CHAPTER 54: RIDE FOR THE CAPITAL

The moment Edward exited his room, Aeris and Seraphine were already waiting just outside the door. The dim glow of lanterns from the hallway painted their faces in shades of gold and shadow. Edward’s eyes met theirs, and for a heartbeat, everything else—the looming threat, the tension, the unspeakable events of the past hours—fell away.

"Be careful," Seraphine said softly, stepping forward, her hand brushing Edward’s arm.

"We’ll see each other soon," Aeris added, voice steady though tight with urgency. Edward nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line. No words could encapsulate the weight of what they all understood without saying a word.

With hurried goodbyes, the two girls left the townhouse.

They moved swiftly, almost silently, down the familiar cobblestones and toward the nearby stables. The night wrapped around them, cool and thick, pressing against their backs as if warning them to move quickly.

They didn’t linger.

The town still carried its occasional nightlife—the laughter of a drunkard, the echo of hooves on stone—but it all felt distant, as though a shadow hovered just above them.

At the stables, they found two horses, restless and shifting, sensing the tension in their riders. Aeris mounted first, steadying herself, her hands brushing the reins until the animal settled beneath her. Seraphine followed, casting a glance back toward the townhouse. Aeris caught it in her peripheral vision and gave her a reassuring nod. Without another word, they nudged the horses forward, leaving the faint glow of Ashenhold behind.

The air was cold, nipping at their cheeks and hands, yet it carried a stillness that was almost unnatural. Aeris rode with focus, her mind running through the path ahead, tracing the trees and the curves of the road she’d only travelled once before.

Familiarity offered little comfort, as something in the shadows pressed against her senses—a subtle, unnerving weight, like a pair of eyes watching her every movement.

"Do you think... he’ll be okay?" Seraphine asked, breaking the silence as she clutched the reins tightly, eyes darting to the trees lining the road.

Aeris didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze stayed forward, fixed on the path and the dim outline of the forest.

"He will," she said finally, her voice calm and steady.

Seraphine leaned slightly forward, exhaling as if trying to let some tension escape. "I just... I worry," she admitted.

Aeris gave her a brief, sharp glance, then returned her attention to the road ahead. "Worry won’t help anyone now. Keep your mind on the path. We have a job to do. Nothing else matters until we reach the capital."

The forest closed around them, the dense trees swallowing the sounds of the town behind. Shadows clung to the undergrowth, and the road narrowed, winding and uneven. Every snapping twig or rustling of leaves made Aeris’ stomach tighten. She kept glancing over her shoulder, subtle movements, trying to catch any sign of pursuit.

"You okay?" Seraphine asked, noticing her repeated glances backwards.

"I think... someone might be following us," Aeris said, her voice low and deliberate. She pushed the thought down immediately, focusing on controlling her horse instead.

"Stay close, and no sudden movements. If we’re being watched, we can’t give them a chance."

The two of them increased their pace. Horses lunged forward, hooves splashing in mud puddles, nostrils flaring. The chill of the night and the wind whipping past gave them the illusion of speed, though every shadow in the forest seemed to stretch longer, closer, conspiratorial.

After several tense miles, Aeris found a small copse of trees to pause behind. The horses snorted and stamped, sensing the brief halt, and Aeris let herself breathe slowly, listening. The forest seemed unnaturally quiet, every sound amplified—the distant call of an owl, the rustle of leaves as a small animal darted across the path.

"Maybe it’s nothing," Seraphine said after a long moment, trying to ease her own tension. "Maybe it’s just your nerves—"

A sudden gallop cut through the silence, metal and hoofbeats clashing against the stillness. Aeris’s eyes narrowed. A figure emerged from the shadows, riding fast and low.

"Where the hell did they go?!" The man muttered under his breath, frustrated at their sudden disappearance.

Aeris didn’t hesitate.

Her hands glowed faintly, the air around her crackling as she channelled wind magic to increase her speed. She lunged forward in a blur of motion. In one fluid movement, she drew her rapier, and in an instant, the blade sliced across the man’s neck. His horse reared, throwing him violently into the mud.

He hit hard, hands clutching the bleeding wound, eyes wide with shock. Aeris’ gaze was cold and unflinching. Aeris lifted her rapier once more, and before he could even utter a sound, his vision faded into nothingness.

Seraphine stood frozen, mouth slightly open and eyes wide. She had never seen anyone strike so decisively, so lethally. Aeris turned her head just enough to catch Seraphine’s stunned expression.

"We have to go," she said simply, voice calm and controlled. There was no time for hesitation or explanation.

Seraphine nodded slowly as she forced herself back into focus.

They mounted and pushed onward, the forest slowly giving way to fields and open lands. The roads widened, less treacherous but still muddy from earlier rains. Farmlands stretched along either side, their fences broken in some places, as animals wandered or cowered as the riders passed.

Time stretched, night deepened, and the wind carried an eerie chill. Yet even in the open fields, Aeris could feel the faint weight of unseen eyes. She rode with her back straight, senses sharp, and one hand on her rapier.

Finally, in the far distance, the faint glow of a city began to emerge. The walls rose steadily, towers of stone catching the faint sun rise. High atop a hill, the capital loomed, massive and imposing, its gates distant but visible even from miles away.

Aeris slowed slightly, letting her horse catch its breath, though she herself didn’t relax. The journey wasn’t over, and danger could still lurk at any bend or hidden alley. Seraphine’s gaze followed hers, awe and relief flickering in her eyes.

The capital, once a distant goal, now dominated the horizon. Its presence was both reassuring and terrifying at the same time.

Aeris’ grip on the reins tightened. "Almost there," she murmured, more to herself than to Seraphine.

Seraphine nodded, tightening her cloak around her shoulders. Silence fell between them again as the two riders continued onward through the cold night, the towering walls of the capital inching closer with each moment.

Aeris’ mind was a storm of strategy and worry, but beneath it all lay a single, unshakable certainty—they had to warn the prince. They had to prevent Auren’s plan from reaching fruition. And whatever awaited them inside the gates of the city, they would face it together.