We had barely made it halfway down the mountain when the world stopped. At first, I thought it was my imagination. The mountain air had been cool when we left Ariella's sanctuary, carrying the smell of pine and damp earth. Gabriel was riding a few paces behind me, while Alexander and Liam led the group further ahead.
Then the birds stopped singing. I frowned. A leaf had been drifting down from a branch beside the road. I watched it fall. Except it didn't. It remained suspended in the air. I pulled on the reins. Gabriel's horse stopped behind me, but Gabriel didn't move. Neither did anyone else.
Alexander was several lengths ahead, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Liam had turned his head slightly, as though he had been about to say something. They were frozen. Not simply standing still. Frozen.
My stomach dropped. "Gabriel?" Nothing. I turned in the saddle. The reins felt strangely heavy in my hands. Even the horse beneath me had gone completely still.
No birds. No wind. No insects. Nothing. The silence was so complete that I could hear my own breathing. "Okay," I whispered. "This is definitely not normal."
I slid from the saddle. My boots touched the ground without making a sound. I looked around. Alexander was still frozen in place. I took one cautious step towards him. Then another. Nothing. My hand moved instinctively towards my sword. I wasn't sure what I expected to fight. Time itself? That would be a first. A soft laugh came from behind me. I spun around.
Ariella was standing in the middle of the road. She looked completely unaffected by the frozen world around us. My grip tightened around my sword. "Ariella?"
She smiled. "Relax."
"Relax?" I glanced towards Alexander. "Everyone has stopped moving."
"That was the intention," Ariella replied nonchalantly.
"You did this?"
"I did." She said it so casually that I stared at her.
"You froze time?"
"Only for a little while."
"A little while?" I pointed at the leaf still hanging in the air. "That leaf has been falling for about ten seconds."
Ariella glanced at it. "Then I suppose it can wait."
I stared at her. She laughed. I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or terrified. "Why did you do this?"
"Because I wanted to speak with you without Alexander listening."
That immediately put me on guard. My fingers tightened around the hilt. "If this is about Alexander—"
"It is."
My stomach sank. Of course it was. I took a step backwards. "Ariella, I think there's been a misunderstanding."
She raised an eyebrow. "I haven't said anything yet."
"I know, but—"
"If you're about to tell me that there's nothing between you and Alexander, you can save your breath."
I stopped.
She smiled. "You're not very good at lying."
"I wasn't lying."
"I can see that."
That somehow made me more uncomfortable.
Ariella walked towards me. I remained where I was. "I already know about Alexander's other relationships," she said.
My expression must have given me away because she continued before I could speak.
"Seraphina. You." She paused. "And whatever else he's been doing that I haven't been told about."
I swallowed. "You know about Seraphina?"
Ariella's expression remained calm. "Of course I do."
"And you're still with him?"
She tilted her head. "Why wouldn't I be?"
I opened my mouth. Then closed it. There were too many things I could say. Because he is lying to you. Because he lied to Seraphina. Because I know how this story ends. Because you and Seraphina are supposed to suffer because of him. Instead, I said, "I don't understand."
Ariella gave me a small smile. "You don't have to." She walked past me and sat on a fallen tree beside the road.
I remained standing.
She looked at me expectantly.
Eventually, I lowered my sword. "Fine. Talk."
"I wanted to know why you're travelling with Alexander."
"You already know."
"I know what he told me."
That answer caught my attention.
Ariella folded her hands in her lap. "I want to hear it from you."
I hesitated. How much could I tell her? She was one of the few people in this world who might actually understand what I was trying to do. But she was also Alexander's lover. And I knew something she didn't. I knew the story. I knew what happened to her. I knew what happened to Seraphina. That knowledge made it impossible for me to see her as a rival. I couldn't hate her. If anything, I felt sorry for her.
"Aetheron," I finally said.
Her expression sharpened. "The King of Monsters."
"I want to find him before Alexander does."
Ariella was quiet. "Why?"
"Because Alexander wants to kill him."
"And you don't?"
"No." I looked towards the frozen road. "I don't believe every magical creature is dangerous just because humans are afraid of them. Frostbane attacked us, but that doesn't mean every monster should be hunted down. And if Aetheron really is powerful enough to influence the creatures around him, killing him without understanding what's happening could make everything worse."
Ariella watched me carefully. "You're trying to save him."
"Yes."
"And the creatures?"
"Those too."
Her expression softened. "So that's your game."
I frowned. "My game?"
"You've been taking Alexander further away from Aetheron."
I looked at her. She smiled faintly. "The road to Braedon. The delay with the Astorian envoy. Everything you've done since leaving Evergrove."
I stared at her. "You've been paying attention."
"I'm a healer. Paying attention is part of the job."
Despite myself, I almost laughed. "So you've figured it out."
