The sun was already setting by the time Thalion and I made it up the second Morinpar Hill.

I tried to push thoughts of Kael’s mysterious investigation out of my mind, but his words kept echoing in my ears: people were disappearing, and others were losing their magic. There was no way I could just ignore it. And those sigils I saw earlier weren’t random graffiti. Something sinister was at play, and the High Council was hiding it from the public.

I adjusted my cloak again, my fingers brushing over the ring I wore. It was a simple silver band that had once belonged to Camille. It was a habit of mine, a small comfort when my mind was restless.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Thalion observed. “What’s on your mind?”

I glanced at him. He wore his usual casual smile, but I didn’t quite trust it any more. “Just thinking about what Kael said. If people are disappearing, we should be doing something about it. Doesn’t that concern you?”

Thalion shrugged, but he kept his eyes straight ahead. “Of course it does, but I’m sure the Council has it under control. They always do.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You don’t actually believe that, do you?”

He hesitated, then sighed. “Look, Celeste, the Council is” complicated. They don’t like to admit when they’re overwhelmed, but they’re not entirely useless. They just move at their own pace. Sometimes, it’s better not to get involved unless we have to.”

“Not get involved?” I scoffed, shaking my head. “That’s a cowardly stance to take in all this.”

“I know,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips. “But it’s what keeps you out of trouble. Sometimes, taking a step back is the smarter move.”

I stopped walking and turned to face him. “And what about Kael? He’s out there investigating, risking his neck for answers. Are you not the least bit concerned for him?”

Thalion turned to me. “Kael is” different. He’s always been driven by things that most of us don’t understand. It’s part of what makes him who he is. But you shouldn’t involve yourself in this, Celeste. You’re about to be the Supreme Successor. Your responsibilities are different, and the last thing you want to do is butt heads with the High Council.”

I clenched my jaw. I couldn’t reconcile the feeling coursing through me right now. Was it disgust or irritation? But it didn’t sit right with me that he was willing to just watch from the sidelines.

We continued up the last Morinpar Hill in silence. As we reached the top, my father’s manor came into view. My mind drifted back to the seasons I loved living in that magnificent estate, framed by long-dead, leafless oaks.

“Celeste, wait,” Thalion said suddenly, reaching out to touch my arm.

I paused, turning to him again. “What is it?”

He hesitated, then lowered his voice. “Just promise me that you won’t go looking for trouble. Not now. There’s a lot to this, and if something happens to you’” He trailed off.

“I can’t promise that,” I replied honestly. Then I slipped away from his touch.

As we approached the double gates that led into the compound, they swung open, and Yeon stepped out, a small grin on his face.

“I was wondering what was keeping you,” Yeon said.

His voice hadn’t changed at all. He seemed taller, more broad-shouldered, and muscular, with his dark hair now cropped short. His deep green eyes, so much like mine, were still as sharp and piercing as I remembered. He and Cullen, like Father, were full-blooded Lycans, and it showed in his mannerisms, especially in the way his nostrils flared slightly as he glared at Thalion standing beside me.

“What is he doing with you?” Yeon growled at Thalion.

“Did I miss something?” I asked Thalion, because I knew my brother well enough to know I wouldn’t get an answer from him.

Yeon was never the type to mince words or show hospitality when he didn’t like you. Thalion sighed, shaking his head lightly, clearly used to this routine.

“Not really. Yeon has never appreciated my interest in you, and he is very vocal about it,” Thalion said.

“Only because the House of Perseus not only believes in preserving their bloodline, so they will never accept my sister as your mate. They also believe in amassing countless consorts, and if my little sister is not going to be your only mate, then there’s no point to this,” Yeon explained with that rational, stoic attitude of his.

I looked at Thalion with a smile. “He’s not wrong.” Even though I had no desire to be his wife, or mate, or whatever his kind called their partners.

“I only want you, Celeste. I would swear it before Gaia in a Contract of Souls if you want!” Thalion replied quickly.

Yeon scoffed, his large arms crossing over his chest. “Words are just words, Perseus. My sister deserves more than empty promises.”

Thalion didn’t flinch at my brother’s reprimand. “I’ll prove it, then. I care for her, and I will do whatever it takes to make you and everyone else who doubts it believe it.”

Yeon’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he turned to me. “Mother and Father have been waiting for you, Celeste. We should head inside.”

My parents made it back before me? Well, it figures, considering they used a carriage while I walked. Still, I thought the council would go on for much longer.

I turned to Thalion. “Thank you for escorting me home. We’ll talk later.”

He smiled, the corner of his lips lifting in that charming way that made it hard not to smile back. “I was happy to. See you around. Gaia’s blessings, Celeste. Yeon.”

Yeon and I stood there, watching until Thalion disappeared completely down the last hill.

“Thalion may be persistent,” Yeon said almost immediately after he was gone, “but you should be careful. His house’s traditions run deep, and they won’t change easily. You deserve someone who will fight for you, not just with words.”

I sighed. But I knew that about Thalion. Even though my brothers were his friends, I knew him better regarding his “feelings” for me. He was willing to defy his house’s expectations, and I didn’t even know what they were.

Yeon was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. “Do you actually care for him?”

“That has nothing to do with my silence, Yeon.” I huffed, feeling a bit tired. I was starting to doubt that I would walk back to the sanctum. But all the same, Yeon and Cullen wouldn’t let me anyway. “Where’s Cullen?” I asked, glancing behind Yeon.

