12 Chapter Twelve

Robbin's POV

There were twelve of them. Twelve very large, bloodthirsty wolves spiraling around us. Xander and Alec were already in their second state, looking more ferocious than our enemies. As much as it kills me to not fight alongside them, I'm afraid joining them would do the deed either way.

Besides the warning growl that came from Xander's wolf, not a sound was made on our secluded path. We were a mere ten minutes from town, which many of the guards there would happily slaughter the intruders for us, but we'd never make it there without putting up a fight. The palace was also out of our reach and too far to run to for protection.

In other words, we were fucked.

"Xander," I whispered down to him, although it truly came out like a plea. I wasn't sure he heard it at first, but he let out a low growl, which I not only heard but felt as well. My mark felt extremely sensitive, causing me to shudder in an unpleasant way.

"You will not fight." His words sank into me and for once, I obeyed him. For us to walk out this battle alive, and not shorten my lifespan, I need to trust them.

I see a tree just ahead of me that looks climbable. My only obstacles are the enraged wolves standing a few yards from us. I need to climb it.

Suddenly without notice, the rogues attacked, none of them holding back. Alec maneuvers around them swiftly, clasping down on their necks and ending their lives within seconds. Xander however, stands in front of me, bearing his teeth; his alpha's cognizance becoming more aware to our combatants, making them involuntarily step back from us.

A few other ill-advised wolves lunged toward us from behind, but Xander briskly turned and killed them, tearing into one while gnawing off another's entire face. His brutality shows his power as an alpha, but the rogues don't care for his title and continue to battle savagely.

I took the small window I had to run to the tree for safety but only make it a meter high when one of the wolves jumped in an attempt to bring me back down. Luckily for me, he missed and I continue to climb until I was sheltered away from the fight.

I look down at the limp bodies lying on the ground, the life was completely gone from their eyes. I assume they were too weak to face an alpha wolf and his...royal advisor? It's not so much an anomaly for me, I just never picture Alec being so violent. He's more of intellect, but it might be a genetic thing. I remember his grandfather having a double-edged personality as well.

The remaining rogues put up a tougher fight than their comrades. They were battered up, but it seems like if they gravely tried, they could win this battle.

I need to make myself useful and call for help, and the only way I know how is through a vision link. But it's impossible! If I can't activate my dragon eyes, all of my enhanced abilities might as well be non-existent to me. My mind is focused on Phineas. I need to alert him of the intruders and to send guards.

Vision linking was once as easy as walking, or better yet, flying. It's a gift all vessels of dragon blood carriers possess. You simply picture the person you wish to contact and a mental image of yourself will appear before them. Even a child is capable of doing it. Oh, how much I wish I were a child right now.

But I have to try. If I did nothing and Xander and Alec die, it will be because I wasn't strong enough to overcome this obstacle. I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath before letting it slowly escape my lungs. I need to focus, which wouldn't be so difficult if there wasn't a battle to the death happening below me.

My mind is filled with nothing but my brother. Not of past moments we shared, those won't work. The image has to be recent for the link to be connected.

Phineas. Please hear me calling out to you. Please see me.

I call and I call out, but my voice only echoes through my mind, giving no indication of a connection.

I paid no attention to the now two corpulent bodies trying to scale up the tree until one of them shifted back into its human form. Great. Now we're all fucked.

The now human rogue manages to climb a few feet up before falling to his death at the hands, well teeth, of Xander. He sprung toward the wolf and grabbed him with his large canines sinking into his neck, immediately bringing him to his death.

Xander spares me a glance, but it doesn't last long. His distracted mind was caught off guard as the other rogue trying to reach me charged him, and they tumbled on the ground, snapping their mouths at each other. Xander got the best of him and locked his mouth around his neck.

There was a moment of hesitation from him, almost not wanting to kill the wolf despite the blood lust that haunted his piercing black irises. Instead, he only a bit down hard, forcing a loud whimper from the incapacitated enemy.

I look for Alec who is holding a wolf in his jaws. Why won't they kill them? They're the only two left. Wait, no. I notice one letting out shallow breaths a few yards from him.

"What are you doing?" I ask as I climb down the tree. I don't mind the minor scratches given to me from the branches, although Xander might have an opinion or two about them later.

I further inspect a few more of the motionless rogues on the ground, and my suspicions are correct. Half of them are still alive.

Xander and Alec release their hold on the wolves and their bodies remain to appear lifeless along with the rest of them.

I assume they mind-linked each other about something, but after a few moments, Xander's wolf makes his way toward me. Our eyes met, and luckily I was seeing his normal blue ones.

"I could've helped you know."

