“Unless you’ve voluntarily abandoned your post in Nyfrel, defying the Crown’s orders. If that’s the case, then you’re now both a criminal and a traitor to the Crown, Mrs. Linard.”
The healer’s hands clenched into fists in her lap, her jaw tightening as she wrestled with her anger.
“You know, Desi Linard, I’ve always thought healers were an arrogant, disgraced sort. So full of yourselves, feeling powerful because you can mend people,” he snarled in disgust. “But let me tell you something—true power isn’t in saving lives. It’s in taking them.” He stood up, his height becoming more apparent as he slowly moved behind her. His fingertips traced her jaw and neck, triggering shivers along her spine. A predator playing with its prey.
“Take me, for instance,” Ranier began, his voice dripping with menace. “Seeing you here, where you shouldn’t be, opens up countless possibilities for me. I could drive my sword through your bowels, gut you until your intestines spill into this basket of yours, and no one would question my actions. I could label you a traitor, sentence you to a lifetime of servitude, or hang you for treason.”
Desi trembled under his threat.
He glanced around the room, his eyes settling on the scattered wooden toys on her living room floor. “I could condemn your husband and mother to the same fate and exile your children to the deserts, where they would face a slow death from dehydration and sunstroke. I could make you watch as they’re driven to desperation, turning on each other for survival, their humanity wiped away by famine and despair.” He leaned in closer, his tongue slid up against her throat until his lips brushed her ear. “This is what true power looks like, healer.”
Desi’s eyes were closed as she replayed his threats in her head. The image of her children alone in the deserts and her husband and mother dead brought her panic as she had never felt before.
“Please, do not hurt my family.” Her words broke as she pleaded, trying to contain her rage.
The thought of her loved ones suffering drove her to the brink. She wanted to scream, but she was too afraid to react. Her mind raced through every possible way to escape this man and protect her family. As her fury boiled over, she prepared to fight him with everything she had, even if it meant her own death. But as she was about to lunge at him, he stepped back, his grip on her shoulder loosening.
“Lucky for you, I’m feeling unusually merciful today.” Ranier’s eyes were cold and indifferent as he regarded her. “You know, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my family. It feels good to be back home, doesn’t it?” The sarcasm with which he said it was nauseating.
The general walked to the door; each step away from her was a relief. “I will take a few hours off. You can have some time to yourself. Reflect on your situation.” His blue eyes darted up and down at her, condescending.
Her lips parted. Why would he leave her when he had more than enough evidence to destroy her life? It certainly wasn’t out of kindness; this man had none to spare.
By the door, Ranier glanced back over his shoulder, his hand closed on the doorknob. “You find yourself in a very unique position, Mrs. Linard. You have information the Crown needs, and we have the financial means to ensure your freedom for life.” His eyes darkened, a warning flickering within them. “If you’re wise, I can arrange for your treason to be forgotten and your debt paid off.”
He opened the door, his body already halfway through, when he added, “Whatever happens next will be a result of your own decisions. But remember one thing before you make up your mind—chances are, I will not be this merciful when I come back.”
Ranier had realized that if he played his cards right, he could get what he wanted—his fugitives’ whereabouts—without laying a finger on the woman. His job here was done. He had planted the seed of doubt in the healer’s mind. Now all he had to do was wait.
When he slammed the door behind him, Desi’s shoulders slumped, sweat trickling down her forehead as her entire body trembled. The panic and stress were so overwhelming that she sobbed uncontrollably.
For the next several hours, she was a prisoner of her own mind, consumed by endless scenarios and crazy strategies to escape. She replayed Ranier’s threats over and over, each word echoing like thunder in her head. Desi considered the consequences of his threats against her family and the possibilities of what he could do to them. She thought about freedom and the safety she could secure for herself and her family. It was everything she had dreamed of. It was her way out.
If only she would commit one more terrible thing…
Desi wished she didn’t have to sacrifice her integrity to reclaim the life she craved, the life she desperately needed. To be safe and free at once, she needed to face a decision she didn’t want to make, but one she had to.
She had broken her vow as a healer, been unfaithful to her husband, and taken Ronin’s life. The weight of her sins was too great to seek forgiveness in the afterlife. Her soul was condemned beyond redemption, leaving no room to question what was right and wrong. It was too damn late for that anyway.
There was only one path to go.
There was no other way.
Chapter 31
Leaves of Autumn
Night had already fallen when Alissa, Freyah, and Eldric walked back to Breno’s place, a dreadful silence falling between them as they processed the conversation with Eldric’s teacher. The truth behind Senectus Subita was so despicable that it overshadowed any sense of triumph. After months stuck in what seemed an endless, pointless quest, Alissa finally knew what she had to do to save her child. Yet, of all the revelations that day—the curse, the genocide of all mages, the magic coursing through her veins—nothing terrified her as much as knowing what it would take to break the curse on Dhalia.
The price was too high.
Having no time to waste in Golheim, they had all agreed to discuss the matter once they were back on the road to Bryniard.“Don’t worry about this now, darling. We’ll find a way. No one is going to die,”Eldric had said, and Alissa believed him. She could not start delving into the possibility of sacrificing someone she loved to save her child, especially not when they were in so much danger walking the streets of Golheim.
This time, they were overcautious on their way home, moving slowly and carefully. After weeks of navigating thebustling city in disguise, they had mastered the art of moving like shadows.
Eldric tried to hide his unease, but the fact that the Iron Claws were conducting a house-to-house search for a fugitive was unprecedented in Heldraine. Mrs. Ilden was right; if the Crown had spent so much of their efforts and resources in hunting them down, then they must have known Alissa and Freyah escaped from Bryniard, and there was no line they wouldn’t cross to end their threat. Eldric did not fear his death, but the horrifying image of Alissa and Freyah’s lifeless bodies flashed through his mind, triggering overwhelming terror.
He needed to get them out fast. Every minute counted when their lives were at greater risk than ever before. The journey back wouldn’t be easy. Eldric suspected that relying on his horse or carriage was no longer an option. The Iron Claws could have discovered them on the outskirts of Golheim by then.