Chapter 175

Beyond the canvas walls of the command tent, the glow of flames flickered faintly.

A muffled cry broke the quiet. “Mm—ah…!”

Elise bit down hard on the back of her hand, stifling the sound that threatened to escape. The man with her was having none of it; he brushed her hand away with a sharp gesture and claimed her lips in a searing kiss.

Their mouths crushed together, breath mingling, noses bumping, tongues tangling in a kiss so hot it nearly burned. When Elise instinctively lifted her chin, his tongue plunged deeper, tasting her, teasing her. His hands roamed freely, each touch scorching like heated iron.

The sudden pressure deep within her had startled her awake not long ago. She had stirred, sluggish from sleep, only to meet a pair of blazing blue eyes watching her intently through the dark.

It was as though he had been waiting all that time for her to open her eyes. The instant she did, his mouth was on hers, clothes tugged hastily aside and stripped away.

He had lasted half a day, she realized. Barely. It must have taken every shred of willpower he possessed to hold himself back that long.

Her chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven rhythm. “Hah…” she gasped, breathless.

Warm air fanned across the swell of her chest, lingering there. He had always favored that part of her body—ever since the beginning, Rezette had been drawn to it like a moth to flame.

But his tastes seemed to have shifted. He no longer left deep, angry marks; no longer bit hard enough to bruise. Instead, he trailed kisses along her skin, teased with the tip of his tongue, and nipped gently without pain, as though savoring her.

Elise found she preferred this softer side. The earlier wildness—the biting, the bruising—had hurt more than she’d admitted. There had been a savage edge to him then that had unsettled her, no matter how much she loved him.

But now the flickering light outside was drawing nearer, and urgency edged her voice.

“Ah—wait… I think someone’s coming.”

Rezette did not answer. Instead, his lips sealed over hers once more, pressing a tender kiss to the very spot he had been worshipping.

Of course he knew. He had sensed the intruders long before she heard them—feet moving carefully on the packed earth, no more than ten men in total.

“Rezette,” she hissed softly, trying to push him back. “Stop—mmh—someone might come in!”

He made a low, displeased sound against her skin, tongue tracing a slow, stubborn line.

“They’re close—it could be my brother,” she whispered urgently. “Barnon might come in. Please, you need to hide—”

“Duke,” Rezette cut in.

“What?”

“Address him properly. Conrad, Duke of Argan. Do not call him by name.”

There was a tightness in his tone, an unspoken demand. With a reluctant sigh, he finally supported her back, lifting her upright.

His hands lingered, though, moving with deliberate slowness as he adjusted the gaping front of her clothing. Impatient, Elise swatted him away and fastened the buttons herself.

“This isn’t the time to be jealous,” she chided, grabbing her cloak. “The last thing we need is trouble at this hour.”

She slipped from the bed, only to hesitate. The heat lingering between her thighs made her flush crimson.

Rezette’s arms snaked around her from behind, palms pressing to her belly and thigh. His voice was low, intimate.

“You won’t let him inside, will you? Not when you and I were just…”

“Rezette!” she hissed, turning quickly to shush him. But the sight of his bare chest—still uncovered, still dangerously masculine—made her jump.

“Clothes. Put on your clothes!”

“Elise. Answer me.” His gaze pinned hers, calm and predatory. Will you allow another man into this space? The question burned there, silent but clear.

He dropped a kiss to her belly before she could react, arms firm around her waist. Elise, flustered, snatched up a blanket to cover his shoulders.

“Stay in here,” she ordered. “Do not come out. I’ll douse the fire.”

“I never said you should go out alone.”

“If you promise not to fight him—if you swear you won’t do what you did last time—I’ll let you come.”

He said nothing.

“I mean it,” she pressed, voice sharp. “Promise you won’t hurt him. I know what you did before, Rezette.”

At that, he finally let her go, though his hands flexed as if itching for action. He could hardly trust himself—his temper flared too easily, and this was no time to lose control in front of his wife and unborn child.

