“Who saved you and Marcellious? What happened?” Mathias pressed, his relentless questions cutting through the air like the edge of a blade.
Reyna, standing tall despite her injuries, met his gaze unflinchingly. “Someone attacked Raul and his men. A woman unleashed a powerful smoke and saved us. We were put on horses, and I saw... Raul’s face—half of it was burned.” She paused, the memory flickering in her eyes. “I believe Raul and his men didn’t make it.”
A flicker of some unknown emotion danced across Alina’s face, swallowed by her shadows.
The air felt heavy with the weight of unspoken truths, with everything hidden behind each set of eyes in the room. As I stood there, the guardian of secrets and protector of hearts, I knew our fates were as entwined as vines in the darkest parts of the forest.
“We’re grateful to be alive,” Reyna said.
“Grateful doesn’t begin to cover it,” I murmured, my gaze lingering on her.
“We traveled through the woods, desperate and terrified, until we collapsed. We were lucky Malik found us when he did,” she continued, her voice edged with raw truth. “If not, we’d be dead.” Her words sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.
Mathias leaned in, his brow furrowed with concern—or was it suspicion?
“Are you sure it was a woman?” he asked.
“Mathias, stop interrogating,” Olivia cut in, her voice halting Mathias in his tracks. “She needs food, rest, and a bath. She needs care. She survived—that’s all that matters.”
I nodded in silent appreciation toward Olivia. Stepping aside, I let the weight of my protective stance ease off.
“She needs to be with a woman, not a man,” I said, feeling the heat of the moment dissipate as the household shuffled into motion, turning their attention to more immediate needs.
Lee, Roman, Osman, Emily, and Marcellious had already vanished upstairs, a trailing echo of footsteps marking their passage. I pivoted, intent on checking on Rosie, when Mathias’ voice stopped me.
“Forgive me, Malik, for my earlier insults,” he said, his tone uncharacteristically soft, laced with a rare vulnerability. “I should have told you about Alina. I’m so sorry for throwing you against the glass. I should have been honest from the start.”
“There’s no need to beg for forgiveness,” I replied evenly, masking the turmoil beneath the surface. “If anyone needs forgiveness, it’s me. I overstepped.” As I turned away, my thoughts were already racing ahead, threading through the shadows of what lay before us.
I hope we find that damn blade so I can leave and protect my loved ones,I thought, the urgency of our quest burning like a fire in my chest. But I knew my desire was nothing more than folly—our enemies were the darkest of the dark. Something horrible could happen at any time. I hoped I would be ready when that time came.
CHAPTER TEN
OLIVIA
The majestic halls of Mathias’ estate were quieter than usual, the air thick with anticipation and a tinge of worry. I lingered at the threshold of Marcellious’ room, where the heavy scent of medicinal herbs and incense swirled in a stifling dance, masking the underlying stench of sickness. His body was a battleground, writhing one moment in the throes of Belladonna’s cruel withdrawal, then collapsing into fitful sleep the next.
Lee moved his hands with a healer’s grace over Marcellious, whispering words of an ancient tongue that seemed to coax the pain from his limbs.
Emily, her face etched with concern, never left Marcellious’ side, offering sips of water or mopping his brow with a cloth dipped in cool water, all while splitting her focus between him and baby Leo.
“Is he getting any better?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as if afraid to disturb the precarious peace.
“Slowly,” Lee replied without looking up, his focus unbreakable. “The poison has deep roots, but we’re untangling them individually.”
I found Reyna in the sun-drenched conservatory, a sanctuary of greenery that hummed with life. She sat on a wrought-iron bench, gazing out at the manicured gardens with a distant look in her eyes. A book lay open on her lap, forgotten. Her recovery was ongoing, the color slowly returning to her cheeks, yet there was a fragility about her, a sense that she was holding herself apart from the world around her.
“Reyna,” I said, approaching her with hesitant steps, “how are you feeling today?”
“Better, thank you,” she said, her voice soft like the rustle of leaves. “And how areyou?” she asked, her attention flitting toward my belly and back to her lap. Her gaze did not meet mine, and she offered no more words to bridge the gap between us.
“Well enough,” I said, touching my tummy. But I didn’t think she registered a word I said.
Osman passed by outside, his silhouette intersecting our line of sight. A flicker of recognition crossed her expression, and she seemed as though she might call out to him. Instead, she watched silently as he continued, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“Would you like to walk in the garden?” I asked, hoping to coax her into the world again.
“Maybe later.” Her attention drifted back to the gardens beyond the glass. “Thank you, Olivia.”
