A Vow of Vengeance and Silk

The horse's hooves pounded against the muddy earth like a war drum, each thunderous stride carrying them farther from the torchlit chaos of the castle. Rain lashed Seraphine's face, the icy droplets mingling with the salt of unshed tears. She clung to Kaelan's forearm, her fingers numb against the damp leather of his vambrace, her knuckles white with the force of her grip. The wind howled through the trees, carrying with it the distant shouts of guards and the baying of hounds, still too close, still hunting. "Where are you taking me?" she shouted over the storm, her voice raw. Kaelan's only answer was a low chuckle, the vibration of it humming through her back where they pressed together. The forest swallowed them whole, the ancient oaks leaning in like sentinels, their branches clawing at her skirts like skeletal fingers. The scent of wet earth and pine filled her nose, but beneath it lurked something darker, iron, and the acrid tang of fear. Then, a snap of twigs. Seraphine barely had time to tense before an arrow whistled past her ear, embedding itself in a tree with a dull thunk. "Ambush!" Kaelan snarled, wrenching the reins hard to the left. The horse reared, its scream cutting through the night, hooves slashing at the air as a second arrow grazed Seraphine's shoulder. The sting was sharp, immediate, and she hissed through her teeth as warmth trickled down her arm.

Shadows moved between the trees. Kaelan's dagger was in his hand before she could blink. "Stay close," he ordered, dismounting in one fluid motion and dragging her down with him. She didn't have time to argue.

Three figures emerged from the gloom, their faces obscured by black cloth. Not royal guards, their movements were too precise, their blades too fine. Assassins. The first lunged. Kaelan met him mid-stride, steel flashing in the downpour. The clash of blades rang out, a brief, brutal dance before Kaelan twisted, his dagger finding the gap between ribs. Blood sprayed across the ferns as he gutted the man without hesitation. The assassin crumpled, his last breath a wet rattle. The second came at Seraphine, a curved dagger aimed for her throat.

Instinct took over. She sidestepped, yanking a hairpin free, thin, sharp, and utterly lethal in the right hands, and drove it into the assassin's wrist. He howled, his weapon falling into the mud with a muted splash. She didn't give him time to recover. Her knee found his groin, and as he doubled over, she snatched his fallen blade and slit his throat.

Warmth splattered her hands. The third assassin froze, his eyes darting between her and Kaelan. Then, with a curse, he melted back into the forest, his retreat as silent as his approach. Silence, save for the rain and their ragged breaths. Kaelan wiped his dagger clean on his thigh, eyeing her with something like approval. "You're full of surprises, Lady Vaelis." Seraphine tossed the bloody knife into the mud. "Who were they?" "Not mine," he said, as if that answered anything. She glared. Kaelan sighed, sheathing his weapon. "Tristan's allies, most likely. Or your sister's." His gaze flicked to the arrow still quivering in the tree. "Or someone else entirely." A branch cracked in the distance. Too close. Kaelan's hand closed around her wrist. "We need to move." She yanked free. "Not until you tell me where we're going."

Moonlight cut through the clouds, illuminating the sharp planes of his face, the scar that traced his jaw, the dangerous glint in his eyes. "Somewhere you'll be safe." "Safe?" She barked a laugh. "You expect me to believe that?" "No." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I expect you to trust that I want Tristan dead as much as you do."

The truth of it hung between them, heavy as the storm. Another rustle in the underbrush. Closer this time. Kaelan didn't wait for her answer. He hauled her onto the horse again, and this time, she didn't fight him. As they rode into the night, Seraphine couldn't shake the feeling that the real danger was not behind them, The forest grew denser, the trees pressing in like a living wall. The rain had turned the ground to a treacherous slurry, the horse's hooves slipping in the muck as they wove through the undergrowth. Seraphine's shoulder throbbed where the arrow had grazed her, the fabric of her gown sticking to the wound. She gritted her teeth against the pain, her mind racing. Who had sent those assassins? Tristan was the obvious answer, but the attack had been too swift, too coordinated. Had he expected her to escape? Or had someone else anticipated Kaelan's interference? And then there was Yvaine. Her sister's betrayal burned brighter than the wound in her shoulder. Yvaine, who had stood beside Tristan with that smug smile, who had let the court laugh as Seraphine was dragged away in chains. Had she ordered this? A final, bloody punctuation to her victory? Kaelan's grip on the reins tightened as they broke through a thicket, emerging onto a narrow game trail. The horse's sides heaved, its coat slick with rain and sweat. They couldn't keep this pace much longer. "We're being followed," Kaelan muttered. Seraphine didn't ask how he knew. She could feel it too, the prickle at the back of her neck, the sense of eyes in the dark.

Ahead, the trees thinned, revealing the jagged outline of cliffs. The trail wound upward, the path growing steeper, the drops on either side sheer and deadly. Kaelan guided the horse with practiced ease, but Seraphine's stomach lurched as loose stones skittered over the edge, vanishing into the abyss below. Then she saw it, a bridge.

Ancient and crumbling, the wooden planks sagged over the chasm, the ropes frayed with age. The wind howled through the gap, tugging at the structure like a living thing.

Kaelan didn't slow. "You can't be serious," Seraphine hissed. "It's the only way." The horse balked as they reached the bridge, its ears flattening. Kaelan urged it forward, his voice low and steady. The first plank groaned beneath their weight, the sound like a dying breath. Halfway across, the ambush came.

Figures emerged from the rocks, their bows drawn. No black cloth this time, these men wore the colors of the royal guard. "Traitors!" their captain barked. "In the name of the crown, surrender!" Kaelan's laugh was dark. "You first." The bridge shuddered as the guards charged. And then the world exploded into chaos.