Zara's POV
I'm going to vomit.
Dawn is minutes away, and I'm hiding behind a statue in the east garden, trying to breathe. Kaelen's note is crumpled in my pocket. My knives are strapped to my thighs. I don't know if I'm walking into a reunion or a trap.
What if this is a trick? What if he wants to capture me and trade me back to the Veil?
What if he blames me for my mother's death?
What if—
"You can come out now, Zara. I know you're there."
His voice cuts through the morning air—calm, gentle, nothing like I expected.
I step out from behind the statue, hand on my knife. Kaelen stands twenty feet away beside a fountain, wearing simple clothes instead of battle armor. Without the power and weapons, he looks younger. More vulnerable.
His storm-gray eyes lock onto mine, and his breath catches.
"It really is you," he whispers. "After all these years. You're alive."
I don't move. Don't speak. Every instinct screams that this is the moment—strike now while he's distracted, complete the mission, run.
But I can't. Because he's looking at me like I'm something precious. Something he thought he'd lost forever.
"You have her eyes," he says, voice rough with emotion. "Exactly like Elara's. I'd know them anywhere."
"Don't." The word comes out harsh. "Don't talk about her like you knew her."
"But I did know her." He takes a careful step closer, hands raised to show he's unarmed. "Your mother was my closest friend. She saved my life three times—once from poison, once from a curse, and once from my own stupidity when I tried to fight off fifty soldiers alone."
Despite everything, I almost smile. That sounds like something a battle mage would do.
"She made me your godfather when you were born," Kaelen continues. "Made me promise that if anything ever happened to her, I'd protect you. Keep you safe." His voice breaks. "I failed her. I failed you."
"The Architect said you let the Veil take me." I force the words out. "That you watched and did nothing."
Pain flashes across his face. "Is that what they told you?" He runs a hand through his silver hair. "Zara, I fought them. I killed three operatives trying to reach you. But there were too many, and I was already wounded. By the time I recovered, you were gone. Just... gone. And I've spent every day since trying to find you."
"Why?" I demand. "Why would you care about some kid you barely knew?"
"Because you weren't just some kid!" His voice rises, then he catches himself. Softer: "You were Elara's daughter. You were my goddaughter. You were family. And the Veil stole you."
Tears burn my eyes. I blink them away furiously. "The Veil raised me. Trained me. Made me useful."
"Made you a weapon," he says quietly. "That's what they do. Take children and break them until they forget they're human." He meets my eyes. "But you're not broken, Zara. You're here. You're standing in my garden instead of killing me in my sleep. That takes incredible strength."
How does he know I thought about killing him?
"I know why you're here," Kaelen says, answering my unspoken question. "The Architect sent you to assassinate me. That's what the Crimson Veil does—they find your weaknesses and exploit them. They knew if anyone could get close enough to kill me, it would be you."
"Because I'm immune to magic," I say flatly.
"No. Because I'd never hurt Elara's daughter. Even if she came here to end my life." He sits on the fountain's edge, suddenly looking exhausted. "I've been waiting for you. Hoping you'd come. Terrified you'd come. Both at once."
I don't understand. "You wanted me to try to kill you?"
"I wanted you to find me," he corrects. "I didn't care how. The moment I heard the Veil was sending someone after me, I knew it might be you. So I made sure you could infiltrate easily. Made sure you'd get hired. Made sure—"
"You set this up?" Anger floods through me. "This whole thing was a trap?"
"Not a trap. An invitation." He stands slowly. "I've been searching for you for twelve years, Zara. I wasn't going to waste the chance when you finally came to me."
This is too much. Too confusing. I pull out my knife. "Maybe I should just complete my mission. Kill you. Go back to the Veil."
"You could try." He doesn't move, doesn't defend himself. "But we both know you won't. Because you're here asking questions instead of putting a blade in my heart. Because you want the truth as badly as I want to give it to you."
He's right. I hate that he's right.
"What happened to my mother?" I whisper. "How did she die?"
Kaelen's face goes pale. "That's... a long story. And not one for a garden at dawn." He glances toward the fortress. "People will be waking soon. If anyone sees us together, if anyone realizes who you are, the Architect will know. They'll send everyone they have."
"So what do we do?"
"You stay," he says firmly. "You keep playing your role as Lira the servant. I'll keep pretending I don't know who you are. And tonight, after everyone sleeps, you come to my study. I'll tell you everything. About your mother. About the night you were taken. About why the Architect wants me dead."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pressed purple flower. The same kind I carry. "Because your mother gave me this the day before she died. She said, 'If anything happens to me, give this to Zara when she's old enough to understand.'" He holds it out to me. "She wanted you to know she loved you. That she chose to protect you, even if it cost her everything."
I take the flower with shaking hands. It's identical to mine. Proof that everything he's saying is real.
"Tonight," Kaelen says. "My study. Midnight. There's a passage behind the bookshelf—knock three times and I'll let you in."
"What if this is all a lie?" I ask. "What if you're working with the Architect?"
"Then you can kill me tonight and find out." He smiles sadly. "But I think you already know the truth, Zara. You've known since you walked through my gates. The Veil lied to you. About everything."
He's walking away when I call out, "Wait."
He turns.
"Why purple flowers?" I ask. "Why these specifically?"
His expression softens. "Because they were the first beautiful thing your mother saw after the war destroyed her village. She said they reminded her that even in darkness, beautiful things can still grow." He pauses. "She was right. You're proof of that."
Then he's gone, leaving me alone with two pressed flowers and a thousand questions.
I'm staring at the flowers when I hear a twig snap behind me.
I spin, knife ready.
Mira emerges from the shadows, her face tight with worry. "We have a problem."
"What kind of problem?"
"The Architect sent a message to the fortress this morning. Through official channels." She hands me a scroll. "It's addressed to Kaelen. A warning that a dangerous Veil operative escaped and might try to infiltrate his home. They're offering a reward for information leading to her capture."
My stomach drops. "They're trying to expose me."
"Worse." Mira's voice shakes. "They included a description. And a name."
She points to the scroll. There, in official script:
"WANTED: Zara, former Crimson Veil operative. Amber eyes, dark hair, age 18. Extremely dangerous. Approach with caution. Known aliases include: Lira Ashwood."
The world tilts.
They know I'm here. They know my cover identity. Which means someone in the Veil knew exactly where I'd go and how I'd infiltrate.
This wasn't my escape. This was their plan all along.
"It gets worse," Mira whispers. "Look at the signature."
I read the bottom of the scroll, and my blood turns to ice:
"Signed, Commander Sevrin, Acting Architect of the Crimson Veil."
Acting Architect.
"Where's the real Architect?" I breathe.
Mira's face is ashen. "That's what I came to tell you. Last night, someone broke into the Veil's fortress. The Architect is dead. Murdered in their sleep."
No. No, this can't be happening.
"And the Veil council," Mira continues, "has declared you the primary suspect."