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His thumb brushed along my jaw, leaving a path of fire in its wake. “That’s a good girl,” he whispered, low and dark, meant for me alone. He pressed another feather-light kiss against my cheek before he pulled back, eyes roaming my features with unwavering satisfaction.

A flush bloomed across my chest and neck, burning beneath my dress like firelight. The muscles in my throat tightened as I tried to swallow the hard lump down. I wasn’t accustomed to being nervous, and he affected my system, sparking it with unyielding curiosity and devotion.

Blinking once, I tried to clear the haze of want that clouded ne. No matter how hard I attempted to push it down, it was there. The chemistry was at the surface, tightening every inch of my skin, sending flares shooting beyond south. That embarrassed me more than I was willing to admit; this feeling of being undone was so raw to the senses.

Shaking my head, I willed the fog away and stepped back from him, letting out a shaky, breathless laugh. “You are too much.” Before I could contain the heat in my cheeks, the sound of crunching snow drew our attention. Arianna came into view, hauling her carriage around from the back, a single horse towing. The steed trotted along the cobble until it reached the front of the cottage, wheels stopping only a few feet away from me. Martha sat beside her in the driver’s seat, and the sight made my head tilt slightly in curiosity.

I couldn’t help but wonder… how on earth had she managed that? Martha had a big personality from what I could already tell, and Arianna was famously short on patience. Yet there she was, cozy beside her, reins in hand, like they’d known each other for years. Martha really did attract the favor of everyone around her.

“You ready?” Arianna called out, whipping her hand through the air to beckon me like I’d been holding them up.

I nodded at her first, then turned back to Alexander. I placed my hand gently against his cheek before glancing again toward the carriage. “Yes, I’m coming now. Alex wanted to see us off.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. He hadn’t mentioned the others, but I supposed he did want to see all of us go… even if I selfishly hoped his intentions leaned in my favor. His cheek curved under my palm at my words.

Alex’s rough palm slid over mine for a brief, tender moment before he threaded his fingers through mine, guiding my hand from his cheek and walking me toward the carriage. Our steps moved slowly, synced. It almost felt like our bodies didn’t want to part.

Or maybe that was just me.

“Yes, I did,” he said, the depth of his voice shifting as he looked to Arianna. “I also wanted to make sure you didn’t want me to come.” There was a change in his expression. The softness from before faded into that protective look that always shook something inside me. His jaw clenched, brows furrowed ever so slightly with restrained instinct.

“I’d rather you not,” Arianna replied flatly, fingers tightening on the reins. “The city’s about to wake, and you’re not to be seen. Martha is no one to them, and she might recall William’s face. Valentina is a lady of the court; no one will question her presence.” She listed her reasons as if they were law, and I knew neither of us could argue.

Then she flicked a sharp look back at him. “But you, Bastard King? Not yet. Stay behind with Kleitos and Lord Corpus.” Her words struck with their usual precision. I wanted to defend him, but Arianna never cared about sparing feelings, not even mine. When she first met me, she called me a half-orphan with the same bluntness. She struck where she pleased.

My grip tightened around Alex’s fingers, but I nodded in agreement. Even if her delivery stung, she wasn’t wrong. Squeezing his hand gently, I tried to soften it. “She’s right. Vaelric said he’ll have men posted because of the fires; they haven’t let up. It wouldn’t be strategic to expose yourself out there, my King.”

His fingers tightened around mine again, gaze lowering to meet mine, softer now, tender, entirely Alex. “You be safe,” he whispered to me first, then turned to his mother. “You too. Find Mark… but don’t stray.” The worry in his voice was so raw it pinched deep in my chest. His fingers slipped from mine, only to catch his mother’s hand for a brief squeeze.

Martha’s face softened, her small frame leaning over the driver’s seat to touch his shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she soothed, her tone warm enough to wrap around him. “I know I’m in good hands. Go get some rest, Alex. There’s no use worrying with still feet. Go be still.” She sent him one last smile before settling back beside Arianna.

