Chapter 20

KAI

I paced outside Maria’s door, my mind racing. I couldn’t remember the last time I had come to her room—usually, I’d just call for her to come to me. But today was different. Today, I didn’t have the answers. I needed help. I needed advice, and Maria was the only one I could think of who might actually know what to do.

I took a deep breath and knocked. A moment later, the door creaked open, and there she was—my younger sister, with her long black hair tied back in a messy bun and that faint scar running along her cheek, a reminder of one of her horse training sessions that had gone wrong years ago.

“Kai?” She blinked in surprise, her eyes widening slightly. “What are you doing here? You never come to my room.”

I gave her a tight smile, trying to keep my nerves in check. “Yeah… I figured it was about time I broke that habit.”

Maria raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Well, come on in. You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”

She stepped aside, allowing me to enter. Her ro