The Mad Princess and the Dying Prince novel Chapter 24

Yet, if the old king perished, he would undoubtedly follow him to the grave.

The old king had never known this.

No one did.

Now, Jareth's vision was turning black, his consciousness plummeting into the dark.

At this critical juncture, Jareth's mind oddly drifted to Lucia Beaumont.

Thank the heavens they had not yet been officially betrothed.

Otherwise, that poor girl would have faced terrible luck. Widowed right after returning to the capital.

"And she said she could save me..." Jareth's body slowly collapsed.

"Your Highness!"

Azure had just arrived at the doorway with Lucia when he saw this. His face went pale with terror, and he sprinted forward.

He thought he was fast, but a figure swept past him like the wind, beating him by two paces.

Lucia caught Jareth's head with one hand and swiftly slapped her other palm against his forehead.

"By the breath of the earth, bind!"

Instantly, the fading Purple Aura that had been drifting out of Serenity Palace reacted as if summoned, rushing back and coalescing.

It was as if time were reversing.

But Azure could not see it, and neither could anyone else.

He stood off to the side, frantic with anxiety, but he dared not interfere.

Jareth's body temperature had been dropping rapidly, freezing just moments before, but now he was slowly warming up.

Azure could clearly see this.

He could plainly observe the prince's ashen, darkened complexion gradually returning to normal, even showing a faint hint of color.

When they first entered, the prince's breathing had been imperceptible. Now, his chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm.

Even without seeing the magic, Azure knew that Lady Lucia had yanked his lord back from the brink of death!

She pressed her hand firmly against Jareth's chest.

A mass of dark shadow had been swirling violently beneath his skin, like a raging storm raging in his chest. But the moment Lucia's palm pressed down, the shadows were suppressed, their frantic, chaotic churning slowing to a crawl.

And it was only then that Azure felt his lord's rigid body finally relax.

Jareth slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was a face hovering mere inches from his own.

His lips moved, his voice barely a whisper. "Why is your face as pale as a ghost?"

Azure quickly glanced at Lucia. Sure enough, in just that short span of time, all the color had drained from her face. Even her lips were completely colorless—she truly looked like a specter!

It was a terrifying sight that could easily make a grown man weep.

"I am suddenly beginning to think this partnership is a raw deal for me!"

Lucia shot Jareth a glare. She had not realized before that he was bound by the Twin-Life Covenant. He had nearly died!

"A moment later, and you would have followed the old king right to the grave."