He shakes his head softly before returning his gaze. I don't know what possessed me to do it, but my hand went to the side of his face and I stroked the fur that laid on it. It felt nice running through my fingers. I looked away from him when the sound of bones cracking met my ears. Alec was shifting back into his human form and I planned to look away the moment my eyes caught his naked body, but a mark on his lower back glued my eyes to him. It was a tattoo? Something so simple wouldn't make me that curious, but it seems so familiar. Where did I see it?

My temporary trance was cut off when Xander moved toward me with a growl, causing a slight stumble on my part.

"I wasn't looking at him in that way."

Xander let out another growl, but it was paused midway when his ears suddenly perked up. Hell, so did mine and anyone else's within a fifty-mile radius.

Dragons.

Two of them circled around us in the sky, roaring to let their presence be known. Along with them was the royal guard following behind on the ground. I looked around for my family, hoping they could shed some light on this situation.

The dragons landed and down came Phineas and Grey. I walked up to them and they met me halfway.

"Robbin, are you okay?" Phineas's arms wrapped around my body, bringing me closer to him.

"I tried calling out to you." my voice was strained, but I tried so desperately to control the tears that threatened to escape.

He didn't say anything, only held onto me tighter. I guess he didn't notice me, not that there was anything to see at all. My failed attempt at reigniting my dragon eyes and the beast within me.

Phineas loosens his hold on me and even though I enjoyed the familial tough, I reluctantly pull away. I don't want to face him. I understand that I still have time to restore my former self, but I can't help but feel ashamed that I couldn't help in a serious situation.

Grey gives me a nod as he approaches us. I turn back to Alec whose now fully dressed, and Xander coming out from behind a tree also clothed.

"Is everyone alright?" Asks Phineas as we're now gathered in a small circle.

"Xander and I have suffered no serious injuries, and Robbin did not fight alongside us on my king's order."

"Why were we attacked?" I asked Xander, whose eyes were solemnly trained on me, or rather my arms that are yet to be treated.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." His eyes fall on the comatose rogue lying a few yards away. Its breaths were shallow and blood leaked from the deep wounds that covered its body.

"We need to head back before any more decide to show up," said Phineas who now faced the royal guards. "Guards! Search the town for more rogues. They might not have been alone."

The guards bowed to their king and continued down the path towards the kingdom. Phineas faced us once more but looked at the mutts instead. "Will one of you accompany them? You'll be able to catch their scent faster."

"Alec will go. I'll stay with my mate and escort her back to the palace. She has a few wounds that need to be treated." Xander lightly gripped my arm but I reluctantly pulled away from him.

"I am not some wounded animal in need of assistance. I will take myself back to the palace." I moved away from him and toward Grey's dragon, Sereion. After I climbed up the fierce creature, I looked down at Grey who followed my actions, and Xander's solid figure, not once moving from his position.

It seems Phineas said something to Xander that caused him to shake his head. Xander spares me one more look before retreating to the black military truck that was now filled with passed out rogues. He climbs inside and they start to head back.

Grey gives Sereion the order to take off and she obeys his command and soon after, we're gliding in the sky. Grey remains quiet while guiding his dragon and leaves me alone with my thoughts. Why were attacked? This cannot be a coincidence. Two weeks ago in the Northerner kingdom, we were faced with a similar problem. Are they connected? Who ordered the attack?

I guess we'll find out soon enough is the rogues decide to corporate with us.

The fly back to the palace was far much shorter than the time I spent running away from it. We arrive and land our dragons in the pit before heading inside.

"What will happen now, Phineas?" I asked my brother as we walked through the large doors of our home.

"The Nightwalkers, Father, and I along with some guards will interrogate the rogues once they regain consciousness. Grey will escort you to the infirmary to have your wounds treated."

"No! I don't want to go back there. I'm not ill and they're just scratches." I grabbed the elbow I had injured during my climb up the gate and attempted to cover the gash on it, but I'm sure Phineas long noticed it."

"Nonsense! You will have your wound treated at once. Grey, please take her." He motioned for Grey to apprehend me, but I dodged his grasp.

"Well, you'll have to drag me back there."

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I wouldn't say I was dragged, per se. More like manhandled. Grey wasted no time hoisting me over his shoulder and began to carry me away. I looked up at Phineas who seemed to not care about this and walked away with an amused smile. I suppose he let it slide since Grey is like family to us.

"Ahhhhh! Put me down you vazey imbecile!" The struggle I put up was no use against Grey. He was born built with the body of a dragon. Muscular and sturdy.

"I am not stupid, Robbie. I know it's been quite some time since we've seen each other, but my knowledge has never waivered. It's needed to be a royal advisor, now stop your struggling. You need to be examined."

"I told you, I'm fine. It's just a few scratches. They'll heal in no time."

"They would if you had your dragon eyes, but you don't."

I stopped struggling at the sound of his words. They slapped me with the truth, one I had already known for some time now. Grey let me off his shoulder and I stood but never faced him.

