"You hesitate, Sophia. That tells me everything I need to know." Lando’s voice was smooth and confident. It sent a chill down Sophia’s spine. She squared her shoulders, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I don’t hesitate. I think."  Lando chuckled, shaking his head. "And thinking is what makes you dangerous. That’s why I’ve always kept you close." Sophia clenched her fists. "Close? You mean under your control?" Lando smirked. "Call it what you want. But the truth is, I saw your potential long before anyone else did."She swallowed, knowing there was truth in

"Marshal, you need to see this."   Doug’s voice was calm, but Elijah could hear the tension beneath it. He took the folder from Doug’s outstretched hand and flipped it open.   Inside were reports, coded messages, and intercepted notes—each one tracing back to Sophia. His stomach twisted as he scanned through them.   "You’re certain?" Elijah asked, his voice low.   Doug gave a firm nod. "There’s no mistake, sir. The information leaked was too precise. It had to come from someone close."   Elijah clenched his jaw. His heart pounded, but his face remained unreadable. "No one else k

“The attack has begun, Marshal!” Doug’s voice was sharp, urgent. Elijah’s grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. The warning bells of Evendore rang loud, piercing through the night like a scream. Smoke billowed from the eastern watchtower, flames licking at the sky. “Get the men to their positions! No one moves without my command,” Elijah ordered, his voice steady despite the chaos unfolding around him. Doug nodded and rushed off, barking orders to the soldiers scrambling to defend the walls. Elijah turned, eyes scanning the battlefield beyond the gates. Shadows moved in the darkness. Lando’s men—silent, calculated, striking from the blind spots, just as Elijah had feared. Then, amidst the clash of steel and the roar of fire, he saw her. Sophia. She was in the thick of it, moving like a ghost between soldiers, her twin daggers flashing as she cut down an enemy sneaking toward one of their archers. Blood splattered across her armor, her face a mask of focus. Elija

“You should be resting.” Elijah’s voice was firm, but there was an unspoken softness beneath it. He sat beside Sophia’s bed, his sharp gaze scanning every detail—the way her chest rose and fell unevenly, the feverish sheen of sweat clinging to her pale skin, the faint tremble of her fingers against the blood-stained sheets. Sophia let out a weak breath, her lips barely curving into a smirk. “I don’t like resting.” Elijah arched a brow. “And I don’t like watching you bleed out in front of me, yet here we are.” His tone was laced with frustration, but underneath it was something else. Something deeper. Sophia tried to shift, only to wince as pain shot through her shoulder. Elijah was instantly at her side, pressing a firm hand to her good shoulder to keep her still. His grip was strong, but his touch was careful, almost hesitant. “You need to stop moving,” he said, his voice lower now. Sophia exhaled, staring at him. “You’re hovering.” Elijah didn’t deny it. He couldn’

“You’re not eating enough.” Elijah’s voice was firm, but the worry beneath it was unmistakable. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching Sophia push her food around the plate. Her skin was still pale, her breathing uneven. The wounds on her shoulder and thorax were healing too slowly for his liking. Sophia sighed, lowering the spoon. “I’m not hungry.” Elijah’s jaw tightened. “You need strength to recover.” She looked up at him, tired but stubborn. “I don’t need you hovering over me like a nursemaid.” His gaze darkened. “I’m not hovering. I’m making sure you don’t collapse again.” Sophia clenched her fists, but she lacked the energy to argue. A sudden wave of dizziness made her lean back against the pillows. Elijah was there instantly, steadying her. His fingers brushed against her bare arm, sending a strange shiver through her. “See?” he murmured. “You’re weaker than you think.” Sophia exhaled slowly, closing her eyes for a moment. She hated feeling helpless. Hated the w