Page 51 of Severed Heir

Beside me, Myla stirred, her voice thick with sleep. “My friend’s a Serpent,” she mumbled, like that was the only truth that mattered.

A breath of a smile touched my lips. “You might be the only one who still believes in me,” I whispered, the words barely reaching the dark. Then I let my eyes fall shut, sinking into the familiarshape of my old bed.

Chapter Nine

The cold morning rattled my spine as dawn cracked across the horizon. Distant griffin calls echoed through the frostbitten quiet, wild and familiar.

I went to my closet and pulled down a white cloak. No Serpent sigil, no Malvoria M, nothing but soft fabric and silence. It was the only thing that still felt like mine.

Downstairs, the others had already begun to gather. Myla sat beside my father, speaking in low, steady tones. Charles leaned against the stone wall, dragging a sharpening stone along a blade with slow, deliberate strokes.

Kian arrived last, tugging one of Klaus’s old jackets tighter around himself. I couldn’t be upset. It was better on him than collecting dust on a hook.

Myla stood up. “Alright. We search the land for any civilians. Meet back here in five hours,” she said, glancing at the old grandfather clock ticking through the silence.

Father shook his head. “There’s no one left. It’s a waste of time.”

Myla flicked a glance toward Charles. “We still have to check. It’s… Malvoria protocol.”

Charles stepped forward. The old floorboards creaked under his weight. “Myla’s right. We need to be sure.”

Antonia raised a shaded palm. “Does no one remember yesterday? When we nearly died fighting a beast? We’re not protected out here, not while we’re wandering through miles of unmarked forest.” Her arms folded tight across her chest.

Father’s golden eyes burned. “Feel free to search. But I nearly died doing that every day for weeks.”

Fraser sheathed his blades. “Antonia, Cully, and I will take the northern border. Kian, Severyn, and Myla can handle the south.” He paused, casting a glance at Myla. “If that’s alright with you. It’s your mission, after all.”

She nodded. “I trust your judgment.”

Charles gave a final nod. “Clear the land. Any survivors will be marked barren.”

Myla and I searched the fields for hours, our boots crunching through frost, swords gripped tight at every ice beast’s cry.

I turned to her, flaring my palms for warmth. “Myla, I’m leaving for Night after this. I wanted you to hear it from me first.”

She spun, kicking a frozen beetroot with her boot. “I figured. I overheard what your father said.” Her voice softened. “I understand.”

I wrapped my arms around her neck, pulling her close. “You’ll rise through the ranks.” I touched her cheek with my shadowed palm. “And if you want to date Cully, go ahead. I won’t stop you.”

Her cheeks flushed. “It was once. Maybe twice.” She waved a hand like she was swatting the truth away. “But he wrote me a poem after.”

I winced. “Gods, spare me. Just—tell Toni to stay alive, and to keep the dirty talk to a minimum with Kian. Although... they would make an unsettlingly cute couple.”

Myla crouched, placing her bare hand against the frozen dirt. “Fraser’s been trying to teach her kindness.”

I snorted. “How’s that going?”

She grinned. “Badly. The sexual tension could probably shatter a mountain. I think she hoped he was the one she was bonded to. She’s got this massive crush on him and thinks no one notices.”

“I’ve had enough people in my head for a lifetime,” I muttered.

“I still can’t believe you’re an heir,” she said, quieter now. “And you and Archer—”

“We’re nothing now,” I said, cutting her off. “Let’s not make this about me.” I offered a small smile. “You’ll be a royal guard soon. With a realm to protect. Maybe the next to claim Victor’s title will choose you as a guard before three years.”

She scoffed. “Doubt it. My mother used to knit gowns for the last Serpent. Victor fired her like she was nothing.”

I hesitated. It felt wrong not to tell her that woman was my grandmother. But maybe now wasn’t the time.

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