Chapter 43

Elouera

The broken pieces of the heavy wooden door hung from one bent hinge, barely holding together.

A thick cloud of dust and pale blue smoke spread across the stone floor, making my eyes sting.

Standing in the doorway was Uncle Holden. Behind him, the corridor was dark and empty.

He wore a cold smile, but there was no kindness in his eyes. His gaze was fixed on the glowing golden lines beneath the skin of my collarbone. The strange marks pulsed faintly, as if something inside me were alive.

In his right hand, he held a small, sealed glass bottle. A silver liquid swirled inside it, glowing strangely. The bottle also gave off a low, unnatural humming sound.

“Oh, don’t worry about the crown, little bird,” Holden said smoothly, sounding almost amused. “Because the real war is about to begin right here.”

Before I could even take a breath, Jace moved.

He didn’t hesitate or stop to think. He didn’t try to reason with Holden.

He attacked.

Jace moved with the speed of a wild animal that had finally been released from its cage. He didn’t even bother reaching for a weapon. His heavy boots carried him across the room so quickly that, within seconds, he was already at the doorway.

He stretched out his hand, aiming straight for Holden’s throat.

But Holden didn’t panic. He didn’t even try to move away.

Instead, a sharp metallic click came from his cane.

The brass handle suddenly opened, revealing a hidden, razor-sharp blade.

Holden swung the cane at Jace’s stomach, trying to cut him open from one side to the other.

Jace twisted his body in midair with incredible speed. The blade missed his skin by barely an inch, cutting through the thick leather strap of the holster on his shoulder instead.

But dodging the attack slowed him down.

Holden used that moment to step backward into the corridor. Then, as casually as if he were throwing away a useless object, he dropped the glowing glass bottle onto the stone floor between them.

“If you break that bottle, Commander, the entire tower will go up in blue flames,” Holden warned quietly.

His cold smile never disappeared.

“And your precious little Omega won’t survive another dose of the catalyst. So think carefully about who you’re trying to protect.”

Jace stopped immediately.

His boot hovered just inches above the fragile glass bottle lying on the floor.

One wrong move, and the bottle could break.

And if Holden was telling the truth, the explosion could destroy the entire tower and kill both of us.

His chest rose and fell as he struggled to catch his breath. A deep, dangerous growl came from his throat, loud enough to make the windows shake.

He wanted to chase Holden. Every muscle in his body was tense, and he looked ready to hunt my uncle down and tear him apart with his bare hands.

Footsteps echoed down the stone staircase, growing fainter as Holden disappeared into the lower parts of the palace.

He was gone.

For now.

Jace remained still in the broken doorway for what felt like an eternity. Slowly, the frightening darkness in his eyes faded, and his familiar hazel eyes returned.

He let out a shaky breath, bent down, and carefully picked up the glass vial. After making sure he wouldn’t break it, he slipped it into his pocket.

Then he turned around.

The moment his eyes found me, the ruthless Vanguard Commander disappeared.

The cold, frightening man who had been ready to kill Holden was suddenly replaced by someone filled with fear for my safety. His usual hard expression gave way to a look of pure panic, as if the thought of something happening to me was more than he could bear.

He didn’t ask me any questions.

He didn’t ask how Holden had found us or why my uncle had poisoned me with Night-bloom. He didn’t ask about the strange golden marks glowing on my skin or what they meant.

He didn’t question the lies I had told, the identity I had hidden, or the royal blood I had spent ten years trying to keep secret.

None of that seemed to matter to him at that moment.

All he cared about was me.

Jace pushed the broken door as far closed as he could and dragged a heavy oak desk across the floor to block the entrance. Once he had secured the room as best he could, he crossed it in three long strides and dropped to his knees beside my bed.

“Elouera,” he whispered.

His voice sounded rough and broken.

He reached toward me, but his large, rough hands stopped just inches from my body. They trembled slightly, as though he were afraid to touch me.

As though he feared I might disappear or break apart beneath his fingers.

“Are you hurt?” he asked quietly. “Did he… did Holden touch you?”

“No,” I whispered.

My voice shook, and the shock of everything that had happened was beginning to wear me down. The fever had left me exhausted, and my entire body felt too heavy to move.

“Jace… I lied to you. I lied to everyone. I’m not Prince Elian.” My throat tightened as I struggled to continue. “I’m… I’m the daughter of a man who’s been dead for years. And now, the entire empire wants me dead.”

I waited for him to pull away.

I expected him to finally understand what he had done by bonding himself to me. He had tied his life to someone the whole empire wanted to destroy. I thought he would regret it, step away from me, or curse the fate that had dragged him into my mess.

