POV: Sebastian
Two days. That’s all Evangeline gave me.
Two days to find our son. Two days to outmaneuver a madman fueled by grief and black magic. Two days to save the kingdom and the woman I love more than my own life.
Failure is not an option.
I stand in the strategy chamber late into the night, staring at maps, runes, scattered reports—none of which give me the answers I need. My hands tremble slightly, something that hasn’t happened since I first wore a crown.
Marc. My little boy. Out there with Henry.
I press my palms flat against the table, force myself to breathe once, twice—then turn sharply when footsteps approach.
Rosemary enters first, her face tight but determined. Maximilian follows, jaw clenched, eyes heavy with worry.
“We’re ready to talk,” Rosemary says.
I nod. “Tell me everything.”
She glances at Maximilian before stepping closer. “There’s an underground labyrinth beneath the old archive at the edge of the capital. Hidden, unmarked on any royal plan. I found Henry there. And William.” Her voice hardens. “That’s where he’s keeping base. If he took Marc, he took him there.”
My pulse spikes. “How deep does it go?”
“Far,” she answers. “Twisting paths, rooms carved into stone, passages sealed with magic. I barely escaped when Henry caught me there.”
Maximilian steps forward. “If you’re going, I’m coming with you.”
I shake my head immediately. “No.”
His brows shoot up. “Sebastian—”
“I need you here,” I interrupt. “With Evangeline. With Adrian. With Georgina and the twins. If Henry planned a second strike, the palace must not be left defenseless.”
He moves closer, lowering his voice. “You’re asking me to sit back while you go after a sorcerer alone.”
“Yes.” The word comes out steady, unyielding. “Because I trust no one more than you to protect them.”
He exhales, frustration mixing with fear. “And what if you don’t come back?”
I meet his eyes. “Then you keep my family alive.”
Silence stretches between us until Maximilian finally nods. “Very well. I’ll guard the palace with my life.”
Rosemary crosses her arms. “And I will escort you to the labyrinth entrance. I know the path.”
“You’ll take me there,” I agree. “But after that, you follow Maximilian’s orders.”
Her head jerks up. “Absolutely not. I’m your knight. My place is by your side.”
“My place,” I say softly, “is to keep my people alive. Including you.”
Emotion flickers in her eyes, but she bows stiffly. “As you command.”
I look between them—my two most trusted allies—and feel something like hope flicker again. “Thank you. Both of you.”
Maximilian clears his throat. “Does Evangeline know you’re leaving tonight?”
I hesitate.
Rosemary raises a brow. “Sebastian…”
“I’m going to her now,” I murmur. “Before I go.”
They step aside, letting me pass.
***
Her chambers glow faintly with candlelight. I knock once, then open the door slowly.
Evangeline sits near the window, wrapped in a shawl, staring at the night sky as though it holds the answers to every fear she’s ever had. She doesn’t turn when I enter.
I close the door quietly behind me. “Evangeline.”
Her shoulders tense. “What is it?”
“I’m leaving tonight,” I say gently. “To bring Marc home.”
She rises sharply, eyes blazing with a mix of fear and fury. “You said you’d find a plan.”
“I have one. We know where Henry is hiding. I’m going.”
She steps forward. “Alone?”
“Yes.”
Her voice breaks. “Sebastian, no—”
“I have to,” I whisper. “If I take an army, Henry kills Marc before we reach him.”
She presses a hand to her mouth, trembling. “I can’t lose you.”
I walk toward her slowly, stopping just a breath away. “You won’t.”
She looks at me—really looks at me—and something inside me shatters. I see pain, guilt, love, and terror all tangled into one unbearable expression.
“I’m sorry,” I say quietly.
Her brows knit. “For what?”
“For everything you had to carry alone. For every moment I wasn’t there. For every time my duty felt heavier than my love for you. For Alexandro. For the kingdom. For the tears I didn’t wipe away. For the fears you fought without me.”
She blinks rapidly, tears welling. “Sebastian…”
“I should have protected our family better,” I whisper. “And I will fix this. I swear to you, I will fix this.”
She touches my face, fingertips trembling. “You can’t promise that.”
“No,” I admit, “but I can promise that I’ll fight until my last breath.”
Her lips part, trembling with emotion. “Sebastian… I’m scared.”
“So am I,” I breathe. “But I need you to know something before I leave.”
“What?” she whispers.
“I love you. More than the crown. More than the kingdom. More than life.”
A soft, broken sound escapes her as she pulls me into a desperate kiss.
It isn’t gentle. It isn’t calm. It’s raw—hungry with grief, longing, and fear. I kiss her back with everything inside me, my hands tangling in her hair, her arms clinging to my shoulders.
Her breath is uneven when we pull apart. “Bring him home,” she whispers against my lips.
“I will.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
She leans her forehead to mine. “Then go. Before I beg you not to.”
I swallow hard, caressing her cheek one last time. “I’ll return to you.”
I force myself to step back.
Her eyes stay locked on me, shining with love and dread.
“I love you,” she whispers.
“And I love you.”
I turn, open the door, and leave her chambers—heading into the night, into danger, into the unknown—to bring our son back home.