ELARA POV
Three days until war.
The words echo in my head as Cassian carries me through his fortress. I'm too exhausted to walk, too numb to protest being carried like a child.
Everyone stares at us. Soldiers. Servants. Guards. Their eyes follow me with curiosity and something else—pity?
"Put me down," I mumble against his shoulder.
"You'll collapse."
"I don't care."
He sets me on my feet anyway. My legs wobble but hold. Barely.
We're in a great hall. Stone walls, weapons mounted everywhere, a massive fireplace crackling with heat. It's nothing like the palace's cold marble and gold.
A woman rushes forward—older, kind-faced, wrapped in furs. "Oh, you poor dear. You're frozen solid." She glares at Cassian. "You dragged her through the Blackwater? In winter?"
"The King's men didn't leave me much choice, Marta."
"Men and their wars." Marta pulls me toward the fire. "Come, child. Let's get you warm and fed before you catch death."
I let her fuss over me because I'm too tired to argue. She wraps me in a thick blanket and shoves a bowl of hot soup into my hands. I didn't realize how hungry I was until the first bite.
Cassian stands across the room, speaking in low tones with his soldiers. His face is hard, calculating. Planning for war.
Because of me.
Guilt churns in my stomach. "This is my fault," I whisper.
"Nonsense," Marta says, settling beside me. "This war's been brewing for twenty-five years. You're just the spark that lit it."
"What happened twenty-five years ago? Everyone keeps mentioning it, but no one explains."
Marta's expression darkens. "The Purge. King Aldric murdered entire families in a single night. Men, women, children—didn't matter. If you had magic in your blood, you died."
My hand unconsciously touches the leather band on my wrist. It's still warm.
"Why would he do that?"
"Power. Greed. Fear." She leans closer. "The Starborn families had magic older than the kingdom itself. The King wanted that power for himself, so he took it. Stole it right from their dying bodies."
I feel sick. "That's evil."
"That's Aldric." Marta pats my hand. "But you're safe here, child. The Commander doesn't let evil cross his threshold."
I look at Cassian across the room. He's terrifying—all scars and sharp edges and controlled violence. But he pulled me from the river. He could have let me drown.
"Why did he marry me?" I ask quietly. "He could have any woman in the kingdom."
Marta's eyes soften with something like sadness. "That's not my story to tell. But I will say this—Cassian Blackthorn has never done anything without a reason. If he married you, it's because you're important."
Important. Me. A servant girl who scrubbed floors and stole bread.
The absurdity makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time.
Cassian breaks away from his men and walks toward us. Each step is purposeful, predatory. A wolf approaching prey.
"Marta, give us the room."
"She needs rest—"
"Now."
Marta squeezes my shoulder once, then leaves. The soldiers file out after her. The massive doors boom shut.
I'm alone with my husband. The word feels foreign in my mind.
Cassian pulls a chair close and sits, studying me with those cold gray eyes. "You're handling this better than I expected."
"I'm terrified," I admit. "I just don't have energy left to show it."
"Good. Fear makes you careful. Careful keeps you alive."
"Is that what you want? Me alive?"
"For now."
His honesty is brutal, but somehow I prefer it to pretty lies.
"The King's ambassador," I say. "He wants me back."
"He wants you dead. Returning you just means he does it himself instead of making me do it."
I flinch. "And you won't?"
"Kill you?" Cassian leans back. "Only if you give me a reason. Are you planning to betray me?"
"I don't even know what I'm supposed to be betraying you for."
He almost smiles. Almost. "Fair point." He gestures to the band on my wrist. "That suppression cuff has kept your magic locked away your entire life. When I remove it, you'll awaken as Starborn. Your power will be—" he pauses, choosing words carefully, "—significant."
"You keep saying that like I should understand what it means."
"It means you'll be able to do things others can't. Move objects without touching them. Heal wounds. Create fire or ice or light. Your specific abilities depend on your bloodline."
Magic. Real magic. Not fairy tales or legends.
Terror and wonder war inside me.
"What if I can't control it?"
"That's what I'm for. I'll train you."
"Why? So I can be your weapon against the King?"
"Yes." No hesitation. No apology. "The King has stolen Starborn magic keeping him powerful. It takes Starborn magic to break those protections. You're the only one who can kill him."
My mouth goes dry. "You want me to commit murder."
"I want you to stop a tyrant who's murdered thousands. There's a difference."
"Is there?"
We stare at each other. His eyes are hard but not cruel. Determined but not heartless.
"You have three days to decide," he says finally. "When the King's army arrives, you choose—fight with me, or I send you back to him. Either way, this ends."
He stands to leave.
"Wait," I call out. "What happens if I fight and we lose?"
"We die. Probably slowly and painfully."
"And if we win?"
"Then you become the most powerful person in Valdrath. A queen in everything but name."
The weight of that crashes over me. Queen. Me. The girl who scrubbed blood from marble.
Cassian reaches the door, then pauses. "One more thing. When that band comes off, your appearance will change. Your hair will show white. Your eyes will turn violet. Everyone will know what you are."
"I'll be a target."
"You're already a target. At least this way, you'll have claws."
He leaves me alone by the fire.
I stare at the leather band, this prison I've worn all my life without knowing.
Three days.
Three days to decide if I want to be a weapon or a corpse.
Three days before everything changes.
I'm still staring at it when the door creaks open. A hooded figure slips inside, moving with practiced stealth.
"Don't scream," a male voice whispers. "I'm here to help you."
He pulls back his hood.
I gasp.
It's Lord Maddox Greystone—one of the King's most trusted advisors. I've seen him at the palace hundreds of times.
"What are you doing here?" I hiss.
His eyes fill with tears. "Oh, Elara. You look so much like your mother."
My heart stops.
"What?"
"I knew her. Loved her. Before the King murdered her during the Purge." He steps closer, urgent. "Your mother was Princess Aria Starcrown. Which makes you—"
"No." I back away. "No, that's impossible."
"It's the truth. I'm the one who saved you that night. I'm the one who placed you in the palace as a servant to hide you." His voice cracks. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you, but it was safer if you didn't know."
My mind reels. Princess. Starcrown. The royal family the King slaughtered.
"Why tell me now?"
"Because Cassian is right—you're the only one who can stop Aldric. But you need to know the full truth before you make your choice." He grabs my hands. "The King didn't just steal Starborn magic. He's using it to stay alive. He's dying, Elara. And he thinks your blood—pure Starcrown blood—can save him."
Ice floods my veins.
"He won't just kill me. He'll—"
"Drain every drop of magic from your body to extend his own life. Yes." Maddox's grip tightens. "That's why you can never go back. That's why this war is inevitable."
The door slams open.
Cassian stands there, sword drawn, eyes blazing with fury.
"Get away from her," he snarls at Maddox.
"Wait—he's trying to help—"
"He's a spy." Cassian advances. "One of the King's men."
"I'm on your side!" Maddox insists. "I've been feeding information to the resistance for years!"
"Then why," Cassian's voice drops to deadly quiet, "did you just signal the King's location with that ring you're wearing?"
I look at Maddox's hand. A gold ring glows faintly green.
Maddox's face crumbles. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. He has my daughter. He said he'd kill her if I didn't—"
The window shatters.
Arrows flood the room.
Cassian tackles me to the floor as de
ath whistles overhead.
"Assassins!" someone screams outside.
The King's men found us.
And we're trapped.