Before I could speak, Veyna slipped from Kaelith’s back, her bare feet soft against the stone. She looked fragile, battered, and yet when she spoke, her voice was steady.
“My grandfather would not have allowed anyone but Ashe near the castle,” she said. “It was the only way to save Elara.”
Zander blinked, confusion flickering across his face. “Your grandfather?”
I stepped beside Veyna, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. Her eyes, so much like mine, met his.
“This is my sister,” I said, my voice soft. “Veyna. She’s been imprisoned on the Blood Isle since she was a toddler. My mother was pregnant with me when the Blood Fae… acquired her.”
Zander’s expression shifted, surprise giving way to something tender. He nodded once and stepped forward, placing a hand to his chest and bowing his head in the faintest gesture of reverence.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Veyna,” he said. “Welcome to our family.”
A small breath escaped her lips, maybe relief, maybe disbelief.
The rhythmic thud of boots cut through the moment, and Thrall Squad rounded the corner of the barracks. Riven reached me first, pulling me into a hug tight enough to knock the breath from my lungs.
“Don’t let Zander’s composure fool you,” she said into my ear with a smirk. “He just about made a shishkabob out of Theron’s last messenger.”
I laughed, though it came out a little shakier than I’d meant.
“I believe it,” I whispered back. “What did Theron do this time?”
Zander’s arms folded across his chest as he stood beside Hein, his gaze still flickering between me, Elara, and Veyna. The tension in his shoulders hadn’t faded, but now it simmered just beneath the surface—controlled but only barely.
“While you were gone,” he said tightly, “Theron thought it would be an excellent time to send another marriage proposal. This time with a letter addressed to ‘His Royal Highness’ that promised lineage preservation and political unity.” His eyes darkened. “The guards have been informed that any further interference with my personal life will be met with… more painful resistance.”
A smirk ghosted over Riven’s lips nearby, but she wisely said nothing.
I stepped closer to him, heart pounding. “I’m sorry. If I worried you?—”
Zander moved before I could finish. His hand slipped to the small of my back as he leaned in, his lips brushing against the curve of my ear. His voice was low, roughened by something more than anger—something desperate and raw.
“Worried me?” he murmured. “I just about burned down the entire godsdamned castle when I realized you left me.”
“I didn’t leave you,” I whispered, turning toward him, eyes stinging. “I would never?—”
“Never again, Ashlyn.” His fingers tightened ever so slightly at my waist. “You don’t face danger like that alone. Not anymore.”
My breath caught.
Not as heirs. Not as riders. Just as us.
I nodded to Zander, grounding myself in his gaze for a heartbeat before I turned to Veyna. Her arms were wrapped around her middle like she was trying to hold herself together.
“I think my sister could use a healer,” I said gently.
Veyna shook her head almost immediately. “I have healing ability. The longer I go between beatings, the quicker I heal.” Her voice was too calm—detached in a way that made my chest tighten.
Tae swore low under his breath, the word edged in fury.
Ferrula didn’t speak, but the glance she shared with Riven was sharp enough to slice stone. If given a moment and a clear sky, she would fly to the Blood Isle herself and torch every last one of them.
I cleared my throat.Focus, Ashe.
“Zander,” I said, forcing my voice steady, “why don’t you take Elara back to her room? She needs to rest. I’ll get Veyna situated in our barracks. Veralin told me he has a spy here. It’s likely our spell caster, but we can sort that out later.”
Zander hesitated, clearly not liking the idea of separating, but Elara clung to his side with a weariness that cut deep. After a beat, he nodded.
