thalor again.

"I protected this place, Arinya," he said and started walking over to me, stepping over the carcass. "They snuck in and tried to eat the sheep."

"Thalor..." I called, sensing something off about him. He was swaying.

"I’m your mate too, Arinya. I can protect folks just as much as the others can. I... I can fight on land too." He got closer but lost his balance and fell forward.

Arinya quickly spread her arms and caught him. His beautiful wavy hair was covered in thick red blood. His hands, his legs... everywhere.

Just how hard was the battle?

But that was not all. Arinya smelled something off. Something that shouldn’t be coming from Thalor.

Then, the crest on her wrist began to vibrate, and glow but it was not that vibrant blue. It was purple. It was the first time it was glowing a different color and before she could wonder why, she felt it.

That transmission of thoughts and feelings worked this time too and she could feel Thalor’s life slowly slipping away.

"Thalor!" She called, alarmed. "Are you injured? Are you hurt? Where...?"

"Land-mother!" Robin called and I lifted my head. "He was bitten." He said and my eyes dilated instantly. "On his back. While... while trying to save this young one," the little lamb was trembling.

I couldn’t think. I couldn’t even access the situation clearly. My heart was pounding hard and painfully and my breath was caught. Thalor’s life was thinning away by the second and his breath had turned ragged.

Yes, he had been poisoned and that off smell I was getting was from the poison.

Just then, Damar and the rest finally caught up. I don’t know how I outran the fastest males in this kingdom but they sure took their time.

They saw the situation and I could see how the three fathers frantically searched with their eyes for their babies.

"The kids are fine," I said and their eyes finally fell on the children watching the situation with wide curious eyes. Harmless eyes. "But Thalor isn’t," I gritted my teeth. "He was poisoned while trying to protect them. If he doesn’t get treatment soon, he’ll die. Please, save him..." I turned to look at Damar with teary eyes. "Save him, Damar."