Aire yanked the drawing room doors shut behind her harder than necessary.

The sound echoed sharply through the eastern corridor.

"That insufferable witch," she muttered beneath her breath again while walking away quickly.

Inside, Adele heard her, and simply shook her head.

Rain continued tapping softly against the high castle windows beside Aire. The corridor stretched long and dim beneath silver torchlight.

Aire exhaled through her nose.

Honestly, she did not know what frustrated her more.

The fact Adele spoke like every sentence carried hidden meaning or the fact Aire somehow kept understanding her anyway.

"You laugh more now."

Aire frowned to herself.

What kind of observation even was that?

Her fingers tightened around the sleeves of her gown while she walked faster through the corridor.

The castle remained unusually quiet this afternoon. Most warriors were likely still occupied around the eastern borders after the latest disappearances.

Aire barely noticed the approaching footsteps until she lifted her head absentmindedly around the next turn.

She froze.

Michelle stood several feet ahead.

The world inside Aire’s chest dropped instantly.

Michelle’s eyes widened the moment they met hers. For one terrible second, neither woman moved.

Aire felt the blood drain from her face so quickly it almost made her dizzy.

The corridor suddenly felt colder.

Michelle’s lips parted slightly. Her breathing caught almost inaudibly.

Aire looked at her properly for the first time since the dungeon. She haven’t set eyes on Mitchell since the betrayal.

The memory slammed into her violently all at once.

She remembered Michelle smiling softly, and saying to her, "Just show me how you do it."

Aire remebered the guards bursting into the room afterward. "CONTAIN HER!"

Aire’s stomach twisted painfully.

Her body reacted before her mind fully could. She turned immediately and began walking away.

She walked away so fasr, but refused to run. She couldn’t stand Mitchell. She moved fast enough that the hem of her gown shifted sharply around her legs.

Behind her, Michelle finally moved too. "Your Grace." She called softly.

Aire’s jaw tightened instantly. That sick fake soft voice. Like nothing had happened. Like Michelle had not stood there and watched wolves drag her underground.

Aire kept walking.

"Your Grace," Michelle called again behind her, quicker this time as she followed.

Aire’s pulse began climbing immediately. The sound of Michelle’s footsteps behind her made something ugly crawl beneath her skin.

"Please wait."

Aire’s throat tightened. "No." she refused. Her voice came out sharper than intended.

Michelle still followed her. "Aire—"

"Do not call me that." Aure cut her off, almost venomous. She felt a slight change in the wind, and clenched her fist to calm herself.

Michelle fell silent for half a second before continuing after her anyway. "Aire, please. Just listen to me."

Aire laughed softly under her breath, but there was absolutely no humor inside it.

The corridor suddenly felt too narrow.

Her heartbeat became louder the longer Michelle’s footsteps stayed behind her. She doesn’t know why, but she got scared even if she shouldn’t. She doesn’t want to do something bad to Mitchell unintentionally.

"You should go away."

Michelle ignored that completely. "I didn’t have a choice." She defended herself.

Aire stopped so abruptly she nearly slipped against the polished floor. She turned around sharply.

Michelle halted several feet away.

Rain crackled harder outside now.

Aire stared at her.

Mitchell eyes carried dark shadows beneath them now. Her usually neat appearance looked slightly frayed around the edges.

Aire wanted her exhausted.

"You didn’t have a choice?" Aire repeated softly.

Michelle swallowed once. "I was trying to help you." She said with a friendly voice.

Aire blinked slowly. What was that tune for? Was everyone in this castle suddenly trying to manipulate her and throw her over a cliff all the time?

Aure chuckled, and the sound came out genuinely disbelieving.

"Help me?" she echoed.

Michelle stepped forward carefully. "You don’t understand what would have happened if they continued fearing your powers without seeing control first."

Aire’s eyes sharpened instantly. "So you trapped me?"

"No."

"You brought guards to my room." Aire pointed out, hoping Mitchell would stop trying to deny it, and defend herself.

Michelle shook her head quickly. "I brought witnesses."

Aire stared at her like she had finally gone insane. "You watched them chain me. That was what you wanted. I saw it."

Michelle’s expression tightened faintly. "Aire..."

Aire shook her head, betrayed, and needing no explanation. "You watched them drag me underground."

Her voice rose slightly that time.

Several servants further down the corridor immediately lowered their heads and disappeared around another turn.

Michelle took another careful step forward.

Aire immediately stepped back.

The movement visibly affected Michelle. "Aire."

"No." Aire shook her head sharply. "No, don’t stand there saying my name like we are still friends. Whereas, we were never friends." she corrected herself immediately. "I am Luna, and you are a mere ungrateful omega who I tried to help."

Michelle’s face paled slightly.

Aire could still remember the dungeon walls. She could remember Nate’s face outside the bars but Michelle had started all of it.

Aire’s breathing became uneven again. "You smiled at me."

Michelle went still. She looked around, noticing the change in the air around, and some objects that now rattled.

For some reasons, Aire powers weren’t as explosive as before. Mitchell wondered what was going on.

Did Aire secretly learn how to take control of her powers?

Aire’s eyes burned now, but she studied the winds, and steadied it, just as she had learnt with Xanden.

She wad too angry for the wind not to react.

"When the guards came into my room..." her voice cracked slightly despite herself. "You smiled at me. You had it all planned."

Michelle looked away briefly.

Aire turned around sharply again and started walking again. She walked on faster than the last time..

She heard Michelle follow immediately. "Aire, wait."

"Stop following me." Aire warned, her chest buring with fury.

"You need to hear me."

"I genuinely do not."

Michelle quickened her pace. "Aire."

Aire’s heartbeat thudded harder. Something about Michelle refusing to leave her alone suddenly felt deeply wrong.

The corridor ahead stretched toward the northern wing now.

Aire kept walking faster.

Michelle kept following. "Please."

Aire ignored her.

"You know I cared about you."