He was the last person she expected to find here.
Calen, the Prince from the House of Drakonus. The second Victor in the Grand Hunt.
He was no friend nor ally. Just some Prince she was to be loaned to as part of the deal he struck with Elarion at the end of the Autumn Equinox. And definitely not someone she wished to see right now, especially in her given state.
She dropped lower in the water, covering her nakedness with the thick veil of steam, keeping her expression steady even as her heart beat faster, stronger.
Calen Drakonus stepped towards her, illuminated in the moonlight.
"You'll be needing this."
He held out the folded clothes and towel with ease and suave. Noelis didn't move, watching him carefully.
She was looking around for Inaya or someone else. Anyone else.
"Inaya was keeping watch over you until now. I've sent her to join the other Tributes, so it's just me here."
"You can leave. I'll be fine."
"I can't leave a Tribute here all alone. I wouldn't risk having you hurt."
Of course she was needed for Elarion to fulfil the bargain. Great, so she had no other choice.
Calen's gaze slid over the water's surface, not ogling, merely observing — assessing. While his eyes roamed, he didn't move an inch.
"If you're not leaving, do you mind turning around?" she asked pointedly.
He smiled — slow, amused — and turned without argument.
Noelis waited until his back was fully to her before she stood in the shallows and dried herself with swift, efficient movements. When she slipped the clean clothing on, her shoulders loosened a fraction.
"You're welcome." His tone remained light. Too light — just as he had been at the Autumn Equinox. He didn't leave, but instead crouched down, resting his forearms loosely on his knees.
"You can turn now."
Calen faced her, eyes flicking briefly to her damp hair. "Your friends have been making quite the fuss. They were ready to storm the mountain for you."
Her already warm body felt another pang of warmth. A different kind of warmth she felt when thinking about Faelynn and Rowe. She needed to see them.
Calen stepped aside, giving her room to pass. "You should hurry back before Elarion finds us here. I've discovered he's quite the jealous type."
Noelis moved past him, deliberately closing the gap to show she wasn't fazed by him. As she did, Calen spoke again — softer.
"You handled the mountain well, Noelis. Without you Fabien would have been lost."
She stopped. Turned.
"And how would you know that?"
A faint smile curved his mouth — something secret, something she couldn't read.
"I have my ways." Calen dipped his head in a polite nod and waited until Noelis walked out of sight into the darkness.
The camp was alive with the quiet crackle of fires and the weary murmurs of soldiers finishing their evening duties. Noelis had barely taken three steps before two figures spotted her.
"NOE!"
Rowena barrelled into her from the left, Faelynn from the right, and for a moment Noelis simply stood there, pressed between her two dear friends, their arms around her, their warmth anchoring her back into the familiar world.
"You only look half awful," Rowe said, wiping at tears that had sprung instantly to her eyes. "Are you hurt? Did you meet any beasts in the forest? Did Fabien keep you safe? How did you get down the mountain?"
"Rowe," Faelynn scolded lightly, but her voice trembled. "Just let her breathe."
Noelis laughed — a shaky, exhausted sound — and hugged them both tighter. "I missed you two so much."
"You need to eat," Faelynn said, dragging her towards the large campfire centring the tents. "Rowe worked with the cooks to prepare some of that sweet root corn cake you like."
"And herbal tea," Rowe added importantly, shoving a cup under her nose. "Because you look like you need it."
"Thank you," Noelis said sincerely.
They led her to a quiet side of the campfire, forcing her to sit while they hovered over her like fussing mothers.
"Tell us everything," Rowe insisted. "From the start. Every terrifying detail."
Noelis hesitated — thoughts of the cracked Shield, dark creatures, the mountain and how they got lost and… the Voice.
"We'll need all night," she said.
"Then so be it," Faelynn declared, reaching over to squeeze her hand.
Warmth spread through her chest. I'm not alone. Not anymore.
As they continued fussing — tucking a blanket around her shoulders, towel-drying her damp hair — a sensation prickled along the back of Noelis's neck.
