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She exhaled heavily, tilting her head up at him with the most put-upon expression. “Mark traveled to the human realm the night you all arrived, with a blond Elguto man. The same man who stood outside my estate to steal him back. I wouldn’t put it past him to be the William you’re all talking about.” Her gaze shifted back to me. “He returned three nights ago and has been holed up in one of the neighborhoods. I don’t know which one, but I can help you find it. I can track him.” Her tone was flat, deliberate. “But that’s all I’m going to do. I won’t be taking the blame for what I know will follow. If you want to move tonight, we can.”

My gaze drifted to Kleitos, my heart skipping a beat as a sense of finality settled in my gut. He crossed the short distance between us, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder, steady and grounding. It was a quiet validation I didn’t know I needed. “Thank you,” I murmured under my breath.

He smiled faintly, no explanation necessary. “It’s up to you. If you want to do this tonight,” he said, his voice warm with reassurance. “I won’t pressure you into something you’re not ready for.”

A scoff cut through from our side, sharp enough to draw both our eyes. Arianna stood with her arms crossed, her gaze like black stone. “I will,” she said flatly. “Because this won’t pass just because you wish it away. Are you the King you claim to be, or a coward who stalls when the moment demands you? I’m offering you, essentially, a deus ex machina. Take it.” Her tone was final, cold enough to leave frost on the air.

I knew, in her own twisted way, she saw herself as a god. But damn if this wasn’t almost perfect. It was knowledge I wouldn’t have without her, laid right in my lap. I could take it... or test her patience until she walked away entirely.

Coward.

And really, I did have a choice. Just not a smart one. Blindly wandering the streets versus letting Arianna track him down? That wasn’t a decision worth taking pride in. Valentina would probably call me a fool for even hesitating. She’d think I was just avoiding Arianna so she couldn’t report back on me. Which wasn’t true. I didn’t mind her giving updates, at least not when they came from someone Valentina trusted.

A cold chuckle broke out of me as I let my head fall back against the door. My hand dragged down my face before I locked eyes with her again. “You really do love the idea of me proving something,” I said, my voice low but edged. “Fine. I accept your challenge. We’ll move as soon as night falls again. For now, we are resting. No point leaving when dawn’s about to break. You can stay with Bomani. I’m sure you two will enjoy the… privacy.” I punctuated the last part with a slow wink

If I had a camera to capture the way her mouth dropped to the floor, I would’ve. I’d just relive it with my Naemira when I needed a good laugh. Bomani, too, looked shell-shocked at my comment, but that only made it more satisfying.

“You two aren’t exactly subtle with those long stares,” I teased, folding my arms. “At first, sure. It was well hidden. Demonic pet, fine. But lovers? Now that is just…” I gave a smug grunt. “Perfect. No need to hide it. It’s clear as day.”

“Mind your business,” Arianna hissed. Her deep chocolate skin flushed with a warm crimson that softened her sharp features.

Bomani couldn’t hold in his laughter; it boomed through the room like thunder, rolling deep from his chest straight into my bones. “Oh, Fall, don’t be that way,” he chuckled, coughing through the fits. His hand slipped to the small of her back almost instinctively. It was subtle… freeing, in a way. Now that their secret was out, he didn’t have to mask how much he cared.

“Don’t,” she muttered, glancing up at him, her eyes flaring with quiet heat. Bomani just rolled his eyes.

“Speaking of minding my own business…” I said, my voice dipped into something softer, almost reverent. “Where’s Valentina?” The question slipped before I could stop it. I held it back too long. It pulsed in my chest like a distant alarm. I’d told her she couldn’t come. But now, with Arianna standing in front of me, all I could do was wish Valentina would appear too.

Arianna’s expression softened again when she spoke of her friend. “She’s at my home. She wanted to check on your mother while you’re away. Her father allowed her a few days off from his estate. But that’s also why I’ll need to return soon. I’d rather be there to travel back with her.”

My heart swelled. Val had gone to check on my mother. Of course she had. She was kind to her core, gentle, protective, deeper than the ocean. Pressing a hand to my chest, I grounded myself in the solid rhythm of my heart. “Well, I’m just glad they’re both well,” I said, glancing between Arianna and Bomani. “Go on, get some rest, the two of you.” Pushing off the door, I stepped aside with Kleitos as I held it open for them. I gave a lazy wave in dismissal. “If you get hungry, I’m sure my father,” I looked over my shoulder at Kleitos, catching the softening in his eyes at the word. “Will be more than happy to let you order something up. The innkeeper swindled him out of a fat coin pouch, so she owes him a favor.”

A small smile passed between them before Arianna swept out without her usual snark. Bomani lingered a beat longer, flashing a grin. “Don’t worry,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll drain her for all she stole.” And with that, he turned into the hall and followed Arianna to his room.

Closing the door behind them, I shook my head. Of course, Arianna would just appear and start demanding things. If I really thought about it, she’d been like that since day one. I folded my arms across my chest and let out a yawn.

Kleitos smiled, tilting his head slightly. “Father?” he echoed, his tone light, tentative. “You know, you don’t have to call me that if it doesn’t feel right to you. I’m not trying to replace Mark. That man still raised you. As demented as he may seem now… There must have been something worth holding on to. Some good memory.” His words hung in the air, and I let the thought move freely through my mind. There was no malice in him. I felt that deep in my spirit. No bitterness. No rivalry. Just love. Even if grief had seeded itself deep inside him, blooming into something strange and unrecognizable over time.

I shrugged, the gesture light, indifferent, even as I stifled another yawn. “Are you asking us to spare him?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Is that what your heart is telling you to do?” he replied, his deep gray eyes steady with sincerity. He wasn’t accusing. He wasn’t manipulating. He was just… asking.

I took a slow breath, trying to listen, really listen, to what my heart was saying. But it was hard. It ached for the life I’d lost. For the people I once knew. For the father I thought I’d buried a year ago. We had loved him, through every flaw, every failure, every disappointment. Maybe… maybe if I hadn’t already grieved him once, I’d be more willing to accept the life he chose before I even knew who I was.

But he made his choice.

And now, knowing everything…

I wasn’t sure what my heart wanted anymore.

What was it trying to tell me?

“I want to say we can try,” I murmured, stretching my arms toward the ceiling. “But he only gets one chance. If he denies it... Then I guess we’ll just have to watch the world combust.” I knew the weight of my words. Part of me still hoped he could be talked down, that there might be a final compromise, a last-ditch effort stitched together with scraps of old love. But deep in my soul, I couldn’t see that future. It felt like a fantasy too far gone.

Did he even know how much turmoil he’d caused me? How many hours I’d spent this week just hoping to find him, not to fight, not to punish, but to talk. To have one honest conversation where this didn’t end in fire. But even as I imagined it, I knew it wouldn’t be enough. A conversation wouldn’t fix any of this.

Crossing the room without waiting for a response, I dropped onto the bed, letting its softness swallow me whole. I just wanted to disengage. To shut off for a while. Because I knew the moment I woke, I’d be sent on another mission, not just any task, but the one. The one that would alter me. There would be no going back. Not to this moment, not even to the one when I first arrived, and everything felt so fresh. So new. I turned my head into the pillow to face Kleitos. He’d followed me, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, just watching. Studying the confusion I was sure was written all over my face. A few seconds passed before he lay down beside me, both of us staring up at the wooden ceiling in silence.

The grain above us pulsed with swirling patterns, deep grooves etched like lifelines across the panels. It felt ancient. Still. Like it had watched generations wrestle with their own impossible choices.