Evelina woke slowly, the sensation of soft sheets beneath her and the faint scent of sandalwood in the air grounding her as she opened her eyes.
Blinking against the dim light filtering through the heavy curtains, she pushed herself up slightly, taking in her surroundings.
Damian’s chambers.
"Great," she muttered, running a hand through her tangled hair. "Just where I didn’t want to wake up."
Relia’s voice chid in. "You’re alive, aren’t you? That’s more than I expected after your little stunt."
Evelina groaned internally. "Not now, Relia."
"Oh, yes now," her wolf retorted. "Do you have any idea how close you ca to dying? Again? Maybe this ti, if the moon goddess is in a happy mood, you’ll awaken in the body of an ant."
Evelina swung her legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing her temples as the events of the kitchen ca rushing back. "I had to try," she whispered aloud.
"Try what?" Relia snapped. "Turning yourself into ash? Brilliant plan. What’s next—drowning for fun? Jumping off a cliff?"
"Enough!" Evelina hissed, her voice sharper than intended. "What do you want to say, Relia? That I’m sorry? That I regret trying to find a way ho?"
"I want you to stop acting like you have nothing to lose!" Relia’s voice was pleading and angry. "You may not care about your life, but I do. And so does he."
Evelina stiffened, the image of Damian’s worried face flashing in her mind. She shook her head, trying to push the mory away. "I don’t belong here, Relia. And if I die trying to fix that, so be it."
Relia’s sigh was heavy with resignation. "You’re impossible. Just... try not to get us killed before we figure this out, alright?"
Evelina didn’t answer, instead standing and heading toward the door. She needed air, and more than that, she needed answers.
The mont she stepped into the hallway, she nearly collided with Jasper, who was leaning casually against the wall, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Well, look who’s finally awake," he teased in a light tone. "Had a nice nap, milady?"
Evelina rolled her eyes. "You’re guarding my door now? How touching."
"His Highness’s orders," Jasper replied with a mock bow. "I’m to keep an eye on you, make sure you don’t go playing with fire again. Literally."
"Funny," Evelina deadpanned, her stomach growling audibly. She sighed. "I’m starving."
Jasper straightened, gesturing down the hallway with an exaggerated flourish. "The dining room awaits, milady. Shall we?"
"Do I have a choice?" Evelina muttered as she followed him.
The dining room was mostly empty, the remnants of breakfast scattered across the long table. Evelina ignored the plates of cold ats and bread, instead grabbing a bowl of fresh fruit and settling into a chair.
Jasper leaned casually against the wall, watching her with a curious expression. "So," he began, "are we going to talk about what happened, or am I supposed to pretend you didn’t try to roast yourself alive this morning?"
Evelina shot him a glare, biting into an apple. "Let’s go with pretending."
Jasper chuckled. "Fair enough. But seriously, milady, what were you thinking?"
Evelina didn’t answer imdiately, her thoughts drifting to the vision she’d had in the kitchen. She set the apple down, her fingers tapping restlessly against the table. "Jasper," she said slowly, "tell about the day Damian was poisoned. How did it happen?"
Jasper’s easygoing deanor shifted slightly, his smile fading as he crossed his arms. "Why do you want to know?"
"Humor ." Her tone was sharper than she intended.
Jasper studied her for a mont before nodding. "It was during dinner," he began. "Everything seed normal. The wine was served, and Damian took a sip. A few minutes later, he collapsed. The healer said the poison was subtle but fast-acting. If we hadn’t acted quickly..."
He trailed off, his expression darkening.
"And the goblet?" Evelina pressed. "Who gave it to him?"
Jasper frowned, his brow furrowing in thought. "One of the maids brought it from the kitchen. I don’t rember her na, but she said it was prepared by another servant. Why?"
Evelina didn’t answer, her mind racing. The vision she’d seen in the kitchen replayed in her head—the hand, the bracelet, the goblet. Soone had poisoned Damian, and that soone was still in the palace.
Before she could voice her thoughts, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hall. Servants and guards moved past the dining room with tense expressions.
"What’s going on?" Evelina asked, standing.
Jasper glanced toward the doorway. "Seems it’s ti. There’s an execution. Soone’s being burned alive."
Evelina’s stomach twisted. The ntion of fire sent a jolt through her, mories of her arrival in this world flooding back. She grabbed Jasper’s arm. "We have to go."
Jasper hesitated. "Are you sure? It’s not exactly a pleasant sight."
"Please," Evelina insisted, her grip tightening. "I need to see."
****************
The execution site was a dark scene, with a fire already burning in the middle of the square. A crowd had gathered, their murmurs blending with the crackle of the flas. Evelina pushed through the throng, her heart pounding as she reached the front.
The condemned stood bound before the pyre, her face hidden beneath a hood. Evelina’s breath hitched as the scene triggered a wave of déjà vu, the mory of her own near death when she had just arrived in this world, flashing vividly in her mind.
Subconsciously, she took a step forward, then another.
She hardly noticed Jasper’s hand on her shoulder, his voice sounding far away as he tried to pull her back. Her gaze was fixed on the flas, the heat drawing her closer like a moth to a fla.
’I have to try,’ she thought desperately. ’This could be it.’
Ignoring Jasper’s protests, Evelina darted forward swiftly. She reached the edge of the pyre, her heart racing as she prepared to leap.
"Lady Evelina!" Jasper’s shout was panicked, but it barely registered.
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