The forest was quiet, its usual symphony of rustling leaves and distant animal calls replaced by an uneasy stillness. Lyra moved carefully through the shadows, her every step deliberate as she slipped past the guards Cassian had stationed around her quarters.
Her heart pounded, a mixture of guilt and determination driving her forward. She needed to speak to Eryon—away from Cassian’s overbearing gaze.
She found him at the edge of the forest, his broad shoulders hunched as he leaned against a tree. His amber eyes stared into the distance, the light within them dimmed by exhaustion and grief.
The weight of Misery’s loss and the unknown fate of his daughter had carved deep lines into his face, and even his imposing figure seemed diminished.
“Eryon,” Lyra said softly, stepping into the moonlight.
He turned to her, his gaze heavy and unrelenting.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice low and rough. “Shouldn’t you be under Cassian’s watchful eye?”
“I needed to talk to you,” she said, ignoring his jab. She stepped closer, her silver eyes searching his face. “I couldn’t find out about your daughter,” she admitted, her voice trembling with guilt. “But Adrian cared about Misery. He’s not the enemy you think he is. He did everything to protect her and your child.”
Eryon stiffened, his jaw tightening as he straightened to his full height. His amber eyes burned with unrestrained fury, his grief morphing into something far more volatile.
“You think that matters to me?” he growled, his voice laced with bitterness. “You think it changes anything?”
“Eryon—” she began, but he cut her off.
“My daughter,” he said, his voice rising, “is at the King’s mercy, Lyra. The King’s! Do you understand what that means?” He took a step closer, his imposing figure looming over her. “She’s all I have left of Misery. All I have left of the only woman who ever mattered to me. And you think Adrian’s motives make a difference?”
Lyra flinched at his words but didn’t back down. “I’m not saying it makes a difference,” she said firmly. “I’m saying that we need him if we’re going to get her back.”
Eryon’s fists clenched at his sides, his body trembling with barely restrained anger. “Adrian is a liability,” he spat. “One I won’t tolerate when it comes to saving my daughter.”