Aveline held back her sobs, though it took everything in her not to break.

Theron, for his part, held back the urge to go to her.

He did not have the courage to face her now, not when he knew he was the one hurting her. He should never have acted on impulse. He had treated her as though she belonged to him, as though he had the right to reach for her, to kiss her, to make her hope for something he had no right to promise.

And now she was the one bleeding inside from it.

There was nothing he could do except stand there and watch.

Aveline wiped at her eyes. Maybe she had brought this upon herself when she had asked to become his mistress. Maybe she had been foolish to let herself hope when he had never once told her he would marry her. He had never even pretended to offer her that future.

And in the end, she was the one who had been hurt.

She looked up at Hamilton and forced a smile, though it trembled at the edges. Hamilton stared back at her, clearly confused by the change in her expression.

"We can stay together if you eat this," she said softly. "Don’t you want to stay with me, Hamilton?"

Theron had a family. He had parents. He had a betrothed he was unwilling to let go of, because he loved her.

It would be foolish for Aveline to remain caught up in him.

She was an orphan. She should build a family of her own. Hamilton would be the first member of it.

The creature looked at her face, and whatever stress and heartbreak she was hiding behind that strained smile seemed to matter more to him than the suspicious pill in her hand. He nodded at once, as if he understood every word she had said.

Though he still eyed the pill with some hesitation, he opened his mouth and swallowed it.

Aveline’s fingers moved at once, gently patting his head. And little by little, the smile on her face turned more genuine, more natural, as Hamilton settled in front of her and wagged his tail.

"Good boy, Hamilton," she murmured.

Hamilton’s eyes widened again, and his tail wagged so hard it seemed like he might lift off the ground.

Then, after only a few seconds, his expression changed.

His eyes widened further. The lighthearted ease vanished from his face. He let out a small whimper, and Aveline’s heart jolted in alarm.

"Is something wrong, Hamilton? Are you hurting?" she asked, pulling him close.

Hamilton lowered his head, and Aveline immediately wrapped her arms around him, her own fear twisting sharply with concern.

"I’m here, Hamilton..." she whispered.

She turned to look for Theron, but he was gone.

Her throat tightened. She looked back at Hamilton just as another low sound rumbled from him, and then his body began to glow white. She stepped back.

The light brightened for a few moments, then slowly diminished.

And when it faded, Hamilton had changed.

He was smaller now. Much smaller. Not only that, but his skin had taken on beautiful colors, soft and bright and almost jeweled in the morning light.

"You look like a garden lizard, Hamilton!" Aveline exclaimed, laughing through the last traces of tears as she lifted him into her arms.

Hamilton, however, did not seem pleased with the change. He looked offended by how tiny he had become.

But then he looked up at her face, at the smile she was giving him now, and something in him settled. His little body relaxed in her hands. He bounced once in quiet delight, clearly content simply because she was happy.

"Now you can go anywhere with me," Aveline said. "See? You can even fit in my pocket."

That was enough to melt whatever resentment remained in him.

Hamilton curled in her hands, soothed at last, safe in the warmth of the person he had chosen.

"You’re so adorable," Aveline whispered, pressing a kiss to him.

Then, still holding him carefully, she glanced behind her.

Where was Theron?

She heard a rustle behind the trees and knew at once that it was not Theron.

"Shadow Spider?" she called.

Kael stepped out from behind the trees.

Aveline pressed her lips together. "Theron left?" she asked.

The tears she had forced back threatened to gather again, her chest tightening painfully. He had not even stayed long enough to say goodbye? Not even long enough to give her that much?

"How far is Eryndale?" she asked instead.

Theron had told her that magic only worked within Greenvale’s territory, which meant they were already across the border. Unlike many kingdoms, where the capital stood at the heart of the land, Greenvale’s capital lay at the edge of the forest, guarding the border instead of sitting safely behind it. The forest held secrets that had protected the city for centuries.

"It is a day away," Kael replied. "We could reach it by tonight on horseback. In a carriage, we would have to stop for the night and—"

"Then let us take the horse," Aveline said at once. She was tired of traveling slowly. She wanted to get there as soon as possible.

Kael blinked. "Can you ride a horse?"

His liege had instructed him to take her by carriage. He had also said to leave early, before anyone could connect her to him, for her safety. He was to introduce her as someone he had found in Aurelmont, a woman with magical potential whom he had decided to bring back with him. He had even asked Kael to sponsor her into The Crown Arcanum, the academy of magical studies.

Kael had not expected Theron to leave so abruptly, but he had. He had mounted his horse and ridden off to catch up with the other knights, leaving Kael alone with her.

And somehow, that felt more unnerving than being left with a hundred armed men.

Aveline looked at him and asked, almost casually, "Can we ride on the same horse?"

Kael went still.

That was not a request made lightly. Not by a woman like her, and certainly not to a man like him.

"Have breakfast first," he said, because he needed a moment to think.

"I am not hungry," Aveline said flatly.

For some reason, her stomach felt as heavy as her heart. Food held no appeal right now.

Kael stared at her, clearly hoping she would change her mind. She did not.

In the end, he had no choice. He didn’t want to hear her casually mentioning spiders to him.

He led his horse closer and helped her up.

She was light. So much lighter than he expected. Lighter than his nine-year-old niece, which made him wonder how a grown woman could carry herself with so much poise and still feel so slight in his arms.

Now he understood, perhaps, why his liege was so protective of her.

And then there was her scent.

Soft, warm, impossible to ignore.

For the first time in a long while, Kael found himself this close to a woman his own age, and the unexpected rush of feeling that rose inside him unsettled him more than he cared to admit. The only thing that kept him steady was the memory of his liege’s expression—the warning that seemed to follow him even here.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he felt it.

A shift.

Kael lifted a hand and formed a rune in one smooth motion. Almost immediately, the robin trailing them began to glow.

Without thinking, Kael pulled Aveline a little closer to him.

The Caelvaris family was watching.

The one who was watching from the other end realized their cover was blown, and the next moment, the robin disintegrated into sparkling dust.

Kael’s heart skipped a beat.

So... this was why his liege left her with him.

His liege is to marry a lady from the Caelvaris family, and they’d be curious about the woman arriving with them.

What will happen once they reach the capital?When they realize this is the woman of his liege’s heart... will they let her walk away unscathed?