Elara POV
The horn sounded again.
Closer this time.
Mira burst into the hall before the echo even faded. She didn't knock—she shoved the door open with the force of someone who had run full-speed and didn't stop in time.
Her breath came in harsh, uneven pulls. "Elara—he's here."
My chest tightened. "Kaelen?"
She nodded once, almost shaking. "At the east gate. Alone. No soldiers behind him. Just him."
Theron stiffened beside me.
Mira's eyes flicked between us—my wrinkled clothes, my flushed face, Theron standing too close, the bed behind us still warm.
Her expression collapsed.
"Oh gods," she whispered. "Tell me you didn't—tell me nothing happened—"
"Mira," I said. "Please."
She shut her eyes like the answer hurt her. "Kaelen is demanding entry. He says he won't leave until he sees you."
Theron's jaw tightened. "He wants to force my hand in front of my own gate."
"It's not force," Mira snapped. "It's desperation. He thinks he's losing her."
