Chapter 24

Rae

I remained in the room, staring at the door right in front of me. This room was quite different from the one that was set ablaze, despite that I still felt like I was trapped in a fiery shield.

The scent of smoke still lingered, and at some point, I stopped myself from breathing.

I thought to myself. Maybe it would all go away, maybe it would disappear. It hoped it would but when I stopped holding my breath it all returned.

My hands trembled slightly as I ran them over the tattered fabric of my dress. I hated this feeling radiating through me.

I hadn’t had a flashback like that in years.

The last time was back in my old pack, the night I stumbled upon a burning bush in the woods. The sight of the flames had triggered something in me and sent me spiraling back into memories I wanted to forget. I had thought I was past it, that I had buried those horrors deep enough that they couldn’t resurface.

But tonight proved me wrong. I guess people were right. You never truly heal.

I inhaled sharply, my thoughts shifting to Von and what he had said before he left. He had looked at me like he understood like he knew what it was like to be haunted by something beyond his control.

Or maybe I was just overthinking.

A loud cry shattered my thoughts.

I looked up just in time to see Anna rushing toward me. Her eyes were wide with fear, her hands shaking as she reached for me.

Without hesitation, she threw her arms around me, holding me tightly.

"You're alive," she breathed. "Thank the Moon Goddess, you're alive."

She pulled back, her hands immediately moving to check me over, searching for burns or injuries.

"I'm fine, Anna," I said, my voice hoarse.

She ignored me, and her hands kept moving over my body, and then she stopped staring into my eyes deeply.

I saw the concern in her eyes grow.

"You could have died, Rae!" she scolded, her eyes filling with tears. "Do you know how scared I was? I thought I was going to lose my first real friend forever."

A weak smile tugged at my lips. "Never in a million years."

Anna sniffled and gave me a playful glare. "You always have to be so dramatic, don’t you?"

"Wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t."

“I’m glad nothing happened to you!” She said with her hands squeezing mine.

“You would have been stuck with the queen of witches if something terrible had happened to me.” She smiled as I said those words although it wasn’t her usual bright smile that took over her face. This looked forced.

I squeezed her hands, flashing her a warm look. I wanted her to know that I was fine. That she didn’t have to be afraid. I didn’t know the words to say to make her realize this, but my warm smile and my tight grip seemed to change her demeanor a bit.

She let out a breath of relief and sat down beside me. For a moment, we just sat in silence, the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on us.

Then Anna spoke again.

"I don’t understand how the fire started," she murmured. "It feels so... strange."

I looked at her. "Strange how?"

She hesitated. "Like it was planned. The fire only spread to the king’s room. Nowhere else. It’s almost as if someone deliberately set it to target you."

Her words sent a chill down my spine.

Then it clicked.

Landon.

I remembered his voice from earlier, the way he had whispered into the phone about the plan. The way he had said Von would be dead soon.

I had assumed he was talking about something that would happen in the future. But what if this was it?

What if he had set the fire thinking Von was in there?

The realization settled in my chest like a rock.

It was high time I told Von the truth. Some hours ago, I wouldn’t mind keeping what I had discovered to myself but with the way things were going, it seemed Landon would wipe out anyone to kill Von.

Just like today, he would have ended my life. If Von hadn’t saved me.

As those words settled in my mind. It felt strange. The word Von and save didn’t go hand in hand. So, did compassion but Von had shown me compassion even though I had pushed him away.

He was still there.

I knew that guilty feelings would haunt me for the rest of my life. If he ends up dying. I just had to tell him.

"I have something important to do," I said, standing abruptly.

Anna frowned. "Where are you going?"

"To find Von."

She stood as well. "Rae, wait—"

But I was already out the door.

I moved quickly through the halls, my pulse pounding. If Landon had already made one attempt, there was no telling what he would try next. I needed to warn Von before it was too late.

I headed towards Von’s study but he was nowhere to be seen. Where could he have gone?

I didn’t spend my time dwelling on that thought and I reached out to one of the guards standing in the hallway.

“Have you seen Von?” I asked.

“The king was last seen at the courtyard!” The guard replied.

I mouthed a thank you then I headed in the direction of the courtyard.

As I neared the courtyard, I spotted Landon, but there was no sign of Von anywhere.

I noticed Landon was unaware of my presence, as he spoke into the phone in his hands.

I slowed my pace, pressing myself against the wall, listening.

"I don’t care that the fire didn’t finish the job," he hissed. "We’ll find another way. He won’t make it past tomorrow."

My breath hitched.

Landon really wasn’t giving up on killing Von.

I took a step closer, trying to hear more—but my foot hit something.

A statue.

It wobbled for a second before crashing to the ground with a loud, shattering sound.

Landon spun around, his eyes narrowing.

And then he saw me.