15. Chapter 15

fifteen

N evander found himself captivated by Kallessa’s honey-colored eyes, watching every flicker of emotion dance across her face. She was a poor liar, obviously hiding something. If he were a betting man, he’d wager his father’s best ship that Castien was behind this, somehow.

Kallessa’s gaze silently pleaded with him not to leave, even as her words insisted otherwise. He’d been harsh at times in the past, his voice carrying the coldness of clashing steel, his decisions as brutal as biting winter winds. But those eyes—how could he deny their warmth, like the first embrace of sunrise after the darkest night?

Logically, there was no reason to spend time with her, but against his better judgment, he found himself drawn to her presence. He didn’t have to constantly watch his words, fearing they would be twisted against him. With her, he was just a man, not a name, not a title.

Nevander’s jaw tightened as he considered the next two weeks at Ravenbluff Estate. True, he’d be there to help Castien, but a traitorous part of him couldn’t help but feel a spark of anticipation. The chance to spend time with Kallessa, even under false pretenses, was a temptation he struggled to resist.

He drank his cooling tea, the bergamot aroma mingling with Kallessa’s fresh garden scent. The morning ride had failed to soothe his nerves, but Kallessa’s presence brought a sense of calm he hadn’t felt in ages.

“I disagree. We could learn about each other.” At least the version of him he could present. “Then we wouldn’t be strangers any longer. In fact, how about we play a game of questions before the hunt begins?”

Trepidation filled her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“It’s simple. I ask you a question, you answer, then you ask me one. Let’s say two questions each today. If we keep that up, by the end of the week, we’ll know more about each other than most married couples of thirty years.”

“Not my parents,” she murmured, her gaze distant. “They were inseparable. Where my father ended is where my mother began. They completed each other in a way I don’t think could be compared.”

An arrow shot through him at her words. A marriage of love, not duty.

Her hands toyed with her skirts. “But I don’t want to talk about that, please. It’ll give you a sour stomach after all those scones you ate.”

No, he didn’t want to talk of such things either. Things that were out of his reach.

But she was a mystery, her past hidden. And against his will, his curiosity deepened. If she didn’t want to talk, that was fine. He’d discover her secrets in other ways.

“I beg your pardon. The questions can wait.” He withdrew his envelope from his jacket pocket and opened it, the soft rustle of paper filling the air. She leaned toward him as he read the first clue aloud .

I gaze into the ebony night

To bring her stars close to sight,

All seven sails of Enkin’s Ship,

I can touch through infinite light.

I’ll show you the secrets of Axan’s moon

With a twist and a spin, the dark light as noon

The universe is yours to conquer tonight,

What am I, the stargazer’s delight?

“Hmm, the stars,” Kallessa mumbled, her breath soft, sending prickles of awareness across his skin. “Do you know how many clues there are?” Kallessa sat back and pulled a folded paper from her pocket. He found himself resenting the cool air that was left in her wake.

She unfolded the paper, the yellowing parchment looking strangely familiar to him. “This map is terribly inaccurate,” Kallessa murmured, pressing the sheet flat against the breeze. “There’s much more to the estate than is depicted.” She pointed to the left side of the estate walls, covered in ivy. “See here? The estate doesn’t end there.”

Nevander stared at the map. “Where did you get that?”

“This map? It was in our room when we arrived. Didn’t you get one?”

No, he hadn’t. Not that it mattered. He didn’t need a map. But the one Kallessa held in her hands was a map Nevander had drawn himself years ago as a gift for his niece, Wynna .

When he’d painstakingly crafted the map of the sprawling Ravenbluff grounds, Nevander had intentionally left out certain details and areas, leaving mysteries for Wynna to discover as she explored. He’d spent hours inking each line, picturing the joy on his niece’s face as she ventured forth with the map clutched in her small hands. The image brought a wistful smile to his lips even now.

Seeing Kallessa hold his creation stirred conflicting emotions.

He cleared his throat. “You’re right. There’s more to this estate than meets the eye. I heard rumors there are even underground passageways.”

Her eyes lit up. “Ooh, really? Do you think we could find them?”

Nevander chuckled. “I’m sure they aren’t on the map.” No, they were definitely not on the map, since he’d only become aware of them that week himself.

“They might be.” Kallessa glanced up at him, a spark of curiosity flickering in her gaze. “Did you spot the tiny woodpecker in the oak tree?” She pointed to the oak he’d drawn the year a family of woodpeckers lived in the hole. He and Wynna had watched them all summer, seeing the little ones poke their heads out and cheep madly when their mother showed up with a worm in her beak.

That his true identity remained cloaked beneath layers of half-truths chafed at him. How could he explain to her he’d drawn the map? That there was more hiding that she hadn’t found yet? But he couldn’t without explaining entirely too much about his past.

“Let’s try to figure out the first clue,” Nevander suggested, redirecting the conversation.

Kallessa laughed lightly, straightening. “Oh yes, of course. I’m getting distracted. ”

“Are you familiar with constellations?” he asked.