But instead, Jace let out a long, shaky breath and leaned forward. He gently rested his forehead against my bare knees, careful not to hurt me.

“I don’t care,” he murmured.

His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.

“You could be the Empress herself, and it still wouldn’t change anything. You are mine, and I am yours. That’s the only truth that matters in this cursed palace.”

He didn’t demand answers or ask me to explain my past. He simply stood up, walked to the basin in the corner, and picked up a heavy iron bucket.

He went to the winter storage barrels in the lower part of the tower and filled the bucket with ice and freezing water. Then he took a clean linen cloth from a nearby stack, dipped it into the icy water, squeezed out the excess, and returned to my bedside.

“Your body is still recovering from the bond and the last effects of the poison,” Jace explained quietly. His voice was calm and steady, as if he were trying to help me forget the fear that was still eating away at me. “Your fever will probably rise again before dawn. Lie back down.”

I hesitated, pulling the oversized black shirt tighter around my waist. But I was so exhausted that even keeping my head up felt like too much work.

Finally, I lowered myself onto the thin wool pillow.

Jace sat on the edge of the bed. His weight made the iron frame creak softly.

He unfolded the cold, wet cloth and gently placed it on my forehead.

The difference was immediate.

The icy cloth touched my burning skin, bringing relief I hadn’t felt in hours. It helped clear the fog in my head, and the terrible feeling of fire moving through my veins seemed to ease.

A soft sigh escaped my lips before I could stop it.

Jace watched me closely. His thumb gently moved along my jaw, easing some of the tension from my face.

He said nothing and asked no questions. He simply continued caring for me, moving the cold cloth from my forehead to my neck, then across my shoulders and collarbones, where the golden marks beneath my skin still glowed faintly in the darkness.

Every time he touched me, I felt a strange warmth spread through the bond between us. It was as if his presence was keeping me steady, stopping my thoughts from spinning out of control.

For once, I didn’t feel like I was facing everything alone.

The familiar scent of crushed cedar and fresh earth surrounded me. It was strong and comforting, making me feel as though I were hidden behind a wall no one could break through.

For those few precious moments, I could almost forget the outside world.

I could forget Holden, the Empress, and the crown they were all fighting over.

I could forget the danger waiting for me when morning came.

For now, there was only Jace beside me, patiently caring for me while I slowly recovered.

And for the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to feel safe.

“Rest,” Jace whispered, his deep, rough voice soft against my chest. “I’m here. I’m not leaving you.”

“You should sleep too,” I murmured, struggling to keep my eyes open. “Your shoulder is bleeding…”

“Let it bleed,” he replied quietly.

He picked up the large steel sword lying on the floor and placed it across his lap. Then he turned toward the blocked doorway and leaned back against the stone wall beside it. His whole body became tense, like a guard dog ready to attack anyone who came near.

“Let anyone try to come through that door,” Jace muttered, his dark eyes fixed on the shadows outside. His jaw tightened as he made his promise. “They’ll have to kill me first.”

I closed my eyes, letting the ice cool my burning skin. His familiar scent, like a coming storm, surrounded me and brought me comfort.

For the first time in ten years, inside a palace built on blood and betrayal, I finally felt safe enough to stop running.

The room remained quiet for hours. The candle burned lower, casting moving shadows across the stone walls. Outside, freezing rain continued to beat against the tall windows of the command tower, washing through the dark streets of New Avalon.

I slowly fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, comforted by the warmth of the man sitting beside my bed.

I didn’t know how long I had been asleep. It could have been minutes or hours when something suddenly shattered the peace.

It wasn’t a sound from the door.

A powerful shock suddenly rushed through the mating bond in my chest, like an electric current passing through my entire body.

My eyes flew open, and I gasped for air.

The golden lines beneath my skin began to glow fiercely. They weren’t just shining anymore. They burned so brightly that the heat felt as if it could blister my skin.

Jace immediately stiffened and looked down at me. His hazel eyes widened with pure horror.

Through the golden bond connecting our souls, a terrible wave of pain suddenly flooded my mind.

But the pain wasn’t mine.

It was coming from somewhere deep inside the palace’s lower dungeons.

Then I felt a familiar presence, someone I loved and had believed was gone forever in the destruction of the Sinks.

A life I thought I had lost was suddenly screaming inside my mind.

Pip.

Before I could say anything, a cold, mocking voice echoed inside my head. The voice used the same magical connection, reaching straight into our minds.

“Did you really think the game was over, little bird? Come to the royal vaults alone… or watch your precious brother die all over again.”