The carriage disappeared down the road. Caelan came out of the servants' hall. His face was serious.
"Tell me what happened," he said.
"Marcus is different. He talked about charity like a business deal. He was close with Evelyne. Very close." Seraphina moved away from the window. "He pledged fifty thousand gold in public."
"What about the Phinia Ashara money?"
"Already transferred through your people. All the legal papers are filed. The profits are secure." She felt relief. "We don't need more meetings with Marcus. The business runs without him now."
Caelan nodded. "Even if he's compromised, he can't hurt what we already have."
"Right. And if Evelyne knows about Phinia..." Seraphina thought about it. "She hasn't used it against me yet. Maybe she doesn't know everything. Or maybe she's waiting."
"Emergency plans?"
"Ready. We prepare for the worst but keep moving forward." She stood straighter. "We don't hide. We grow stronger."
The next morning at Flamekeep, Ysandra Heartshade sat in the study. She looked at the contract papers with steady hands. The woman had survived bad times and rebuilt her life. Seraphina could see that strength.
"The bakery location is good," Seraphina said. She pushed the property papers across the desk. "Busy area in the merchant district. Lots of different customers."
"Perfect for what we need," Ysandra said. She read the lease terms. "Daily bread means regular contact with servants from noble houses. Cake orders let us hear about celebrations. Catering gets us into private events."
"How many people do you need?"
"Six to start. Counter staff who listen well. Delivery workers who notice things. A night baker for early morning intelligence." Ysandra's dark eyes were sharp. "People who understand that some things stay secret."
Seraphina liked that the woman spoke directly. No fancy words or dancing around the truth. "How long?"
"Two weeks for full operation. One week for basic service." Ysandra folded the contract. "I already know three good people. I've worked with them before. They know how to stay quiet."
"The pay is enough?"
"More than enough. These are people who haven't had many chances." Ysandra smiled slightly. "They'll remember who helped them."
After Ysandra left, Seraphina worked with Liora on communication systems. The growing network needed organization so information wouldn't get lost or confused.
"Intelligence gets hidden in bread packages," Liora explained. "Customers buy their daily bread, get their information tucked in the wrapping. Natural cover."
"Different types of bread for different intelligence?"
"White bread for daily gossip. Sweet rolls for verified intelligence. Special orders for urgent information." Liora pointed to the bakery location. "Ysandra coordinates everything from the shop. No suspicious meetings, no extra locations to compromise."
"Information types?"
"Three levels. Daily gossip goes through normal channels. Important intelligence needs two sources to confirm. Crisis information comes straight to you through Ysandra."
The system was solid. Safe without being complicated. Seraphina approved everything and was about to send Liora away when Yona appeared at the door.
"My lady, a letter from Lord Vessant." Her expression warned of trouble. "Marked urgent."
Seraphina's stomach tightened. She broke the seal. Alaric's writing filled the page.
Seraphina,
I can't sleep. Keep replaying words we never said, the silences between us. The estate echoes without your voice.
I'm half a mind to pack everything and ride to D'Lorien tonight. Stay there. Business can wait. I need my wife, not empty rooms and cold dinners.
This separation tears at me. Are you feeling it too? Or am I losing my mind alone here?
Your devoted husband,Alaric
The letter made her sick, but she kept her face calm as she read. When she finished, Caelan was watching her. His jaw was tight.
"Business letter?" he asked. His voice had an edge.
"Personal." She folded the letter carefully. "Alaric is expressing his feelings."
Through their bond, she felt his jealousy. Sharp and immediate. He tried to hide it, but she could feel everything.
"How personal?" The question came out careful, like he was trying not to care too much.
"Very." She looked at him, enjoying the way his jaw tightened. "He wants to come and stay where I am. Says he needs his wife."
"Over my dead body," Caelan muttered too fast, then caught himself. His face went carefully blank.
"Oh?" She raised a brow, enjoying his discomfort. "I'll tell him to pack a sword then."
Caelan's eyes flashed. "Seraphina."
