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What a gruesome way to die. Again.

That was my last thought as I closed my eyes, bracing for the arrow’s impact.

The arrow whizzed past my ear, missing me by a hair’s breadth.

Instead of piercing pain, I felt the wind knocked out of me as a solid mass slammed into my body.

The familiar scent of sandalwood and leather filled my nostrils.

Anderic.

My eyes flew open to find myself sprawled atop the golden prince, his arms wrapped protectively around me.

His chest heaved beneath mine, our breaths mingling in the narrow space between us.

For a moment, time stood still as I gazed into those impossibly blue eyes, my heart thundering against my ribcage.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” He hissed, his blue eyes blazing with a mix of fury and… was that concern?

Oh, shut up, Ilyana. Stop pretending to be surprised that he cares. Just accept it. But I ignored that little voice of reason.

“Well, good morning to you too, Your Highness,” I wheezed instead, trying to catch my breath. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Anderic’s lips twitched, almost as if he was fighting back a smile. “Your sarcasm is hardly appropriate given the circumstances, Lady Stormbourne.”

“Actually, I’m not Lady Stormbourne anymore,” I chirped with far too much cheer for someone who just dodged death. “Noah and I are officially divorced as of this morning.”

Anderic’s eyes widened slightly, the only crack in his perfect mask. I caught the flash of surprise before he could hide it away. His chest rose and fell beneath mine in a steady rhythm that made it difficult to focus.

“Is that so?” His voice held that dangerous edge I’d come to know well. “And you chose now, in the middle of an assassination attempt, to share this news?”

I shrugged, which was awkward given our position sprawled on the marble floor.

His fingers flexed against my waist, where he still held me. The warmth of his touch seeped through my dress, making my skin tingle. I made the mistake of meeting his gaze again, those impossibly blue eyes drawing me in like a moth to the flame.

Focus, Ilyana. This is not the time to get lost in his eyes, no matter how…

“Are you alright?” Anderic’s voice was low and husky, pulling me out of the daze.

I managed a nod, trying to ignore the warmth of his body against mine. “I’m fine. Thank you for saving me… again.”

A ghost of a smile played on his lips. “Perhaps you should consider staying out of trouble, Lady D’Arcane.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” I quipped, but it came out more bitter than I’d intended, earning a raised eyebrow from the prince.

Before he could respond, the reality of our situation came crashing back. Chaos reigned around us – shouts, clashing steel, and the acrid smell of smoke filling the air.

Smoke? Where did that come from? I looked around, and at the same time, Anderic’s expression hardened as he gently but firmly set me aside and rose to his feet.

“I need to go,” he said, his eyes scanning the area for threats. “Stay here, and for once, try not to do anything reckless.”

I rolled my eyes, more out of habit than anything. “Your concern is touching, Your Highness.”

He shot me a look that was equal parts exasperation and something I couldn’t quite decipher. “We need to talk about… everything.”

I gulped. Hell no! Then, in a flash of golden curls and deadly grace, he was gone.

I watched him go, a strange feeling settling in my chest. It wasn’t attraction—certainly not. More like… grudging respect, perhaps? Or maybe it was just indigestion from Laurel’s questionable stew. All of these happened in a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity.

“My lady!” Laurel’s panicked voice cut through the din as she rushed to my side, her face pale with worry. “Are you hurt? I saw the arrow, and then Prince Anderic, and I thought–”

“I’m fine, Laurel,” I assured her, patting her arm. “It seems I have a rather persistent guardian angel.”

My maid’s eyes widened. “The prince saved you, right? I think I saw him.”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” I muttered, brushing off my skirts. “I’m perfectly capable of attracting near-death experiences and royal rescuers.”

“I was trying to reach you, but I got pushed into the crowd.” As Laurel fussed over me, I scanned the chaos around us, trying to find the bastard responsible for this. The assassination attempt had failed just as it did in the past, but with fewer casualties.

Where the hell is HE? But I couldn’t see him in the chaos anymore. I had a sinking feeling that something wasn’t right. There were way more assassins than last time, from the looks of it, and they were targeting everyone and not just the Queen.

My eyes landed on a glint of metal in the nearby shrubbery – the arrow that had nearly ended my second chance at life. I moved towards it, ignoring Laurel’s protests.

