Page 44 of The Sol Crown (Fractured Lights #1)

“ W ell, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

I whip around toward the bed and there she is, lounging in the centre like she owns the place: Junie. Her short black bob is a little messier than usual, and there’s a healing scratch along her temple, but her grin is as radiant as ever, like not even being kidnapped could dim her spark.

For half a second, I just stare, heart stuttering, throat tightening with disbelief.

Then I move. I don’t think, I just run, heels and all, across the stone floor and throw myself at her, tackling her into the pile of pillows.

She lets out an oof and wraps her arms around me tightly, laughing in surprise at my enthusiasm.

“Yeah, yeah, I missed you too,” she says, patting my back awkwardly. “Now get off me, I’m a taken woman. If Kayli saw us like this, she’d flip her shit.”

I pull back, settling on my knees, delicate dress forgotten as I scan her for any sign of injury. She’s dressed in soft cotton clothes and, to my immense relief, looks good.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where have you been?” The questions tumble out before I can even catch my breath, and I reach forward to gently touch the fading bruise where she was hit.

“I’m fine,” she assures me, swatting my hand away. “Other than being knocked out cold, no one’s touched me. They’ve kept me in a room alone and brought food a few times a day. Honestly?” She shrugs. “It’s been boring. I thought being kidnapped would be more exciting.”

I laugh, breathless with relief. The tightness in my chest, the knot in my stomach—gone.

I take a breath. “I’m glad, ‘cause things have been… intense whilst you’ve been gone. I think Halven might be clinically insane.”

Junie frowns. “I haven’t even seen him since I was brought here. The only people I’ve had contact with are the guards, and even their faces are masked.”

“Lucky you.” I scoff. “He’s giving me twenty minutes tomorrow morning to explain why we’re in his city.”

“Oh, just how we planned then,” she says, dripping with sarcasm.

Before I can fill her in further, the bathroom door swings open.

“Elina, can we—” Stone stops dead. “Junie.”

She offers him a smile and a salute from her spot on the bed.

“Glad to see you’re okay.” He seems a little lost for words—something I don’t think I’ve ever seen from him before. “You are okay, right?” Concern threads through his voice.

“Yup, all good.” She flashes him a beaming smile, and he nods, satisfied.

“Well… I’ll leave you two to it then.” He looks at me, his eyes lingering, heavy with something unspoken. “Good night.”

“Night,” Junie replies cheerfully, oblivious to the tension simmering in the room, to the tether pulling tight between us.

“Good night,” I echo, softer.

His eyes stay on mine for a beat longer before he closes the door behind him with a gentle click.

“Right, girl, you need a good night’s sleep if you’re going to face Halven tomorrow,” Junie states, fluffing the cushions behind her. “Get that dress off, I’ll be the big spoon.”

And I completely agree.

* * *

The following morning, I dress in white silk trousers and a matching blouse, the bright colour making my hair stand out like fire against fresh snow.

Junie had been escorted back to her room during the night, but she wished me luck before she left.

I step into the bathroom to finish getting ready just as Stone enters from his room.

We freeze, eyes locking for a moment too long, silence stretching between us before I manage to find a word.

“Morning.”

It’s quite honestly the only word I can pluck from my vocabulary as I look at him, sleep-ruffled and beautiful.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, stepping closer. His hair is gorgeously messy, like he’s still figuring out what to do with it now that it’s longer.

“Unprepared,” I admit. “I found out Davin will be there with me, so at least I’m not going in alone. I just… didn’t expect the king to want me personally. I can’t tell if he thinks I’m the easiest target…”

“Or the biggest threat,” Stone finishes.

He reaches out and gently brushes a stray tendril of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering a moment longer than they need to.

“You’ll be fine, Red.” His hand falls back to his side, and despite the briefness of the contact, I already miss the warmth of it. “Just remember, you’re a little hellcat,” he says with a smirk.

I roll my eyes, turning to the mirror again to finish brushing my hair. “Thanks for the pep talk.”

“I just… I wish I could go with you,” he says after a beat. “The th ought of you walking in there without protection—”

I turn sharply, brows lifting. “Did you seriously just say ‘without protection’?”

He exhales, raking a hand through his hair. “That’s not what I meant. I just— I want to be there. To keep you safe.”

I step forward, voice calm but firm. “Let’s get one thing straight, Stone Carlisle. I don’t need anyone to protect me. You’ve seen what I can do. Or do I need to remind you that I’ve taken you down in training multiple times, and you watched me face a Malus and win?”