Elise gathered her courage and moved toward the tent’s entrance, but then paused and doubled back.

“Rezette.”

He raised a brow. “Yes?”

“May I tell the Duke that the allied forces are near? They need to know at the fortress to coordinate their movements.”

A smile ghosted across Rezette’s lips, softening his earlier irritation.

The sight of her coming back just to ask—it disarmed him completely.

“If I tell you something, Elise, it is yours already. Do as you wish.”

She beamed, relieved. “Thank you.”

With a graceful lift of the tent flap, she slipped outside, leaving him in the dim glow of the dying fire.

Rezette folded the blanket she had wrapped around him, straightened his shoulders, and rolled the tension from his neck with a quiet crack. Then, silent as a stalking cat, he crossed to the entrance and listened.

“Brother!”

Elise’s voice was hushed but filled with joy. Soon, figures emerged from the dark: Barnon Conrad and the knights of Argan, armor dulled by travel, faces grim.

“By the heavens—how many times must we search for you, Elise!” Barnon closed the distance in great strides, scanning her from head to toe.

“You’re safe,” he breathed, voice breaking. “Thank God. His Majesty was right.”

Two weeks of worry lined his face, eyes shadowed with exhaustion. He lowered his head, unable to hide his trembling.

“To find you alive here… I’m relieved beyond words. At least you—at least you are well.”

His hand swiped roughly at his eyes. The suffering etched into his features made Elise ache with guilt.

She wanted to invite him in, to comfort him, but she dared not. Her fingers tightened on the tent flap as though shielding a secret.

“How are the soldiers?” she asked instead. “There were many wounded. Were they treated?”

“This is not the time to worry about them,” Barnon snapped, though his voice shook. “Those who deserted will face judgment. They abandoned their lord, Elise. That cannot be forgiven.”

“They didn’t desert,” she insisted. “I sent them away. I ordered it. There were no attacks after.”

“This place is harsh, unsafe. And there’s a dark power near—”

“I’m fine,” she cut in, smiling faintly. “There’s food, water. Duke Bellator made sure of it.”

It was true: though the camp was rough, the Duke had gone out of his way to make the quarters livable for his young, pregnant granddaughter. Without his attention—and Rezette’s vigilant care—she could not have lasted these two weeks.

“None of this is anyone’s fault, Brother,” she said gently. “Please, don’t wear that face.”

For her, these days had been bittersweet: precious stolen time with Rezette amid looming war. But beyond this quiet, she knew storms had raged at the fortress.

“And Andrei?” she asked quietly.

Barnon bit his lip.

“Elise… can you still not see the circuits?”

“Circuits? Ah—no. How did you know?”

The threads of magic were still invisible to her. At first, she thought it was fatigue. But the days passed, and still, the circuits did not return.

“His Majesty guessed it,” Barnon said. “He thought you might be frustrated. But he said not to worry—the circuits will return soon. Three days, maybe five.”

Five days. It was almost the exact time the allied army would arrive—and the day Rezette would return to the front. Perfect timing for her to follow.

“Then I must go back to the fortress as soon as they return,” she said. “They will need me.”

“No.” Barnon’s voice was firm. “You won’t need to.”

“What do you mean?”

“His Majesty’s strength is returning,” Barnon said carefully. “Enough to stand in the coming battle himself. You have done more than enough, Elise.”

Her eyes widened. “Truly? He’s recovered?”

“He said so himself,” Barnon confirmed. “Soon, you’ll see him lead. You need not go back. Stay away from the fortress. When the time comes, go down into the valley. Hide.”

“Hide? Why would I—”

“You are with child,” Barnon said gently. “That is what matters now. Four months is not as long as you think. And this is no ordinary child.”

His gaze flickered, uneasy, and Elise sensed something unspoken.

Something is wrong, she thought, heart tightening.

She smiled anyway, but her mind was already racing.

If Andrei was well, why was she being told to stay away? Why, when the fortress was the safest place of all?

She would find out. She would return, and learn what secrets lay hidden behind those walls.