“Do you mean the stars?” Kallessa glanced up at the brilliant azure sky. The first warm breezes filtered through the garden, stirring strands of hair around her face.

Nevander nodded, fighting the urge to tuck those wayward strands behind her ear.

“Somewhat. In summers, when I was young, my mother and I would lie on the beach, watching the sun set and the stars appear. We’d make up stories for the brightest ones. But I don’t know their proper names.”

Nevander took the clue, the paper crinkling beneath his touch. “Enkin’s Ship is a constellation in the northern sky,” he explained, pointing to the third line.

Kallessa’s forehead creased as she reread the riddle. “So, do you think the clue is outside somewhere?”

Nevander paused, considering. “No. I know a room that might have what we’re looking for.”

Nevander led Kallessa past the grand staircases, the scent of polished wood and lemon oil lingering in the air. Laughter and conversation faded, replaced by an echoing quiet as their feet sounded across the stone floors.

Kallessa’s heart quickened as they approached the hidden back half of the estate. Had it only been mere days ago since they’d arrived? Time seemed to blur in this enchanted place .

Nevander’s warm, firm hand grasped hers, tugging her through a set of double doors. Kallessa pulled back, bringing them to a halt.

“Are we supposed to be here?” she whispered.

“It’s fine,” Nevander assured her, his voice low and certain. “This is the quickest way to the room with the next clue. There’s always a back way to everything in a well-designed house.”

Kallessa’s gaze swept the corridor. Lush carpet muffled their footsteps, a stark contrast to the echoing marble halls. Colorful tapestries adorned the walls, depicting gardens and rolling hills. One caught her eye–a herd of horses thundering across a plain, the stitching so fine she could almost hear their hooves pounding.

Mahogany tables gleamed dimly, their surfaces adorned with casual flower arrangements. Two upholstered chairs with worn velvet seats sat beside a window, a few well-thumbed books stacked on the wide windowsill.

It looked lived in. Homey.

“This is more of the residential part,” Nevander explained. “The front is for guests.”

“That explains the map,” Kallessa murmured, her gaze still flitting around the ornate space.

“Maybe,” Nevander agreed, his voice tinged with intrigue. “Come on, it should be down this hallway.”

They reached a door tucked in a dimly lit corner, seamlessly blending with the dark wainscoting. Nevander’s hand slid under the ornate bronze knob, twisting and tugging. The door swung open with a yawning creak, revealing a granite spiral staircase winding upward into darkness.

“After you,” Nevander gestured, a quirky half-smile playing on his lips .

Kallessa hesitated. She couldn’t see a thing. When was the last time this door had even been opened? Her imagination conjured images of spiders scuttling in unseen corners, snakes coiled in shadowed recesses. Well, if he felt so amusingly confident about that creepy passageway, he could go first. “Oh, no. You go ahead. You seem to know this place so well.”

Nevander stepped forward, one hand held out in front of him as if parting the inky blackness, the other hand drawing Kallessa behind him. She shivered as the cool air of the unused passage enveloped them.

After they crossed the threshold, the door swung shut behind them with a definitive thud, plunging them into darkness. Kallessa’s yelp of surprise coincided with Nevander’s quick intake of breath. She couldn’t see anything except a faint sliver of light coming from the under the door.

Nevander’s voice was close, a troubled whisper trailing through the quiet room. “I forgot about that.”

“Forgot?” Kallessa heard her own voice raising an octave. “How many times have you been here?”

Silence stretched between them before Nevander responded evasively, “Ah, I should have known. That door did seem suspicious.”

Kallessa’s fingers fumbled across the wooden paneling until they wrapped around the large brass knob. “Its locked.”

Nevander muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a curse involving the prince’s name.

His swallow sounded deafening in the intense silence of the stone stairwell. “Well, it seems our only option is up,” he said, his optimism sounding brittle in the enclosed space. “Perhaps there’s a key up there. ”

“Up where?” Kallessa strained to see anything in the impenetrable darkness. “What’s even up there?”

Nevander grasped her arm, the warmth of his palm seeping through the thin fabric of her sleeve. As his fingers slid down to envelop her own, she felt her heart flutter in her chest. But that was only from anxiety. It had nothing to do with the way he kept touching her, his hands leaving trails of fire on her skin. Definitely not because of the way his green eyes smoldered when they met her own, or how his rare smiles made her stomach flip. Her heart didn’t actually flutter every time he was near. She was simply nervous about being alone with him in the dark stairwell, that was all.

“Come on, let’s get to the top. It’s not far.” He pulled her to the steps and placed her palm on the smooth railing.

She had no choice but to climb, lifting her skirts with one hand and keeping the other firmly gripped on the railing. Thankfully, she didn’t run into a single spiderweb, and the musty dampness of an unused corridor was completely absent. In fact, the space smelled airy, with only the faintest scent of stone and earth.

