TWO
He stepped in quietly.
Too quietly.
I startled despite myself, my shoulders tensing for the slightest of a second before I forced them to relax.
The door closed behind him with a soft click that sounded far too final in the stillness of the room.
My father.
He looked exactly as he always did posed, immaculate, calm in a way that felt deliberate.
His gaze swept over me in one measured glance, searching over my face, the way my hands rested on the coverlet.
I felt exposed.
But I smiled anyway.
Just enough.
"Good morning," he said gently with a smile
"Good morning," I replied, matching his tone.
The servants who had been hovering near the window and dresser immediately bowed and excused themselves, slipping out without a sound. The door shut again, sealing us alone inside the room.
My heartbeat thudded louder in my ears.
"Are you alright?" he asked, stepping closer. His voice was warm, concerned. Convincing.
"Yes," I said quickly. Too quickly. Then corrected myself. "I mean..... yes. I’m fine."
His eyes lingered on me, sharp despite the softness in his expression.
I wondered, not for the first time, how much he could see when he looked at someone. How much he chose to see.
"I’m glad," he said at last. "Last night was... frightening."
My chest tightened.
"My men are searching intensely for the people who took you," he continued, his voice darkening slightly. "Every corner. Every hidden path. Whoever did this will answer to judgment."
A chill ran through me.
Fear crawled up my spine for the rebels.
"They will be found," he said calmly. "And when they are, justice will be served."
I managed a smile.
Small. Careful.
"I’m sure," I said.
He studied me again. "Do you remember anything else from the night before? Anything at all?"
For a heartbeat, the image flashed in my mind unbidden.
The fireflies and how I had been led.
I wasn’t going to tell him.
"No," I said smoothly. "I don’t remember anything. Just... waking up."
His gaze searched mine, lingering long enough that my palms began to sweat.
Then he nodded.
"Memory loss is mon in these situations," he said. "Especially when dark magic is involved."
Dark magic.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from reacting.
"There’s something else," he added.
My stomach sank.
"We have new information," he said. "About a maid. One suspected of rebel involvement."
My breath hitched before I could stop it.
"A maid?" I asked, carefully neutral. "Where... where did you meet her?"
His brow creased faintly. "That’s part of an ongoing investigation. But she’s been arrested."
The room felt like it tilted.
Sofia.
It had to be her.
The servant who had told me to follow the fireflies.
My hands clenched in the blankets.
"I see," I said softly.
"She won’t harm anyone else," he assured me, stepping closer. He reached out, brushing my hair back from my face with a tenderness that made my chest ache. "You’re safe now. That’s all that matters."
He kissed my forehead.
I forced myself not to flinch.
Training will start soon.
The words echoed in my mind as he spoke them aloud moments later, casual, almost forting.
"As soon as you’re ready, of course," he added.
Something cold settled in my stomach.
I thought of my mother’s warning.
Of Maelis’s words.
Of the red stone.
Of what unlocking my wolf truly meant.
"I don’t think I’m strong enough today," I said suddenly, the words tumbling out before I could overthink them. "Last night... it took a lot out of me. I feel weak."
He paused.
Just for a second.
Then his expression softened.
"That’s perfectly fine," he said. "Rest is important."
Relief washed through me so fast my knees felt weak.
"You should gather your strength," he continued. "Soon enough, you’ll need it."
I nodded. "I will."
"The sooner your wolf is unleashed," he said gently, "the sooner you’ll have a successful birth."
There it was.
The reminder.
The pressure wrapped in concern.
"Yes," I said quietly.
He leaned down and kissed my forehead again.
And that was when I saw it.
The ring.
The red stone caught the light as he straightened, no longer dull but alive and glowing faintly, pulsing like something with a heartbeat of its own.
My breath stuttered.
The glow intensified for a brief moment, the jagged edges of the stone seeming sharper, darker, as if it recognized me.
As if it knew I had seen it before.
A shudder ran through me, uncontrollable.
"Cold?" he asked immediately, concern flickering across his face.
"Yes," I lied. "A little."
"You should rest," he said. "You’re still recovering."
I smiled weakly.
He turned toward the door, then stopped abruptly.
His gaze dropped to the bedside table.
The cup.
Empty.
My pulse spiked.
"You’ve been drinking your tonic?" he asked casually, though his eyes never left the cup.
"Yes," I said without hesitation.
"Good," he said, satisfied. "It will prevent the wraiths from troubling you."
My chest tightened.
"Have you had any dreams lately?" he asked.
I forced a soft laugh. "No. I slept like a baby."
He nodded, pleased.
"Excellent," he said. "Rest. We’ll speak later."
And then he was gone.
The door closed behind him, the sound echoing louder than it should have.
I didn’t move for a long moment.
Didn’t breathe.
Didn’t blink.
And the I felt free of him.
It was as though the moment he had gone, I could finally breathe.
I placed my hand on my chest as I took in deep breaths.
I rose up to my feet, my hand protectively over my pregnant tummy as I walked to the window.
How could something so beautiful still be so ugly.
This had been my hope.
My future.
And now I had to start from scratch.
I had been thinking this was a new start when it was the worst place for me to be.
I needed to get the hell out of this place.
Fast.
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