On the other side of the camp, Ghatak's void magic manifests as a sphere of absolute nothingness. Two mercenaries are caught in its pull, dragged toward the center where existence simply *stops*.
The vampire leader tries to run. He darts pass trees as if he was a rabbit looking for her sanctuary. I'm sure that if he could bury into the ground. He most definitely would.
I catch him with a tendril of chaos, lifting him off the ground. He struggles, clawing at the invisible force, but it's useless.
"Five thousand platinum," I muse, walking closer. "Tell me—who put out the bounty?"
'That particular number really ticks me off. Were they trying to kill a beggar. I am a dragon and least of all a crown princess of my race. What in the hell were the vampire council thinking. Nothing but a bunch of fake sired vampires. It's disgusting.'
"Fuck you," he spits.
"Wrong answer."
I tighten the chaos around his throat, cutting off his air. Not enough to kill—just enough to hurt.
"Try again," I suggest.
"The... the council," he gasps. "Vampire council. You've been... disrupting trade. Freeing slaves."
"Ah." I glance at Ghatak. "We're officially a problem."
"About time," he says, finishing off the last mercenary with casual efficiency. "I was starting to think they hadn't noticed us."
I turn back to the vampire. "Here's what you're going to do. You're going to go back to your council and tell them that Astraea Shinazugawa is coming. Tell them I'm building an empire. Tell them their system is ending."
"And if I refuse?"
I smile. "Then you die here, and I send your head as the message instead."
He pales. "I'll... I'll tell them."
"Good."
I release him, and he drops to the ground, gasping. He scrambles to his feet and runs, disappearing into the darkness.
Ghatak moves to my side, sliding an arm around my waist. "You let him go."
"I want them to know we're coming," I say. "Fear is a weapon too."
"Mmm." He nuzzles my neck. "You're magnificent when you're strategic."
"I'm magnificent all the time."
"True." His hand slides lower, cupping my ass. "I believe I won our little competition, though. I finished first."
"Did you?" I turn in his arms, pressing against him. "What do you want as your prize?"
His eyes gleam with dark promise. "You. Right here. Right now."
"Scandalous," I murmur. "There are bodies everywhere."
"I know." He captures my mouth in a searing kiss. "Makes it better."
And because I'm exactly as twisted as he is, I agree.
---
The third day brings us to a small settlement blocking the main road.
Not a village, exactly—more like a fortified checkpoint. Wooden walls, armed guards, and a heavy gate that's currently closed.
A man in official-looking robes stands on the wall, looking down at us with bureaucratic disdain.
"Road's closed," he calls. "Bandit activity in the region. No travelers permitted until further notice."
I exchange a glance with Ghatak.
"How long until it reopens?" I ask.
"Could be days. Could be weeks." The official shrugs. "You'll have to wait or find another route."
"There is no other route," Ghatak says. "Not for another hundred kilometers."
"Then you wait."
I feel my patience—already thin—snap completely.
"Ghatak," I say calmly. "Would you like to do the honors, or shall I?"
"Ladies first," he says with exaggerated courtesy.
I raise both hands, and chaos magic floods outward in a wave of pure destructive force.
The wooden wall doesn't just break—it *unmakes*. The molecular bonds holding it together dissolve, and the entire structure collapses into dust and splinters.
The guards scatter, screaming. The official falls from his perch, hitting the ground hard.
We walk through the settling dust, stepping over debris and cowering people.
"The road," I announce to anyone listening, "is now open."
No one argues.
We continue west, leaving chaos and terror in our wake.
And I feel nothing but satisfaction.
---
That night, we make camp under the stars.
Ghatak builds a fire while I lay out our bedrolls. The silence between us is comfortable, familiar.
"Three days," he says eventually. "Three encounters. Three demonstrations of power."
"And?" I settle beside him, leaning against his shoulder.
"And I'm wondering if you're sending a message or just enjoying yourself."
I consider the question honestly. "Both."
He laughs, the sound rich and warm. "That's my girl."
"Your villain," I correct.
"My *queen*," he counters, pulling me into his lap. "Building an empire one corpse at a time."
"Is that what we're doing?"
"Isn't it?" His hands frame my face, forcing me to meet his eyes. "We're not heroes, Astraea. We're not saving anyone. We're taking what we want and destroying anyone who tries to stop us."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"Why would it?" He kisses me softly. "The world tried to kill us. Tried to erase our entire species. Now we're rebuilding on our terms, by our rules. If that makes us villains, then I'll wear the title proudly."
*Villains.*
The word should feel wrong. Should trigger guilt or shame or doubt.
But it doesn't.
Because he's right.
We're not heroes. We're survivors who became predators. We're building something new from the ashes of what was destroyed.
And if that requires ruthlessness, manipulation, and violence?
So be it.
"Vesper is nearly twenty- two days away," I say. "When we get there, we find Bia. We bring her home."
"And anyone who tries to stop us?"
I smile, sharp and cold. "They learn what happens when you stand between a dragon and her family."
"Just hearing those words escape your mouth sends a thrill throughout my entire being."
Ghatak's answering smile matches mine—dark, dangerous, and utterly without mercy.
"I love you," he says.
"I love you too," I reply. "My partner in crime."
"In empire-building."
"In everything."
We sit together in the firelight, two dragons who've chosen power over morality, ambition over ethics.
Two villains building a kingdom.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.