Chapter 20

The next morning brought no peace.

The Queen’s court bustled as if nothing had happened in the night, attendants sweeping through marble halls, nobles exchanging polite venom over tea. But for me, the walls felt closer, the air heavier, and every face a potential spy for Veyris.

Kael hadn’t slept. I could tell by the faint shadows beneath his amber eyes and the way his hand stayed near the hilt of his sword, as though expecting an attack at any moment. Lucien, by contrast, looked perfectly composed—hair immaculate, smile sharp—but I had learned by now that his calm was just another mask.

We gathered in the training hall at sunrise, the doors shut and bolted against prying ears. Kael leaned over a map spread across the table, tracing a line from the palace to the southern cliffs.

“This,” he said, tapping a point on the parchment, “is where the last three attacks originated. Whoever Veyris is sending is using the cliffs as a base.”

Lucien perched on the edge of the table, deliberately ignoring Kael’s glare. “Which means they’re close enough to watch us but far enough to vanish before we can retaliate. Very inconvenient.”

Kael ignored him, eyes fixed on me. “The Queen will never approve an expedition beyond the city walls, not after last night. So if we’re going, we go without her blessing.”

I crossed my arms. “You’re suggesting we break her rules.”

Lucien’s smile curved slow and dangerous. “Welcome to survival.”

Kael’s voice was low but steady. “Astrid, the Queen’s rules were made to keep her throne secure, not to keep you alive. If we wait for permission, we’ll be waiting until Veyris decides the time is right—and by then, it will be too late.”

The thought of stepping beyond the palace without sanction should have scared me. It did scare me. But the memory of that phase-walker’s eyes, and the certainty that she had been speaking truth when she said he’s coming, weighed heavier.

I nodded once. “Then we go.”

Leaving without notice required more than just stealth—it required misdirection. Lucien handled that part effortlessly. By the time Kael and I reached the southern gates, there were whispers in the palace that I had taken ill and was resting in my chambers, guarded by Lucien himself.

Of course, Lucien was very much with us, walking a half-step behind in his usual cat-like glide. “By the time they realize you’re not in bed, we’ll be three hours gone,” he said.

Kael’s reply was a grunt, but I caught the faintest curve at the corner of his mouth. He thrived in motion, in forward momentum. I was starting to realize Kael was never more himself than when he was leading a fight.

The city fell away quickly, cobblestone streets giving way to frostbitten grasslands. The wind was sharp, carrying the scent of salt from the cliffs. My cloak flapped against my legs as we moved, Kael setting a pace that pushed me but didn’t overwhelm. He noticed every time my breath hitched and subtly adjusted without a word.

Lucien, infuriatingly, looked as if he were out for a leisurely stroll.

“Tell me again,” I said after an hour of silence, “why the cliffs?”

Kael glanced back over his shoulder. “Because from there, you can see the city, the palace, and the southern approach without being seen yourself. Perfect for scouting—and for planning attacks.”

Lucien added, “And because Veyris has always had a fondness for high ground. It’s a predator’s instinct. You watch your prey before you strike.”

Something about the way he said prey made my skin prickle.

By midday, we reached the cliffs—sheer, jagged stone falling into a restless grey sea below. The waves crashed violently against the rocks, the sound echoing like distant drums.

“This way,” Kael said, leading us along a narrow trail carved into the cliff face. It was barely wide enough for two feet side by side, and I kept my gaze fixed on the back of his boots rather than the drop at my right.

Halfway along, Kael raised a hand, signaling a stop. He crouched, running his fingers over the stone. At first, I saw nothing—then he pressed his palm to a section of rock, and it shifted inward with a faint grind of stone.

A door.

Or rather, a hidden entrance, cut into the cliff and concealed so perfectly it might have been part of the natural formation.

“How did you—?” I began.

Kael’s mouth quirked. “The cliffs have been used for smuggling for centuries. You learn the signs.”

Lucien slipped past him, stepping into the dark passage without hesitation. “Shall we?”