Elarion was watching her. His gaze burned from across the camp, steady and unblinking.
Her breath hitched.
What does he want?
Rowena followed Noelis's line of sight and grimaced. "Oh, brilliant. He's brooding. Again."
"He's been brooding since she went missing," Faelynn muttered. "And he's been worse since you all got back."
Noelis sighed. "I need to talk to him about Alarie and Emon."
The three darkened at the mention of their missing friends.
"Later," Faelynn urged. "Eat first."
But she didn't even have a chance to finish her food before the call came.
A short while later, a soldier stopped before her with a stiff bow. "My lady. His Highness requests your presence."
Faelynn said curtly, "She's still eating."
"It's all right," Noelis said, setting the bowl aside. "I've eaten enough."
Rowena embraced her in a hug before Noelis rose.
Elarion's tent was lit from within, shadows moving behind the canvas. Two guards stood outside. When they saw her approach, they stepped aside without a word.
She inhaled once, steadying herself, then entered.
Elarion's tent was warm, dimly lit by a single lantern. He stood near the table in a loose tunic, damp hair framing sharp cheekbones. He must have had a quick bath himself.
"You took your time."
He stared at her for a long moment in silence, something unreadable flickering through his eyes. Noelis broke the silence, explaining everything about what happened — the breaking Shield, the Dark Creature they faced, the journey back down.
"The Shield is fixed for now — but there's something not quite right about it. I need to go back up to check and to find Alarie and Emon. Just give me Fabien and one or two of your men."
Silence.
He finally opened his mouth and said, "When I received the emergency report on the Shield, I dropped everything and came here as fast as I could."
Of course he did. A breaking Shield could mean the end of their Kingdom and many others.
"This wasn't the first time we had missing Tributes, but this time, it felt different. When I heard it was you that had vanished inside that cursed mountain for days," he said, voice low, threading between anger and relief.
"Well, I'm here now, but Alarie is not. I need to leave tomorrow morning…"
He put up his hand and shook his head, jaw tightening.
"You are my Tribute," he said. "Your safety reflects upon me. Your power reflects upon me. Everything you do — everything you are — is tied to me."
Noelis bristled.
"Yes, I'm your Tribute but you don't own every piece of me. Besides, Alarie is your Tribute too."
"I'm sending a search party tomorrow morning. You will remain here."
"But you won't be able to find her! Your last search party got lost. Fab and I found you! Since when did you care?"
He tried not to frown at the mention of his cousin and at that last remark.
"That's the problem. I do care, more than I'd like." Noelis looked at him. Anger in her eyes turned to confusion.
His voice softened, unexpectedly. "Have you seen yourself? You're not in any state to go back there." He paused before he continued.
"You had us worried. You had me worried."
Was this some tactic to get her to back off?
"I've been thinking about you every day since we shared your Heat."
Her breath caught. She hadn't expected this. The world knew his love for Bellatrice.
"I'm just a Tribute. You're engaged to your beloved Princess Bellatrice. The Heat was a one-off — don't let Celestial magic get to your head."
"Celestial magic or not, you're in my mind. You wield Manna which we need to protect our Kingdom. You fix the Shield and emerge from the mountains alive when none of the Tributes before you did. You're an essential tool and I should be more rational, yet I find myself hopelessly not."
He stepped closer, slow, deliberate.
Noelis was out of words. This came out of nowhere. Ever since Elarion had set eyes on her — since the day she was bound to him — he'd never shown any real warmth or interest towards her. Sure the two times they slept together were heated to say the least, but it was nothing more than carnal desires which was required of them at the time.
Her thoughts tangled.
What is he saying? Where is this coming from? What does he want from me?
Elarion leaned in slightly, eyes fixed on hers.
"Tell me the truth, Noelis," he said, voice quiet as a blade. "When you were up there… did you think of me?"
And Noelis realised — whatever came next would change everything.