Episode 16

CONTINUATION

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The castle loomed ahead, its dark silhouette outlined against the smoky horizon. The air was thick with the cries of the injured, the clanging of swords being sheathed, and the whispered prayers of those who had survived another day. Valerie walked with Liam at her side, her steps uneven but resolute.

Inside the castle, the great hall had been turned into an impromptu infirmary. Soldiers lined the walls, their wounds being tended to by hurried healers. Valerie’s arrival drew murmurs, her name whispered with a mixture of awe and concern. She ignored them, her mind still replaying the battle with Lucien.

Liam guided her to a secluded corner, his eyes scanning her pale face. “Sit. Let me see your shoulder.”

Valerie resisted, brushing his hand away. “There are others worse off than me.”

“You’re no good to anyone dead,” Liam snapped, his tone sharper than he intended. He softened when he saw the exhaustion in her eyes. “Please, Valerie.”

Reluctantly, she sat on a bench, allowing him to tear away the blood-soaked fabric around her shoulder. The wound wasn’t deep, but it would scar—a permanent reminder of Lucien’s escape. Liam worked silently, his touch surprisingly gentle as he cleaned and dressed the injury.

“You shouldn’t have faced him alone,” he said after a while, his voice low. “Lucien is dangerous.”

“I had to,” Valerie replied, her tone brooking no argument. “This fight is personal.”

Liam paused, meeting her gaze. “You’re not alone in this, Valerie. You don’t have to carry the weight of everything by yourself.”

She looked away, unable to hold his piercing stare. “I can’t let anyone else pay the price for my vengeance.”

“And if that vengeance consumes you?” Liam asked softly. “What then?”

Before she could answer, a messenger rushed into the hall, his face pale and his clothes stained with soot. He bowed hastily before addressing them. “Lady Valentine, Lord Liam, we’ve received word. Lucien’s forces are regrouping in the northern woods. Scouts report he’s gathering reinforcements.”

Valerie’s jaw tightened. “He’s not retreating. He’s planning his next move.”

Liam cursed under his breath. “He’s like a snake—strike his head, and he slithers away.”

“We need to act fast,” Valerie said, standing despite the protest in her shoulder. “If we can cut him off before he regroups, we might stand a chance.”

“Not tonight,” Liam interjected firmly. “You’re injured, your men are exhausted, and we need a plan.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but his stern expression silenced her. “Fine,” she conceded, her voice clipped. “But at dawn, we move.”

That night, Valerie couldn’t sleep. She stood on the castle’s battlements, the cool wind brushing against her skin as she stared out into the darkness. Memories of Lucien’s mocking smirk and the lives he’d destroyed plagued her. He was a specter of her past, a living reminder of everything she had lost—and everything she had vowed to protect.

“Can’t sleep?” Liam’s voice broke the silence.

She turned to find him leaning against the stone wall, his arms crossed. He looked as weary as she felt, but his presence was steadying. “Too much on my mind,” she admitted.

He nodded, stepping closer. “You don’t have to fight all your battles at once, Valerie. Sometimes the hardest thing is to give yourself time.”

Her lips curved into a faint smile. “Time doesn’t heal everything, Liam.”

“No,” he agreed, his eyes meeting hers. “But it gives us a chance to find new strength.”

They stood in silence for a while, the distant sounds of the wounded fading into the night. For the first time in what felt like forever, Valerie allowed herself a moment of peace.

But as the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, her resolve hardened once more. Lucien Blackwood had escaped her blade, but he wouldn’t elude her forever. This wasn’t just her fight—it was a war she intended to win.

With Liam at her side and her people behind her, Valerie Valentine stepped into the light of a new day, ready to face whatever came next.

To be continued....

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