Chapter 49 – Shadows at Their Heels

The wind howled through the trees as Adrian and Seraphina rode hard into the night, their horses kicking up mud and leaves as they thundered through the countryside. The weight of the ledger pressed against Adrian's chest, bound tightly beneath his cloak, as if the inked secrets inside carried a physical burden.

Seraphina's heartbeat pounded in rhythm with her horse's hooves. Rain clung to her lashes, blurring her vision, but she didn't dare slow. The mission wasn't over yet. Laurent's men would never let them escape so easily—not with the truth they now carried.

And then she heard it.

The distant thunder of hooves.

She twisted in her saddle, eyes narrowing against the rain. Dark shapes emerged on the horizon, silhouettes against the dim glow of lanterns.

"They're gaining," she called, voice barely audible over the storm.

Adrian's jaw tightened. "We split at the bridge."

Seraphina snapped her head toward him. "Absolutely not."

"You take the woods," he ordered, his voice firm, unwavering. "I'll lead them south."

Seraphina clenched her teeth, torn between logic and the deep, gnawing instinct that told her leaving him was a mistake. The thought of him alone, hunted by Laurent's men, sent ice through her veins.

"You're mad if you think I'm letting you take that risk alone."

Adrian shot her a sharp look, rain dripping from his lashes. "We can't afford to be caught together. The ledger must make it back to the estate. I'll handle them."

Seraphina knew he was right. If they both fell, everything would be lost. But the idea of abandoning him made her stomach twist.

She exhaled sharply. "Fine. But if you die, I'll find a way to bring you back just to kill you myself."

A brief smirk flickered across Adrian's face. "Duly noted."

The bridge loomed ahead, slick with rain and half-rotted from neglect. The river beneath churned violently, swollen from the storm. At the last moment, Adrian veered left, his horse galloping down a narrow path toward the open fields.

Seraphina forced herself forward, wrenching the reins toward the dense forest. As she plunged into the trees, branches clawed at her cloak, shadows swallowing her whole.

But her heart was still out there with him.

---

The forest was suffocatingly dark, the canopy thick overhead. Seraphina kept her horse steady, her ears straining for any sound beyond the rain and the wind.

She had no illusions that she was safe.

Laurent's men weren't fools. They would have sent riders after both of them.

Her fingers tightened around the reins, her pulse quickening.

Then—

A branch snapped.

Her instincts screamed.

She barely had time to react before a figure lunged from the shadows.

She twisted in the saddle, her dagger flashing as steel met steel. A masked rider had flanked her, his sword arcing downward in a vicious strike. Seraphina ducked, using the momentum of her horse to shift aside just in time.

The man's sword sliced through empty air, and before he could recover, Seraphina drove her dagger into his side.

The rider let out a strangled gasp, slumping in his saddle before toppling to the forest floor.

But she wasn't alone.

Another horseman closed in, his spear poised to strike.

Seraphina yanked the reins sharply, making her horse rear. The spear missed by inches. The rider wheeled around for another pass—

And then an arrow sprouted from his throat.

He fell without a sound.

Seraphina's breath came in gasps as she scanned the trees. Who—?

A shadowed figure melted from the undergrowth, bow in hand.

Golden eyes caught the faint light.

Seraphina stiffened. "Edric?"

The former knight stepped forward, rain dripping from his hooded cloak. His lips curled into a crooked grin. "You always did have a talent for trouble."

Relief flooded her, but there was no time for pleasantries.

"Adrian's leading the rest away," she panted. "We need to get back to the estate."

Edric nodded. "Then let's move."

---

They rode hard through the forest, dodging low-hanging branches and slick patches of mud. The storm had turned the paths into treacherous rivers of earth, but Seraphina barely noticed.

Her mind was on Adrian.

He was still out there, alone, facing Laurent's men.

She had seen him fight. She knew his skill, his ruthlessness. But numbers were a dangerous thing. Even a predator could be overwhelmed.

And if something happened to him—

No.

She forced herself to push the thought aside. Adrian Valemont was too stubborn to die.

Still, doubt gnawed at her.

Edric must have noticed her tension. He rode up beside her, his voice low. "He'll be fine."

Seraphina shot him a glare. "You don't know that."

"I know Adrian." Edric's tone was confident. "He's survived worse."

Seraphina didn't answer. She only gripped the reins tighter and rode faster.

---

The Valemont estate was a looming silhouette against the stormy sky by the time they reached its gates. The moment they dismounted, Seraphina thrust the reins at a waiting stable hand and stormed toward the entrance, Edric close behind.

The great hall was warm, firelight flickering over the stone walls. But Seraphina felt none of it.

Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled the ledger from beneath her cloak, setting it down on the heavy oak table. The leather was worn, the pages damp from the rain, but the ink remained legible.

Every name. Every transaction. Every crime Laurent had committed.

This was it. The key to everything.

But none of it would matter if Adrian didn't return.

Seraphina paced, her mind refusing to rest. Minutes dragged into an hour. Every sound made her head snap toward the door.

Where was he?

Damn him.

And damn her heart for caring this much.

The storm outside had lessened, the wind no longer rattling the windows, but the tension in her chest had only grown heavier.

Then, at long last—

Footsteps.

The door swung open, and Adrian stepped inside, soaked and bleeding from a shallow cut along his arm.

Seraphina's breath hitched. Relief crashed into her so hard that she had to grip the edge of the table to keep from swaying.

He was here.

He was alive.

Their eyes met, and the air between them snapped tight.

She didn't think. Didn't hesitate.

She crossed the space between them in two strides, her hands fisting in the front of his cloak as she pulled him down into a kiss that was all heat, all fury, all unspoken desperation.

Adrian stiffened for only a moment before he responded in kind, his arms wrapping around her as he deepened the kiss, his lips moving against hers with a hunger that stole her breath.

She tasted rain and adrenaline and something unmistakably him.

It was reckless. Messy. Desperate.

And she didn't care.

When they finally pulled apart, their breaths mingling, Adrian's gaze was dark and unreadable.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, voice hoarse.

His lips quirked, a shadow of a smirk. "I've had worse."

Seraphina exhaled, pressing her forehead against his. "Don't do that again."

His hands tightened on her waist. "No promises."

Despite herself, she let out a breathless laugh.

The danger wasn't over. Laurent would retaliate. The fight for justice was only just beginning.

But for this moment, here in the dim glow of firelight, with Adrian's arms around her—

She allowed herself to feel safe.