The silence stretched between us, weighted and full of the ghosts we both carried.
“There’s more to your relationship with Remy,” I said finally, my voice quieter than I meant it to be.
Zander didn’t deny it. He just nodded.
“Remy was always an overachiever,” he said, his eyes drifting toward the dark window. “He would’ve done anything for my father’s favor. Emlem loves him… maybe as much as any of his actual children.”
That admission hit harder than I expected.
“He was always closer to Theron than me growing up,” Zander continued. “Always the one to do the crown’s dirty work. But even with that, I don’t believe Remy would ever betray my father.”
I turned toward him. “You think he’d betray you?”
Zander’s jaw worked for a moment. “Not before I got involved with you.”
He finally looked at me then, eyes full of something wounded.
“Now… I’m not so sure.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed, the creak of old wood loud in the quiet room.
“Remy and I were apart a long time before I joined the guild,” I said. “If he truly loved me, he could’ve come back. I would’ve left with him. I would’ve forgiven the lie if he’d told me in the first few months.”
My voice cracked, but I kept going.
“After that, I went numb. There’s no coming back from what he put me through.”
Zander stepped closer, the shadows soft around him. He didn’t touch me, just stood near, like that was all he could offer.
“I’m sorry, Ashe,” he murmured.
I wasn’t sure if he was apologizing for Remy… or for the tangled web between us.
But I nodded, quietly.
And lay back onto the bed, the weight of it all pulling me down like the storm I knew was still coming.
Zander shifted, his weight dipping the mattress as if he was about to lie beside me. The tension in the air was uncertain, delicate, but then the door creaked open, and Solei stepped inside.
Her eyes moved between us. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
I rolled my eyes, sitting up straighter. “You always are. What happened?”
She didn’t bother with pleasantries. Just held up the missive in her hand, the wax seal already broken.
“Major Ledor has requested an audience with Cyran,” she said. “They know Cyran can find you. And they know he’ll never hurt you.”
My stomach dropped.
“That puts the crown in a tough position,” she added, her voice a little too calm. “To say the least.”
“They know about the Blood Oath?” Zander asked harshly.
“How?” I added, heat rising in my chest. “How would they know that?”
Solei shrugged, but it was the kind of shrug that told me she already had her suspicions. “You must have told someone. I know our people wouldn’t share that information.”
“I only told the riders I trust,” I said.
