You can't find me

Chapter 48

Aurora's POV 

"What do you mean I have to sneak in to the chamber with all the freaking artifacts?? Your acting like I'm just stealing a piece of candy and nobody's is going to notice. Adrian, I can't even go near the freaking castle and you want me to go in one of the most protected rooms?" I whisper yell onto my arm. 

Adrian for the past few weeks has been asking me to do or get the most absurd things for him for his secret mission which he would never spill. But lately they have been getting to hard to do. 

He rolls his eyes through the projection and I l groan. 

"You'll be fine. I'll make sure there are less guards when you go. Just use the spell and you can-"

I interrupt him. "Bye. You did not just say I'll be fine. Alexander has been on my trail for almost every second of wherever I go. I almost got caught last time when I got the potions under some random old dudes name. And that spell does absolutely nothing when I enter royal grounds." 

I can see the anger literally radiating out of him as I tell him that. 

"Listen, Ari.." 

I wave my other hand in front of the hand that's projecting the call. 

"No you listen. If your so adamant about this go do it yourself. I already told you my course load has been increasing lately and I'm still doing your little side-quests. It's time for you to grow up and do your own shit." 

I can't believe I cursed at my older brother but he was pissing me off. 

"Fucking listen-" 

I stare ahead the lake which has frozen over and end the call. 

What was I getting myself into??

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Later that day: 

I waved at Cora and Ry as I slipped away, offering a casual, "See you later," though I knew they wouldn't buy it. Not that I cared. I had more important things to do than get tangled up in their endless talk about exams or the guys who couldn't stop chasing after them. Honestly, it was all starting to feel like a game I was too tired to play.

But then there was Cassian. Ry had been tense all afternoon, giving me short answers, snapping at Cora every time she mentioned him. And I couldn't blame her, honestly. Cassian had a way of sneaking back into Ry's life just when she thought she had finally gotten rid of him. It was like he couldn't stay out of her head, and it made things weird between the three of us. Cassian was trouble, and Ry knew it. She had told me that much before, but the fact that he kept showing up again and again made me wonder if Ry was more confused than she wanted to admit.

Not my problem, though. I wasn't about to add to the drama, not today. I didn't have time for it.

I told them I was heading back to the dorm for a nap before my evening class, but that was a lie. I had no intention of sleeping. I just needed to get out of there—out of the building, out of their conversations. Because, honestly, if I stayed in that moment any longer, I'd either strangle Ry for her obsession with Cassian or I'd start asking way too many questions.

I wasn't much of a "sneaker." In fact, I'd only really started sneaking around recently—when Adrian's missions became harder to ignore. But there was something in the air today, something heavier, that made me feel like I had no choice. I had to see the royal grounds. I had to find out for myself what Adrian was so desperate for me to get into.

The city of Lysandria stretched out in front of me as the carriage jolted along the cobblestone streets. I kept my head down, hoping no one would notice me, though it didn't really matter. No one ever did. The city was a maze of bustling people, and I was just one more anonymous figure in a sea of faces. That's how I liked it.

When we neared the heart of the city, where the royal district lay, the unease I'd been feeling all day intensified. I swallowed hard and pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders.

Why am I doing this?

I couldn't answer that question, not without considering things I wasn't ready to think about. Adrian had given me a job to do, but I wasn't sure anymore if I was doing it for him or for myself. I wanted to know what the royals were hiding. I wanted to see the artifacts he'd been obsessing over, but I wasn't just playing along. I needed answers. Something in me told me I wasn't just some pawn in Adrian's game.

The closer I got to the castle, the more tense I felt. The palace rose before me like a mountain, its towers standing tall against the gray sky. The closer I got, the more I could feel the weight of the magic that surrounded it—pressing, suffocating.

I wasn't an idiot. I knew the risks of being near the castle. The guards. The magical wards. And then there was Alexander, always lurking in the background, watching my every move. The heir to the throne had been following me for months, and I could never shake the feeling that he was more than just some shadow on the wall.

No. He was a problem. A big problem.

I took a deep breath, pushing those thoughts aside. I wasn't going to get caught. Not today.

I pulled myself into an alley, staying out of sight as I watched the royal gardens come into view. The stone walls of the castle stood high, guarded by more than just physical barriers. Magic hummed in the air, thick and suffocating. My fingers twitched, but I quickly tucked them into the sleeves of my cloak. I had no idea how the magic worked around here, and I wasn't about to risk triggering something that would get me thrown in the dungeons.

I moved quietly, staying as close to the walls as possible, my steps quick and light. The last thing I wanted was a patrol of guards noticing me and asking questions I wasn't prepared to answer.

As I neared the outer perimeter of the castle grounds, I paused, pressing my back against the cold stone of a nearby building. I could hear voices now, guards patrolling the area, talking in low tones. My stomach churned. This was stupid.

But I wasn't about to back out now.

Suddenly, I froze. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled, and I felt a presence—a familiar, chilling presence. My heart skipped a beat. I didn't even need to look to know who it was.

Alexander.

His cold gaze swept over the area as he walked, flanked by two of his guards. His expression was unreadable, but I could feel his eyes on me, even if he hadn't looked directly at me yet. The last thing I needed was to be spotted by the heir to the throne, especially considering how much I had to hide.

I held my breath, pressing myself deeper into the shadows, praying he wouldn't notice me.

Every part of me wanted to bolt, to turn and run, but I couldn't. I had already come this far. I had to see what was going on. I had to understand what Adrian was risking so much for. If I left now, everything I'd done would be for nothing.

For what felt like an eternity, Alexander and his guards walked past, their steps echoing in the distance. I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. That was too close.

I stayed hidden, my heart still pounding in my chest. When I finally let myself move again, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd narrowly escaped something much worse than getting caught. I couldn't let my guard down, not now.

The royal grounds were more than just dangerous—they were a labyrinth of secrets and hidden truths. If I was going to get anywhere near the answers Adrian wanted, I had to be smarter than this. Smarter than him. Smarter than Alexander.

But I had no idea how I was going to pull that off.

I took a deep breath and stepped back into the shadows, disappearing into the maze of streets that would take me back toward the city. It wasn't over yet. I hadn't gotten close enough to the answers I needed, but I had learned one thing for sure: whatever Adrian was up to, it wasn't just about the artifacts. There was something bigger at play here, something I didn't fully understand.

And I was going to find out what it was—no matter what it cost.