was the first time his symptoms had manifested like this. He seemed to understand what it meant, and the realization was devastating him.
“No…” he managed.
“Look at you!” Aelyn said. “I can’t believe this. The Whip told me what to look for. He told us all about the signs, but I didn’t think I’d ever be the one to see it.”
“No!” Eldfenn shouted, pulling himself back up. The black veins were gone, and he took deep breaths to regain his composure. “No, Aelyn. You’re wrong. This is just my predator side. We all have it, remember?”
Aelyn smirked. “Not like you we don’t.”
“You’re under arrest,” he said. “Come willingly or don’t. It’s your choice.”
Suddenly, she was compliant, putting her hands out. “By all means. Let’s see whose story Thyme believes.”
Eldfenn didn’t hesitate to bind her hands with steel cuffs. He escorted her away from the house, and I knew this wasn’t the end just yet. Morning hummed slowly, and the sound helped me focus. Valaine kept her eyes closed, digging deeper into her memories.
The world changed around us once more, and we were in the throne room again. It was dark outside. Candles burned in the chandeliers and across the walls. Only a handful of guards were present. Thyme sat in his throne, but he looked furious.
Before him stood Eldfenn and Aelyn, the latter still in cuffs. The silence was deafening as the Lord Supreme tried to take it all in. This wasn’t going well.
“He didn’t believe me,” Valaine said. “I delivered proof, but he didn’t believe me. He couldn’t accept that the woman he so desperately loved was a Darkling.”
“There are no markings on her. No sign of Darkling allegiance whatsoever,” Thyme muttered, then gave Aelyn an apologetic nod, clearly pained by her circumstances. “I am truly sorry, my love. It will all be sorted, I promise.”
“She was outside the Darklings’ nest,” Eldfenn said. “One of them was her lover. He was the first to die.”
“Your Grace, my darling, it’s not true,” Aelyn replied, paying no attention to Eldfenn. “He lies! He’s jealous that you love me. He has no proof whatsoever, only an unfortunate coincidence. I was feeding the poor, Thyme. I’d just finished delivering bread and oil to one of the Rimians living on the south bend of Baryon. You know I go there often for such things!”
Thyme looked at Eldfenn. “I know. I sent Aelyn there myself several times, with gold guards to keep her company. What actual proof do you have that she’s a Darkling, Eldfenn?”
“My word is no longer enough?” He was visibly offended. “You’ve never doubted me before.”
“You are trying to sentence the woman I love to death. Pardon me for being thorough.”
“You’re being foolish, not thorough,” Eldfenn retorted. “I will get proof, if you insist. But I will need a few days, and Aelyn must not be set free until then. She cannot be trusted. I know what I saw. I know what she said. And I understand your feelings for her, but the empire’s safety—your safety—comes first.”
Thyme got up, his hands behind his back and his brow furrowed. “You cannot arrest Aelyn without proof. We have had plenty of cases where silver guards arrested innocent people without any evidence. We established certain protocols to stop that from happening again, if you remember. In fact, you were the one who sanctioned the changes in the law codex.”
“Dammit, Thyme, would you listen to me for once in your life?” Eldfenn’s frustration was obvious, but the Lord Supreme refused to yield.
“No. Remove her cuffs. I will grant you time to return with proof. Until then, Aelyn will not leave my sight. That is the best I can do without causing offense to my beloved.”
“You’ll regret this,” Eldfenn said and turned away, leaving Aelyn still bound. He stormed out and slammed the door behind him. The sound echoed through the throne room. I felt sorry for him. I’d seen the truth, and I knew he was just trying to protect his friend.
Valaine sighed as the image changed again. We were on the palace stairs beneath an endless starry sky. The full moon cast its milky light over the building, causing shimmers across the white marble surfaces. “My desire to save the ones I loved was my undoing,” she said.
A body materialized next to us as the memory developed further. Eldfenn was on his back, a gaping hole in his chest. His blood puddled and poured down the stone steps, dark and red and glistening under the moonlight.