Chapter 21

"Ye're a bastard," Aaden hissed as he shoved Evander away from Freya. At the commotion, everyone had turned to look at them and Cameron, along with Laird Stewart and Ruadh, were quickly approaching. Aaden wasn't going to stay there long enough, though, to give any explanations to any of them. He only pointed at Freya, glaring at his cousin as he walked away. "Stay away from her."

Without waiting for any response, Aaden rushed after Lilith. He didn't know if there was anything he could do to salvage this, to prove to her that even though it had all started as a ploy to get her father's wealth for Ruadh, he had truly fallen in love with her despite his best efforts. He would never forgive himself if he didn't at least try, though, so he followed her, catching glimpses of her dress as she moved through the hallways and out into the courtyard.

It was there that he lost her. Even as he frantically looked around, the heavy rain and the dwindling light of the sun obstructing his view, she was nowhere to be seen. Aaden ran around the courtyard, searching everywhere he could think of: the gardens, the training grounds, her favorite spot to shoot arrows, but she wasn't there, and the more time passed, the closer he was to losing her forever. Laird Stewart wouldn't hesitate to throw them out of the castle now, surely enraged. Even if Ruadh tried to appease him and claim that it was all a lie fabricated by Evander to anger Lilith, the disrespect would be too much for him to allow them to stay.

He had to find Lilith before that happened.

That fool, he has destroyed everythin'.

Despite the rage that coursed through him, the fear that bubbled up in his gut, there was a twisted satisfaction to be found in the fact that Ruadh would finally know that his son was nothing but an idiot, too selfish and uncaring to follow any plan. Ruadh had accused Aaden time and time again of being useless, but now Evander had proven himself to be the useless one out of the two.

Just as Aaden was about to head back inside, thinking that perhaps Lilith hadn't gone out into the courtyard at all, he saw her whizz past on her horse, galloping out of the main gates. Cursing under his breath, he headed to the stables, startling the stable boy again.

Aaden didn't even bother with a saddle, only putting on the reins before he jumped onto a horse and left in pursuit of Lilith. It was far from an easy ride, the ground soft and yielding under the horse's hooves, the wind around him freezing and the rain weighing him down as it soaked into his clothes, but Aaden wouldn't come to a stop until he had talked some sense into her.

"Lilith!" he shouted just so that she would hear him over the rain. "Where are ye goin'? It's dangerous!"

There was no response, though not because Lilith hadn't heard him. She was simply ignoring him, he knew, too hurt and angry to see reason. As they rode, the storm only grew, lightning splitting the sky in the distance as rumble after rumble of thunder echoed around them. Even the trees swayed in the wind, leaves rustling ceaselessly while clinging to their branches.

Aaden had no choice but to force her hand, so he spurred his horse on, the view of his world blurry and dizzying, muddled by the raindrops. Soon, he caught up to her and then rode past her, blocking her way until she had no choice but to come to a sudden halt, her horse rearing as she pulled at the reins.

Her long, black hair was plastered to her face with water, drops of it clinging to her lashes. Her glare was colder than the wind itself, sending a shiver down Aaden's spine, but he didn't dare avert his gaze. He only glanced over her head for a moment, seeing just how far the two of them had gotten from the castle without him even realizing it.

"We need tae find a place tae spend the night," he said. The sky was already dark, on the verge of night, and with the storm clouds over their heads, there would be no moonlight to guide their way. Even if there had been, it was unwise to turn back and head to the castle in the raging storm, considering how far they had made it.

"I willnae spend the night with ye," Lilith said, making to bypass him before Aaden stepped into her way with his horse once more. Lilith groaned in frustration, but she made no other attempt to leave.

"I'm nae askin' ye tae be anywhere near me," Aaden said, raising his hands up as if in surrender. "I will give ye yer space. But we cannae go back an' we cannae stay here. It's dangerous. The storm willnae stop tonight."

Lilith looked around her as though she was seeing the storm for the first time. Her shoulders crumpled as she seemed to come into an acceptance of her situation and then she nodded once, firmly.

"Fine," she said. "Follow me."

She pushed past him and Aaden followed her, the two of them not exchanging a single word. He could hardly speak to her, after all, when it was raining like this and he had to shout to be heard. He only hoped that she knew where she was going, as Aaden wasn't as familiar with the place. Perhaps there was a town nearby, he thought, where they could stay at an inn.

Instead of a town, though, they soon came up to an old fortress, the years of abandonment showing on its exterior. The stones had crumbled around it, parts of the roof having caved in a long time ago. Vines crawled up the southern side, and what little of the interior he could see through the small windows was entirely dark.

