A couple of hours later, the gang were standing outside the palace gates. Isaiah, along with Hunter, Chris, Percy, and Councilman Faulkner were pleading with the guards blocking their path inside.
“I said get lost!”
The guard pushed Isaiah back from the gate, keeping him from going inside the castle. He could tell she was there. Her scent was faint but he could almost feel her. So all night he’s been trying to get an audience with the Prince to no avail.
“If you just let the Prince know I am Alpha Isaiah of the Black Moon Pack and my mate and son are his guests.”
“And I am telling you, the only people who came through here were prisoners. Are you saying you should be a prisoner as well?”
Isaiah growled at him and stepped forward. He could take the guard if he wanted. Heck, he could take all of them. They were only humans in heavy armor. How hard could it be? Isaiah was ready to pounce when he felt Chris and Hunter pulling him back away from the guards.
“Maybe we should find another way in,” Chris suggested.
“Yeah, before you get all of us thrown into the dungeons. I know that brain of yours thinks you can take these guards but they look prepared, especially for our kind,” Hunter said, indicating the guards’ equipment.
Isaiah turned around and noticed Hunter was right. Some of the guards were carrying silver weapons and wolfsbane, as if they were preparing for a werewolf attack. Did they know we were coming, Isaiah wondered.
“I must agree, young Alpha. It doesn’t seem like your name or title carries much weight,” Councilman Faulkner said. “Maybe someone with a bit more importance will sway these peasants.”
“No one says peasants anymore,” Hunter said.
Councilman Faulkner waved him off as he straightened his attire and walked over to the guards. The group watched as he held a conversation with them. There was even a bit of laughter on both parts and for a second Isaiah felt hopeful when Councilman Faulkner walked back over to them.
“Well?”
“Looks like no one here has any respect for someone in my position. It’s disgraceful, to say the least.”
Isaiah threw his hands up in the air. “This is hopeless. We have to find a way in. We’re so close, I could almost…”
“...feel her,” Percy finished, staring up at the palace before turning to everyone. “Oh, I…just…guess you were going to say that.”
Isaiah didn’t have time to say anything when Mary came around the corner. “Did you find anything,” Isaiah asked, hoping her sleuthing skills would lend a way inside, but Mary shook her head.
“This place is like a puzzle. The locks are not the usual ones I’m used to picking and there are guards patrolling nonstop. It’s almost impenetrable.”
“Damnit,” Isaiah yelled, slamming his fist into the gate, which reverberated a sound that made it all the way to the guards.
“Hey!” They started to move towards them as the group made a run for it towards the town. They stopped when the coast was clear.
“Well, I did say almost,” Mary continued. “There’s a smaller castle behind it that looks empty and I didn’t see anyone patrolling it. If we can find a way in, we can use the connecting bridge to get across.”
“How are we going to get inside that one,” Chris asked before a screeching yell interrupted their thoughts.
“There you guys are!” Relle, now human-sized and with wings out, drunkenly walked over to them. The moment they got to town, they set Lana up in a room in the bar to take care of Rissa and Derrick while she went drinking. “I’ve been looking all over”-hiccup-” for you guys."
Relle hung onto Councilman Faulkner’s shoulder, much to his displeasure. He held onto his nose dramatically, trying to move away from her, but she only followed.
“Where are we trying to sneak into now,” Relle asked with a lazy smile, her eyes were half opened and a blush decorated her cheek.
“I’m quite sure getting help from her while she is inebriated isn’t wise,” Councilman Faulkner said while successfully peeling her off of him in which she blew a raspberry at him.
“Nonsense,” Relle said. She burped and a pillow of red smoke came from her mouth. She giggled, fanning the air with her hands. “I know this place like the back of someone’s hand.”
“That’s not how…” Relle stopped Hunter with a wave of her hand.
“I know a lot and the right people to ask. Tell me where you need to go. Where is your lover, Alpha?”
“The Prince’s castle.”
