Page 45

Two guards advanced, but Anderic stood his ground.

With deliberate movements, he pulled off his left glove and extended his hand, palm up.

There, embedded in his skin, was the royal signet—a birthmark that mirrored the shape of the Voltaire crest. It wasn’t a perfect replica, but it was close enough to be unmistakable.

Only those born of Voltaire blood carried it.

“I believe this should suffice as proof of my identity, Commander,” Anderic said coldly.

Maxwell’s eyes widened. He immediately dropped to one knee, his guards following suit.

“Your Highness! Forgive me, I—” His gaze swept over Anderic’s common clothes, confusion evident. “What brings you to the fringes in such… unusual attire?”

“Rise, Commander. I’m here on sensitive business.

” Anderic’s voice carried an authority that transformed him before my eyes.

Gone was the spoiled prince who’d bickered with me at the gate.

In his place stood the heir to Aetheria.

“This is Lady Ilyana D’Arcane, my… advisor in this matter.

” He paused, his lips curving into a slight smile. “And my betrothed.”

Betrothed? I momentarily forgot about my panic.

After our fight at the house, after everything I’d told him that he didn’t believe, after the arrows and the blood and the silence between us on our journey here— this was what he chose to say?

We’d never even discussed marriage. The audacity of this man never ceased to amaze me.

Maxwell’s eyes snapped to me with renewed interest, and my breath caught in my throat for an entirely different reason. He doesn’t recognize me. Of course he doesn’t—in this timeline, I never came to the fringes. But seeing those cold eyes studying me sent ice through my veins all the same.

“Lady D’Arcane?” Maxwell repeated, his brow furrowing. “Elyas D’Arcane’s daughter? And the prince’s intended?”

I forced myself to curtsy, fighting to keep my expression neutral despite the storm of confusion and fear raging inside me. “Commander.” My voice somehow remained steady, though I could feel Anderic’s gaze on me, daring me to contradict him.

“We need to discuss intelligence regarding potential enemy movements near the border,” Anderic continued smoothly. “In private.”

Maxwell nodded briskly, dismissing his guards with a flick of his wrist. They retreated to the tunnel entrance, leaving us alone in the torchlit chamber.

“What intelligence, Your Highness? My reports show nothing unusual.”

As Anderic launched into a fabricated story about suspicious activity, my vision began to swim. Maxwell’s voice faded in and out, replaced by echoes from my past life.

“Tell me what you’ve been feeding to the enemy!”

I blinked hard, trying to focus on the present, but the memories came faster.

The flash of steel. Sebastian’s wide, shocked eyes. Blood pooling on our dirt floor.

My chest constricted painfully. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. The torches on the wall seemed to flare brighter, then dim.

“Then you die a liar as well as a traitor.”

“Lady D’Arcane?” Maxwell’s voice cut through the fog. “Are you unwell?”

I looked up to find both men staring at me. Maxwell’s face blurred, transforming between the man before me and the executioner of my nightmares.

“I—” My voice strangled in my throat. “Excuse me.”

Without another word, I turned and fled, ignoring Anderic’s startled call behind me. I pushed past the guards, stumbling through the tunnels, desperate for air.

The cold hit me like a physical blow when I burst outside. I gulped it down, my lungs burning, but kept moving. Away from the mines. Away from Maxwell. Away from the memories that threatened to drown me.

I didn’t know how long I walked, my mind a chaotic whirl of past and present. Snow had begun to fall, dusting my hair and cloak with white. My teeth chattered, but I barely noticed the cold.

When I finally stopped, I found myself on a narrow, overgrown path that I knew all too well. The path to our hut—where my family had lived and died. Where I had died.

The realization sent me crumbling to my knees in the snow. I crouched there, arms wrapped around myself, trying to breathe through the panic that clawed at my throat.

It wasn’t real. Not yet. They’re still alive. I can still save them.

