---
Chapter 31 – Whispers Carved in Stone
The wind clawed at the edges of the northern cliffs, roaring like some ancient beast disturbed from slumber. Kairo Valtteri Seo stood near the arched balcony of the citadel tower, overlooking the frost-glazed mountains below, his posture carved in stone but his eyes alive with war.
Snow had started to fall again—soft and slow like the hush before violence. He didn't flinch when the door behind him creaked. He knew the footsteps—measured, weightless, but never weak. Elira Wynne stepped into the room like a ghost into a battlefield.
She wore a deep blue velvet cloak over her gown, her pale fingers barely visible under the sleeves. Her eyes, a soft storm of defiance and hesitation, lingered on him as if she were deciding whether to fight or flee. But Elira never fled—not anymore.
"You called for me," she said, her voice firm despite the burn behind it.
Kairo didn't answer at once. His gaze remained locked on the icy expanse beyond the tower, as if it held answers to wars not yet begun. When he finally turned, the winter light caught the shadow beneath his eyes, the tension etched in the clench of his jaw.
"I did." His voice was quieter than expected, almost… solemn. "You said once that I keep secrets like weapons. You were right."
Elira's heart thudded in warning. "What kind of secret?"
"The kind that can end kingdoms."
She didn't blink. "Then say it."
Kairo moved toward her, and for once, he didn't look like a king or a warlord or the monster legends carved from fear. He looked like a man battling time.
"I wasn't supposed to survive that night in Caelestis," he murmured. "The explosion in the southern wing… It was meant for me."
Elira inhaled sharply.
"I always believed it was a rival house. But I was wrong. The orders came from inside—my father's council."
She felt the air leave her lungs.
"The very seat that crowned me," he continued, "tried to erase me before I could wear the crown."
Silence stretched like ice cracking beneath their feet.
Elira stepped closer, reaching out, but Kairo shook his head.
"I've kept this to myself because revenge on the high council… it's not something I can afford. Not with everything else already crumbling."
"You mean Celeste," Elira said softly, the name falling like a blade.
His eyes darkened, but not in denial.
"Celeste's family has influence within the inner circle. Her return… it's not accidental."
"But she's dangerous," Elira pressed. "You know she is. You said she wasn't your weakness, but she's someone else's weapon now."
"I know," Kairo said, and suddenly his voice cracked—not in volume, but in something worse: doubt. "And I can't show it. I can't show anything."
Elira stepped closer. "Then why are you telling me?"
He looked down at her, his hands clenched at his sides. "Because if something happens to me before this war ends… the truth has to live somewhere. I trust you, Elira. More than anyone."
She wanted to scream at him for that—for giving her that kind of power, for placing yet another crown of thorns on her already bleeding soul.
But instead, she said, "Then I'll carry it. And I'll guard it with fire."
His jaw tensed.
For a moment, the storm outside matched the one inside.
And then they heard it—distant footsteps in the corridor. Too many. Too fast.
Kairo turned just as the heavy door burst open. Commander Varek entered, pale and wild-eyed. "Sire. She's here."
Kairo's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Varek didn't need to answer.
Behind him, through the doorway, stepped Celeste Raines.
She looked exquisite in her crimson riding coat, her hair braided back like a queen returning from war. And her smile—curved like poison in silk.
"Hello, Kairo," she said, voice laced with familiarity that stung more than any blade.
Elira stood still, too still, her hand twitching at her side.
Kairo didn't move. "I didn't summon you."
"You didn't have to," Celeste said sweetly. "You left the door open."
Her gaze flickered to Elira, then lingered—sharp, amused, assessing.
"You must be the girl who keeps his secrets warm."
Elira's jaw tightened, but she said nothing.
Celeste walked into the room with the entitlement of a woman who'd once had Kairo's name etched into her veins, even if the blood had since turned bitter.
"You've been busy," she continued, circling the room as if inspecting a cage. "Rebuilding your power. Digging into the ashes of your past. Trying to forget me."
"I never forget my enemies," Kairo said coldly.
Celeste smiled wider. "You used to say that about your lovers."
"Then I must have been a fool."
She laughed—a low, musical sound that made Elira's spine stiffen. "Perhaps. Or perhaps you're still trying to choose between duty and desire."
Celeste stopped in front of Elira now, so close that the chill between them felt electric.
"You must know," she said sweetly, "that Kairo doesn't bleed for long. He cuts before he feels. He did it to me."
Elira met her gaze, unflinching. "Then I suggest you keep your distance. Or I might bleed you instead."
Kairo stepped between them.
"Enough," he said, his voice thunder. "This is not your palace, Celeste. And Elira is not your prey."
Celeste's smile wilted into something darker. "You think this is a game of hearts, Kairo? It's not. It's war. And I didn't come to flirt—I came to warn you."
She pulled a folded letter from her cloak and tossed it onto the table beside them.
Kairo picked it up. His brows furrowed.
Elira leaned over to read.
It was sealed with obsidian wax—marked with the sigil of the Blood Accord. An ancient alliance of mercenaries. Killers. Assassins.
Celeste's voice dropped to a whisper. "They've been bought. And they're not here for you, Kairo."
Kairo's eyes snapped up. "Then who?"
Celeste looked at Elira. "Her."
---
End of Chapter 31