Never Yours ✔️

Ch. 22

She was lying in bed, writing in her journals when she heard her balcony door creak open. She froze and slid her dagger out from underneath her pillow, keeping her head looking downwards, her eyes shifting to the window. A cloaked figure crept through the shadows towards her and just when they were about to reach her, she jumped off her bed and attacked, kneeing them in the stomach and placing her dagger against their neck. They gasped, but made no effort to fight back.

"It's me, Arysa. It's Idaly." The figure rasped.

Arysa pushed her blade in deeper. "What the hell do you think you're doing sneaking in my room like that?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Please, I'm not going to hurt you." He sounded pained.

"How do I know you're not going to try and kidnap me again?" She snarled.

"I won't. I promise."

"Your promises mean nothing to me." She snapped, but she stepped back and removed her dagger from his throat. "What is it you want?"

He reached up and removed his hood. "I want to help you."

She scoffed. "Last time you tried to 'help me' I ended up locked in a tower."

"And I see now that that wasn't the way to go." He responded. "I won't take matters into my own hands again, I swear. Just let me help you. Whatever you need, I'll do it."

"I don't want your help." She snapped.

"But do you need it?" He shot back.

"I don't trust you anymore, Idaly." She said quietly.

"But you trusted me once. You can trust me again." He pressed.

She shook her head. "That's not how it works."

"I can earn your trust back, I promise." He tried.

She hardened. "Not after what you did. That wasn't okay. And you need to leave. Right now."

He pressed his lips together. "No. I'm not leaving until you agree to let me help you."

"I'll call the guards. Have you dragged out in shackles." She sneered.

Fear flickered in his gaze. "You can't call the guards, Arysa. They're hunting me down. Dreadroot has an order out for my head. They'll kill me."

"Then you'd better run." Everything about her was cold. "Guards!"

Idaly's wide eyes flit to hers in disbelief, but he was only met with ice. The bedroom door flung open and Idaly turned and fled. The guards shouted and raced after him as he threw open the balcony doors and flung himself over the railing to the city streets below. By the time the guards reached the balcony, he was long gone.

"Let him go." Arysa said quietly as Coran moved to call to the guards patrolling below. He looked back at her and she shook her head. "He's not a threat."

Ember came back to her and looked her over. "Are you alright, Lady?"

She nodded. "I'm fine, thank you." She wrapped her arms around herself. "You can go now."

Coran moved to stand beside Ember. "Who was that, Lady?"

"A former friend." She said. She climbed back into her bed and resumed writing in her journals.

Coran and Ember looked at each other before taking their leave.

It wasn't long before he showed up, sliding into her room without knocking and coming to her bedside.