That Prince Is A Girl The Vicious King's Captive Slave Mate novel Chapter 379

Chapter 379
••••••

Sinai stirred.

Her head throbbed dully as consciousness returned. Her limbs were leaden, her senses sluggish. Every inch of her body ached as though she’d been wrung out and left to dry.

“You know,” came a dry, amused voice. “This would have been far easier if you had simply offered a sack of gold coins. No need for betrayal.”

She bit back a groan as she sat up—or tried to. Her head nearly smacked against metal. She stopped just in time and blinked her heavy eyes open.

A cage.

She was locked in a cage. Low ceiling, cold bars, no strength in her limbs. She felt weaker than she had as a newborn.

Toxins. She couldn’t smell them, but she could feel the sluggish burn in her bloodstream. Her body had woken several times before, but whatever drug had been used on her had dragged her back under.

Now, she forced her eyes open again.

“When one is fleeing for his life, mage,” Zaiper’s voice cut in, far too at ease. “The last thing on his mind is coin. I didn’t even have twenty gold to my name, much less a full sack.”

He sounded closer. Standing, probably, somewhere beyond the bars.

“Besides,” he continued. “She had this coming. Sinai’s been a liability for a while. She knows too much, always has. You never know what someone like her might do in a tight corner. She’d sing like a bird if it meant saving her own skin.”

You coward. I gave you centuries of loyalty.

“Mm,” was the answer.

A moment passed, then his voice shifted. Distant. Resonant. As if reciting a prophecy. “In four moons’ time… when the last buds fall and the first frost descends… the eclipse moon will rise again over Urekai.”

Zaiper’s breath jammed. “Excellent. Now I can prepare accordingly.”

“Prepare with what army, Zaiper?” he said.

“Vampires,” Zapier said with delight. “Oh, I have so many plans. I will bring them all to their knees.”

Sinai tried to stay awake, but her body was shutting down again. The drugs still clung to her blood like mist. Her eyelids fell, heavier than stone.

As her head tipped forward and darkness closed in again, one final thought drifted through her mind.

He’ll pay for this. I’ll make sure of it.

•••••••

The royal carriages rolled to a halt.

Soldiers dismounted fast, forming a protective circle around the lead carriage as its door swung open. Grand King Daemonikai stepped out first, his presence commanding immediate attention from the gathered crowd. A heartbeat later, he extended his hand inside.

Emeriel placed her palm in his, and he helped her down with the utmost care.

Cheers broke out around them. The villagers stood at a respectful distance, cordoned off by guards, but their joy was unmistakable—smiles wide, voices raised in praise, hands waving from behind barricades.

They had traveled to a small, rustic village in Urai, where the Oracle was receiving treatment. Word had arrived the night before, the Oracle had begun to self-heal. One of her shattered bones had mended during the night.

When Daemonikai received the news, he had ordered the bell tower rung at dawn. The people had gathered in the village square, desperate for good news, and he had given it to them.

The cheers now were not just for him—but for hope.

Emeriel blinked rapidly against the emotion welling in her chest. She had feared, as many had, that the Oracle would never rise again. That her life would be taken by the sacrifice she made to reveal Zaiper’s treason. But now, here they were. And there was joy in the land, yet again.