C H A P T E R T W E N T Y – E I G H T
I don’t know what I’d do without Ailith and Iolas.
C H A P T E R T W E N T Y – E I G H T
Olwyn
I olas and I walk side by side down the dimly lit corridor, the sound of our footsteps muffled by the plush carpets beneath us.
It’s late, the kind of quiet that wraps around you like a blanket, and the palace seems to hum with an unusual stillness.
We've just finished a long day of ball prep, and my body still aches in ways I didn’t know it could from the morning training. Iolas is pushing me harder now and Altair is also training me. And I really am starting to feel the difference.
“Still sore from that last sparring session?” Iolas asks, and I can sense the concern under his teasing tone.
I roll my shoulders, wincing slightly. “I’m fine. Just a little stiff.”
He grins, his teeth flashing in the dim light. “I could always give you a massage. You know, to help with the stiffness. Purely professional, of course.”
I glance up at him, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, I'm sure it would be very professional.”
He chuckles, the sound low and easy. “I’m nothing if not a gentleman.”
The familiar banter between us makes me smile, and I feel the tension in my body ease a little. Iolas is steady and dependable—that makes it so easy to be around him. Unlike the constant, electric tension I feel around Altair, being with Iolas is like slipping into a warm bath after a long, hard day.
“If you’re hurting so much, maybe you should take a day off? Especially after what happened yesterday.” Iolas suggests, probably remembering I’m human.
I feel surprisingly fine after my talk with Ailith yesterday. But I think Iolas was expecting the guilt to eat away at me for a bit longer. “It’s all right. My end of the deal was to continue training. And I really want to get out of the palace and see something new, so I’ll stick with it.”
Iolas’s feet stall. “What do you mean?” His brows fall, as if he hasn’t got a clue what I’m talking about. “Get out of the palace?”
I frown at him. “Altair said I need to keep up with training for two weeks, and then afterward, he’ll take me outside the palace.”
Iolas’s expression shifts subtly, his eyes narrowing just for a moment, though it’s not doubt that crosses his face. “All right,” he says, his tone easy, though I notice the brief flicker of thought passing behind his eyes. “Just, keep an open mind when you’re out there.”
I tilt my head, confused by his slight hesitation. “What do you mean?”
“Outside the palace,” he says, his voice softer, but still firm. “It’s safe enough, with Altair. I trust him completely. But you’ve never been to towns in the vampire kingdoms, Olwyn.” He pauses, choosing his words carefully. “There’s a lot to take in. And not everything will be what you expect.”
The seriousness in his tone catches me off guard. “I know. That’s why I want to go,” I say, trying to steady my voice. “I need to see it for myself. To understand. I’m really trying,” I tell him. And I am. Gone are the days when I was trying to gather information to escape. Now I’m trying to gather it to learn .
The spark of excitement rushes through me, carrying with it an unexpected warmth. For the first time, the world beyond Avantra doesn’t feel like a distant, unreachable dream—it feels close, tangible. I want to taste freedom, not just to break away from my past, but to discover what lies beyond it.
Once, freedom had only meant escape—escape from confinement, from ignorance, from the stories that had hemmed me in like thorns. But now, there’s more. There’s a hunger to know the truth behind those stories, to step into the unknown with open eyes and understand what it is that had been kept from me.
It’s a shock to the system, realising… I don’t want to escape now.
Iolas nods slowly, clearly holding something back, but when he speaks, his words are gentle. “Good. That’s important. Just… if anything feels wrong, or if you wanna talk about what you see… I’m always here. You don’t have to take it all on alone.”
A sliver of doubt fills my stomach at his words.
“What am I going to see?”
“I don’t know where Al plans on taking you, but I imagine he’s going to show you what life is really like for vampires and humans here in Noctura.”
Before opening my eyes to their world, I would have imagined a kingdom where vampires had a free for all on the humans that lived here. Blood and devastation. But from what I now know I’m excited to see how different it must be.
Iolas smiles and his silent offer of comfort means so much, and there’s a warmth in his gaze that feels steady and safe, like he’s offering more than just reassurance. Like he’s offering a quiet place to retreat to, should I need it.
“Iolas…” I start, but the words catch in my throat. What am I even trying to say? “Thank you,” I manage after a beat, feeling the sincerity of my own words. “Really.”
He shrugs, but his eyes hold mine for a fraction longer than usual. “Someone’s got to keep you out of trouble.”
I laugh softly, and the tension between us seems to loosen a little. But even as I laugh, I can still feel his gaze lingering, the warmth of it making my pulse flutter unexpectedly. It’s easy, natural, the kind of connection that feels like it could deepen without any effort at all.
“So,” he says, tilting his head, his tone lightening as he shifts the conversation. “You’re really looking forward to going out with Al? Old grump?”
“Like you aren’t the same age.” I nudge him and shrug, trying to downplay the surge of excitement I feel at the thought. “It’s… exciting, I guess. I mean, it’ll be good to see something beyond these walls. To have some freedom.”
He nods thoughtfully, though there’s something behind his eyes that I can’t quite read. “I get that. But you know,” he says after a pause, “if you ever want a break from the grand vampire tour guide, I could show you around some places instead. No pressure.”
His tone is teasing, and it makes my stomach flutter. I glance up at him, and for just a second, his usual playful grin fades, replaced by something quieter, more serious.
“It’s not a bad offer,” I say, my voice softer than I intended.
His grin returns. “Of course it’s not. I’m a much better tour guide.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The moment stretches between us, the easy banter fading into a comfortable silence. I should say goodnight, should step into my room and close the door, but I don’t move. I stand there, my hand on the door handle, feeling like I need to say something, especially when it looks like he’s waiting for something.
“You should get some rest,” he says, his voice softening again, almost a whisper. There’s a gentleness in the way he says it, like he’s trying to offer me more than just a simple farewell for the night.
“Yeah,” I murmur, finally turning the handle. “Goodnight, Iolas.”
“Goodnight, Olwyn,” he replies, his voice low.
For a moment, we stand there, the space between us charged with a tension I haven’t felt before. It’s not the same as with Altair. With him, it’s a fire, a raw, burning intensity that threatens to consume me whole. But with Iolas… it’s different. Softer. Like the quiet after a storm, when the world feels still and the air is thick with possibility.
I open the door and step inside, the warmth of the room hitting me as I close it behind me. But even after I’m alone, the sound of my name on his lips lingers in the air long after the door clicks shut behind me.
And now I feel confused for a completely new reason.