"Robbin." He grabbed my shoulders and made me face him. I look at his face with shame. Corrupted blood has always been looked down upon and makes me an incompetent ruler. "You can't get better until you better yourself. You need to stay safe, not run around the capitol getting hurt. If you really want to get through this and save Vision, you need to take care of yourself."

I let my eyes water at the mention of my dragon. I would never do anything to hurt him. Vision is everything to me and I owe it to him to save him. To save us.

"You're right. I'm sorry Grey. let's go."

Grey releases his hold on me and we head for the infirmary. Once we arrived, the doctor patched up my elbow and other scratches. During that time, Xander had arrived at the palace, was informed of my location, and made his way to us.

"Okay, Princess Robbin. That should do it for now. But before you go, I have something for you." The doctor motioned for a nurse to come over, and she obliged, carrying a bottle of pills. "It took some time, but I found something that might help slow down the corruption."

"What? But you said it already spread too far to be stopped." Shock laced with disbelief appeared in my voice. What he was saying couldn't possibly be true.

"I never said it would stop it, only slow down its effect. Yes, it's true that corruption cannot be stopped, but you do come from a royal bloodline, one of the most powerful in all of the kingdoms. Any normal impure dragon blood carrier would be dead by now, but your blue blood is what's keeping you alive. These pills will stall it even further."

He grabs the vile from the nurses' hands and ushers them over to me. I stare at the bottle profoundly. Will this really buy me more time? More time to save Vision? No, it doesn't matter. This is a risk I shouldn't hesitate to take. I take the bottle and read the description on it.

DK Solution Rejection. Take twice daily for 30 days.

I pop the bottle open to take two out and place them in my mouth, swallowing them without the need for water.

"How exactly do these work?" I ask albeit skeptical, which is something I should've done before I took the pills.

"They'll take about thirty minutes for the medicine to work, but once they do, nothing physical will be noted. Your blood, however, will begin to fight off the corruption and unfortunately fail, but will succeed in prolonging the foreseeable outcome."

Good. This just gives me a chance. Not to live or beat this corrupted blood, but a chance to save Vision. My time spent alive from now on is to free him. Maybe it was the sole purpose of my own return from exile. Maybe.

I pull myself out of my thoughts and look at Xander. I sadly have more than one problem at the moment. "Have the rogues woken up yet, or did the succumb to their injuries?"

Xander, who was already looking my way, let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "No, but we should go. Your brother told me to bring you to a meeting room in the east wing. So if you're feeling up for it, shall we?" He extends his hand for me to take, which a happily decline and walk out of the infirmary.

I lead the three of us to the place Xander mentioned. I was a war room, where the council discussed future plans for enemies who threatened the kingdom or the crown. We enter the room and are greeted by my family along with Gus and Alec.

"Good. We're all here." My father spoke up after the door shut behind us. He rose, and my siblings followed in suit. "Let's begin."

We all take our seats, me sitting next to Olympia and Xander trying to take the one next to me, but fails when Grey took it instead and settles for the one next to him.

Phineas was the one who spoke first. "The rogues captured today are none on our radar. In fact, there hasn't been anything like this since before the truce our family made years ago. But they might be linked to the ones who attacked your kingdom not long ago."

"How can you be sure?" Xander's strong voice met Phineas's ears instantly. I don't think he feels the need to hold back his authority, even when he's on someone else's territory.

The ones in our cells below the palace all have a distinct mark on their wrist. It's a crescent moon brand, the same one that a few of the rogues attacked your palace had."

"How do you know that?"

"After we had arrived to bring Robbin home, we heard of the attack and looked into it ourselves. None of us were sure if it was directed towards her, so we had to be sure."

"And is it?" I asked, looking down at the table. "Am I the cause of this mayhem?"

"Robbin, you've done nothing wrong." my father attempted to coddle me, which was something he did a lot when I was in distress or sad, but I'm not a child anymore.

"How can we know for sure!" My voice rose unexpectedly, but I controlled it soon after. "What if I was never meant to leave my prison? What if this was a mistake?"

Olympia laid a hand on my shoulder and I turned to face her. "Robbin, don't say that. You returning home is the greatest blessing the gods have ever given us."

"Then why is everyone paying for it?"

"What price is being paid?"Xander asked in a confused voice. What is so funny that I'm the only one who sees it? I rose from my seat and faced him in anger.

"What price? Innocent lives are being taken. You got a mate that you don't want, and Vision, my sweet Vision..." my voice trailed from there. This is all my fault. I am the cause of this turmoil, this distress, and everyone is paying the price for it, except me. A death sentence is hardly a punishment for me. After this, no form of torture would suffice. The only way I can fix this is to do the impossible. I can only hope that the odds will soon be in my favor.