Page 76

Esmyra

T he castle was steeped in shadows as they slipped from Draevyn’s room and moved silently down the dimly lit corridors. The air was cool, and every step they took seemed to echo louder than they should in the empty halls.

Esmyra’s mind spun with the weight of all he revealed. She could still hear the intensity in his voice, his suspicions sharp as blades.

Could he be right? The thought twisted uncomfortably in her chest.

It was almost easier not to believe him, to convince herself that his warnings were born of misplaced fear or jealousy.

But he had the book, and it contained history lost to their world above, so detailed it was difficult to dismiss.

Draevyn had looked at her with such raw concern, and she didn’t know how to take it.

Your sister’s intentions aren’t pure. The phrase lingered, seeping in deeper with each silent step they took through the darkened halls.

A part of her resisted. She’d dreamed of finding what she had down here—of a family and a place where she belonged.

The idea that Syrena might see her only as a means to power wasn’t something she had even considered.

Esmyra hated herself for being so na?ve to not believe such things to begin with, blinded by finally finding somewhere that felt like home .

Everyone in her life had seen her as nothing but a weapon, so why would Syrena be any different? Likely because Esmyra believed the two of them to be one—one being split into two souls.

Because that was exactly how Syrena spun it.

These thoughts unsettled her as they raced down the halls on silent feet. A strange sense of gratitude settled within her that Draevyn was here beside her—that he cared enough to uncover these truths and share them with her without an ulterior motive.

For the first time in her long life, she wasn’t sure where her loyalties should lie.

When they reached the library doors, they both paused, checking for any lingering guards. After a moment, she gave him a nod. He responded by nudging the door open, and they slipped inside, the heavy wooden doors creaking shut behind them.

They were encased in pure darkness, only the light of her eyes casting a small path. With a wave of her hand, Esmyra cast merlights into all the unlit sconces lining the library walls—the small, teal orbs drifted from her fingertips until they fell into place.

The flicker of the lights barely reached the towering shelves and dark corners, but at least they had a subtle view of their surroundings.

Draevyn turned around to face her with a raised brow. “Neat trick.”

She winked. “One of the things I’ve learned since being down here.”

He motioned her over to a shelf in the far corner. “It’s all here. Everything I’ve been piecing together so far.”

His fingers traced the spines of ancient books, pulling tomes down one by one to spread out across the nearest table in an organized chaos. Draevyn began looking over the notes and half-deciphered texts as if their lives depended on it.

Perhaps they did.

Esmyra pulled out a chair and began to do the same, uncovering ancient family trees of the Aeress family dating all the way back to the dawn of Rymelle, all leading up to where it abruptly ended—with the births of her and Syrena .

A chill ran up her spine at some of the illustrations, appearing as rituals performed in the past. Some were disturbing, seeming as if they ended in gruesome death.

Draevyn sat across from her, relentlessly scanning over pages she had no doubt he already had read several times.

Her gaze lifted over his shoulder, catching on an older, rolled-up piece of parchment tucked beneath a stack of papers shoved into a shelf. “What’s that?”

Draevyn cocked his head to the side, but his eyes followed her as she stood and walked toward it, grabbing the parchment before sitting beside him at the table.

He unfurled the ancient, crinkled paper before them. His eyes widened. “I haven’t seen this one yet,” he admitted, leaning closer.

It revealed an intricately drawn map of Maerinys, depicting the kingdom with details they hadn’t seen before—the castle, gardens, winding streets, and hidden alcoves all laid out on the outskirts of the kingdom.

Esmyra’s eyes fell to a faintly marked tunnel network reaching out to the very edges of the map. She traced a finger along the tiny inked passageways. “Caves,” she murmured, excitement and something resembling dread pooling in her gut.

Dread that Syrena had lied .

He leaned in, his eyes tracing over the marked lines before lifting his stare to hers. “This could be our way out,” he said, though there was a light growl in his voice.

Esmyra huffed through her nostrils, her jaw tightening in irritation. Not toward Draevyn, but her sister.

Was he right about her? Was she truly hiding a way out of Maerinys from them? From her people?

“Then let’s find out where they lead,” she whispered.

They exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them. “Are you alright?” His whiskey eyes roamed over her with concern.

“Fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” The words were more clipped than she meant for them to be as she rolled up the map and slipped it inside a fold of her dress.

“It just seems like a lot to take in, is all,” he answered, studying her every move.

They both stood from the table, and with a wave of her hand, she extinguished the merlights. The room fell into total darkness once more.

“All my life, all I’ve ever wanted was the truth.

And it seems to be the only thing I never fucking get.

” Esmyra paused, and even in the pitch-black, she could feel the weight of his stare, the warmth exuding from his chest as he stood mere inches from hers.

She ached to lean into it—lean into him .

“And after countless false claims of allegiance and love, it finally seems as if it’s within reach. ”

“And how does it feel? To finally get the truth?” His voice was rough, almost pained.

