“Promise me,” she whispered.
“I promise,” I said, my heart echoing the sentiment, even though promises felt easily shattered in our uncertain world.
As Emily exited the room, leaving behind the faintest trace of her perfume, a heavy foreboding settled over me, unshakable.
Osman stepped into the doorway with an air of defeat. His eyes, usually sharp as a hawk’s, now carried a burden that seemed to pull down his broad shoulders.
“Still no sign of the missing blade,” he said. “It’s just as well that we don’t have it.”
I leaned against the wooden bedpost, the polished surface cool against my back, doing little to calm the fire within me. “Why do you say that?”
He sighed. “Because only the scholars of Anatolia can translate the dagger script. And the people of Anatolia? They are brutal and unforgiving. Extracting their secrets would be perilous.”
The weight of his words pressed against my chest, but the need to understand the daggers overpowered any fear. Unlocking the past and safeguarding Luna was worth every risk.
Roman stepped beside me, his presence a reassuring warmth. His hand brushed against mine, grounding me.
“I think we can survive,” he said, his determination slicing through the uncertainty. “Once we find the dagger, we will travel to Anatolia, learn how to decipher the blades, and destroy all the evil and danger around us.”
His confidence bolstered my own. Together, we faced the road ahead—a path fraught with peril and the promise of answers. We could not allow fear to dictate our actions when so much was at stake.
But as his words settled in the air, a shadow passed over his face—brief but unmistakable. He glanced away as if sensing something I couldn’t see. A chill crept up my spine, and I realized that the real battle had already begun long before we set foot on the path to Anatolia.
The danger wasn’t just ahead of us—it was closing in faster than we could prepare for.
And then, in the silence that followed, a single thought pierced my mind—We might already be too late.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
OLIVIA
My body jolted upright, tangled in the silk sheets of my luxurious bedroom. Through misty eyes, I watched Emily dart back and forth in the hallway, her arms wrapped protectively around baby Leo as she checked and double-checked their meager belongings. Marcellious, still pale and fragile from the poison that had nearly claimed his life, staggered down the hallway past my door, each step an arduous task. Lee walked beside him, one hand gripping his arm to steady him.
“Olivia,” Emily called out, her voice strained. “We’re almost ready. It’s time to say goodbye.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump rising in my throat. She couldn’t see me nod from where she stood, but I didn’t trust myself to speak. The weight of the moment pressed heavily on my chest. How could I say goodbye to family when time itself was an unreliable force? Emily and Marcellious were stepping into the unknown, a future from which there was no guarantee of return.
“Be safe,” I whispered, though my words felt inadequate against the magnitude of our reality.
Emily paused and offered me a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “We will.”
I gazed down at Luna, my precious daughter, who lay sound asleep in my arms. Her tiny lips pursed and moved as if nursing the air. I couldn’t help but run my fingers through her soft, silken curls that framed her angelic face. As I whispered my love for her, the candlelight danced across her delicate features, making her seem more ethereal than ever before. She was not just my child but a magical being capable of traveling through time. Every moment with her was a gift, and I cherished each with all my heart.
Lee appeared in the doorway, his jaw set with determination, though his eyes betrayed a hint of sadness. “We’ll see each other again. This isn’t goodbye.”
I fought back tears and said, “I-I know.”
But the reality was murky and uncertain.
The faint scent of beeswax and honey lingered in the air as Lee stepped into the dimly lit room, igniting a fragile sense of safety within me. Before I could form any words, Luna and I were wrapped in the warmth of his embrace. The rough texture of his cloak brushed against my skin, a contrast to the delicate softness of Luna’s blanket, snugly wrapped around her tiny form.
“Olivia,” he said, his voice a deep rumble that resonated in the quiet chamber. His battle-scarred hands, strong yet gentle, cupped Luna’s small head as he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. “You are a strong and fearless warrior, and I’ve trained you well.”
The weight of his trust anchored me to this moment.
“I wish I could tell you more,” Lee said, his voice quieter now as his eyes darted toward the walls with a warrior’s caution. “But the walls have ears. You should uncover the past alone—with Roman by your side.”
His words struck a chord deep within me, sparking a surge of determination. The shadows of uncertainty had ruled my life for too long. It was time to face the truth, to step into the light that waited beyond the veils of secrecy.
