Yayayayay Mate to the Queen is at 1 MILLION!!!!!!! I love you guys!!! Thank you so much!!

I'm sorry for the lack of updates on all of my books. I'm super behind right now because college is STUPID and I actually have a social life for once and I am still figuring out how to balance everything. And as a reader, I know that there is nothing more annoying than a book being updated every few months and whatnot so I apologize profusely.

I'm currently on break so I'm going to try to write a few chapters so I can still update when things get hectic during finals.

Also I'm curious now, does anyone on here go to the School of Mines?

******

The tingling between my shoulder blades is getting worse. I'm not sure how much longer I can handle just sitting in this tiny room.

I push my back against the wall and will the irritation to magically vanish. When the pins and needles persist, I let my muscles relax with a heavy sigh.

It's far from the first time I've been punished for attacking a superior. At this point I think it's fair to call it normal actually. All I can do is hope that there never comes a day where they decide to make my punishment legitimate.

It's extremely uncomfortable, but that's about it. It doesn't cause permanent damage—mental or physical—and it's nothing compared to what I've already endured. I'd still rather not deal with this feeling right now though.

I throw the ball again and watch it bounce off the floor, then the wall, then catch it when it comes back to me. I move to throw it again, but pause at the sound of footsteps outside the door.

"Sir?"

I don't answer.

"Sir it's Kalen."

I push myself to my feet. "What's going on?" I ask.

There's a click. The door swings open. Kalen slips inside and quickly closes the door behind him. "Dorin left the infirmary this morning."

I press my lips together. "Damn," I mumble, rubbing the back of my thighs—now numb from the cold stone floor.

"You should be proud, it took four healers and a witch to fix his face," he comments, the tiniest of smiles on his face.

I nod, my expression unchanged. "Any word on when they're letting me out of here?"

"Soon I believe."

"Okay good," I sigh. I move to sit back down but then realize he hasn't moved. "Was there something else?"

He clears his throat. "I overheard they may have you relinquish your weapon."

All the blood drains from my face and my hands go cold. "Who said that?" I demand, my voice cracking.

"I'm not sure." He rubs his forehead with a distressed sigh. "It was definitely one of Dorin's guards but he has so many now, it is difficult to remember their names."

"It's fine." It's far from fine. We only get one weapon to use for the entirety of our lives—well, it's not just any weapon. It's not some stupid dagger or sword, it is designed to suit your needs and build on your strengths and you can only receive one if you've been blessed by the gods. It becomes an extension of your being; losing that weapon is like losing part of your soul.

"Do you need anything more of me?" Kalen asks in a small voice.

I shake my head. "No. Wait—actually, can you see if Nyla is alright? She gets upset when I end up in here," I say.

"Of course," he murmurs with a bow of his head.

I stare at the floor, listening to him leave. I wait for the sound of his footsteps to fade to silence before sinking to the floor. 

I let my mind go blank and my vision go fuzzy. My tongue pushes hard against the roof of my mouth as I clench my teeth. The tingling in my shoulder blades worsens when I finally hear the guards marching down the hall.

****

"They're getting worse," I comment.

The guard beside me rubs at his neck. "He's in here every day. He doesn't even ask for information anymore. It's almost like he just enjoys the torture," he mumbles.

"He does," I grit out. 

I feel sick as I look over the cell once more. Ash and Jaxon lie motionless on the floor; both completely covered in blood and grime. 

There's a hand on my shoulder and I step back to allow the healer to enter the cell. He swears under his breath, shaking his head. "I need them restrained," he mumbles to the guards.

Both dragons are bound and held down against the floor. As soon as the healer presses his glowing hands onto their wounds, they wake. 

Screaming hysterically, they thrash against their bindings and nearly knock the guards off. I cover my mouth when Ash begins to slam his head onto the floor. 

I turn my back on the gruesome scene and take a deep breath, letting my head rest against the wall. There is pressure in my stomach and I can feel a cold sweat creeping up my neck. 

Somehow decades of hurting people still hasn't hardened my stomach. 

My ears start ringing and my vision goes blurry and I make it to the stairs before the floor starts to move.

"Sir?"

"Sir are you alright?"

I blink a few times. A guard I don't recognize hovers over me, her face full of concern. My breath comes out as a shaky rattle. I can still hear the ringing but my stomach has settled a little.

"Sir? Should I bring the healer over here?"

"No," I say quickly. "Don't let the healer leave until the dragon king and his mate are fully healed. Inform me if someone gives different orders."

She nods quickly and holds my arm tightly, hauling me onto weak legs. I struggle to stay standing but I push through it. The floor still sways but a firm grip on the stairway railing is enough to keep me on my feet. 

"No more," I growl under my breath as I climb the stairs.

****

I tap my fingers against my knee as I carefully scrutinize his movements.

He stands very close to some angels but completely avoids others. Some he refuses to even make eye contact with.

I lean forward when he starts talking to an angel I don't recognize. My gaze wanders over her face but I can't think of a name. It takes a few moments but it eventually clicks in my mind.

She's not even an angel. The runes and tattoos covering her body are vastly different than my own, but they look identical to the kinds I've seen on witches.

Dorin approaches her with his usual nasty smirk; his presence alone is enough to completely ruin your mood but the upward curl of his lip will make your stomach turn in an instant.

And yet, she seems somehow unperturbed as he moves to her side. She hardly even acknowledges him, simply throws him a single sideways glance.

He lowers his head so that his mouth is by her ear and I watch as her expression drastically changes in mere seconds. Her shoulders drop. Her fingers curl. She whirls on him—

"Aura! What the fuck are you doing?"

I jerk back with a loud hiss, my limbs tingling with panic. I tumble backwards into the dirt and suck in a shaky breath.

I tilt my head back and look up. Nyla stands over me. The anger and frustration come off her in massive waves that make me cast my eyes to the ground. "What does it look like?" I mumble under my breath.

She shoves my shoulders when I sit up, nearly knocking me back into the dirt. "You dumbass! Do you have any idea what Dorin would've done if he found out you've been watching him?" she scolds.

I purse my lips and rise to my feet. "I can handle Dorin. I would've been fine," I snap, dusting myself off.

She shoves me again, much harder this time but I brace myself. "You don't understand! He has so many people under his control—you have to be more careful!" she shouts.

"I can handle myself. Besides I don't care what he does to me, what he's doing is wrong and I can't just let him get away with it. He's hurting people that don't deserve it!"

My eyes fly wide as she raises her hand to slap me. I catch her wrist just before her palm connects with my cheek. "This is bigger than you Aura! You might not care if he hurts you but I do," she spits. Her eyes turn glassy and her anger starts to ebb. "I can't watch you get hurt again—I know it's different this time but I just—I can't Aura please," she sobs, collapsing into me.

I wrap my arms around her and quickly look up, harshly blowing out the breath I was holding. I start to speak but then bite my tongue. I wait for her to calm down before taking a step back and lowering my head so that my gaze is even with hers. "Nyla I'm leaving, and I'm taking those boys with me."

*****

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

What are ya'll most thankful for this holiday season?????