Page 83 of Dragon King’s Duty Bride

The hold loosened just enough for her to wrench herself partly free.

“Well,” a low voice murmured beside her ear, calm and almost amused, “you’re even more determined than I expected.”

A cold chill raced down her spine.

Voilear.

Sia spun around to face him, her chest rising quickly as fury surged through her.

“You coward,” she snapped.

Voilear stood only a few steps away now, brushing a bit of dirt from his sleeve as though her struggle had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience, his dark eyes studying her with an unsettling calm.

“You never left,” she realized.

“Of course not,” he replied smoothly.

A faint smile touched his mouth.

“I knew you’d figure it out and wouldn’t resist following the trail.”

Her hands curled into fists.

“Where are the girls?”

“Safe,” he answered lightly.

“If you’ve hurt them, I swear to God.”

“Oh, how blase. Can’t you find a better comeback?,” he interrupted with an almost bored tone. “Besides, they’re quite valuable to me alive.”

The words made her stomach twist. Then his gaze sharpened.

“Where is he?”

“Hunting,” she said simply.

The flicker of irritation that crossed his face confirmed what she had hoped. “No matter. You are coming with me.”

Before she could move, he stepped forward with startling speed and seized her again.

Sia fought him fiercely, twisting and kicking as she tried to break his grip, and for several moments the struggle was fierce enough that even Voilear seemed mildly impressed.

“Remarkable,” he muttered as he restrained her wrists. “Most people give up sooner.”

“I’m not most people,” she shot back.

“I can see that.”

Keeping a tight hold on her arm, he forced her down the remaining stretch of the trail toward the quarry. The deep woods opened suddenly into an area scattered with broken rock and abandoned equipment, along with the rusted remains of old mining tools half-buried beneath years of weeds and dust.

He shoved her toward a large cave. “Get in there.”

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim interior. When they did, she saw the girls. Celeste sat among them with her head resting on her knees.

“Celeste!”

When she saw Sia, her eyes widened instantly. “Mama Sia!”