Throne of Ash and Shadows

Chapter 13 Ometz Orbvale

"Katya..." I called softly, a smile tugging at my lips as I stepped into the library, where she had told me she would be. The familiar scent of parchment and leather filled the air, and the room, bathed in the warm glow of the evening sun, felt calm. Too calm. My eyes scanned the room until they landed on the corner where she always sat, her favorite spot. But something was wrong.

Her book lay abandoned on the ground.

My smile faded. I knelt, picking up the book slowly, my fingers brushing the worn cover. The weight of unease settled in my chest, spreading like ice through my veins. Katya never left her books scattered like this. She cherished them too much. I stood up, my eyes scanning the library for any sign of her, but the room was empty. Silent.

Footsteps echoed in the hall behind me. Avery, my most trusted general, burst into the room, her face set in that practiced mask of stoic calm she always wore. But I saw the tension in her jaw, the way her eyes flickered with barely contained worry.

"Avernia came," she said, her voice flat. "Vlad took Katya. They've gone."

For a moment, I stood there, staring at her, my mind struggling to process the words. Vlad had taken Katya. He had stolen her from me. My grip tightened on the book until my knuckles turned white. Avery watched me carefully, her eyes betraying the fear she was trying so hard to hide. She didn't move from the doorway, didn't dare come closer.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself before the storm of emotions threatening to tear through me could surface. "You know what to do," I said quietly, my voice cold and controlled. I adjusted my cufflink, the simple motion keeping my hands busy, my mind distracted from the tidal wave of fury building inside me.

Avery nodded sharply and hurried out, no doubt to gather her patrol, to begin the search.

But I didn't move.

I stood there, the library feeling suddenly too large, too empty. The absence of her presence was a physical ache, a hollowness that gnawed at the edges of my soul. I placed the book gently back on the shelf, my hands trembling ever so slightly before I turned and walked out, the library now nothing more than a place of memories.

I made my way to my study, each step heavy, deliberate. As soon as I reached my desk, I collapsed into the chair, the weight of the moment pressing down on me like a crushing weight. I reached for the bottle of bourbon sitting on the corner of my desk, not even bothering with a glass. The amber liquid burned as it slid down my throat, but the fire did nothing to numb the ache inside.

It wasn't just pain. It was emptiness. Katya wasn't here.

She was my heart, my anchor, the one thing in this godforsaken world that kept me grounded. Without her, I was adrift, lost in the void of my own making. This was torture. Worse than anything I'd endured before. The thought of her—so close, and yet so far—was like a knife twisting deeper and deeper with every breath I took. How could I live without her? How could I let her go, knowing she was with him?

Vlad. He thought he was saving her. But what he didn't realize was that Katya didn't need saving. Not from me. He believed I had twisted her mind, manipulated her. How blind he was. How arrogant.

I hated him—not for taking care of her, but for taking her away from me. For filling her head with doubt. For making her question my love. For making her believe that I, who would give up my kingdom for her, wasn't enough. He'd poisoned her thoughts, turned her against me, and now, he was taking her back to Avernia.

A knock on the door broke through my thoughts. I set the bottle down and straightened, my eyes narrowing as Seren stepped into the room.

"Seren," I said, acknowledging him with a curt nod.