The world swam in and out
Ariana's lashes fluttered against her cheeks as light bled through the stained-glass windows of her bedchamber. The scent of herbs lingered in the air, bitter and sharp. She turned her head slowly—her body a battlefield of pain and exhaustion.
"You're awake."
Damian's voice cut through the haze. He sat in the chair beside her bed, armor unbuckled, dark hair tousled like he hadn't slept. His eyes—those glacial, haunted eyes—searched her face for signs of life, signs of herself.
She tried to sit up, wincing.
"You shouldn't move." He was by her side in an instant, hand reaching for hers.
"I need to see him," she rasped.
Damian's jaw tensed. "No."
"Kairo might have answers. If Selene was behind this, I want to hear it from him."
"She nearly killed you," he growled. "You don't have to prove anything. Not to him. Not to anyone."
But Ariana's gaze didn't waver. Even pale and trembling, she was still fire beneath frost. "Then help me walk."
---
Wrapped in a midnight cloak and guarded by only two Virelian soldiers, Ariana descended the narrow steps into the dungeons. The torchlight flickered, casting dancing shadows across the cold stone walls. Each step was agony, but she bore it like a queen—chin high, shoulders straight.
What the world saw as weakness, Damian saw as devastating strength. Unbeknownst to her, he followed at a distance, hidden in the corridor's darkness, heart clenching with every falter in her step.
She paused before the cell door. Inside, Kairo sat chained, his shirt stained with blood from the last interrogation—though none had touched his face. His beauty was faded, but familiar. And when he looked up at her, something broke in both of them.
"Ariana," he said softly. "You should be resting."
"You should be begging," she said coldly.
His jaw clenched. "I didn't poison you."
"Then who did?"
He hesitated—eyes flicking toward the guard.
Ariana waved the soldier away. "Speak."
Kairo looked at her, really looked at her, like he was seeing her for the first time since the rebellion. "It was Selene," he whispered. "She approached me weeks ago, asked me to… get close to you. Said she wanted to teach you a lesson. I refused. But someone else didn't."
Her blood ran cold.
"I tried to warn you," he added, voice tight. "But after the rebellion… you wouldn't let me near."
"Because you betrayed me," she hissed, "along with my cousin."
"I never stopped loving you."
Her breath caught in her throat.
From the shadows, Damian's hands balled into fists.
Ariana's eyes were steel. "Love doesn't mean anything when you stand on the wrong side of my crown."
She turned to leave, every step a silent war cry.
Behind her, Kairo's voice echoed softly: "She's not done, Ariana. Selene is only getting started."
Outside the dungeons, the night wind kissed her cheeks. Damian stepped from the shadows and caught her before she collapsed, cradling her gently against his chest.
"You were listening?" she murmured.
"Always," he said.
And in that quiet, she didn't pull away.
---