Relle blinked a few times, looking at Isaiah. “Aside from that,” she smiled. “I can’t get you in…” Isaiah sighed. “...but I know someone who can. She’s a buddy of mine. Follow me.”
Relle drunkenly made her way into the bar, Dragon’s Flame. The moment she opened the door, the noise inside came blaring out like an unorganized orchestra. People were yelling, singing, clashing their drinks on the tables, badly dancing in any open space they could find and some were even sparring in the corner.
Though none of this fazed Relle as she expertly moved between the chaos towards the back that held maybe the loudest place in the bar. There was a crowd cheering a woman surrounded by a copious amount of food and a huge stack of bowls at the side of her. The sounds coming from her reminded Isaiah so much of Zira as they watched.
“Celeste’s been trying to beat the Devourer’s eating record,” Relle said. Someone yelled 'Time' and the woman stepped back, not caring about the food spilling from her hands and the table. Isaiah could hear the whispers among the crowd.
“Did she do it?”
“There’s no way she could eat just as much as the Devourer.”
A hush went over the crowd as the barkeep counted the mountain of bowls on the table. It took him a minute before he announced.
“The Devourer...,” the barkeep paused for a dramatic effect, “...will remain the champion!”
A few boos could be heard over the thunderous applause for this Devourer. The woman banged her fists against the table, making the mountains of bowl fall to the floor. She stood up at an impressive height and angrily walked to the bar where two mugs were waiting for her. Relle sidled her way onto the woman’s arm and whispered something. For a moment, Isaiah thought the woman was going to fling Relle away, but instead, she smiled down at her before placing a kiss on her lips.
“You always know how to make things interesting, Dii Foliotwoenrah(my flower),” the woman said while turning to Isaiah and the gang. Hunter stood extremely close to her and gently poked her arm as she looked down at him, irritated.
“You’re a dragon,” Hunter said with admiration.
“Yes, I am,” Celeste said, coolly, as Hunter continued to poke her. “Have you ever heard of the phrase, ‘Don’t poke a sleeping dragon’?” Hunter nodded. “Well, we don’t like it when we’re awake either.” As she finished a puff of smoke escaped her mouth which only enamored Hunter more.
“That is so cool,” Hunter geeked while Isaiah pulled him back.
“Look,” Isaiah said, “we don’t have all night and Blaze has my mate and my son. So, I need to get into that castle.”
“And I need people to keep their promises,” Celeste said, looking at Percy. “Yet, the Devourer is here and throwing herself at Blaze like a whore with her mate right here. Trashy, dontcha think?”
“Watch it,” Isaiah said, not holding back the growl in his voice.
“Or what?” Celeste stood toe to toe with him. Smoke seeped from the corners of her mouth and her eyes flashed a bright purple before going back to brown. Her skin reflected colorful scales moving down her body. The bar went quiet and everyone was watching the two stare each other down.
“Totally got your back, Alpha, but this is so cool,” Hunter beamed. “We’re going to see a freaking dragon.”
A smile played on Celeste’s lips before Percy stepped up and touched her shoulder. “Celeste, please,” he said. “We are not here to fight. We just want to take Zira away.” Celeste cocked an eyebrow at him and he knew what she was thinking. “She didn’t come here by choice,” Percy continued. “Zira would not disobey your order willingly.”
Both Isaiah and Celeste looked at Percy with disbelief. She makes it her mission to disobey the rules, Isaiah thought. As Celeste smiled at the illusion that Zira wouldn’t dare disobey her, however…
“Still,” Celeste said after a while. “I don’t like how Blaze acts when she’s here. I feel like…”
“A third wheel,” Isaiah finished for her, glancing at Percy.
“Exactly,” Celeste said, giving Isaiah a once-over.
“Look, we have to get to the portal, Celeste. Zira opened the book,” Percy told her as she cocked her head his way.
Celeste snorted, shaking her head. “Of course she did,” she said more to herself. She raised her hand and within seconds two mugs of beer appeared in front of her. “Guess it’s time to make a toast to the end of the world.”