His jaw tenses, but he nods slowly, the struggle behind his eyes clear.

“This—whatever this is between us—it only works if you see me as your equal. Not something fragile you have to shield.”

“I do,” he says quietly, eyes locked on mine. “But wanting to be by your side doesn’t mean I think you’re weak, Elina.”

I hold his gaze for a long moment before I nod. “Good. Because I don’t need saving.” I glance at the door, then back to him. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you after, okay?”

“Sounds good,” he says with a small smile, though the tension between us still hums beneath the surface.

Before he can say anything more, I turn and leave, escorted down the corridor toward the king’s chambers with Davin at my side, my heels clacking against the marble floor.

“I have no idea how this is going to go, Elina,” Davin murmurs, nerves threading through his voice. Still, he straightens beside me. “I’ll try to do most of the talking, but he seems pretty taken with you.”

There’s no time for more whispered strategies. The grand doors open, and we step into the king’s office.

Halven sits behind a desk crafted entirely of glass and mirrors, his image fractured and multiplied on the polished surfaces. His eyes lock on me instantly—Davin may as well be a shadow for all the attention he’s given.

“Thank you for allowing us twenty minutes of your time, Your Grace,” Davin says, stepping slightly in front of me, subtly trying to buffer the king’s unrelenting stare.

Halven shifts his gaze to Davin, appraising him with slow disinterest. “Go on then,” he says, twirling his fingers in a gesture that demands we get to the point. He reclines into his chair, cloak whispering against the floor as it fans out behind him like white wings.

“We’ve come to propose a trade,” Davin begins, steadying his tone. The tension in the room is sharp enough to cut through.

Halven steeples his fingers beneath his chin, expression unreadable.

“We’re offering the profits from our two largest clemoya farms in exchange for the support of forty per cent of your armed forces.”

That earns a flicker of interest. The king’s eyebrows rise. “And my forces will be used in the war against Dunmere?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Davin confirms with a slight incline of his head.

“Thirty per cent.”

“Thirty-five,” Davin counters without hesitation.

A pause, and then Halven rises to his feet. “Done.” He sweeps his hands behind him as he stands, cloak billowing. “I’ll have troops with you in two weeks.”

Davin gives a crisp nod. “Thorn Merrow will arrange payment from the date your soldiers arrive.”

“You may go. Please never step foot in my kingdom uninvited again,” the king says, officially ending this meeting with his request that is most definitely a command.

Relief floods my chest. It went smoother than I expected.

We turn to leave, but Halven’s voice stops me cold.

“Oh, and Elina?”

I glance over my shoulder, my pulse ticking faster .

“Please give my regards to your father.”

My breath catches, my throat closing in shock or panic, I can’t quite decide. “Excuse me?”

He stands tall, smile sharpened like a blade. His eyes gleam with something dark. Knowing. Dangerous.

“I don’t know why or how they’ve kept you hidden all these years,” he says, “but it’s been a delight to meet the future Queen of Aladria. I look forward to our next encounter.”

I can’t tell whether it’s a threat or a promise. Maybe both. But now’s not the time to unpack it.

“Come on, Elina.” Davin’s voice is tight as he steers me out of the room and then whispers low. “Not here. Not now.”

And he’s right. We are nowhere near ready to face the storm Halven just unleashed.

When we return to my room, the entire team is already there, so any outburst about my hidden identity will have to wait.

Davin wastes no time confirming the deal is done. “We need to leave immediately,” he tells the group.

There’s a rush of motion as we change back into our furs, gathering what little we unpacked and shoving them back into our bags with urgency.

Within the hour, we’re slipping out of the castle grounds for good, the jagged silhouette of Imperia’s crystal towers gleaming behind us—cold and sharp—as we begin the long journey home.

We reach the Aladrian border three bitter and brutal days later.

The sun hangs low, a pale disc behind thinning clouds, casting long shadows across the frostbitten hills behind us.

The outpost rises ahead. Stone walls, tall watchtowers, soft pink Aladrian flags emblazoned with golden sun emblems snapping in the wind. Familiar. Safe. Warm.

Gio strides ahead, handing over documents to the outpost commander. Formalities and clearance checks begin ticking down in the background while the rest of us stretch sore limbs and begin shrugging off some of our heavy outer layers now that we’re under the welcoming sun.