The Clock Is Ticking

I didn't sleep that night.

Not because the bed was uncomfortable—though, yeah, the mattress was basically a rock—but because every time I closed my eyes, I saw the diary's pages burned into my mind.

Three days.

I had three days before history repeated itself.

No.

I wasn't going to let that happen.

I had to slow everything down. I had to drag out the days. The more time I had, the more chances I had to figure things out, to change the ending.

Because if I followed María Georgiana's footsteps, I would be dead by the end of the week.

And I was not planning on taking a swim in the Red River anytime soon.

Morning came too soon.

I barely had time to shove the diary under my pillow before the door creaked open, and Claire stepped in.

She was dressed impeccably, as usual—soft lavender silk, pearls, and her hair twisted into a perfect bun. But her face was tight with worry.

"Father wishes to see you," she said, her voice clipped.

Oh, great.

I plastered on my best obedient daughter face and followed her down the hall, my mind racing.

Think.

I needed to find a way to stall the escape. María Georgiana had planned to leave tomorrow night. That meant if I wanted to avoid disaster, I had to make sure that didn't happen.

But how?

Father was waiting in the study.

The second I stepped inside, the tension in the room hit me like a brick.

"María Georgiana," he said, his voice edged with steel. "I trust you have recovered from last night's… misstep."

Misstep.

Right. The misstep where I almost ran away with Noachus, got him arrested, and nearly shattered whatever fragile reputation this family had left.

I forced a polite smile. "Yes, Father. I deeply regret my behavior."

He narrowed his eyes. "Do you?"

I nodded quickly. "Of course. It was reckless and thoughtless, and I see now how wrong I was."

Lie.

A big, fat lie.

But I needed him to believe it.

For a long moment, he studied me, his blue eyes—my blue eyes—sharp and assessing. Then, finally, he exhaled.

"You will make amends," he said. "King Severinus will be expecting you at court tomorrow. You will go to him, and you will prove yourself worthy of being his queen."

Tomorrow.

The same night I was supposed to run away with Noachus.

My stomach twisted. I forced myself to nod. "Yes, Father."

I needed to get out of this room.

This is a history of failed escapes

Back in my chambers, I paced.

Okay. Think.

I had two problems.

First, Noachus was in jail, which meant there was no escape plan unless I got him out.

Second, the wedding was creeping closer.

And then there was Ambrielle.

Her words from last night still echoed in my head.

"I wanted to run away too, once."

"With Grey Ivor."

I hadn't had time to ask her more, but now? Now I needed answers.

I marched straight to her chambers and knocked.

She opened the door, eyebrows raised. "Sister?"

"We need to talk."

She sighed, stepping aside to let me in. "If this is about last night—"

"It is." I shut the door behind me. "Tell me everything."

She hesitated, looking me over like she was deciding how much to say.

Then, finally, she sat on the edge of her bed, hands clasped in her lap.

"I loved him," she admitted. "Grey Ivor. He was—he is—everything I wanted. But Father would never have allowed it. So we planned to leave. To disappear before my wedding could be arranged."

I leaned forward. "What happened?"

She gave a humorless laugh. "Father found out before we could even step beyond the gates."

I swallowed. "Did he—did he hurt Grey?"

Her jaw tightened. "No. But he made it very clear that if I tried again, there would be consequences. For both of us."

I exhaled.

So, history had already tried to repeat itself with Ambrielle. She had tried to run. She had failed.

Just like María Georgiana.

And just like I was about to.

Unless I did something different.

That night, when everyone had finally gone to bed, I pulled out María's diary again.

I flipped through the pages, searching for anything that might help.

Then, I found it. Her final words.

The last entry before she had tried to escape.

March 21st, 1880

"It is time."

"Claire will keep Father distracted while Noachus and I slip away. By sunrise, we will be free."

"I know the risks. I know what will happen if we are caught. But I must try. If I do not leave tonight, there will be no escape. The wedding will be my prison. And the river—"

"The river waits for me."

"I will not let it have me again."

I stared at the words.

I had one night before this happened.

One night before fate took over.

If I left tomorrow, I would be caught.

So what if I didn't leave?

What if I waited?

What if I changed the timeline completely?

I need a new plan.

A new plan formed in my mind.

I needed to make the days longer.

If I kept delaying, if I kept stalling, then maybe—just maybe—I could break the cycle.

I wouldn't run tomorrow.

I wouldn't follow María Georgiana's steps.

I would make my own path.

But that meant I had to do something drastic.

Something that would keep Noachus exactly where he was.

In jail.

A chill ran through me.

The thought of leaving him there felt wrong. But if I got him out now, wouldn't history repeat itself?

Wouldn't we just be running into the same trap?

I needed more time.

I needed to delay the inevitable.

I set the diary aside, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Noachus would hate me for this.

But if it meant saving both our lives…

I would let him stay in that cell.

For now.