She couldn't help smiling. The jealousy through their connection was almost endearing. Like a cat whose territory had been threatened. She'd never had someone care enough to be jealous before.
"I need to answer carefully." She turned to Yona, who was studying the papers on the desk with great concentration. Too much concentration. "Can you write a response? Something that sounds like a good wife."
"Of course, my lady." Yona's voice was perfectly steady, but Seraphina caught the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth. "What should I say?"
"That I would love his company, but D'Lorien business needs my attention. The charity gala is coming, and Marcus's donation will bring attention to the Vessant name." She paused, watching Caelan's reaction. He was trying very hard to look unaffected. "Tell him I miss him desperately and I'm counting the days until we can be together."
Caelan's carefully controlled expression cracked. He looked away, but she felt the hurt through their bond.
Seraphina couldn't help laughing. "Did you think I meant that?"
Relief flooded their connection so fast she felt dizzy. Caelan looked back at her, embarrassed.
"Maybe a little."
"The devoted wife act is just that. An act." She moved closer, letting him feel her real emotions through their bond. "You're the one I want. You're the one I think about. You're the one who makes me forget every careful plan."
His arms came around her before she finished speaking. The kiss was desperate and possessive. Through their connection, she felt his relief and hunger and absolute certainty that she was his.
When they pulled apart, both were breathing hard. Yona had left at some point, giving them privacy.
"I hate that you have to write to him," Caelan said against her forehead.
"I hate that he thinks I'm his." She touched the edge of his mask gently. "But we're working toward fixing that. Every day, every move we make."
"I know. Doesn't make it easier."
"Jealousy looks good on you," she said, smiling up at him. "Very possessive. Very attractive."
His smile was sharp. "Remember that when this is over and I don't have to share."
Two days later, urgent news arrived through the network. Ysandra brought it herself. Her face was serious as she spread maps on Seraphina's study desk.
"Demon attacks across the realm," she said without introduction. "My cousin works the grain routes from Celestine lands. Other places getting hit too, but nothing like what's happening there."
Seraphina looked at the marked spots. Her fire-scars burned so hot she almost dropped the map. "All old Celestine territory."
"Gets worse." Ysandra pointed to the camps. "They're not just raiding."
"Fortified positions," Caelan finished, studying the map. "Permanent expansion."
"Regular soldiers can't clear them," Ysandra added.
"Organized," Caelan said, his concern growing. "They're claiming land permanently." He met Seraphina's eyes. "And the crown may call me to lead campaigns elsewhere. We tackle Celestine immediately, or I'm gone when you need me."
"My awakening draws them," Seraphina said quietly. "But no formal control means-"
"No ancestral protections," Caelan said.
"They keep coming until the bloodline wards work again." The full meaning hit her. "Or until they own everything that used to be Celestine."
"Or the realm. We'll know more when we finish the trials, which is another immediate concern."
Ysandra watched their discussion with sharp attention. "How long before they've secured everything?"
"We have days to clear the demons from Celestine lands. Less than two months to finish the remaining trials." Seraphina's voice was grim. "They're not just threatening my heritage. They're threatening regional magical stability."
"So what's the solution?" Caelan asked, though his face suggested he already knew.
"We've discussed this before. Claim control. Bloodline rituals. Ancestral protections." She met his eyes. "We'll deal with the political consequences later. What's important is we save lives."
"The question is timing. And whether we can coordinate military support fast enough."
Ysandra gathered the maps efficiently. "When?"
"Soon. Very soon." Seraphina's fire-scars pulsed with urgency. "Before they can establish permanent positions. Before the charity gala makes our other problems worse."
Caelan was already moving toward the door. "I'll send messages to my military allies tonight. The dukes who fought demons with me at the eastern borders. They understand the threat and owe me favors." His voice carried grim determination. "We'll have an army ready within days."
"And the bloodline rituals?"
"The moment we clear the demons." Seraphina stood, decision made. "No more waiting. No more calculating perfect timing."
Everything was moving faster than she had planned. Revenge. Territory. Networks. Trials. All of it colliding at once.
The war for Celestine lands was about to begin.