Chapter 50 – The Weight of Survival

The fire crackled softly, its warmth doing little to soothe the storm still raging inside Seraphina. She stood frozen, staring at Adrian, drinking in the sight of him—soaked, bleeding, but alive. Relief clawed at her chest, but she forced herself to remain still, to keep her expression composed, even as her body screamed at her to close the distance between them again.

Adrian let out a slow breath, his stance loosening now that the adrenaline was fading. He reached up, undoing the clasp of his drenched cloak, and let it fall to the stone floor with a heavy thud.

Seraphina's gaze snapped to the shallow gash along his arm, a fresh wave of anger rising to the surface. "You're injured."

Adrian huffed, a shadow of his usual smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "I've had worse."

Seraphina wasn't amused. She spun on her heel, striding toward a side table where a servant had placed a basin of water and clean cloths. The fact that the servants had anticipated the need for medical supplies made her stomach tighten further. They had expected him to return wounded—if he returned at all.

She turned back, cloth in hand. "Sit."

Adrian raised a brow but complied, sinking into the nearest chair with an air of amusement. "You do enjoy giving orders, don't you?"

Seraphina kneeled beside him, dipping the cloth into the warm water before pressing it gently against the wound. "Only when you refuse to use common sense," she muttered.

He winced slightly but didn't pull away. Instead, he watched her, his sharp gaze softened by exhaustion.

"I knew what I was doing," he murmured.

Seraphina scoffed, wringing out the cloth. "Did you? Facing Laurent's men alone in the dead of night, injured and outnumbered?"

Adrian tilted his head slightly, studying her. "You're worried about me."

She froze, just for a heartbeat. Then, with deliberate care, she resumed tending to his wound. "You are infuriatingly reckless," she said, avoiding his gaze.

Adrian's smirk softened into something else. Something unreadable. "And you are stubbornly protective."

Seraphina tied off the bandage with more force than necessary, making Adrian grunt. "Hold still," she muttered, though the warmth of his skin beneath her fingertips unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The firelight flickered between them, casting shadows on the stone walls.

Then, Adrian reached out, his fingers brushing against hers.

Seraphina hesitated. But only for a moment.

She let him hold her hand.

"We got away," he murmured. "That's what matters."

Her throat tightened. She should let go, should step away before the moment stretched too long. But she didn't. Instead, she nodded, barely a movement, barely an admission.

For now, that was enough.

Edric's Whereabouts

The heavy door creaked open, and Edric strode inside, shaking the rain from his cloak. He looked as battle-worn as Adrian, his sharp golden eyes scanning the room before settling on Seraphina.

"Took longer than expected to shake the last of Laurent's hounds," he said, tossing his bow onto the table. "Persistent bastards."

Seraphina exhaled, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "Any casualties?"

"None on our side," Edric replied, pulling off his damp gloves. "I doubled back to ensure we weren't followed. If Laurent had more men waiting beyond the woods, they never made it to us."

Seraphina nodded, satisfied. "Good."

Edric's gaze flickered between her and Adrian, a knowing glint in his eye. "You two look cozy."

Adrian snorted. "She was just lecturing me."

Edric smirked. "Sounds about right."

Seraphina shot Edric a pointed glare before turning back to Adrian. "Now that you've been thoroughly scolded, we have work to do."

The Next Move

The three of them gathered around the heavy oak table, the firelight casting flickering shadows across the open ledger. The pages were damp, the ink smudged in places, but the damning evidence was still clear. Every name, every bribe, every treasonous act committed under Laurent's orders lay bare before them.

"This is enough to ruin him," Adrian murmured, trailing his fingers over the entries.

Seraphina crossed her arms. "More than ruin. This could unravel everything he's built—his network of corruption, his alliances, his power."

Edric leaned over, scanning the names. "And paint targets on our backs."

Seraphina glanced at him. "Laurent already wants us dead."

Edric nodded. "True. But if we use this wrong, he'll turn the tables before we have a chance to act. He has the crown's favor. He'll claim forgery, treason—anything to silence us."

Seraphina clenched her jaw. Edric was right. The ledger was a weapon, but only if wielded correctly. If Laurent suspected they had it, he would strike first. And he wouldn't miss.

Adrian leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "We need allies. People in power who will stand against him once we bring this forward."

Seraphina exhaled. "And we need to keep the ledger safe. If Laurent gets his hands on it, we're as good as dead."

Edric rubbed his jaw. "Do we have anyone we can trust?"

A silence stretched between them. Trust was a dangerous thing.

Adrian finally spoke. "There's someone."

Both Seraphina and Edric turned toward him.

Adrian's gaze was distant, calculating. "Duke Halvar."

Seraphina's brow furrowed. "The king's military strategist?"

Adrian nodded. "He despises Laurent. If we can get this to him, he'll know what to do."

Edric drummed his fingers against the table. "And if he betrays us?"

Adrian's expression darkened. "Then we'll make sure we have a contingency plan."

The Storm to Come

The fire burned low as the weight of their plan settled between them. The ledger sat between them like a silent promise—of justice, of revenge, of war.

Seraphina ran a hand through her damp hair. "Laurent will realize it's missing soon."

Adrian nodded. "And when he does, he'll come for us."

Edric smirked, resting his hand on his sword hilt. "Let him try."

But even as he spoke, the wind outside howled against the stone walls, as if warning them of the storm that was about to break.