Chapter 87
My eyes burned. It was morning and I haven’t slept.
Ink smudges painted my fingers and part of my wrist. The candle had burned to the stub, and still I hadn’t stopped repeating the phrases, copying the symbols Ada gave me like they held the key to everything. Maybe they did.
My hands ached. The brush I used was worn now, the bristles fraying. The papers around me were a mess of failed attempts, half- finished invocations, crooked lines and broken meanings. And still I kept going.
Because I needed to prove something.
To Harden
To myself.
I tried again. Slower this time. Ada’s voice echoed in my mind, feel the words, don’t just write them.
Lo. Breath.
Tec. Truth
Veri. Life.
It formed clean this time. Not perfect, but cleaner.
Then I moved on to the longer script Harden had given me to translate. The one I’d been repeating blindly since he handed it to me. A daily ritual, he called it.
Today, I finally understood enough pieces to begin reading.
And it made my blood boil
The king whose eyes burn like fallen stars, Whose strength tames beasts and men alike, Whose presence commands the cold North, To whom we owe our breath, our lives, our loyalty”
My face twisted. “Seriously?”
The entire second half of the chant was just praise.
“Oh Great Harden, voice of the wind and earth, protector of lost souls, light in the darkest snow-
I slammed the brush down. “Is this a prayer or a love letter?”
It was absurd. This was the magical key Harden insisted I learn. Ada had warned me it was emotional, but girl must be overreacting. Maybe she left my room to laugh after seeing this. Because this? This was just a glorified ego boost with so much stress. For what reason?
I leaned back and covered my face with my ink–stained hands, muttering, “If he thinks I’m going to chant this daily like a fan girl, he’s got another thing coming”
There was a knock on the door.
I sat up too fast, heart jolting.
I hadn’t expected anyone.
Quickly, I swept the papers into a pile, hiding the more offensive ones under a cloth just as the door creaked open.
*Still working?”
Harden’s vo
VOICE
I looked up to see him leaning against the doorway, dressed in a dark shirt open at raised a brow when he saw the ink on my face.
pen at the throat, the sleeves rolled. Casual. Dangerous. He
“Didn’t sleep again?”
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Chapter 87
“Nope. Thanks for asking.
He stepped inside without invitation, glancing over the chaos on the table. “Any progress?”
“Some. It was amazing to learn dear light of the North”
He reached out, pulling one of the eater papers toward him. His eyes scanned it
Then he smirked.
“Flattery gets you nowhere,”
I crossed my
y arms. Then maybe you shouldn’t make me write poems about your jawline”
He chuckled. “You translated it!”
“Half of it” I gestured toward the scroll he once handed me. “It’s basically an ode to your greatness.”
“Not my words. The spell predates me.
¡Convenient.”
His lips twitched. “Want to test what you’ve learned?”
1 blinked. “Now?”
“Now
He drew something from his coat–a small, flat stone etched with the same script I’d been practicing. He handed it to me.
“Channel it. Let’s see if your understanding has evolved.”
I swallowed and took the stone in both hands. It felt warm.
Heavy.
I closed my eyes and slowly began to trace the symbols in my mind, whispering the three base words like Ada taught me.
Lo.. Tec… Ver.
The stone pulsed. Just slightly. Like a heartbeat.
I opened my eyes Wait I did not have magic. Maybe it was my words?
“Again.” Harden said.
i repeated it. This time adding emotion. Breath, truth, life.
The symbols glowed faintly.
“Better,” he said, tone unreadable, “You’re not useless.”
“High praise from the king of the North, I muttered.
“Careful,” he warned. “You’re holding something volatile.”
I handed the stone back quickly.
He studied me for a moment. “You’re learning fast.”
I looked away. Thave to
He stepped closer, eyes glittering with mischief. “Why do you think I gave it to you?”
“Because you enjoy watching me suffer?” I muttered, narrowing my eyes at him.
His lips twitched. “Maybe. But mostly because I want to see if you’ll surprise me.”
“Unlikely,” I said flatly.
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1:10 PM
Chapter 87
He leaned in, one brow raised, voice a touch lower. “You’ve already surprised me, Elena”
Before I could ask what he meant, he winked.
Then, just like that, he turned and left, leaving the faint scent of smoke and steel in his wake.
1 stared after him, cheeks flushed. “Bloody animal,” I muttered, dragging a hand down my face.
Still grumbling, I started dressing, slipping into a dark skirt and a simple linen blouse. My fingers fumbled with the buttons. I was so annoyed I almost stabbed myself with the pin.
When I finally pulled the door open. I nearly ran straight into her.
“Oh great,” I sighed, stepping back. “Everyone seems
is to be visiting me today.”
Amira didn’t bother with pleasantries. She brushed past me into the room like she owned the place, her eyes scanning every surface,
“Don’t you want to be invited in first?” I asked.
She ignored me and started opening drawers, rifling through my folded clothes.
A cleared
I cleared my throat, arms crossed. “Excuse you?”
She didn’t look up. “Why was Harden here?”
“Is that your business now?” I asked, forcing my tone to stay zealm.
“Answer me.
“I didn’t realize you were his keeper.”
She spun toward me. “Don’t play games, Liana.”
“Why not? You seem to enjoy them.”
Amira stepped closer. “What did he say?”
I tilted my head. “Oh, now you want to know. What happened to being better th
“Don’t do this.”
than me, shouldn’t you ask him yourself?”
“No,” I snapped, “You don’t
burst in here and interrogate me. You’ve o done enough already.”
“You’re not being careful, she hissed
“And you’re being nosy”
Amira’s eyes narrowed. “Did you forget the mission?”
“I didn’t forget,” I said, stepping past her and pushing the drawer closed. “But you sure as hell seem to be rewriting it.”
“Why do you think I’m doing this?” she snapped,
“I have no idea, Amira,” I said, voice dry. “Maybe because you’re bored? Or maybe you just really enjoy seeing me flounder.”
She glared. “Tell me what happened. Now.”
I stared at her for a beat.
Then I smiled sweetly. “No.”
Her eyes blazed. “You-”
“Get out of my room”
“No! Not until you tell me what Harden was doing here!”
I placed my hand against my ear. “You don’t need to block my
eardrums with
your desperation.”
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Chapter 87
Amira scoffed. “Desperation? Really?”
I turned away from her, making a point of straightening the rumpled fabric on my cot. “If you’re this pressed about Harden visiting me. maybe you should ask him instead of throwing a tantrum in my room.”
She walked further in, a
arms crossed. “You think you’re clever, Elena. But you’re not. Whatever you think you’re doing, it won’t last.”
I turned to face her again, tone calm but firm, “Is that a warning?”
Amira smiled–tight, small, and sharp. “Secrets don’t stay hidden long here. Especially not with that little thing you’re doing.”
I blinked. “What are you talking about?”
Her gaze flicked to the table. My stomach dropped.
1 followed her line of sight.
The sheets of parchment. The scattered inkwell The symbols. Harden’s assignment.
And my ink–stained fingers, trembling slightly as I tucked them behind me too late.
She stepped closer, slow and smug. “You know… you’re bad at hiding things.”
I swallowed.
She leaned in, lowering her voice. “I know what he did.”
My pulse jumped
Her lips barely moved as she said it–then she spun and walked to the doo
- r. brushing imaginary dust from her sleeve.
The door clicked softly behind her, leaving me frozen, heart pounding and fingers still stained in ink.
Did she really know?
And if she did… what was she going to do about it?
宙
AD
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