Celestia's POV
Thorne moves like death incarnate.
His sword flashes in the torchlight, cutting through the first guard before the man can even raise his blade. Blood sprays. Another guard falls. Then another.
But there are too many.
I snap out of my frozen shock and run for the locked door. My hands shake as I grab the rusted lock, twisting and pulling.
It won't budge.
Celestia! Thorne's voice is strained. He's fighting three men at once now, blocking strikes from every direction.
I pull harder on the lock. Nothing.
A guard breaks past Thorne's defense, charging straight at me.
The dagger Thorne gave me is in my hand before I think. When the guard gets close, I slash at his face. He screams and stumbles back.
I didn't kill him. But I hurt him.
And I'm not sorry.
The lock! I scream at Thorne. I can't open it!
He kicks a guard in the chest, sending the man flying, then spins and throws something at me.
A key ring.
I catch it, my hands slippery with sweat, and try key after key in the ancient lock.
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
Behind me, Thorne is slowing down. Even he can't fight twenty men forever.
The fifth key slides in.
Clicks.
The lock opens.
Thorne! I shove the door wide. Now!
He cuts down one more guard, then runs.
Marcus bellows: Don't let them escape!
Thorne grabs my hand as he passes, pulling me through the doorway. We're in a narrow tunnel, water dripping from the ceiling, the air cold and stale.
Run! he shouts.
We sprint through the darkness, his hand tight around mine. Behind us, boots pound on stone. Voices echo.
They're coming.
The tunnel seems endless. My lungs burn. My legs scream. But Thorne pulls me forward relentlessly.
Finally—light ahead. A wooden grate.
Thorne slams into it with his shoulder. Once. Twice. The wood splinters.
We burst out into cold night air.
We're outside the fortress walls, on a rocky hillside. Below us, I can see the dark forest. Above us, Shadow Keep looms like a beast ready to pounce.
This way! Thorne pulls me down the slope.
We slide and stumble over loose rocks. I fall once, scraping my palms raw, but Thorne hauls me up and we keep moving.
Behind us, guards pour out of the tunnel.
There! Don't lose them!
We reach the tree line and plunge into the forest. Branches whip my face. Roots try to trip me. But we don't stop.
We run until my heart feels like it'll explode.
Finally, Thorne pulls me behind a massive oak tree and we collapse against the trunk, gasping for air.
I listen for pursuit.
Silence. Just wind in the branches and our ragged breathing.
Did we lose them? I whisper.
For now. Thorne slides down to sit on the ground. Even in the moonlight, I can see he's exhausted. Blood stains his shirt from a dozen small wounds.
You're hurt.
I'm alive. He looks at me. Because of you. That guard you slashed—he would have killed me from behind.
I stare at my hands. Still covered in blood. Not all of it from the first assassin.
I'm becoming a killer, I say quietly.
You're becoming a survivor. He stands with a wince. There's a difference.
Is there?
He's quiet for a moment. Then: Your father sent those men. All of them. Marcus has been his spy for months, maybe longer. Everyone in that fortress who attacked us was on Ashford's payroll.
The words hit like punches. How do you know?
Marcus made a mistake. Got overconfident. His men wore my house colors, but their weapons— He pulls something from his pocket. A small medallion. They all carried these. Your father's crest.
I take the medallion, turning it over in my palm. The Ashford eagle stares back at me.
My father didn't just want me dead. He wanted Thorne dead too. And he was willing to pay an entire garrison to make it happen.
He's terrified of you, I realize. Of what you know. What you can prove.
Yes.
Then we use that. I stand, ignoring my screaming muscles. We use his fear against him.
Thorne studies me carefully. This isn't some revenge fantasy, Celestia. This is war. Real war. More people will die. Probably people you know. Maybe people you care about.
I don't care. My voice is hard. Cold. He killed the daughter he raised when he framed me. Now I'll kill the traitor he became.
Something flickers in Thorne's eyes. Surprise? Respect?
