The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 33

CH33 Morgan

Pain, a dull ache throbbing behind my eyes, ripped me from unconsciousness. Disoriented, I blinked against the oppressive darkness, my throat parched and raw. Tentatively, I tried to move, only to find my wrists bound tightly behind my back. Panic clawed at my throat, but I forced it

down. Any noise, any movement, might alert my captors, whoever and wherever they were.

The air was thick and damp, the stench of mildew and something metallic filling my nostrils. Blood? Metal? Definitely stale water. Straining my ears, I picked up the murmur of voices. I recognized Keiji's voice. There were others with him too, voices I vaguely recalled as belonging to some of the Elders. "...we can't leave her alive," a voice, raspy and laced with fear, declared.

"But what about the veil?" another Elder, a woman with a calmer voice, countered. "She may be the key to lifting it finally. She can pass-

"Stabilizing it or weakening it?" The first voice shot back. "We can't risk Tsuneo gaining any more favor. He is not even awake and yet he is still favored."

A tense silence followed, broken only by the dripping of water somewhere deep within the cave. Then another voice, older and male, spoke, his voice tight with concern.

"Perhaps... there's another way. The old texts mention a forced bond. We could..." He trailed off, leaving the horrifying implication hanging in the air. "To Prince Keiji. Have you brought the potion?"

My stomach lurched. A bond, forced upon me, with someone like Keiji... the mere thought of it sent a fresh wave of terror coursing through me. Escape. I needed to escape. But how?

A quick survey of my surroundings revealed nothing promising. The cave was dark beyond the soft light coming from ahead of me. My weapon was hopelessly out of reach with my hands bound behind me back. Even if I could reach it, I had no idea how many people were out there.

Despair threatened to engulf me, but I forced it back. I refused to give up. There had to be a way out. My gaze darted around the cave, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon, a tool, anything. A sliver of hope flickered in the darkness. A loose rock, nestled in a shallow crevice near my bound feet, offered the faint possibility

Focusing on the rock, I willed myself to ignore the throbbing in my head and the growing tightness in my chest. I needed to loosen the rock first, then maybe, just maybe, I could use it to CH33

shred the ropes.

I moved slowly towards it. My bound wrists scraped against the rough cave floor, the raw skin protesting with each tentative movement.

-

to grow louder, their urgency a constant reminder of the dwindling time. Inching

it was

unsettling silence settled over the cave, broken only by the dripping of water and the frantic hammering of my heart. My breath

I threw all my remaining strength into a final, desperate push. The rock tumbled out of the crevice, landing with a dull thud on the hard floor just within reach of my bound hands. Relief washed over me, cold and

coiled in anticipation. The wooden door creaked open, casting a sliver of golden light across

still unconscious?" one of them hissed. It was a of fear and

guard, his voice tight with

so," the other replied, a gruff voice I recognized as

soon as they were gone, I grabbed the rock

pushed to my feet. I heard them coming back and launched the rock at the them. There was a startled yelp, a sickening crack, and the guard crumpled to the ground, clutching his head. One of the elders roared in anger, his voice echoing in the cave. But before he could react,

"Morgan!" he bellowed.

people came up behind him. The panic rose up like bile in the back of my throat. There was no mistaking the anger in his eyes,

have I

CH33

would I tell you that? And it hardly

or

spread across his

jaw. "There's a

"Oh?"

"All of you dead."

torch nearby. The

took off.

"Get her!"

dread washed over me as I heard them running after me. I needed a plan. Someone lunged at me. I turned hard and sharp, slicing against something solid and giving. Someone cried