Her words struck me as profound. Go be still. I don’t think I ever had the chance to do that myself. To rest in a thought for longer than a few moments would have been free. Adjusting the veil across my eyes, I wondered for a moment how that’d feel.

The moment Alex shifted his gaze to Arianna, it sharpened, command replacing tenderness. “These two better come back exactly as they left.”

Arianna barked a dry chuckle, raising a brow as she gave him a slow once-over, sizing him up like a child daring to bare fangs. I’ve seen that glare many times over the last few years. “Oh? And what will happen to me?” she asked, voice dripping with amusement. Then her tone flipped, steely, low, unmistakably authoritative. “They’re in good hands,” she said. “Now go back inside before I take offense to the base in your throat.” Her eyes narrowed as they locked onto his, daring him, truly daring him, to push again.

Alex gave a soft chuckle in return, but his eyes stayed tight. It was clear he finally heard the threat coiled beneath Arianna’s warning, and he wasn’t eager to test it. Still, he exhaled a reluctant sigh. “You all have a pleasant journey.” His gaze found mine again, warm and rich with affection. He stepped forward, hands circling my waist as he lifted me effortlessly until my feet met the driver’s step. The motion stole my breath for a heartbeat.

“I’ll see you soon,” he murmured, giving a soft bow paired with that teasing glint in his eye. Then he pivoted smoothly in the snow and made his way back toward the cottage, coat fluttering behind him like a dark banner caught in the wind.

I lingered, watching him, memorizing the curve of his shoulders, the way his presence filled the space even as he walked away. I don’t think he realized how much I saw in him. He was everything my imagination could conjure… and more. When the ache of watching him grew too sharp, I turned and climbed fully into the carriage. Martha shifted to make space, scooting across the cushioned bench. She gave me a soft, maternal smile as she looped her arm gently through mine, tucking herself under my cloak. Her warmth seeped into me, soothing something raw in my chest. If easing spirits was a gift, she carried it effortlessly. I let myself lean into her without hesitation.

Arianna snapped the reins with a sharp, fluid flick. The leather cracked like lightning, the steed rearing high, one leg slicing the air, the other bracing deep in the snow. Its chest heaved once before it lunged forward, hooves pounding through the sapphire haze of the dome. The barrier responded immediately, folding inward. Silver and sapphire tendrils unfurled like a curtain parting for royalty, granting us passage as the carriage glided through.

Instantaneously, the wind whipped against our skin, colder, harsher, biting with teeth we didn’t feel under the dome. The safety behind us vanished, swallowed by the wildness of the forest and the stench that rushed in to replace it.

Burning cedar.

Rot.

The smell hit like a slap. My stomach twisted violently. It reminded me of rotting meat left too long in a forgotten packing center, sour, metallic, unmistakably wrong. It crawled up my nose and slithered down my throat, coating my tongue in a bitter tang. Covering my nose and mouth with one hand, I fought back nausea. Martha mirrored the motion, her nose scrunched and brows drawn as the stench reached her. Even Arianna’s composure cracked; her lip curled in visible disgust.

“What is that smell?” Martha coughed, voice tight.

“I can only imagine,” Arianna muttered, glancing back at us, “that it’s the damage your husband left behind in the clearing.” Silence fell, heavy and grim, as our gazes drifted toward the distant burrows of smog rising between the trees. Dark plumes curled upward like black ghosts, twisting through the branches, clinging to the stars. The smoke stretched far, farther than the clearing. Miles. It wouldn’t be long before it reached Andre’s River.

“I can see why Vaelric wanted men posted,” I said finally, shaking my head as the weight of it settled. “That fire will be the death of so many.” The truth anchored itself in my chest like a stone. People would suffer for this. And the flames licking the western sky like a writhing hearth made it clear that this was only the beginning.

Arianna veered us onto a longer route, steering wide of the shortest road to Ameega. Smart. With smoke and guards crowding the main passage, there was no point in hoping the bridge survived. Even if it still stood, the forest around it would be thick with fire by now.