Step by step, they ascended, the rhythmic sound of their footfalls echoing in the enclosed space until she bumped her head against the ceiling. “Ow,” she exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot where her hairpins pricked her skin.

Nevander joined her on the narrow step, his head also hitting the ceiling with a soft thud. “Right beside you,” he reassured her, his breathing uneven. He cleared his throat, fingers scraping across the unseen barrier. “It’s here somewhere.”

He was quietly taking deep measured breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth as he searched for something neither of them could see. Was he claustrophobic? Kallessa would never ask, she didn’t know him well enough to. And pointing it out would only make him uncomfortable. She had to admit, she didn’t feel very calm squeezed into the tight dark space either.

“This is much easier when one can see,” Nevander said, voice strained. “Hang on... I think I’ve found it.”

Metal scraped against metal, followed by a protesting groan as the door opened on the roof above them. Glorious morning light flooded the stairwell. Kallessa gulped it in, almost crying with relief as she rushed onto the landing.

And then she stopped, only one word escaping her lips. “Wow.”

“Welcome to the Ravenbluff observatory,” Nevander said as he ascended into the room behind her, his voice carrying a note of shared relief.

It was the most enchanting room Kallessa had ever seen. Golden walls and floor shimmered, bathing the room in a soft glow. The air held the fresh scent of paper and a faint trace of metal.

Two stories of jewel-toned windows encircled the observatory, pouring stained light across the space. The dance of color played upon their skin like the brushstrokes of an unseen artist.

Engraved archways sectioned off enclaves with tables covered in globes, scrolls, and maps. And in the room’s heart stood a massive object shrouded in a heavy cloth, its colossal size reaching towards a domed ceiling adorned with a painted sky.

Nevander approached it, a playful glint in his eyes as he gestured towards the monumental figure. “I believe this is what we’re looking for.”

Nevander’s heart racing had nothing to do with the quick climb up the stairs, nothing to do with that enclosed darkness that shot a needle of fear through him. And everything to do with the beautiful woman before him. Kallessa’s eyes gleamed as she twirled around the room, her delicate fingers brushing every surface. This was worth it. The panic that had gripped him moments before vanished.

The observatory’s domed roof sheltered them within a kaleidoscope of light. Stained glass fractured daylight into jewel-toned fragments, bathing Kallessa in a dance of color. Crimson, azure, and emerald hues flickered across her flushed cheeks, kissed her dark hair with fiery sparks, and etched patterns upon her shoulders. It was as if he’d been living in monochrome, and this woman had brought color back into his world. His skin hummed to close the distance, wanting to be part of her simple joy of discovery. A treasure hunt, indeed.

She stopped, sensing his nearness. Her dark eyes were glossy with undiluted delight. Had his eyes ever looked like that? Not in a very long time. And he wanted that. He craved that.

Unable to resist any longer, he reached out. His hand glided along her arm, fingers intertwining with hers. “What do you think?” he asked.

“Amazing,” Kallessa breathed, unaware of how her touch ignited him. “I can’t imagine what it’s like at night. Does the roof open?”

“Yes,” he said, picturing the night sky reflected in her eyes. “The ceiling panel rolls back, revealing the entire sky.”

“I want to see it,” she said simply. So did he. He wanted to see the stars reflected in her eyes. Watch the moon rise with her .

Could he possibly suggest what was on his mind? It wasn’t proper, but in two weeks, they would probably never see each other again. He would return to the capital, to his responsibilities. She would find a man who didn’t have nightmares every night, who could take care of her.

But for this fleeting fortnight, why couldn’t they dream together? Why not live a fantasy, if only for a few precious days?

With a gentle tug, he led her to the telescope, their hands intertwined.

“Here lies the answer to our first clue, I believe. Why don’t we inspect it and see if we’re right?”

Nevander pulled the hoist, revealing the focal point of the chamber, tiny dust motes dancing across the sunbeams.

Sure enough, a cream envelope with gold writing fluttered to the ground. But Kallessa ignored it, her gaze ensnared by the device before her. The metallic gleam of the telescope’s polished brass frame caught the sunlight, sending dappled reflections skittering across her awestruck face.

“Do you know how it works?” she asked, voice tinged with wonder. “I’ve never seen one.”

Nevander left the envelope forgotten, his focus solely on Kallessa. “Did you know the moon has little round craters all over its surface?” he asked. “And when it’s full, the edges of the craters emit a radiant glow, as if illuminated from within.” Like her eyes, like her smile.

Intrigued, Kallessa leaned down, her fingertips grazing the smooth eyepiece. “And this will show us that?”

“Yes.”

“Show me? ”

Those two simple words held so much trust, so much anticipation. It would be a mistake to meet her in the dark, to gaze at the moon together, but he’d never wanted anything so much in his life.

“Let’s get through these silly games and I will unveil the night sky’s secrets to you.”

Her face was so open, so full of fresh curiosity. “Promise?”

He anchored himself in her gaze, the stormy sea of his dark past retreating under her sunlit eyes. “I promise.”