Athreat to everyone. Including myself?
"What are you talking about?" I demanded, my voice trembling. "Why would I be a threat? I haven't done anything!"
Kieran's silver eyes studied me with unnerving intensity, as though he were weighing whether or not to answer. The silence stretched until it felt unbearable.
"You haven't," he said at last, his voice calm but cold. "But the moment you stepped into the council chamber and revealed that pendant, you set something in motion. Something none of us can stop now."
I took a shaky step back, my mind racing. "This is about the pendant? What is it? Why is it so important?"
Kieran exhaled slowly, running a hand through his dark hair. For a moment, he looked almost weary, as if the weight of the truth was as heavy on him as it was on me.
"The pendant is more than just a trinket," he said. "It's a relic tied to the very foundation of this kingdom. It's not just a symbol—it's a key. And you, Angelica, have become the person holding it."
"A key to what?" I asked, dread curling in my stomach.
"To power," Kieran replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "Old power. Ancient magic that was locked away long ago for a reason. The council knows this. The crown knows this. And now, thanks to your actions, every faction within the palace is scrambling to claim it."
My breath caught as his words sank in. Power. Magic. The very foundation of the kingdom. I had thought the pendant was just some heirloom tied to Angelica's family, but this… this was something far more dangerous.
"Why me?" I whispered. "I didn't even know about the pendant until a few days ago. How am I supposed to control something I don't understand?"
"That's the problem," Kieran said, his expression grim. "You can't control it. And that makes you a liability to everyone."
The room suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier. My head spun as the pieces started falling into place. The council's decision to send Alistair to the border. The cryptic system messages. The guards hunting me down.
"They think I'm conspiring against the crown because of the pendant," I realized, my voice shaking. "They think I'll use it against them."
"Some do," Kieran admitted. "Others just want to remove you from the equation entirely. They think the safest option is to eliminate the problem at its source."
The words sent a chill through me. Eliminate the problem. They weren't just trying to arrest me—they were trying to get rid of me permanently.
I took another step back, pressing my hand against the cold stone wall to steady myself. "What about you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Are you here to eliminate the problem too?"
Kieran's gaze didn't waver. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be standing here right now."
His words sent a shiver down my spine, but there was something about the way he said them—calm, matter-of-fact—that made me believe him.
"Then why are you here?" I asked. "Why warn me?"
"Because Alistair asked me to," he said simply.
"Alistair?"
Kieran nodded. "He doesn't trust the council, and he doesn't trust the factions moving against you. He told me to make sure you survive, no matter what."
The mention of Alistair brought a rush of conflicting emotions—fear, confusion, and something else I couldn't quite name. He was leaving for the border, walking straight into danger, and yet he had still thought to protect me.
I shook my head, trying to focus. "If the council and the factions are after me, then what am I supposed to do? I can't stay here."
"No," Kieran agreed. "You can't. The palace isn't safe for you anymore."
He stepped closer, his voice lowering. "But there's a way out. A way to buy yourself time until Alistair returns."
I looked at him warily. "What way?"
"There's an ally," Kieran said. "Someone outside the palace who knows more about the pendant and the power it holds. If you can find them, they might be able to help you unlock its secrets—and figure out how to use it to protect yourself."
"An ally?" I asked, my heart racing. "Who?"
Kieran hesitated, his expression unreadable. "A sorcerer. Someone who served the royal family years ago, before they were cast out. They were one of the last people to study the pendant before it was hidden away."
"A sorcerer?" I repeated, disbelief creeping into my voice. "You expect me to trust someone who was cast out?"
"Do you have a better option?" Kieran asked sharply.
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came. He was right. I didn't have any other options. Staying in the palace would only lead to my death, and I couldn't rely on Alistair to save me when he was miles away at the border.
"How do I find this sorcerer?" I asked finally.
Kieran reached into his coat and pulled out a small, folded piece of parchment. He handed it to me, his fingers brushing mine briefly. "This is their location," he said. "They live in the northern mountains, far from the palace. It won't be an easy journey, but it's your best chance."
I unfolded the parchment and scanned the hastily drawn map. The northern mountains were on the edge of the kingdom, a remote and dangerous place known for its harsh terrain and lawless inhabitants.
"You're sending me out there alone?" I asked, panic rising in my chest.
"Of course not," Kieran said. "I'll accompany you."
The statement caught me off guard. "You? Why would you do that?"
"Because I gave my word to Alistair," Kieran said simply. "And because you won't survive the journey without me."
His confidence was irritating, but he wasn't wrong. I had no experience navigating treacherous landscapes or fending off attackers. If Kieran was willing to help, I had no choice but to accept.
"When do we leave?" I asked, folding the map and tucking it into my sleeve.
"Now," Kieran said. "The guards will tear this palace apart looking for you. The longer we wait, the harder it'll be to escape."
I nodded, steeling myself. I didn't know what awaited me in the northern mountains, but one thing was certain: staying here meant death.
Kieran opened the hidden door and gestured for me to follow. "Stay close," he said. "And whatever happens, don't stop moving."
I stepped into the passageway, my heart pounding as the weight of what I was about to do settled over me. Leaving the palace meant leaving behind everything I knew—comfort, safety, even Alistair. But it was the only way to survive.
We made our way through the dark, narrow tunnels but I couldn't shake the feeling that the pendant's secrets, the council's schemes, the looming threat of war—it was all connected, and I was at the center of it.
I glanced at Kieran, his figure shadowed in the dim light. He was my only ally now, but even that was tenuous.
Trust no one, Alistair had said.
And as much as I hated to admit it, he was probably right.