Page 52 of Love of the Bladed Dove
“I just…” he rasped, his voice hoarse. “I can’t bear it if something happens to you.” Praying she could feel his sincerity
She softened and took a ragged breath before looking up at him. She gently brushed her fingers against his cheek. “I know.” Then turned her attention back toward the ballroom, toward her sister.
“Will you get me a glass of champagne?” she asked, her voice low. “My nerves are frayed, and we need clear heads to plan what comes next.” Theron lingered for a breath, then gave a quiet nod. He let his fingers linger on her shoulder for a moment longer before stepping away. If it were up to him, he’d steal her away and never look back. But it wasn’t up to him. And now… now they would have to outwit a king before the volatility inside him exploded.
Layla.
As Theron disappeared into the crowd, Layla’s throat tightened with guilt. Her heart warred between loyalty and desperation, but she shoved the guilt down like broken glass.Later.She could feel guilty later.
Now, she had to act. She turned toward Kain and Sir Edwin, pasting a sugary smile across her face. “Kain, could you please excuse Sir Edwin and me for a moment?” Kain didn't so much as blink. His smirk said it all.
“Not on your life, Dove. You may fool my brother, but you don’t fool me. What little scheme are you spinning behind those deceptively sweet eyes?” Her smile dropped. Gods, he knew her too well. The urge to scream at him—just trust me—bubbled in her chest, but she swallowed it.
Instead, she met his eyes, defiant. “I might have an idea. But you’re not going to like it.”
Kain tilted his head, amused. “Obviously. You just sent Theron off on a wild goose chase, which tells me this plan of yours is reckless,probably idiotic, and absolutely going to put you in danger.” Layla narrowed her eyes. She hated how right he was.
Still, she powered forward. “The King’s… fondness for me has been made painfully clear. Tonight, he invited me to his bed.” She saw Sir Edwin stand up even straighter somehow. But Kain—Kain didn’t move. His entire body went still, a terrible silence bleeding from him. The green in his eyes seemed to vanish as a darker storm rolled in. Layla couldn’t look at him as she continued.
“I wouldn’t actually… I mean—Iwon’t. I don’t think I could even...” Her voice cracked slightly, but she pushed on. “But if we let the guards believe I’m going to him willingly, I can find his chamber. Find hers. Get to Ciana before he even arrives.” With a small gulp, she finally looked back up and met Kain’s eyes. They were bottomless. Haunted. And furious.
Sir Edwin cleared his throat first, stepping in like a buffer between emotional warheads. “My Lady. I will carry out your wishes… but I must raise a few concerns.” His voice was measured but uneasy. “What if the king is already there? What if the guards stop you or worse? And even if you reach her room, there’s no guarantee you won’t be caught trying to cross back or escape with Lady Ciana.” Layla nodded slowly, absorbing the logic but pushing past it.
“I understand. And I appreciate your concern, truly. But I’m not helpless. I have a dagger. I know how to use it. I just need to get to her. If I can reach her, I can lead her out. You’ll be waiting as close as possible if anything goes wrong... We’ll move fast.” The moment the words left her lips, she knew how naïve they sounded.But what choice did she have?
Kain still hadn’t spoken. When he finally did, his voice was tightly controlled like a fuse barely keeping its flame. “And if Ivar’s already there?” His jaw flexed hard. “If he walks in while you’re trapped in that gods-forsaken room with no way out,then what, Layla?” Her throat tightened. Tears burned her eyes without permission.
“Then I do whatever I have to,” she whispered. “Because that’s my sister. And she deserves to be saved, no matter what it costs me.” She blinked the tears away and straightened her shoulders. “This is the best option we have. The only one. I’m doing this with or without your help.”
Kain raked both hands through his hair, muttering something vicious under his breath as he turned away from her. He stood like that for a long moment. Then his shoulders dropped. He looked back at her, his expression raw and sharp. “I’ll help you,” he said quietly, voice like the calm beforea massacre. “But if something goes wrong, Layla, if one hand touches you, I swear I’ll kill every man in this castle.” There was no jest in his voice. Just steel.
