Chapter 22

The following nights after Veyris’s intrusion blurred into a haze of preparation. Training sessions stretched long into the dark hours, and Kael was relentless in his demands. Every swing of my blade, every parry, every dodge was scrutinized until my arms ached and my breath came in ragged bursts.

Yet, it wasn’t just the combat drills that kept my heart racing.

Kael had started standing closer when he corrected my stance—so close I could feel the warmth radiating from him despite the cool night air. Sometimes, when his hand brushed mine while adjusting my grip, my pulse would skip. He didn’t comment on it, but his faint smirk told me he noticed.

“Your feet are too close together,” he murmured one evening, stepping behind me. His hand slid from my shoulder to my waist, guiding me slightly to the left. “Wider stance means more balance.”

“You could’ve just said that,” I muttered, trying not to focus on how solid he felt behind me.

“I could have,” he agreed, voice low and teasing, “but this way, you’ll remember.”

I caught the flicker of amusement in his amber eyes before he stepped back. He was doing it on purpose.

Lucien, of course, noticed everything. He often lounged in the shadows, leaning against a pillar with that lazy elegance of his, and made no attempt to hide his smirk when Kael’s patience with me grew into something warmer.

It was on the third night that the uneasy peace shattered again.

We were in the north wing of the palace—a part rarely used since the last war—when Kael caught a scent in the air. His head tilted slightly, nostrils flaring, and his hand moved to his sword.

“Stay behind me,” he ordered, voice sharp now.

“What is it?” I whispered, scanning the hall.

“Not sure yet.”

Lucien stepped forward from the shadows, eyes glowing faintly crimson. “We’re not alone.”

The words barely left his lips before a soft, rhythmic tapping echoed down the corridor. It wasn’t footsteps—it was too light for that. More like claws skimming stone. The sound stopped, then started again, faster, approaching.

My grip tightened on my dagger. “That’s not a good sound.”

“No,” Kael agreed grimly.

From the darkness ahead, a figure emerged—a woman, tall and draped in layers of black silk that seemed to move like smoke. Her eyes were molten gold, her smile sharp and knowing.

“Kael,” she purred, ignoring Lucien entirely. “Still playing the loyal guardian?”

His jaw clenched. “Ravena.”

The name felt like a warning in itself. She moved closer, each step deliberate, her gaze sliding to me. “And this must be the infamous Astrid.”

“In the flesh,” I said carefully.

Her smile deepened. “For now.”

Kael moved in front of me instinctively. “Say what you came to say and leave.”

“Oh, I will,” Ravena replied, her voice a blend of silk and venom. “But you should know, Veyris’s patience grows thin. He’s losing interest in games.” Her gaze lingered on me in a way that made my skin crawl. “When he comes next, it will not be to test your mettle. It will be to claim you.”

Lucien’s voice was a low growl. “Tell him if he tries, he’ll lose more than his pride.”

Ravena’s smirk didn’t falter. “You think your alliances will protect her? Wolves and shadows can only hold off the inevitable for so long.”

The moment her attention shifted fully to Kael again, I stepped sideways, slipping slightly out of his shadow. I didn’t know why I did it—maybe to show her I wasn’t afraid, maybe to prove something to myself.

“You can tell Veyris,” I said, “that I’m not a prize to be claimed.”

Her eyes narrowed, a spark of amusement—or irritation—flashing there. “We’ll see.”

And with that, she dissolved into mist, vanishing down the corridor like smoke carried on wind.

The silence that followed felt heavy.

Kael turned on me instantly. “What were you thinking?”

I straightened my shoulders. “That I’m tired of everyone talking about me like I’m a possession.”

“That woman would have killed you in a heartbeat,” he snapped.

“I’m aware,” I said, my voice low.

He stared at me for a moment, his anger shifting into something else—something more dangerous. “You drive me insane.”

My lips twitched. “Good to know I have that effect on you.”

He stepped closer, his eyes searching mine. For a moment, I thought he might say something else, but Lucien’s dry voice cut in.

“If you two are done exchanging longing glares, we should move.”

Kael shot him a glare. I caught the faintest trace of a smirk tugging at Lucien’s mouth.

We moved quickly toward the main hall, doubling the guards at the entrances. Kael remained tense for the rest of the night, his hand never straying far from his weapon. Yet, when the patrols were finally dismissed and the halls grew quiet, he lingered instead of retreating to his quarters.

“You need to stop putting yourself in danger,” he said, leaning against the wall beside me.

I crossed my arms. “You keep saying that, but danger seems to find me whether I’m trying or not.”

His lips curved faintly. “Then maybe I need to keep you closer.”

“That sounds suspiciously like an excuse.”

“Maybe it is.” He didn’t look away, and for a heartbeat, the space between us felt charged, like the air before a storm.

I swallowed, suddenly aware of how close he was. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet you keep talking to me.” His voice dropped, low and warm, and then—because Kael apparently enjoyed watching me lose my composure—he brushed a strand of hair from my face. His touch lingered a fraction longer than necessary.

Before I could respond, footsteps echoed down the hall. Lucien appeared, his gaze flicking between us briefly before he spoke.

“We have a problem,” he said simply.

Kael straightened instantly. “What kind?”

“The kind that involves Veyris’s hounds crossing the southern border.”

That pulled me out of whatever moment we’d been having. “How many?”

Lucien’s expression was grim. “Enough to be a distraction… or a trap.”

Kael cursed under his breath. “We’ll deal with it.” He looked at me. “You’re not leaving my side.”

I didn’t argue this time.

We moved fast, crossing the outer courtyards to where the southern gates stood. The night was heavy with mist, the moon barely visible through the clouds. Shapes moved beyond the treeline—tall, lean, and predatory.

The hounds emerged one by one, their eyes glowing faintly blue. They didn’t attack immediately. They stood, watching, their teeth bared in silent warning.

“They’re waiting for a signal,” Kael murmured.

“From Veyris?” I asked.

“Or someone else.”

It happened fast—a sharp whistle cut through the air, and the hounds surged forward.

Kael’s sword was in his hand instantly. Lucien’s daggers flashed in the moonlight. I gripped my staff, heart pounding.

The first hound lunged at Kael, and he met it with a clean, brutal strike that sent it sprawling. Another came at me, its jaws snapping, but I swung my staff in a wide arc, catching it hard across the muzzle. It yelped and stumbled back.

Kael was suddenly at my side, his body angled toward mine. “Nice hit,” he said between strikes.

“Focus,” I shot back, but my lips twitched despite myself.

The fight was a blur of movement—flashes of steel, snarls, the sharp tang of blood in the air. The hounds fought like they’d been trained for this exact moment, but we held our ground.

One of them broke past Lucien, lunging straight for me. Kael reacted before I even registered the movement—his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against him as his sword drove into the beast midair.

The hound crumpled at our feet. I realized I was still pressed against him, my breath catching.

“You’re reckless,” he murmured, his voice barely audible over the chaos.

“You like it,” I whispered back before I could stop myself.

His amber eyes locked on mine for half a heartbeat too long.

Lucien’s voice broke the moment. “If you two are done flirting in the middle of a battlefield…”

The remaining hounds fell quickly after that, retreating into the treeline with low growls.

We stood in the misty silence that followed, catching our breath. Kael still hadn’t let go of me.

“You can,” I said softly, glancing at his arm.

“Not yet,” he replied.

And for once, I didn’t mind.

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