“Terrible,” she answered.

Without another word, she made her way to the door, feeling Draevyn’s presence close behind her.

They slipped out of the library, moving back through the darkened, winding hallways.

He leaned closer, his voice low in her ear. “We should leave at dawn to look. You know they’ll be wondering where you are the later it gets. Especially with this sudden celebration Syrena mentioned.”

Kaelypso’s tits . She had forgotten about that.

Esmyra nodded, her hand resting on the map beneath the folds of her gown.

Suddenly, Draevyn’s gaze shifted ahead as a shadow moved across the corridor.

A guard rounded the corner, his eyes sharp as they locked onto the two of them. He straightened, taking a step closer. Esmyra took note of his grip tightening on the spear he held as his eyes fell to Draevyn.

“What are you doing here?” the guard called, his tone wary as he looked between them. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“Fuck.” Draevyn stiffened .

Power exuded from him, and she sensed his flames aching to burst to life, but they were blocked by the velsinyte bracelet.

Esmyra stepped forward before he did something idiotic, meeting the guard’s eyes as she whispered, “Leave this to me, Drae.”

“What in all gods are you up to?” he growled.

She took a deep breath as she stalked toward the guard. “Oh, don’t mind us.” She waved a hand casually through the air. “We just couldn’t sleep.”

The guard’s stance went rigid as she approached, and she knew he had direct orders to never attack her. However, she didn’t know if they had a secret protocol regarding Draevyn, and she wasn’t willing to take the risk.

“Apologies, Esmyra. It’s just an odd hour to be wandering about at night. It may not always be safe.”

Esmyra cocked her head to the side as she halted a few feet before him. “And why wouldn’t it be safe? Is there something we should fear?”

Before the guard could get another word out, she lunged forward, wrapping her hand around his throat before shoving him against the wall. His eyes flared, but he didn’t have time to react before she captured his gaze with her own as they shifted with her power.

The sound of Draevyn’s footsteps filled the corridor as he rushed to her side.

“Stop struggling,” she hissed, her voice laced with her compulsion. The guard thrashed, his instincts resisting, but she didn’t relent. She brought her lips to his ear, her fingers pressing into his windpipe. “And I have news for you, little soldier. The only thing worth fearing here…is me .”

The guard bucked against her hold. “Tell me about the tunnels surrounding the kingdom,” she demanded, her power weaving through the guard’s mind like a blade.

He grunted, his face twisting in pain as his pupils dilated from her power surging through him.

“Esmyra,” Draevyn warned, but she ignored him.

“Tell. Me.” Her arm shook as she held him beneath her strength, desperately clinging to any form of self-control she could muster before she accidentally killed the male.

“Tunnels. They lead to the caves.”

Esmyra hissed at his words. “And where do these caves lead?”

“Many places.”

Her nostrils flared, her fingers tightening their grip around his throat as he danced around the answers.

Draevyn’s hand fell to her shoulder, the warmth of it causing goosebumps to line her neck. “Easy, Wildfire. We don’t need to start piling bodies.”

“But that’s half the fun.” A wicked smile curved the edges of her lips as her attention returned to the guard. “Is Syrena aware of any paths that could lead us out of Maerinys?”

“Yes,” was all he could say, his eyes swirling still beneath her compulsion.

“Which tunnel does?” she demanded, a sharp pain of betrayal erupting through her.

“I’m not sure, Your Highness.”

Esmyra was clenching her teeth so hard she thought they would shatter in her mouth, but she knew he wouldn’t be able to resist her demands. She realized Syrena likely never shared this with anyone.

“You never saw us,” she growled, her voice cold. “You walked these halls alone, and no one was here. Say it .”

“I…walked…alone,” he stuttered, his voice broken as he fought her influence.

She pushed harder, watching as his face slackened, his memories dissolving under her command.

“And now, you’ll forget,” she demanded. “You will go to your quarters, you will close your eyes, and when you wake, you will never recall this interaction.”

The guard’s resistance faded entirely, and he gasped for air as she released him.

Her chest heaved with fury as they watched the male silently walk back down the hall he had come from.

Draevyn stepped up to her, eyeing the guard, then her, with something between awe and unease. “Remind me never to piss you off again,” he muttered.

Esmyra brushed her hands off, giving him a fierce smile.

“Would be wise.” With one last glance at the guard, she motioned for them to continue back to their chambers.

“We’re not getting caught tonight. And I wanted to be sure we wouldn’t be wasting our time tomorrow. I still wasn’t sure what to believe.”

“Well, I’m glad you have your answer,” he said calmly as his eyes found hers. “And what is it you believe now?”

Their gazes remained locked as she said, “That the only person I can trust, likely in this entire godsdamn realm…is you .” She let out a huff of a laugh. “My enemy’s son.”

A mixture of shock and relief flashed across his features before he gave her a subtle nod in response.

They spent the remainder of their walk back in silence as she began counting down the minutes until dawn.