"I suspected." She leaned back slightly. "And now you've confirmed it."
I sighed. "Wonderful."
Ariella's smile faded. "You're putting yourself in danger."
"Quite."
"Alexander won't simply give up if he realises what you're doing."
"I've noticed that too."
For the first time, Ariella looked genuinely concerned. "He can be stubborn."
"Stubborn isn't the word I'd use." That earned a quiet laugh.
Then she became serious again. "If you reach Aetheron before him, what will you do?"
"I'll try to talk to him."
"And if he refuses?"
"Then I'll figure something else out."
Ariella studied me. "You really don't have a plan, do you?"
"I have several."
"None of which involve the possibility that things might go wrong."
"Those are the plans I haven't made yet."
She laughed again. I found myself smiling. Then the smile faded when Areilla spoke.
"But there's something you need to understand." Her voice had changed. No teasing now. No laughter.
"Alexander isn't going to stop because you've asked him to."
"Rather obvious, isn't it?"
"And if he discovers what you're doing, he'll try to take control of the situation." She gave me a look. "You're too relaxed."
I blinked. Then sighed. "Fine. I understand."
Ariella smiled. "Better."
For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then I remembered something. "You said you knew about Seraphina."
"I do."
"Does she know about you?"
Ariella's smile disappeared. "No." The answer was quiet.
I looked away. There it was. The part that bothered me most. Ariella wasn't the enemy. Seraphina wasn't the enemy. Neither woman was competing against the other. Alexander was the one moving between them, deciding what each woman was allowed to know. I felt something hard settle in my chest.
"She too trusts him," I said.
Ariella looked at me. "Yes."
I swallowed. "That's what worries me."
She didn't ask why. Perhaps she already understood. Instead, she reached out and rested a hand on my shoulder. "You should be careful, Elysia."
"I am."
"No." Her voice was gentle. "You're brave. That's different." I looked at her. She continued. "Don't mistake wanting to protect everyone for being invincible."
I let out a slow breath. "You're beginning to sound like Evelyn."
Ariella smiled. "Then perhaps you should listen to me."
I laughed softly. For the first time since arriving in this world, I felt as though I had found someone who understood what I was trying to do. Not completely. But enough. "Will you really help me?"
"Yes." She squeezed my shoulder. "I won't stand by while Alexander destroys the balance between humans and magical creatures."
I nodded. "Then we're on the same side."
"For now."
I raised an eyebrow. "For now?"
Ariella smiled. "You're still keeping secrets from me."
I froze. She laughed. "So am I."
That caught me off guard. "What are you hiding?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret."
"Fair."
Then the air shifted. For a second, I felt pressure against my ears before the sound crashed back into the world. Birdsong. Wind. Hooves. The rustle of leaves. Gabriel's horse shifted beneath him. Alexander's hand moved away from his sword. Liam continued whatever he had been doing before time stopped.
No one reacted. No one seemed to notice that anything had happened. I stood beside my horse, trying to look as though I hadn't just had a conversation with a woman who could apparently stop time whenever she felt like it.
Ariella was already walking back towards the sanctuary. She turned once. Our eyes met. She gave me a small nod. Then she disappeared among the trees. I mounted my horse.
Gabriel glanced at me. "Everything all right, Princess?"
I looked ahead. "Yes." It wasn't a lie. Not entirely.
Alexander turned his horse slightly. His eyes settled on me. "Ready?"
I nodded. "Ready."
We continued down the mountain. Alexander didn't know what had happened. He didn't know that Ariella had stopped time. He didn't know that she had offered to help me. And he certainly didn't know that I had just gained an ally. For the first time in a while, I felt a little less alone. I was beginning to think I might actually have a chance.
Ah.
I stopped. Not physically. Something else had stopped me. That voice. I hadn't heard it in a while. Mr. Narrator?
Good heavens. She remembers me.
I rolled my eyes.
I was beginning to wonder whether you had forgotten about me.
Believe me, I hadn't.
I'm touched.
Don't be.
I could almost hear his amusement.
So, let me understand this. You entered a story you thought you knew. You changed the story. You befriended the people you were supposed to distrust. You decided to save the villain. And now you've recruited one of the original heroines to help you.
I frowned. When you put it that way… I couldn't help smiling. Maybe I really am getting somewhere.
There was a pause. Then—Elysia.
Something about his tone made my smile disappear. Yes?
You really should stop celebrating before the chapter is over.
I stared ahead. Alexander was riding in front of me. Gabriel was behind. The road stretched down towards the valley. Everything looked normal. Too normal.
Why is that?
The narrator didn't answer immediately. Then I heard him laugh softly. Because you're still assuming you're the only one changing the story.
And then he was gone. I tightened my grip on the reins. For some reason, the mountain suddenly felt much colder than it had a moment ago.