I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes, fighting back tears. What a fool I was, thinking I could face Maxwell without falling apart. How was I supposed to change anything when I couldn’t even hold myself together?

“Pull yourself together,” I whispered fiercely, rubbing my freezing face. “You can’t save anyone if you’re a sobbing mess.”

The sound of someone crashing through the underbrush jerked me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Anderic racing toward me, his golden curls wild, his face a mask of concern.

“Ilyana!” he called, his voice hoarse. “Thank God.”

He skidded to a stop before me, dropping to his knees in the snow. His hands hovered uncertainly before gripping my shoulders.

“What happened back there? I’ve been searching everywhere!” His eyes scanned my face, wide with worry. “You’re frozen. How long have you been out here?”

I opened my mouth to deliver some snarky retort, to push him away and rebuild my walls, but nothing came out. Instead, a sob tore from my throat, followed by another.

His expression softened. Without a word, he pulled me against his chest, his arms wrapping around me tightly.

“It’s alright. You’re safe now,” he murmured into my hair. After a pause, his voice softened even more. “It’s over. You’re here. It hasn’t happened—not yet. You’re not back there.”

The dam broke. I clutched at his cloak, burying my face against him as sobs wracked my body.

All the grief, the fear, and the terrible memories I’d been holding back flooded out.

I cried for Sebastian, for my mother, for the life we’d lost, and for the horrors we’d endured.

I cried until my throat was raw and my eyes burned.

Through it all, Anderic held me steady, one hand stroking my hair, his warmth seeping into my frozen body.

“He killed them,” I finally choked out against his chest. “Maxwell—he ran his sword through both of them while I watched. Then he killed me too. Their blood was everywhere, and I couldn’t—I couldn’t save them—”

“Shh,” Anderic soothed, his arms tightening around me. “It didn’t happen. Not yet. And it won’t happen, I swear it.”

I pulled back slightly to look at his face, searching for any sign of mockery or disbelief. There was none—only determination and something softer I couldn’t name.

“You believe me?” I whispered.

His thumb gently wiped a tear from my cheek. “I don’t understand how it’s possible,” he admitted. “But yes, I believe you. The look in your eyes when you saw Maxwell… no one could fake that kind of terror.”

Fresh tears spilled over. “I’m sorry. I thought I could handle it, but seeing him there, alive, while my family is—”

“Don’t apologize.” His voice was firm. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met, Ilyana. Anyone else would have broken long before now.”

After what felt like an eternity, I pulled away from Anderic’s embrace, embarrassed by my breakdown. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and cleared my throat.

“Sorry about that,” I muttered. “Not exactly the fearsome, reckless woman you’re used to, am I?”

A hint of a smile touched his lips. “I think I prefer this version.”

I snorted. “The sobbing mess? How gallant of you.”

“The honest one,” he corrected, his eyes serious. “The one who actually feels something beyond ambition.”

I looked away, uncomfortable with his scrutiny. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

I led him through the snow-covered underbrush, following a path only I could see. The cold air bit at my cheeks, but after my breakdown, I felt oddly cleansed. Empty, but in a way that made room for something new.

“This is where our hut stood,” I said finally, stopping in a small clearing. Nothing marked the spot—no foundation, no ashes, not even a hint that anyone had ever lived here. “In my past life, this is where we died.”

Anderic surveyed the empty space, his expression solemn. “Tell me what happened.”

I crossed my arms, the memories rising like ghosts. “We were exiled after Father’s execution. Sebastian, Mother, and I lived in this tiny, one-room hut. We had nothing—barely enough food, always cold, always afraid.”

“Sebastian,” Anderic said quietly. “But he was my friend. I offered him a way out, didn’t I?”

I nodded. “He refused. Too honorable for his own good.” A bitter laugh escaped me. “We were all so hungry all the time. Sebastian worked in the mines until it nearly killed him. I even stole from the overseer to buy medicine for him. And then on that night—”

My voice caught. I gestured to the empty clearing.

