The answer came sooner than I expected.
Not through investigation.
Not through politics.
Through a letter.
It arrived on a silver tray delivered by a silent servant.
No seal.
No signature.
Just parchment folded neatly.
I frowned.
Suspicious.
I dismissed the servant and unfolded the letter.
The handwriting was precise.
Cold.
Deliberate.
Lady Selene,
Your continued presence destabilizes the Eastern Council.
This is regrettable.
For the good of the East, you must leave.
— A friend
I stared at the words.
A threat disguised as advice.
Regrettable.
Good of the East.
Must leave.
I exhaled slowly.
So it was political.
Someone wanted me gone.
The assassination had failed.
Now they tried persuasion.
I crushed the letter in my hand.
No.
I would not be intimidated.
The door opened without warning.
Kael.
He stepped inside, eyes scanning the room.
"You received something."
Not a question.
I blinked.
"How did you—"
"Your servant spoke."
Of course.
He approached.
"Show me."
I hesitated.
Then handed him the crumpled letter.
He smoothed it out and read silently.
His expression darkened.
"Cowards."
The word carried weight.
I studied him.
"Do you recognize it?"
He looked up.
"No signature."
"But you suspect someone."
A pause.
"Yes."
Interesting.
"Who?"
His gaze hardened.
"That is not your concern."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Not my concern?"
He folded the letter and placed it on the table.
"No."
Frustration bubbled inside me.
I crossed my arms.
"This involves me."
He met my eyes.
"Which is why you must remain cautious."
Avoidance.
Typical.
I stepped closer.
"Tell me."
His jaw tightened.
"No."
Silence.
The mate bond stirred faintly.
A subtle pulse.
I ignored it.
"This is ridiculous," I said.
His expression remained neutral.
"Necessary."
I exhaled sharply.
"So I should simply wait for the next attempt on my life?"
His gaze flicked to the bandage on my arm.
"Until we identify the threat— yes."
I frowned.
"You act as if I am fragile."
He stiffened slightly.
"That is not what I said."
"But it is what you meant."
He hesitated.
Then spoke quietly.
"You are a target."
Truth.
I hated it.
"I can protect myself."
"Clearly."
The words stung.
I glared at him.
"That was unnecessary."
His eyes narrowed.
"It was factual."
Tension.
Familiar.
I took a breath.
"You saved me."
He blinked.
"What?"
"The night of the attack."
His expression tightened.
"Duty."
Again.
I wanted to argue.
To demand something more.
Anything more.
But he would not give it.
I stepped back.
"Fine."
His gaze lingered on me.
Then softened — just slightly.
"You should rest."
I scoffed.
"I am not fragile."
He studied me.
"Nor are you invincible."
Touché.
I frowned.
"I survived worse."
His eyes darkened.
"Did you?"
The question caught me off guard.
I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
He continued.
"The past does not guarantee the future."
There it was.
The unspoken meaning.
You died once.
It could happen again.
I straightened.
"I am not afraid."
Lie.
A small one.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
His expression shifted.
Not pity.
Not judgment.
Something quieter.
Understanding.
It unsettled me.
"Good," he said finally.
I blinked.
"That's it?"
He tilted his head.
"What more do you want?"
I hesitated.
I didn't know.
Truth?
Answers?
Something that made sense?
I swallowed.
"Nothing."
He nodded.
"Stay alert."
Then he left.
The door closed.
I exhaled slowly.
The letter still lay on the table.
A warning.
A threat.
Someone wanted me gone.
Political.
Strategic.
Dangerous.
I picked it up again.
The handwriting nagged at me.
Familiar.
Not in style.
In feeling.
Cold.
Calculated.
I studied the lines.
No signature.
But that didn't mean nothing.
People left traces.
Intent.
Tone.
Choices.
I read it again.
For the good of the East, you must leave.
Good of the East.
Interesting phrasing.
Not personal.
Political.
That narrowed possibilities.
The Eastern Council?
Likely.
My presence destabilized them.
The prophecy.
The Seer.
Public speculation.
A dead Lady Selene would end it.
Simple solution.
I frowned.
But the assassination attempt suggested something else.
If they wanted me dead, why send a letter?
Unless they were divided.
One faction favored violence.
Another preferred diplomacy.
Politics.
Always complexity.
I placed the letter down.
If the council was behind it—
Then I needed evidence.
Proof.
Accusations meant nothing without it.
I paced the room.
Think.
Who benefited from my removal?
Cassian?
Unlikely.
He preferred leverage.
A living Selene served his interests.
Kael?
No.
He protected me.
Reluctantly.
But he did.
The Eastern Council?
Most probable.
They controlled political narrative.
A dead noble solved problems.
Cold logic.
I stopped near the window.
Outside, the palace grounds shimmered in moonlight.
Peaceful.
Deceptive.
The mark on my back tingled faintly.
I touched it through the fabric of my gown.
Still there.
Still glowing.
The Moon Queen.
The prophecy.
I didn't understand it.
Not fully.
But others feared it.
Enough to kill.
Enough to threaten.
I exhaled.
Then made a decision.
I would not wait.
I would investigate.
Quietly.
Carefully.
If the council was involved—
I would find proof.
And when I did—
They would answer.
The palace bells chimed in the distance.
Night deepened.
Somewhere out there, the conspiracy continued.
But so did I.
I had returned from death.
I would not be erased.
Not again.