"There?" he asked, coming to ride beside her. "That is where ye wish tae spend the night?"

Lilith looked at him as though he was too dumb for her to deal with. "Dae ye see another place around here? It is either this or we head back."

"Where is the next town?" Aaden asked.

"That way," Lilith said, pointing even farther south through a thick forest that seemed to stretch for miles, with no visible paths. "Is that where ye wish tae go? Ye may go if that is the case."

Aaden sighed, a hand coming up to brush his hair off his face. "Fine. Let us see this place."

Once they approached the fortress, Aaden found a gap in the wall big enough for them to pull the horses inside and protect them from the rain. It was cold in there, the worn walls doing little to keep any heat inside, and humid, but at least there were places where the roof was still holding strong, creating a shelter from the rain. Lilith stayed with the horses as Aaden looked around in the dim light that still streamed from outside, hurrying to find anything that could help them—blankets, torches, flint. With their clothes soaked as they were and the rooms so cold, it would be a wonder if they survived the night without catching a cold.

Aaden searched the rooms of the ground floor, looking in forgotten cupboards and drawers that he had to pry open. Relief washed over him when he found a tinderbox and some wood near the hearth in the kitchen, all of it still dry, and one thin, scratchy blanket. The wool would be enough to keep Lilith warm, at least, along with the fire he would light.

For a moment, he considered trying to climb up the rickety stairs, but that only seemed like begging for trouble. He was certain there was a sturdier staircase somewhere, one made of stone rather than wood, but by the time he had found what he needed, the place was almost pitch-black.

He headed back to Lilith instead, getting lost a few times in the way. When he finally reached her, she jumped in surprise at the sound of his footsteps rather than the sight of him.

"I found some things," he told her. "Just enough fer one fire, so I would appreciate it if ye allowed me tae stay here, so I dinnae freeze tae death."

Lilith said nothing, which was more than Aaden could have hoped for. He took it as permission to stay and he worked quickly to light the fire under a patch of roof, near the corner of the room.

With the tinderbox, the fire took easily, spreading over the wood. Instantly, warmth engulfed Aaden and he stretched his hands towards the flames, enjoying the relief they brought, the warmth that seeped back into his flesh.

When he glanced at Lilith, she looked at the fire longingly, but didn't make a move to approach.

"Sit," he said. "If ye truly cannae bear tae be near me, then I will leave."

Lilith rolled her eyes, but once again remained silent as she finally went to sit near the fire, across from Aaden. The flames bathed her in a soft, orange glow, making her look otherworldly, impossibly beautiful, and he couldn't help but stare for a few moments, his chest seizing with all the unbridled emotion he was desperately trying to conceal.

"Ye should take those wet clothes off," he said, reaching over to hand her the blanket. "Take this. Ye'll be warmer."

Lilith hesitated, but eventually, she took the blanket and stood, walking away a few paces. She glanced at him over her shoulder, brows knitting together in a frown.

"Turn around," she said.

Aaden did as he was told, shifting until he was facing the wall. He didn't need to see Lilith undress, though, to know what she was revealing as she shed her wet clothes. He had spent the entire day imagining that night, when he would take her to her chambers after the feast. He had thought of her body stretching under his own, that expanse of pale skin, the curves of her breasts and her hips under his hands; her laugh when he teased her, the way she looked at him, like she truly loved him.

Of course, he could have none of that anymore. She would never look at him the same way again. Even if he managed to explain the situation to her, how could she ever trust him? Lilith had asked him time and time again to tell her the truth and Aaden had continued to lie to her relentlessly, ruining any chance he had of her ever forgiving him.

He stayed there, facing the wall, even as he heard Lilith settle by the fire once more. A few moments of silence passed before she broke it with a sigh.

"Ye may turn around now," she said, and Aaden shifted once more to face her. She had the blanket wrapped around her tightly, the wool hopefully warming her up, though her face was still painted a faint pink from the chill and the wind.

"Can I speak?" Aaden asked. His own clothes were still dripping, forming a small puddle on the floor under his legs. His skin had erupted in goosebumps, and he could hardly suppress the shivers, so he moved a little closer to the fire, only to have Lilith move away, even though he was nowhere near close to her. "Please, Lilith… let me explain, at least."

"There is naething tae explain," she said. "It was me own mistake fer thinkin' ye were different. I ken better now."

As she spoke, her voice broke, devolving into a strangled sob, and Aaden realized that for the first time ever since they had met, Lilith was crying. It was the first time he had seen tears spill from her eyes, the first time he had seen her so vulnerable.

Knowing he was the reason for her heartbreak broke his own heart. Aaden could feel it shattering in his chest, the pain of it sharp like shards of glass.