“My lady, what are you doing? Did you also hit your brain while falling down?!”

I bent down, my fingers closing around the arrow’s shaft. As I examined it, my blood ran cold. There, etched into the metal tip, was a symbol I didn’t recognize at all – a symbol that shouldn’t have been on there in the first place.

“Oh, hell,” I whispered, my head aching. “What have I done to change this time?”

I scrambled around, searching for more arrows amidst the chaos. Laurel trailed after me quietly, knowing something was amiss. My heart raced as I examined each one, praying to find something familiar. Come on, come on…

Relief washed over me as I spotted an arrow with a symbol I recognized - Prince Damian’s. Thank the gods. At least some things hadn’t changed.

The clash of steel faded as healers rushed in to tend the wounded. The acrid scent of smoke mingled with the metallic tang of blood. I wrinkled my nose, fighting back nausea. Pull yourself together, Ilyana.

“Ilyana!” My father’s voice cut through the din. Lord Elyas appeared, his usually impeccable attire disheveled. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. “I’m fine, Father.”

He nodded curtly, squeezing my shoulder before hurrying off to fulfill his duties. King Arnald and Chancellor Darian had already arrived. I watched him go, a pang in my chest. Focus on the present, I chided myself.

“Lya!” Sebastian’s arms engulfed me in a crushing hug. I melted into my brother’s embrace, inhaling his familiar scent. He also came with Father.

“Can’t… breathe…” I wheezed dramatically.

He loosened his grip, chuckling. “Sorry. I was worried.”

I pulled back, studying his face. The concern in his eyes made my throat tight. “I’m okay, Seb. Really.”

Sebastian’s arms loosened around me, his green eyes - so like my own - searching my face. A wry smile played on his lips.

“So, let me get this straight,” he said, his tone light but concern evident in his gaze. “I leave for a few days and come back to find my little sister divorced, disowned, almost dying in an assassination attempt, and now this? You really don’t do things by halves, do you, Lya?”

“Mother?”

He nodded. “Father doesn’t know yet.”

I couldn’t help but snort at his summary. “What can I say? I live to keep things interesting.”

His expression softened. “Mother told me what happened. Listen, don’t take her words to heart. You’re always welcome back at the estate, you know that, right?”

I shook my head. “No, Seb. I appreciate it, but I need to do this on my own. Don’t worry about me - I have my ways.

” A wry smile tugged at my lips. “I’ll change Mother’s mind eventually.

You know how stubborn I can be. Besides, when Father hears about all this, he’ll be furious.

I’d rather not be around for that particular storm. ”

Sebastian chuckled, pulling me into another hug.

“Look at you, all grown up and devious. When did that happen?” I have always been devious.

He ruffled my hair like he used to when we were children.

“Just remember, if you need anything - anything at all - I’m here.

And speaking of which…” His eyes narrowed.

“Do I need to have a word with Noah? Because I will gladly introduce his face to my fist if necessary.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, even as I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

“Oh, Seb, always the protective big brother.” I wiped away a stray tear, unsure if it was from laughter or the overwhelming emotions of the day.

“No, no. It wasn’t Noah’s fault. If anything…

I tricked him into marrying me in the first place. ”

Sebastian’s eyebrows shot up at that, but before he could ask for details, I grabbed his arm. “Come on, let’s find somewhere quieter to talk. I have quite the story to tell you.”

We made our way through the bustling halls, finally ducking into an empty sitting room. The plush furnishings and ornate decor felt at odds with the chaos we’d just escaped. As Sebastian closed the door behind us, I caught a glimpse of Laurel taking up her post outside. Good girl.

I sank into a velvet armchair, suddenly exhausted. The events of the day - hell, the past few weeks - crashed over me like a tidal wave. Where did I even begin?

“Alright, Lya,” Sebastian said, settling into the chair across from me. “I think it’s time you told me everything. And I mean everything .”

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. How much could I really tell him? Definitely not about framing Magnus. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

When did my life become so complicated that I can’t even be honest with my own brother?

I took a deep breath and launched into my tale, starting with the brooch. About how the brooch belonged to his late mother and he had given it to a young Rosalind and how I’d stolen it from her and pretended to be the girl he gave it to.

Sebastian’s eyebrows shot up, but he remained silent. I plowed on, determined to get it all out.