“Who knows, probably somewhere with his mate or chasing those buttered biscuits he’s obsessed with,” Yeon replied with a smirk. “He’s been waiting for you. Come on, let’s get inside. What took you so long, anyway? Did you go off somewhere with Thalion, alone?”

I shrugged, giving him a small smile. “I took a walk to take in the sights of everything I missed. It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance.”

Yeon frowned, his gaze flicking over me as if checking for signs of trouble. “You shouldn’t be wandering the city alone, especially now.”

“I wasn’t alone,” I reminded him, even though I didn’t know what he meant by “especially now.” “By the way, we met a Fae on the way.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

I hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell him. “Someone called Kael. He was in a bit of trouble with the Bureau marshals.”

Yeon’s frown deepened. “Kael? You mean the red-haired Kael Aodh Graythorn?”

I nodded. “You know him?”

“Only by reputation,” Yeon said. “Kael is rumoured to be the illegitimate son of High Lord Graythorn, but that isn’t how I know him. Our selection ritual happened simultaneously. He should have been the high lord of the Bureau of Investigations by now, but the High Council and their politicking made sure his brother got the role.”

He was cheated out of Gaia’s selection? I didn’t even think that was possible. Was I just some clueless moron thinking the Sovereignty was a well-oiled machine working as it should? By the goddess, this was making my own path as the Supreme Successor sound more tedious.

“A Graythorn. That would make him a Communer Fae,” I said.

“Yes, and a very remarkable one. He can read the intentions left behind in the elements and see unseen energies,” Yeon said, and he sounded quite impressed with him, and I rarely ever saw him impressed with anything.

That would explain why he went into the fountain. Now I had to find him because if he was really able to do that, we would make a remarkable team in investigating these disappearances.

“The only sensible reason his brother would be made the High Lord of the Bureau is that he surpasses Kael’s skill,” I said, hoping I was right.

“It was because he was Lord Graythorn’s first son. It had nothing to do with skill,” Yeon grumbled. “They stuck Kael with a small district in some western sector.”

How despicable! So I was right in him being a lord, regardless of the fact that he was illegitimate. But what was his relationship with Thalion? It seemed like Thalion was more lord over him than friend.

“So, tell me, what rank did you graduate in?” Yeon asked. “And how was your selection?”

I exhaled a heavy sigh, realizing my parents hadn’t told my brothers about my selection yet. I looked at Yeon with a grim smile. “I will fill you in on everything soon, brother. But first things first—there’s a matter that needs settling. You owe me a duel, successor to the governor of Ostonia.”

He let out a short laugh, shaking his head as he walked away from me. “Still stubborn as ever, I see.” He gestured toward the compound. “Come on, let’s head inside. We can talk and settle that duel once we’re home.”

“I ranked first in the academy, and I have been looking forward to this. Ready yourself, Yeon—don’t tell me you’ve gotten slow in my absence.” I smirked as I challenged him.

Yeon grinned. “Slow? Not a chance, little sister. Let’s see if you can keep up.” He crouched slightly, eyes glinting with the thrill of a challenge, his Lycan energy rippling beneath his brown sweater. Without warning, he lunged forward, almost like a blur, as he closed the distance between us in an instant.

I grinned before getting to work. With a flick of my wrist, I summoned a tendril of water from the air, whipping it towards Yeon. He dodged effortlessly, his movements swift and fluid. As an Oriental water witch, I could materialize my element anywhere—nature itself yielded to my summons, even without a body of water nearby.

“Is that all you’ve got?” he taunted as he circled me, his muscles coiling like a predator preparing to pounce.

“Oh, I’m just getting started,” I shot back, my eyes narrowing in concentration. Yeon had always been stronger than me, it was why I missed training with him. He and Cullen pushed me, and not everyone was lucky enough to train so viciously with Lycans. The water twisted into a spiral, forming a shield just as Yeon lunged again, his fist meeting the shimmering barrier, and I put everything into it because I knew his strength. The impact sent ripples across the surface, but I held my ground.

Yeon chuckled, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “You’ve definitely improved. But let’s see how well you handle this!” He shifted form abruptly, his Lycan transformation catching me off guard.

“That is cheating!” I cursed in frustration and admiration. His Lycan form was twice as massive as I remembered, his muscles rippling beneath thick fur. He broke through my water barrier with a powerful strike, forcing me to leap backwards.

I landed lightly, already gathering more water, this time forming an army of icy shards that hovered around me. I launched them at Yeon, and my aim was flawless. But he dodged and weaved, his movements almost a dance as he closed the gap between us once more.

With a swift movement, he grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards him. I countered by summoning a powerful surge of water beneath us that propelled us high into the air. As we ascended, I twisted out of his grasp with the momentum, using the force to separate us and sending him sprawling mid-air. I broke my fall by conjuring an ice slide right under me, gliding effortlessly to the ground. Yeon managed to flip mid-air, landing with precision, but I was already prepared. With a flick of my fingers, a wave of frost gushed from the ground, wrapping around him like twines to anchor him to the ground while simultaneously forming a solid block of ice around him, leaving only his head exposed. I raised my hands, creating a swirling vortex of water above him.

Yeon shifted as he laughed and shook his head. “Alright, alright. You win this round, Celeste.”

I smirked, breathing heavily but feeling elated, even though we both knew he could break through it if he wanted to. “Told you I’d been practising.” With a big exhale, I released him.

He came up to me, his eyes softening as he touched my cheek affectionately. “Good job, little star. Now, let’s get inside before father accuses me of starting a fight—again.”