The grand palace gates stood before her, their iron bars beautifully decorated with intricate patterns that shimred softly in the fading sunlight. Evelina hesitated at the entrance, her body aching from the ordeal, but her mind raced faster than ever.
"So..." Relia’s voice echoed lazily in her mind, her tone light but curious. "What do we think about Mister Blue Eyes? Blaze, was it? A bit dramatic, don’t you think?"
Evelina exhaled sharply, ignoring the faint ache in her ribs. "I think he’s annoying. And possibly dangerous."
"Oh, co on. He saved you. Technically. Plus he has great hair and really blue eyes."
Evelina rolled her eyes. "I also saved myself. And I wasn’t checking out his hair."
"Sure. That’s why you rember it."
Choosing not to dignify that with a response, Evelina reached into her satchel, her fingers brushing over the small vial tucked safely inside.
The sample she’d collected from the well was still there, intact. A tiny relief in the middle of the chaos.
She made her way toward the inner courtyard, her mind already shifting to what she needed to do next—until a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Lady Evelina."
She turned to see Zade as he approached her. The soft light of the palace lanterns made his sharp features appear gentler. His dark cloak swayed a little with each step, and his golden eyes seed to notice everything around him.
"I was hoping to catch you." He smiled, though there was a flicker of sothing unreadable beneath his expression. "Join for dinner?"
Evelina hesitated, exhaustion pulling at her, but she managed a polite nod. "I’m not really—"
"Just to talk," he added quickly, sensing her reluctance.
With a tired sigh, she looked at him and said, "I’ve had a long day."
Zade nodded understandingly. "How about I walk you to your room instead?"
She hesitated for a mont but then smiled softly. "I’d appreciate that. Thank you."
Evelina walked next to Zade, their footsteps echoing in the quiet corridor. The palace felt calm compared to the chaos of the past few days, but Evelina still felt a tightness in her chest.
Zade kept a respectful pace, his hands tucked behind his back, glancing at her with that calm, unreadable expression. "You seem... distracted," he said after a mont.
Evelina gave a small, dry chuckle. "Distracted might be an understatent." She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "It’s been a long day."
"Care to share what made it so long?" His golden eyes flicked to her briefly before returning to the hall ahead.
Evelina hesitated. Part of her wanted to brush it off, but exhaustion made her less guarded than usual.
"Let’s see—saved the kingdom but got accused of treason. Again. Trying to find who’s behind the outbreak, the poisoning and well... Oh, and I have less than two weeks to sort all these or else..." She trailed off as she cast him a sideways glance, waiting for his reaction.
Zade didn’t miss a beat. "Is that all?"
She snorted softly despite herself. "Guess it wasn’t that bad after all."
They walked in silence for a few monts. Finally, Zade spoke again. "I heard about the dragon pearl."
Evelina stiffened slightly. She’d almost forgotten about that in the whirlwind of events. "Yeah... about that." She sighed. "I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional."
Zade stopped walking, turning slightly to face her.
His expression was calm, yet there was sothing sharp beneath the surface—sothing that indicated he wasn’t particularly pleased with her losing the dragon’s pearl. "I went through a great deal of trouble to get you that pearl."
Evelina t his gaze, her voice quieter now. "I know. And I’ll find it. I promise."
There was a beat of silence before Zade finally nodded. "I believe you."
They resud walking, the tension easing just a little. As they approached her chambers, Evelina slowed. "Thanks for walking with ," she said softly.
Zade offered a faint smile. "Try not to get into more life-threatening situations tomorrow."
"I’ll do my best," she replied, the corner of her mouth twitching upward.
Just as she reached for the door handle, Zade added quietly, "Evelina... if you need help with anything, you can ask."
She paused, her heart unexpectedly catching at his words. But instead of replying, she simply gave him a small nod. "Thanks," she murmured, watching as he walked away.
Relia’s voice broke the silence. "After looking pissed for misplacing the dragon pearl, he’s trying to act like he cares."
Eve reached for the door, but a voice called out to her from behind a nearby pillar. "Well, well..."
Turning around, she spotted Jasper leaning casually against a pillar, his arms folded and a lazy grin stretched across his face.
"... Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence," he drawled.
Evelina arched a brow. "Jasper."
"Damian’s been looking for you all day," he added, straightening slightly.
Her heart gave an involuntary lurch at the ntion of Damian. She pushed it aside. "Did he find the pearl?"
Jasper’s grin faded. "No. But we’re planning to speak with Lily. Damian’s waiting for you."
Evelina rubbed the back of her neck, exhaustion catching up with her. "I need a bath first. I’ll find Damian after that."
Jasper gave an exaggerated bow. "As you wish, my lady."
She shook her head, stepping into her chambers with a quiet sigh.
Evelina sank into the warm bath, letting the steam curl around her like a fragile veil. The heat seeped into her sore muscles, washing away the dirt and stress from the day—but not the thoughts tangled in her mind.
Blaze’s cryptic farewell, Zade’s sharp gaze, and the deeply buried need to see Damian—it all swirled together, refusing to be drowned by hot water.
"You know, baths would be more relaxing if your brain had an off switch."
Evelina snorted softly, but before she could reply, a faint thud echoed from her chamber.
Her heart clenched. Slowly, she reached for her towel and wrapped it around herself.
She stepped out silently, water dripping onto the cold floor. The room was dim, shadows dancing from the flickering candlelight.
Then she saw it—a note pinned to her door with a small dagger.
Three words scrawled in unfamiliar handwriting: "You’re not safe."
Reviews
All reviews (0)