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He didn’t say anything to that. Instead, he turned to me and wrapped his arms around me, soundlessly. As he held me, his warmth seeped into my very soul, reminding me that I didn’t have to face this pain alone. I clung to him desperately, burying my face into his chest, inhaling his scent. There was nothing erotic about this. It was just two people, coming together in their hour of pain, trying to provide solace for each other.

Then, as if a bolt of lightning struck, I remembered something. I pulled away from him, with a look of shock on my face.

“What is it?” he asked, looking concerned.

“I didn’t mention this before because I didn’t think it mattered,” I spoke out loud, not sure if I was talking to myself or him, but I continued, nonetheless. “Also, I promised Cass that I would keep her secret.”

“What secret?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

“She told me about a secret boyfriend she had,” I revealed.

His brow furrowed in concern. “A secret boyfriend? Do you know who he is?”

I shook my head. “No. She never mentioned his name or gave any hints about him. She was always so secretive about him, and now… we’ll never know who he was.”

A mix of emotions washed over me, guilt for not being there for her, regret for not knowing more, and curiosity about the person who had held a special place in my sister’s heart. It pained me that I hadn't been a better confidante for her, that she had carried this secret alone.

“That’s not necessarily true,” he interrupted my train of thought.

“What do you mean?” I asked, hopeful that he might have some plan.

He thought about it for a moment, then continued. “All women keep some mementoes of their boyfriends. If he was veryimportant to your sister, I’m sure that there may be something in her room that could reveal the man’s identity.”

“Do you really think so?” My eyes widened in surprise.

“It’s a long shot,” he shrugged. “But it’s the only shot we have. And remember, even if we do find out who it is, maybe it’s not important at all. Maybe it’s someone irrelevant, who has nothing to do with everything that has been happening at the castle.”

“I know,” I nodded. “But I still want to know. Odds are that he doesn’t know what happened to Cass. Father hasn’t revealed it yet to the kingdom, that Cass is dead. He wanted to do it at a later point.”

“I see,” Adrian mused. “In that case, I think I should go back and see if there is anything in her room.”

“I’ll come with you,” I told him.

“No,” he shook his head at me. “You have to stay here. We can’t risk going back. We might get attacked on the way or even at the castle. We don’t know anything at this point, other than the fact that you are safe here. Evangeline’s magic will keep you safe.”

“But what if you get attacked on the way back?” I asked, not even daring to imagine what could happen.

He smiled, cupping my chin. “I can take care of myself. I know how important this is to you. I will be back. Trust me.”

At that moment, we heard footsteps coming from somewhere behind us. We turned around at the same time. It was Evangeline, coming back from the woods with a wicker basket in her hands. She moved slowly, as if every step was a difficult effort.

“Am I interrupting anything?” she wondered apologetically.

“No, of course not,” he replied immediately. “We were just discussing something. I need to go back to the castle because—”

“I forgot something very important,” I cut him off.

I didn’t know why, but for some reason, I didn’t want to mention Cass’ secret boyfriend to the witch. Although she probably knew about him. But something told me to be quiet.

She looked at me, almost as if she could see right through me, but I didn’t falter.

“Is that something worth the trip back?” she wondered.

“It is,” I said without hesitation.

“I’ll travel immediately,” Adrian informed us both. “I will return as soon as possible.”

I expected the witch to say something else, but she didn’t. She merely nodded, walking past us and entering the cottage. Adrian waited for her to go in, then he turned to me.