Layla’s heart twisted in a strange, bittersweet knot. Somehow, that violent promise meant more to her than any vow of protection ever could.
“Kill away.” .
Chapter twenty-four
Layla.
Theron returned, glass of champagne in hand. Layla did her best to steady her fingers before he could see the tremble. She forced herself to smile, to look calm. But she wasn’t, not even close. He stopped in front of her and gently placed his hand beneath her elbow. His touch was tender, but his eyes burned with intensity.
“I have a plan, Layla,” he said, voice low, urgent. “It’ll work. It has to.” She tilted her head, giving him her full attention, though her pulse was a war drum in her ears. “When the ballroom clears,” Theron continued, “the king will likely escort Ciana out himself. If we can watch closely, track which direction they take her, we’ll know where she’s beingkept. Then we hide. Wait for the castle to fall quiet. After midnight, when the halls are thinner, we move. No fighting unless we must. No risk to you.”
Layla’s stomach twisted. She understood why Theron was hesitating—why he hadn’t suggested a direct pursuit. Ciana was kept close to the King, surrounded by guards. There would be no way for the men to trail her her discreetly like they had with Aerilynn without raising suspicion. If they tried, they’d alert the entire damned kingdom. And Theron… he wouldn’t want Layla fighting her way through that kind of chaos. He knew she wouldn’t willingly stay behind, so he was stalling—trying to find a plan that didn’t involve risking her life. It was noble. It was infuriating. And it was flawed.
By midnight, someone would realize Aerilynn was gone. Then the castle would shift. Doors would be locked. Guards would double. Ciana would be surrounded, unreachable. This was the only chance. But she couldn’t tell him that. Not when he looked at her like that—so certain, so desperate to protect her from everything except the truth. So instead, she gave him what he needed. She smiled.
“That sounds…” She hesitated, forcing her voice into something soft and agreeable, “reasonable.” Layla dropped her eyes before the guilt could show in them. “It’s safer. And we’ll know more if we’re patient… I trust you, Theron.” The relief on his face was like a blade in her ribs. He nodded, exhaled, and gave her shoulder a tight squeeze, the kind that said he was grateful she wasn’t fighting him. That she was letting him protect her.
He turned away to look back toward Ciana. And Layla—Layla swallowed the rising tide of shame. She was lying to him. Because theydidn’t have until midnight. And she couldn’t lose Ciana. Her eyes darted toward Kain and Sir Edwin. Kain was already watching her. Not with suspicion. Not judgement. Just… understanding. A quiet, knowing look. He gave the smallest nod.Her plan was still on.
“Eddy,” Kain said casually, “why don’t you take another walk around the perimeter. Just make sure we’re not missing anything.” Sir Edwin glanced at Kain, then to Layla, and something in her face must have told him the truth. He gave a curt bow, then slipped into the crowd. Layla turned her face back toward the ballroom, her lips still curved, her heart pounding, her hands quivering just beneath the surface. The lie was in motion. And it had to work.
Layla impatiently waited for them to escort Ciana out of the ballroom. Her fingers quivered against the stem of her glass, barely able to fake another polite sip. They had a plan. Gods, she prayed it would be enough. She had already mouthed to Ciana—we’re coming. But now the waiting, the pretending, the stillness... it was excruciating.
Kain and Theron stayed close, ever her shadows, while Sir Edwin was still discreetly across the ballroom, ready to light the signal fire.. A single flare that would serve as the distraction, pulling attention from both the King and Theron so that Layla could slip away. It would force Theron to stay behind, waiting for her return with Ciana. Kain would follow her stealthily, get as close as possible, a hidden sword if needed. Itwas a desperate plan, fragile as glass and built on the thinnest thread of timing. One misstep, one second too late, and everything would collapse.
Layla tilted her chin, inhaled slowly, and made a silent plea to the stars—for just one night of luck. And then it began.
