There was a relentless authority in her words, an insistence so forceful and commanding that it finally made Circe recoil. She took a large step back, putting physical distance between them at last, as if space itself could shield her from what Dena was suggesting. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

To do what Dena implied would mean crossing the veil into the Heartwood Grove, accepting the mantle, and taking her mother’s place as the living center of the Liraelith. It was a possibility Circe had never allowed herself to imagine, an outcome she would never choose.

Dena’s gaze flickered first to the distance Circe had created, then to the horror plainly written across her face.

"Then our deal is off," Circe said, her voice trembling but resolute. "I will no longer help you wake your sister, and I want nothing more to do with you."

The corners of Dena’s lips turned downward, though she offered no reply. She did not need to. Circe could feel it in the charged silence between them that this was far from over.

***

Raised voices echoed from behind the closed door. But when Elka crept closer and pressed her palm against the cool, polished wood, she realized that what she had first taken for multiple voices was, in fact, only one. She recognized it instantly. How could she not, when that same voice had haunted her every waking thought.

Two people were inside the room where she and Nheera had spoken on the day of the wedding. Yet only her father was shouting. His voice carried a raw edge of fury and frustration, while the queen, whom he confronted, remained perfectly composed, her words never rising far above their usual measured cadence.

"They killed Galen, and I saw them," Halric said, his voice shaking with rage. "They wore Rycoff’s crest. What more evidence do you need?"

Her father had never been easy to reason with when anger consumed him. She knew that better than anyone.

"Rycoff is an important ally to our mission," the queen replied calmly. "Do you expect me to punish him without just cause?"

"He killed my son," Halric ground out, each word forced through clenched teeth.

Nheera did not match his intensity. She did not even attempt to. She maintained her composure, her tone level.

"With no one else to attest to your claims, it is simply your word against his. And your word"—she paused, ever so slightly—"has not been the most reliable since your loss. I could summon Rycoff for questioning..."

"That will not work," Halric interrupted. "He would only deny everything."

"Without a confession, there is very little we can do," Nheera said. "You are a valued friend, Halric, and an even stronger ally. But I will not jeopardize everything we have built for the sake of your predicament."

"He killed my son," Halric repeated, more agitated now, his voice thick with grief that had long since curdled into anger.

"I am sorry for your loss. It is truly unfortunate," Nheera said. The words were meant to offer comfort, but they sounded hollow—cold, rehearsed, and utterly devoid of feeling.

A tense silence followed. Elka barely dared to breathe as she remained by the door, listening.

Then her father broke the silence.

"I will avenge my son," Halric said, his voice firm. "I will make sure that Rycoff suffers for the crime he committed against my house, and I will do it whether you approve or not. I came seeking your help, but now I see that I have simply wasted my time."

Before another word could be spoken, the door was suddenly pushed open. Elka hastily stepped back to avoid being struck, her heart lurching as she realized how easily she might have been discovered standing there, listening to every word.

Halric paused only for a second when he spotted her. Rage was still etched deep into the lines of his face, hardening his features into something almost unrecognizable. It had been five days since Galen’s death.

In that time, the wound across Elka’s back had healed enough to leave behind thin pink scars, tender reminders of what she had endured. Yet her father had barely spoken a single word to her since then. Now he merely scowled, as if the mere sight of her further tested his patience, before brushing past her and storming down the corridor without another glance.

Elka watched him go in silence, her expression carefully blank, though her chest felt tight. After a long moment, she turned back and glanced into the room, only to find the queen already watching her.

"Come here, my dear," Nheera said.

Elka did not hesitate. Not wanting to risk angering her, she obeyed at once.

Crossing the threshold, she approached the queen and dropped into a deep, practiced bow. "Your Majesty."

She kept her head demurely lowered as Nheera regarded her with a strange expression, one tinged with suspicion.

Did she suspect Elka of deliberately eavesdropping?

"How much of that did you hear?" Nheera asked softly. The tone was gentle, but there was something undeniably dangerous coiled beneath the question.

Elka knew she had to tread very carefully if she intended to leave this situation unscathed. A blatant lie would only deepen the queen’s distrust but complete honesty would be just as foolish. She needed Nheera’s favor. Azul had made that much clear. If she could worm her way into the queen’s good graces, perhaps she might finally know safety for the first time in her life.

"Just enough to know how disrespectfully he spoke to you," Elka replied, lifting her gaze to meet Nheera’s eyes. "His manner was crass, and entirely unbecoming. He was seriously out of line."

"And what do you suggest I do?" Nheera asked. The question felt like a test.

"I believe he should be punished accordingly for his actions," Elka said without hesitation, forcing steadiness into her voice.

Nheera arched a brow, a hint of amusement flickering across her expression. "You suggest that I punish your father? That makes me question your loyalty to your family."

Elka straightened slightly. "Prince Hairan is my husband which makes this my family now." She made her voice firmer than it usually was, determined to drive the point home. "I am loyal to the crown and the royal family above all else and that will never change."

Nheera studied her for a moment longer, then she gave a small, satisfied nod. It was exactly what she had wanted to hear.