Page 218 of Wings of Ash & Flame
“There’s something else,” she choked out.
The air thickened with anticipation.
Alaire swallowed hard. Once she said it, there would be no going back. “Long ago, Lysia gave an artifact to the Vallorian royal line. It’s called the Star of Eternal Night.”
An audible gasp echoed through the room. She knew why.
The artifact lived in folklore, tucked into lullabies and half-remembered stories.
Shock rippled across their faces. Kaia’s eyes went wide. Archer pursed his lips. Caius sat stoically.
Dawson’s reaction surprised her the most. For the briefest moment, his expression faltered. Remorse flickered in his eyes.
Alaire’s heart swelled. She gave him a hopeful smile, trying to convey she knew she wasn’t alone.
She let out a slow breath and continued. “It’s an artifact. A force that could tip the balance in this war. One my parents died to protect—one I must protect at all costs. The Voidshade Sovereign has been hunting it for decades. Everyone he’s killed, everything he’s destroyed—it’s all been to find this. In the wrong hands, it could destroy Elithian. ”
Dawson cleared his throat. “This secret stays in this room.”
It was a command from a prince, not a request.
“It won’t.”
Dawson’s head snapped toward Caius. “What do you mean?”
Caius’s hands gripped the table, knuckles bone white. For the first time since she’d known him, he looked… uncertain. Almost guilty. “I mean, the Consortium already suspects Alaire is hiding something. No one believed she was truly uninterested in claiming her throne. Why do you think they let her remain at Aeris Academy? Keep your enemies close, and all that.”
“But she’s not an enemy.”
“She’s not from Cielore, Dawson. You are the Prince of House Aetheris. At the time, I thought what I was doing was in the best interest of Cielore.”
Alaire’s hand moved instinctively, fingers brushing Dawson’s knee. “Suspicion doesn’t guarantee guilt, though, Caius.”
“Correct. But my father is nothing if not resourceful. You established yourself as a threat, Alaire. Antagonized his position.” He looked down at his hands, shame etched across his features. “He always planned for you to face a different third trial than everyone else. Didn’t matter if it was right under Headmaster Carth’s nose.”
Dawson’s jaw flexed. His chair clattered to the ground as he slammed his fists on the table. “This entire time, you knew—and you didn’t say anything?”
“All I knew was that he meant to uncover what you were hiding. I didn’t know what it was, but I assumed it would be dangerous,” Caius said, voice hollow, the usual arrogance stripped away.
“It’s why you insisted on staying with Kaia,” Alaire whispered.
He nodded. “I couldn’t risk her in whatever he planned for the last sector.”
“How could you?” Kaia’s voice broke with anguish.
“But I had no idea he would go to such lengths, or with whom…”
They all knew now who “with whom” meant.
“Why are you telling us this now?” Alaire asked, studying his face.
Caius’s gaze slid carefully to Kaia. “Because if my father was willing to go that far for ambition, there’s no telling what else he might do. Despite what you think of me, honor means something to me. And he crossed a line when he colluded withthem.”
Kaia’s face crumpled. The betrayal stark across her features made Alaire’s chest tighten. Archer leaned closer, draping an arm around the back of her chair.
Caius’s eyes stayed fixed on Kaia. The fragile thread connecting them frayed, unraveling beneath the weight of his confession.
Dawson remained silent.
