My throat tightened. I made my way through the house, saying quick goodbyes to the siblings who were awake. Then I stepped back out onto the porch, where Elia was speaking with Godric. She gave him a quick hug and then embraced me. She must know him from when he was the ruler in Kaelric’s place.
“I’ll make sure Kaelric sends word when you’ve reached him safely.” She told me, and I nodded, hugging her one last time. Going away on my mother’s birthday felt wrong, but I knew Elia loved my family like they were her own, and they’d be well cared for.
“Thank you for everything.” I squeezed her hands before she dipped back inside.
“There is one last person I need to see before we go,” I told Godric.
Leaving would devastate Cassian. We’d grown close these past three months. He sent letters home to Aerlyn, which was spiraling toward civil war. My killing Corvessa and the Dregs' burning had consequences that rippled outward. His father was making a bid to be the next magistrate and had already survived one assassination attempt. He told Cassian not to return until things stabilized. So, Cassian stayed. He helped my people build houses, fetched water, tended to Fiona, and showed up whenever anyone needed him. Beneath all his polish, he had a heart of gold. I waved goodbye to Elia and Godric, and I headed down the long dirt drive, where gravel crunched beneath our boots. At the very end, a horse was tied to a maple tree, a striking white mare with a silver mane and rich brown leather saddlebags.
“Procured for you, my lady. Her name is Star,” Godric said, eyes lingering briefly on Valkaryn at my waist.
I guessed we weren’t taking the train. Star was a pretty name.
“And where is yours?” I asked, peering around for another.
“I will travel in wolf form, my lady.”
Right. Okay.
I had ridden a horse several times around town over the last few months, but mounting was still… a challenge.
“My friend is nearby. We can go on foot.”
He nodded and followed as I cut across the park, through the morning bustle of vendors setting up stands, and across the street toward the small guesthouse where travelers lodged. Cassian had been living there and working the front desk.
Three nights a week, he joined my family for dinner. We’d become closer than I’d expected. He was kind, generous, and funny. A part of me feared I’d never be able to repay that sweetness.
When I reached the guest house, I saw him outside sweeping the porch. Seeing an Elite—no, the heir of House Draven—broom in hand like any other villager… it showed just how much things had changed. He didn’t need coin here, so he worked alongside the locals, and I respected him deeply for it.
“Hey!” He grinned when he saw me, but his grin faltered the instant his gaze slid to Godric lurking behind me like a sentinel.
“What’s going on?” Cassian asked, lowering the broom. His voice carried that quiet steadiness he always tried to maintain, but I caught the slight tremor beneath it. He wasn’t stupid. He knew something had shifted.
“Hey.” I pushed a few loose strands of hair from my face and glanced back at Godric, asking silently for space. He stopped several paces away and folded his arms behind his back, gaze scanning the tree line as if expecting an ambush.
“I’m going out of town for a bit,” I said.
Cassian raked his hand through his blond hair and blew out a sigh. “Kaelric?”
I nodded.
“Is it dangerous?” His brow creased, his blue eyes darting between me and Godric as though he could glean the truth from our body language.
I shrugged. “I don’t think Kaelric would put me in danger.”
Even as I said it, uncertainty coiled under my ribs. Not because of Kaelric, but because war was unpredictable. Unforgiving.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Do you want me to go with you?” he asked, almost too quickly. There was an eager flicker in his expression, something quiet and yearning. Moments like these reminded me just how handsome he really was—the clean lines of his jaw, bright eyes, and a kindness that softened him.
But my heart wasn’t his. Every day, every night, one person haunted me: the broody wolfkin miles away. The one I’d hurt and still ached for.
“I think I need to do this alone, and I have Godric here to protect me.” I motioned toward the massive wolfkin whose presence screamed danger and devotion in equal measure.
Cassian took a step closer, palms up as if offering himself. I placed my hands in his because refusing felt cruel. I loved him, just not in a romantic way.
“I don’t want you to go,” he said. “What if you get hurt? Isn’t Kaelric on the war front?”
How could I explain to Cassian that being without Kaelric felt like breathing through half a lung? That the knowledge Kaelric needed me, still, burned through every ounce of restraint. I loved him with every thread of my being, even though he’d sworn he’d never forgive me.