You understand what you're saying? he asks. Once we start this, there's no going back. Your father will come at us with everything he has. The conspiracy will try to crush us. We'll be fighting nobles, guards, assassins—anyone with a price.
Good. I meet his dark gaze without flinching. Let them come. Let them all come. I'm done being the victim they threw away.
For a long moment, he just looks at me.
Then he extends his hand.
Partners? he asks.
I take it without hesitation. His grip is strong and warm despite the cold night.
Partners, I agree. We destroy them all. Together.
His smile is sharp and deadly. Then we have a deal.
We shake on it, and I feel something shift in the air between us. This is real now. A true alliance.
But as I look at his blood-stained face in the moonlight, a question burns in my mind.
Can I trust him?
He says he wants justice. But he's the Crown's Executioner. A man who kills for a living. A man who's kept secrets from me. A man whose own guards just tried to murder him.
What if this is all another betrayal waiting to happen?
Where do we go now? I ask, releasing his hand.
There's a safe house three miles east. One of my private locations that even Marcus didn't know about. He starts walking. We'll rest there tonight. Plan our next move.
I follow, my mind racing with questions and fears.
We walk in silence through the dark forest. Every shadow looks like a threat. Every sound makes me jump.
After maybe thirty minutes, Thorne stops so suddenly I almost run into him.
What—
He holds up a hand for silence.
I listen.
At first, nothing. Then I hear it too.
Footsteps. Behind us.
Someone's following us.
Thorne's hand goes to his sword. I grip my dagger.
We wait, barely breathing, as the footsteps get closer.
A figure steps out from behind a tree, maybe twenty feet away.
My heart stops.
It's a woman. Tall and lean, dressed in dark clothing. Her face is hidden in shadow, but I can see she's armed with at least three visible weapons.
Well, well, she says, her voice sharp and amused. The Executioner and his little bride. Running through the forest like scared rabbits.
Thorne's whole body goes tense. Raven.
The woman steps into a patch of moonlight, and I get my first clear look at her.
She's beautiful in a deadly way. Dark hair pulled back. Sharp eyes that miss nothing. A smile that promises violence.
Hello, Thorne. She leans against a tree casually, but I can see her hand resting on a knife hilt. Heard you had some trouble at the Keep tonight.
How did you Thorne's eyes narrow. How did you know to find us here?
I have my ways. Her gaze shifts to me, looking me up and down like I'm a piece of meat. So this is the famous Lady Ashford. The traitor's daughter. The pampered noble who got you all twisted up.
Raven, Thorne's voice carries a warning. Why are you here?
Maybe I'm here to help. She pushes off the tree, walking closer. Or maybe I'm here to collect the bounty your dear Marcus just put on both your heads. Fifty thousand gold crowns for the Executioner. Twenty thousand for the girl.
My blood runs cold. Bounty?
Oh yes. Raven's smile widens. As of one hour ago, you're both wanted dead by every assassin, mercenary, and desperate criminal in the kingdom. Marcus is spreading the word as we speak.
Thorne's jaw clenches. If you're here for the bounty
Relax. Raven waves a hand. If I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead. I'm here because we need to talk. About your little war against the conspiracy.
She looks between us, her expression unreadable.
Because I know things you don't. About your father, Lady Celestia. About what he's really planning. About why he wants you both dead so badly.
My heart pounds. What things?
Raven's smile turns cold.
Let's just say your father's treason goes deeper than you think. And the person pulling his strings? She pauses for effect. Let's just say it's someone very close to the throne. Someone you'd never suspect.
Who? Thorne demands.
But Raven is already backing into the shadows.
Meet me at the Broken Crown tavern tomorrow at sunset. Come alone—both of you. I'll tell you everything then. Her voice fades as she disappears into the darkness. And Thorne? Watch your back. Not everyone who claims to be on your side actually is.
Then she's gone. Like she was never there.
I turn to Thorne, my mind reeling. Can we trust her?
His expression is grim. Raven's the most dangerous person I know. She's a killer, a spy, and completely unpredictable.
That's not an answer.
I know. He starts walking again, his hand tight on his sword. That's the problem.