~Hazel’s POV~
Ariel had drifted off not long after we spoke. She lay curled on my bed, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, she was sleeping peacefully But ? I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t even sit still.
I paced the room, the hem of my thin cotton dress twisted between my fingers, knuckles white from how tightly I clutched it. My breath ca in shallow bursts, nerves bunching in my stomach until it ached. Now and then, I’d stop and glance at the window, Will she co?
She said she’d co.
But she wasn’t here.
The longer I waited, the more it felt like she wouldn’t show. My stomach twisted with disappointnt, and a low growl escaped it—half hunger, half dread. I couldn’t wait anymore. If Aurora didn’t co, I’d go alone.
She said it was a two-hour walk. I could do that. If I walked far enough, the witch would sense . She’d find . That’s what she said in the dream, right?
I nodded and turned to gather sothing—anything—to take with . But the room was bare, stripped of belongings I could call mine. So I just gripped my dress tighter and made for the window.
I was halfway across the room when I saw her.
A blur of red passed outside, and Aurora pushed open the window and climbed in effortlessly. Her red hair fell around her face, wild and glowing like fire under the moonlight. She carried a small leather bag, which she tossed to without a word.
Inside was a dark cloak, slling of lavender, smoke, and sothing ancient.
"You ca," I whispered, hope blooming in my chest.
Aurora pressed a finger gently to my lips. "Shh. We have to be quiet."
I nodded quickly. "I thought... he wouldn’t hear us."
She raised a brow but said nothing. Neither of us dared say Caspian’s na aloud. Not here. Not now.
"We’ll be back tonight," she whispered. "It won’t take long. This witch won’t waste ti, and neither will we."
I slipped on the cloak and glanced back at the bed. Ariel hadn’t stirred. I blew her a kiss, praying she’d forgive when she woke up and found gone if I did not make it back alive.
Then we climbed out the window.
The night air slapped my skin like cold water, sharp and startling. Aurora had already prepared a carriage, tucked beneath the shadows of the towering pines. The horse pawed at the earth restlessly.
"You sure about this?" she asked as she helped up.
I nodded. "Let’s figure out who I am."
Aurora held my hand tightly as the carriage jerked into motion. The silence of the woods swallowed us whole. Our heavy breath synced.
"Who’s riding?" I asked in a whisper.
She leaned close to my ear. "A wolf. Enchanted. He’s under a spell—I trust him more than any man."
I blinked at her. "That’s actually kind of brilliant."
We shared a fleeting smile, but it didn’t last. A guttural growl ripped through the forest, loud and feral, shaking the carriage. My entire body tensed. My hair stood on end.
"What the hell—?"
The carriage jolted to a stop.
Aurora’s head snapped toward the front. A blue light shimred ahead, blocking our path. Before either of us could move, the enchanted wolf driver leapt down—and was thrown back like a ragdoll. His neck snapped with a sickening crack. My hand flew to my mouth.
The glowing figure stepped forward.
I gasped as the light dimd to reveal a face I knew far too well.
Caspian.
He looked like a storm bottled in skin—beautiful and terrible. His jaw was clenched, brows drawn, and his body practically buzzed with restrained fury. Even the night seed to bend around him.
"Aurora," he growled, stepping past her as if she were air.
"Caspian—what are you doing here?" she asked, breathless.
He didn’t answer. He yanked open the carriage door and pulled down, his hands rough and cold against my arms.
"Where did you think you were going?" he asked, voice tight.
I opened my mouth, then shut it. I stamred, caught between guilt and stubbornness.
"I knew sothing was off," he continued. "I knew you two were hiding sothing. My gut told to follow, and thank the moon I did."
He turned on Aurora. "You should know better. She’s pregnant. You want to drag her through the woods in the dead of night?"
Aurora’s mouth parted, but no sound ca.
I stepped forward. "We’re not just wandering! We’re going sowhere important—for the baby. For ."
His gaze whipped back to . "And you thought sneaking out like this was smart?"
"No, Caspian!" My voice cracked. "You don’t get to decide everything. Why can’t we go? Because we are won? Because you think we are weak?"
He flinched. "No! I’m not protecting you because you’re a woman. I’m protecting you because you’re MY WOMAN."
The words stopped cold.
He took a shaky breath, stepping closer. "Don’t make this harder than it already is."
I looked at Aurora. She still hadn’t moved.
"She promised to take . I can’t back out now. I need to know who I am. That witch... she said I looked like soone. I’ve seen my mother’s picture. I look like her. I need to know if my mother was a witch. Or human. Or sothing else."
Caspian’s face twisted with pain. "This is dangerous, Hazel. You don’t even know her."
"I’ve seen her in my dreams," I said. "She’s the only one who’s ever made sense."
"You’re going to et a dream? Hazel, you’re pregnant with a child!"
"And this child deserves to know where they ca from!" I shot back.
Caspian looked between us. For a long mont, he said nothing.
Aurora finally spoke. "Let him co."
"What?" I turned to her.
"He won’t let us go alone. And maybe... maybe it’s for the best. I can put a shielding spell around you. If the witch only wants to talk to you, you’ll be safe. And Caspian will stay back. If anything goes wrong, we’ll be there."
Caspian still looked torn, his eyes shadowed with doubt. But he nodded once. Barely.
"Fine," I said, exhaling. "Let’s just get this over with."
And then Aurora froze.
She turned slowly, eyes wide. "Soone’s here."
From the shadows, a figure erged.
Blonde hair. Erald green eyes. A long, tattered gown. She wore an ancient necklace that glinted beneath the moonlight.
The woman from my dreams.
She stepped into the clearing, the wind curling around her like it knew her na.
"I always knew you would co," she said, her voice a soft echo that chilled my spine. "Though I didn’t expect you to bring friends."
I couldn’t breathe.
She smiled gently. "Co with ."
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