Adrianna looked at Dmitri. "I want to go back to the Wizard Kingdom. There is something very important for me to attend."

"We need to curb this as soon as possible Adrianna," said Dmitri. "Why don't you confront Ziu?"

​​

"I told you already. If I do that, he would become cautious. We need to tread carefully. We cannot take the risk of letting him know what we are thinking." She let out an exasperated sigh.

"So do we just sit back, cross our hands across our chests and watch this display of terror? Are you out of your mind?" Dmitri said with clenched jaws.

"Do you think Ziu is an easy enemy to win? If I remember correctly, he was the one who guided Vikra into attacking the Wizard Kingdom. So that one thing makes him even stronger than Vikra. If I don't think with a cold, objective mind, I won't be able to calculate his next move," she countered.

Dmitri pounded his fist on the table next to him. Pierre shook his head. "So it was Ziu who was directing Vikra all the while?"

Adrianna pursed her lips.

"You should kill him now, Adrianna. Else he would become a demon. His lust for power is unimaginable," Pierre insisted. He went and stood next to his son as if showing support to what he said earlier.

"And then what?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Dmitri looked at her with rage cruising through his body.

"Once Ziu is killed, the Serpent King would come and simply destroy all the Werewolf Realm. It would be very easy for him," pointed Adrianna.

Dmitri picked a small glass statue of a horse and threw it on the wall behind her. Adrianna jumped as the glass shattered into hundreds of pieces. "This is nonsensical! Do you think I am so powerless Adrianna? In your opinion I do not have even the power to save my people?" The veins on his neck were throbbing.

Adrianna took a deep breath. Both the father and son were blinded. "Look at the larger picture. Okay?" she said. "Also I am done talking here. I am going back to the Wizard Kingdom. Don't do anything stupid until I return."

"I am not a child who you can govern like that!" Dmitri shouted, able to contain his rage any more. She didn't understand the gravity of the situation. Ziu had attacked his betas and he wanted to get revenge.

"Dmitri!" Adrianna looked at him with fear and pain. "You must trust me."

"I want to, Adrianna, but you are not being reasonable," he retorted.

"Stop it, all of you!" Cora said. "Don't stress Adrianna anymore."

Pierre and Dmitri became quiet.

She went to her daughter-in-law and held her hand. Then she looked in her eyes and said, "Adri, whatever you do, don't harm my grandchild. I trust you but make my faith in you worthwhile."

"Thank you mother," she said as her anger reduced. "I shall leave now. Please take care." Cora nodded.

"Haldir," Adrianna summoned. "Now!"

A portal was created.

Before she walked through it, she turned to look at Pierre, "Father, is there any treaty between werewolves and humans?"

Pierre's eyes widened.

"Wait for me before you set up the meeting with Niiya," said Adrianna and walked through the portal. Pierre looked at her with a glint in his eyes.

Isidorus was waiting for her in the palace. As soon as Adrianna walked out of the portal with Haldir, she commanded, "Call Mihr now. Also call the Minister of Relations—the wizard who told me about interchange of humans and wizards."

"Yes, my Queen," Isidorus bowed and left.

"Ziu lives in level three." She turned to Haldir. "I need five Mozia to always be stationed around his house. But they should be cautious. He can easily find the invisibility spells."

"I have already done that Adrianna," replied Haldir standing stiff as a ramrod.

Adrianna's eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth to say something when Haldir interrupted her. "Remember Adrianna, I am an elf. My powers are much more than yours. I can foresee things. Currently all my thoughts are aligned with you. In order to block me from knowing what you are thinking, you need better shields. For me it is extremely easy to break your barriers without your knowledge and enter your brain."

Adrianna became angry. "How dare you?"

Haldir sounded so lethal. She shuddered inside to think what he would be as her enemy.

"When we elves protect someone, we don't leave a stone unturned to do so. Hence, it is said that elves are the most dangerous bodyguards." He circled her. "Now the question is – do you want me as your bodyguard?"

Adrianna was mad with fury. "So you know all the details?"

Haldir nodded. "Everything."

"If you dare to speak anything, I will ensure that you are beheaded." She paused. "Make a blood bond with me."

Haldir smiled. "That would tie you also."

"I want you to make a blood bond with me," she insisted, anger roiling her guts.

Haldir took out the dagger from his baldric, which was adorned with five more various sized daggers. He took it in his right hand and sliced his left palm. Blood started dripping on the floor. He handed the dagger to Adrianna.

Adrianna accepted the dagger and sliced her palm. Pain flared but she was in control. "Give me your hand," she demanded.

Haldir held her hand and when their bloods met, energy zipped through them making them both shudder. Adrianna's yellow eyes burned and glazed. Haldir's skin became numb. His eyes became wide, his face pale.

"Argah." His voice rasped low when he voiced the vow. Their hands were fixed as though by glue.

Adrianna looked at him. Hazy smoke rose around their hands as the blood mingled. It started swirling around them. As the smoke swirled, the spell worked. "You vow to protect my baby without divulging any secret."

Haldir's eye bulged through the pain he was experiencing. He expected that Adrianna would ask him not to divulge what was there in her mind. But this? This thinking was ten steps ahead.

Adrianna stared at him waiting for his answer.

"Yes," he whispered. His life forever belonged to Adrianna and her baby.

The smoky haze around cleared and the two stumbled back leaving each other. All traces of blood cleared with the smoke. They were sweating by the end of it.

Isidorus appeared with Mihr and the Minister of Relations.