The tunnel was narrow, the air damp and heavy with salt. My footsteps echoed too loudly for comfort. Kael kept close, one hand brushing my elbow whenever the ground grew uneven. His touch was steadying, though it also made my pulse jump.

The passage opened into a wide cavern lit by shafts of pale light filtering through cracks in the cliff. At first glance, it seemed empty—but then I saw the marks on the ground.

Boot prints. Recent.

Kael crouched to examine them, his brow furrowing. “Three… maybe four people. One of them heavier—carrying gear, or a prisoner.”

Lucien’s gaze slid to me, but he said nothing.

There were other signs too—a half-burned torch, a discarded scrap of black cloth, and the faint metallic tang of blood in the air. My stomach tightened.

Kael rose, his hand going to his sword. “We move now. They’re close.”

We followed a narrower passage at the back of the cavern, the air growing colder with each step. My breath came in shallow bursts. Part of me wanted to turn back, but another part—the part that had fought with a staff in the courtyard—kept me moving forward.

We stepped into another chamber, this one lit by a single flickering lantern hung from a chain. Shadows clung to the walls like living things.

Kael’s sword was halfway out of its sheath when the first attacker moved.

He came from above, dropping from a ledge in near silence, twin blades flashing. Kael intercepted him midair, their weapons sparking on impact. The sound seemed to trigger the others—two more figures emerged from the darkness, one rushing Lucien, the other coming straight for me.

I barely had time to react before cold steel flashed toward my side. Instinct drove me to block with the short blade Kael had given me earlier. The shock of impact rattled my arm, but I held my ground, twisting to shove the attacker back.

Kael was a storm, his movements precise and brutal. Lucien fought with a grace that was almost beautiful, his daggers flickering like quicksilver.

I didn’t see the fourth attacker until it was too late—until a hand like iron clamped over my mouth and dragged me backward into the shadows.

The grip was unyielding, the cold edge of a blade pressing to my throat. A voice hissed in my ear, low and venomous.

“He wants you alive. Don’t make me change that.”

Kael’s head snapped toward us instantly, his entire body shifting into lethal focus. “Let her go,” he said, voice like steel drawn over stone.

The attacker laughed—a short, ugly sound. “Or what? You’ll kill me? That’s the idea, wolf.”

Lucien’s voice came from somewhere to my left, smooth but edged. “You’re making a mistake.”

The blade pressed harder against my skin. “The only mistake is thinking you can stop him.”

For a split second, Kael’s gaze locked with mine. In that moment, I knew he was calculating—not if he could save me, but how.

And then he moved.

It happened so fast I barely registered it. Kael lunged, his sword flashing upward, knocking the attacker’s blade aside with a force that sent sparks into the dark. At the same time, Lucien appeared behind the man, his dagger biting deep into the space between neck and shoulder.

The grip on me loosened. I stumbled forward, Kael’s hand closing around my arm to steady me.

“You all right?” he asked, scanning my face.

I nodded, though my heart was still racing. “I’m fine.”

Lucien wiped his blade clean on the attacker’s cloak, his expression unreadable. “Not one of Veyris’s best. But he was sent for you.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “Then we’re running out of time.”

We searched the chamber quickly, finding a crude map etched into the wall. It showed the cliffs, the palace… and a series of marks stretching inland toward the Blackwood.

Lucien traced one of the marks with a fingertip. “He’s moving his base. The cliffs were just a staging point.”

Kael turned to me. “We’ll have to cross the Queen’s borders to follow him.”

I hesitated. “That’s treason.”

Lucien’s smile was almost gentle. “Not treason if we win.”

Kael stepped closer, his voice low enough for only me to hear. “Astrid, this is the part where we either keep running… or we take the fight to him.”

The memory of Veyris’s eyes, the pull I had felt toward him, flashed through my mind. Running wouldn’t change that pull. It wouldn’t make it go away.

I met Kael’s gaze. “We take the fight to him.”

He nodded once, as if he had expected no other answer. “Then we move at dawn.”

The three of us stood in that cold, shadowed chamber, the sound of the waves pounding the cliffs far below. Somewhere beyond the palace walls, Veyris was moving his pieces into place.

But now… so were we.

---