The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 137

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Morgan

850

She was faster than I expected. The cool night air was filled with the sharp clang of armor and the murmurs of confused bystanders as the guards surged forward.

As the guards closed in, she took a sharp turn into one of the narrow alleyways leading toward the marketplace. The smell of freshly baked bread mixed with the pungent scent of the capital's underbelly. I followed, trying to search ahead of her to find where she was heading.

"Close off the gate!" a captain ordered, his voice strained. "Send more men toward the western

district!"

The narrow streets of the capital were almost too narrow to navigate with a horse, but I chose a good steed. The stone walls of shops and homes pressed in on either side, casting long shadows that played tricks on the guards' eyes. Lady Mei's form flitted in and out of the darkness, just a flash of fabric here, the gleam of a jeweled hairpin there. She was heading toward a building within the west distric

"Don't let her out of your sight!" the captain roared, weaving through the tangled streets as they drew closer to the west side of the city.

It was too late. They were already getting lost in the narrow alleyways.

In the chaos, Lady Mei knocked over a stack of crates in the marketplace, sending fruits and vegetables scattering across the ground. The guards dodged the debris, one of them slipping as they raced to close the gap. The way she moved made me think she knew these streets better than most would have guessed.

One of the guards finally managed to get close enough to grab the edge of her robe, but Mei, in a deft move, twirled out of his grip and ducked into a side alley.

"She's heading for the city wall!" the captain barked, his eyes scanning the high stone structure in the distance, "Cut her off at the next intersection!"

The guards split up, some veering left to block off her escape while the others followed her closely. I could see her starting to lose he breath. I looked ahead and changed direction heading to cut through the alleys toward where she was heading. Mei's breathing was ragged now, her elegant composure crumbling as the weight of her predicament began to settle in. She knew she was running out of time but she hadn't given up yet.

Ahead of her, a collection of stone buildings stood.

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urged the horse, but I saw Mei duck around the side of the building toward the

putting chains on them. Then, she darted forward, heading toward another path that snaked towards the lowest section of 72

she going to

low wall and followed her into the lightly forested area within the wall. I lost the edge of being

is new, Pyra said. It smells of

Great.

there a way

a message to the guards? I could see them reach the gate i locked, but they weren't going to

could see her just ahead and

"Stop!"

Mei had

look back and just kept running. I forced the horse to cut her off, but she leaped and lunged at me, tackling me off the horse. We rolled for a moment before I slammed her into a rock. She groaned and shoved me back. I rolled to my feet, on guard, but all she did was roll over and try to

at me.

her voice shaking with fury. "Shouldn't you be busy

you," I said. "The guards will be here soon. You should make it easy on both of us and

human." Her hand turned to claws. "One good hit and you'll be dead. A lot

me again, and I kept pushing her back and avoiding her attack. She wasn't a trained person, so

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that swept around me, but didn't burn. Her eyes widened as she slithered through the air, looking a bit like a large snake. Her claws dug into the earth and she charged at

"There!"

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himself onto her. Mei struggled to throw him off. She slashed at another guard's arm, causing him to stumble back with a shout of pain. But it was too late for

Shift back

glared at them,

human form, panting and pale. She seemed

venomous. "You think I'll let that whelp kill