“Commander Maxwell came with his soldiers. He accused us of being spies, of feeding information to the enemy. He killed Sebastian first, then Mother.” I touched my chest, right where Maxwell’s sword had pierced it. “Then me.”

Anderic’s gaze was intense. “Why would he think you were spying? What did he say exactly?”

I frowned, trying to recall Maxwell’s exact words through the haze of terror and grief. “He kept asking what information we’d passed to the enemies…” I shook my head. “He seemed convinced I’d betrayed our kingdom. Maybe he meant I had given something to Elenthar.”

“Elenthar?” Anderic’s eyes sharpened. “And Prince Callum is from there. The smuggling. It has to be connected somehow.”

My stomach plummeted as the pieces fell into place. “The gold,” I breathed, meeting his gaze. “Remember when I suggested Prince Callum might be after something specific? It’s the Aetherian steel. Gold is one of its core components.”

A cold smile played across Anderic’s lips, those charming dimples appearing despite the chill in his eyes.

“Ah yes,” he said softly, holding my gaze with unnerving intensity.

“Aetherian steel—our kingdom’s most closely guarded secret.

The same secret you apparently handed to Prince Callum in your past life. ”

Guilt washed over me. I dropped my gaze. “I was… different then. I wanted to hurt Rosalind, to make Noah pay for choosing her. Callum offered me wealth, position, and a new start in Elenthar. All I had to do was tell him how the steel was made.”

“So you sold state secrets to a foreign prince,” Anderic said, his voice remarkably free of judgment. “And someone is doing it again now.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “If I could take it back—”

“You didn’t do it this time,” he cut me off. “And you’ve told me now, which means we can prevent it from happening again.”

I looked up at him, startled by the understanding in his voice. “You’re not angry?”

He sighed. “I’m trying to separate the Ilyana who did those things from the woman standing before me now. The one who risked everything to warn me about a threat to the kingdom.”

My heart gave a strange flutter. “Don’t go soft on me, Your Highness. I’m still the same scheming, cunning woman.”

“With a conscience, apparently.” His lips quirked. “It’s quite inconvenient for your villainous reputation.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the small smile that formed. “Maxwell was wrong about us being spies. We were just trying to survive.” I looked back at the empty clearing. “But someone is selling secrets to Elenthar. Someone who has access to the mines and can steal the special ore.”

“And they’re framing you—or they would have, if events unfolded as before.” Anderic rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“The question is, who?” I asked, searching his face for answers.

His blue eyes darkened as he looked away. “I have my suspicions about a certain individual at court, but I’d rather not say more until I’m certain.”

I shivered, not entirely from the cold. “We should head back. They might have eyes and ears even here.”

As we turned to leave, I cast one last glance at the place where my family had died. In this timeline, Sebastian and Mother were still alive, still in the capital. I had a chance to save them all.

“Thank you,” I said quietly as we made our way back to the main street.

“For what?”

“For believing me. Even when my story sounds impossible.”

Anderic was silent for a moment. “What you described, the way your voice broke when you spoke of your brother’s death—that can’t be faked.”

“I’m an excellent actress,” I pointed out.

“Not that excellent.” He gave me a sidelong glance. “No one is.”

I huffed. “You’d be surprised what I’m capable of.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it, Lady D’Arcane.” His voice had shifted, turning playful. “After all, if I’m to have a betrothed, I’d prefer one with some fire in her.”

I stopped short. “About that—you can’t just announce we’re getting married!”

“Why not? It’s an excellent cover story.”

“Because…” I sputtered, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “Because that’s not how these things work!”

Anderic laughed, the sound startlingly bright against the bleak backdrop of the fringe village. “Consider it a royal command, then.”

“You’re insufferable,” I muttered.

“And you’re blushing,” he countered, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

I stomped ahead, ignoring the warmth in my cheeks that had nothing to do with the cold. Behind me, I heard Anderic chuckle, his footsteps crunching in the snow as he followed.