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My father cleared his throat, a subtle warning. He was used to men staring from a distance, but this close, even his eternal composure might slip. Vaelric turned to him with a polite, practiced smile. Clearly, hearing it.

“Don’t let my presence interrupt,” I teased lightly, shifting the air. “What’s happening? I know you wouldn’t travel this far from court for a casual visit.” I kept my gaze on his eyes as he turned back to me. A smirk played against his lips.

“Oh, this is nothing for a pretty lady to trouble her head with,” Vaelric replied smoothly. Typical. It was customary for women to stay out of such affairs. I knew he wouldn’t risk his own rank by indulging me.

My father never believed in such a tradition. Even though Eari had served as a matriarchy for so long, the starting woman had such critical views on the women below them. My father thought that if the Queen could speak beside the King, then so could his daughter. I smiled again, slow and amused. I didn’t know this knight well, and I had no plans to. There was something pretentious about him that normally would’ve earned my back turned.

Still, I stepped closer, resting a hand on his shoulder, squeezing just lightly. “Oh, I’m more than just a pretty head.” I let the words hang between us before adding, “There must be something amiss?” My gaze shifted toward my father. “I am the daughter of the Hand of the King, am I not? Shouldn’t I be privy to at least some information?”

They both exchanged a glance at my persistence. The silence was brief before my father spoke. “I suppose there’s no harm in it,” he said carefully. “It isn’t critical to the crown, but something the cities should be alerted to.” He rested a hand on his chin, brow furrowed as he weighed how much to reveal.

Vaelric's face was unreadable as his eyes bounced from my father to me. “I’m just the head of the knight’s guard,” his voice firm but measured as he spoke. “If you want to tell your daughter, I won’t object. The question is, do you believe it is serious enough to alert the public?”

There was only another brief moment of silence before my father advised, “You said there’d been fires near the West Mountain of Eari, then yes. The cities of Aribella and Ameega should be warned to stay clear of the clearing.”

Raising a hand to my mouth, I gasped. “Fires? Up there?” My voice stayed delicate, with surprise feathering my words. “How awful.” It wasn’t even a theater at this point. I was genuinely shocked that Mark’s fires were still going. They seemed strong, but I thought the blizzard would have put them out.

Vaelric nodded to me, his eyes weary as he continued, “Two of our men went out and haven’t returned. We suspect they were caught in the fires.” He paused, then added, “But this isn’t a normal fire. It’s… different. Eternal, almost.” His gaze locked onto mine. “What’s keeping it back is the thickness of the forest, the snow trying to suffocate it, and Andre’s River. Even that’s barely helping. It’s been burning since yesterday morning.”

I let my expression shift from shock to concern, and then grief. I wore them like veils, one after the other. “That’s unimaginable. Do you know who started it?” Tears threaten to spill over the brim of my waterline. All the wildlife in that clearing must have been terrified.

Vaelric’s eyebrow shot up at the possibility that it could have been a vampire. “You think someone started it?” he asked, studying me.

Keeping my words careful, I answered. “How else would it happen?”

My father spoke before Vaelric could question me further. His hand found my shoulder, warm and grounding. “I doubt it was anyone,” he said with the calm certainty of practiced authority. “We’ve had thunderstorms the last few nights. Very wild ones. Don’t worry, my child. There are no fire-bending vampires in the realm.”

“I’ll give word to my men to spread notice; no one goes near the clearing until the fire is contained. I’ll post a few to stand guard until it dies down,” Vaelric said, turning to my father.

As soon as he mentioned guards around the clearing, I internally cursed. That clearing was ideal for training. If it were surrounded, we’d need a new location. There were a few remote locations from the cities that allowed such activities. But it was good to know.

Turning back to Vaelric, I place a final polite smile, offering him sympathy for the added trouble.

“Yes, please do that,” my father replied. “You’re dismissed. Return at next dawn with reports.”

Vaelric nodded, bowing slightly. “I will return.” His eyes found mine again, and his hand followed, closing around mine with deliberate intent. Instead of bowing, he brought my fingers to his lips and pressed another fleeting kiss to my skin. He lingered a moment too long. The hand he held prickled with goosebumps of disgust, though a pleasant smile still shaped my face.

Disgusting.

“Have a pleasant evening, Lady Corpus.” He winked, then turned on his heel and left.

My father and I both watched the door, listening to Vaelric’s footsteps fade down the staircase. It wasn’t even a full breath before the heavy creak of the castle’s front doors echoed shut. Crossing the room to the balcony, I watched as Vaelric climbed into his carriage. The horses pulled off through the snow, vanishing beyond the gates and into the woods.

When the carriage disappeared between the trees, I looked up at my father. “Now it’s my turn to tell you what really happened up there,” I whispered, just soft enough for him to hear.

His head tilted slightly, curiosity flickering behind his eyes. “Oh?”

I told him everything. We discussed how Alex had only meant to meet his parents back at Arianna’s home, how Kleitos had challenged Mark, how the fight spiraled beyond control, how they escaped the clearing, and even how they’d encountered elves.

“Mark... the Elguto has those kinds of powers?” he asked quietly when I finished.

“Yes. He nearly took Prince Kleitos out.”

My father’s voice dropped an octave, and I didn’t recognize. “We need to find them.”

“I’m sure Arianna has already caught up with them,” I said evenly.

“Then we head to the demon’s home. We’ll make sure ourselves.” His gaze cut toward the treeline beyond the fence, scanning for any sign of Alex or his mother.