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In that moment, I wanted so badly to reach for her through our bond, to ease her mind, to tell her she didn’t need to be afraid. Though our bond had loosened, Starvos still kept the tether between us sealed. It was a door that wouldn’t budge, but you could feel the air slipping through its cracks. I settled for brushing my thumb along the back of her hand, hoping the gesture would say enough. “It’ll be alright,” I murmured to her, voice low and calm. “Like they said… I can hold my own. You don’t have to worry about me.” Turning to Bomani, a smile tugged at my lips. “I hope you’ll join me and my father.”

“Of course,” he said, his voice deep and grounding.

“Excellent,” Kleitos beamed, slapping his large hand across Bomani’s bare back with a thud. “We’ll leave in an hour. It’s still the middle of the night. Dawn’s a few hours off. We can reach the city by morning, find an inn to lie low in for the day, then move again once night falls.”

Valentina’s eyes flickered between the three of us as if watching strangers casually plan a war. “And why didn’t you say my name?” she asked, brow raised, voice deceptively calm. There was no innocence in her gaze, just a question aimed directly at me.

Not letting her tone sway my decision, I answered, “Because you’re not coming.”

If looks could kill, I would’ve been buried six feet under. Her eyes sharpened into daggers, and those deceptively delicate nails bit into the back of my hand like tiny razors. “What did you just say?” she asked, her voice low and deadly. Yanking against her force, I tried to escape. Valentina kept it locked in her grip, unwavering.

“I said… you’re not going.” This time, it was slower, firmer, but it didn’t help.

There was a quiet hurt behind her eyes from my words, but she didn’t dare let me hear it. “I can protect you. Why don’t you want me there?” Her tone wasn’t pleading; it was cold and even. “You can’t just leave me here, sitting around like some damsel waiting for her prince to come back.”

Looking to Lord Draco, I hoped he’d throw me a lifeline. Reasoning with her was pointless. Hell, I could barely keep her out of my bed; how was I supposed to keep her out of a city on fire?

Draco’s brows lifted with a hint of amusement before settling into something sterner. He cleared his throat, and Valentina’s attention turned to him. “I also don’t want you to go,” he said plainly. “It’s dangerous. You know what fire does to us. I don’t want you anywhere near that. It will be easier for Alexander to stay focused with his father and Bomani at his side. I’d rather not have you be a distraction.” His gaze met hers, solid and unflinching.

“It doesn’t matter; I will not be a distraction. He can’t do this alone,” she said flatly, her eyes flicking between the two of us like we were the foolish ones. Lord Draco and I shared matching expressions of frustration. She was getting under my skin with that sharp tongue of hers, but I forced myself to stay composed.

“Need I remind you of your last visit? The massacre in the Night District?” Lord Draco’s voice dropped lower, but the steel in it remained. “Your mate and I agree. You are to remain here. That is final.” Then, without even a flicker of hesitation, his eyes slid to Arianna. “I suspect that’s also why Alexander didn’t invite her either.”

Arianna raised her hands with exaggerated innocence, as we’d just dragged her into a bar brawl she hadn’t ordered drinks for. “Do not bring up my name,” she muttered.

Valentina, on the other hand, was fuming beside me. Her nails dug even deeper into the soft flesh of my hand, and every time I tried to gently pull away, she latched harder. Like her fingers were both punishment and warning.

With a pleading grin on my lips, I leaned in enough to brush my words against her ear. “So… it’s settled then?” My tone was syrupy sweet, but we both knew I was tempting fate.

Without warning, she stood, ripping her hand from mine. Those claws she called fingernails raked across the back of my palm, slicing a shallow trail of blood over my knuckles like a parting gift. I had to blink away the pain as her flowy dress whipped dramatically across my face as she stormed from the room.

“Fuck,” I muttered, clutching my hand to my chest as the door slammed shut behind her. The others sat in a moment of quiet awe before the chuckles started, small at first, then spreading like fire through dry grass. Apparently, my pain was everyone’s entertainment.

Glancing down to admire the wound, I noticed it had already started sealing up. My newfound rejuvenation worked faster than my pride ever could. I deserved it. Mostly. I could have been more sensitive in my delivery, but honestly, she wasn’t understanding the gravity.

Standing, I was half-prepared to chase after her and apologize, but Arianna rose first, shaking her head with a knowing smile and a breath of laughter in her throat. “Oh, I think you’ll only piss her off more,” she said.

Pausing, I let out a sigh of surrender. “Yeah… please go check on her for me.”

Arianna gave a sarcastic salute before gliding out the door, leaving behind a room still crackling with the aftershocks of Valentina’s exit. Once both women had left the room, the four of us sat in silence for only a beat before breaking into another round of laughter I wasn't laughing at how dramatic she'd been. It was just impossible to win against Valentina once she'd made up her mind.

After the laughter faded, we each returned to our chambers to gather clothes and supplies for the trip. We didn’t want to be seen buying blood in the main square, so Lord Draco sent Elaine to the kitchens to retrieve a few weeks' worth of blood for the journey..

I could only hope it wouldn’t take that long. Being away from Valentina for even a day sent a dull ache through my chest. I hadn’t spent a night apart from her since a week before my birthday. Nearly a month of her presence, every hour, every breath. The idea of that being severed, even briefly, felt unbearable. If I were being honest with myself… the reason I didn’t want her to come was that I didn’t want her to witness what might have to be done. I wanted the burden that lay ahead to be mine alone.

As I finished packing the old backpack Valentina had brought with us from the human realm. The sight of it made me smile, thinking back to the memory of asking her how our clothes would stay dry if we were pulled under by mermaids. Both our outfits were still stuffed inside, crumpled into a soggy, wrinkled mess. The sharp scent of lake water and faint mold clung to the fabric. I tossed the clothes onto the sofa for Elaine to collect. I wasn’t letting those go, not ever.

Slugging the thin plastic straps over both shoulders, I adjusted the weight of the bag against my back. I half expected Valentina to burst through the door mid-pack, like she always did. But the door stayed still. Closed. Silent.

I sighed.

Three untouched blood bags still sat in the heated cart from earlier. I picked them up and tucked them into the inner pocket of my cloak, letting the warmth settle close to my chest. Then, without another glance, I stepped out and made my way toward the rear gardens, alone.

I glided through the halls with ease, following the same route Valentina had shown us before. Through the servants’ quarters, there were more staff out than usual, but with my emblem tucked under my tunic, I felt more comfortable around the ones who roamed at night. They were friendlier than I expected. When I moved without sound or scent, no one stared or questioned it.

Two servant girls passed by with trays in hand, and I politely dipped my head, greeting them. Their eyes stayed down, unaffected by my presence entirely. In the weeks that I had been coming down, none of them gave me their names. Maybe they weren’t allowed to tell me? Some parts of me thought it could be a house rule about professionalism. Another part thought Lord Draco gave some silent order. I didn’t press them because I never gave them mine either.

Once down the hidden stairwell, the first level was nearly deserted. I speed through the remainder of the hall and pushed out into the back porch. Cutting straight across the garden, my boots crunched through snow, guided me toward the stables..