Chapter 27
Chapter twenty-seven
Thorne slept beside her, his breathing slow and steady, the tension that usually lived in his body nowhere to be found.
Gisela watched his chest rise and fall, the faint crease between his brows smoothing away in sleep. Pale morning light slipped through the sheer curtains, casting gentle shadows across his features like it didn’t want to wake him.
She leaned in and kissed him softly.
Without opening his eyes, Thorne wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. There was an echo of his contentment through the bond as he kissed her back, slow and unhurried. “I need you again,” he said into her mind.
Heat spread through her. She didn’t resist it. She never wanted to. She hummed against his lips, meeting his heat with her own as they gave in to each other once more.
Afterward, he curled his body around her in a protective embrace, and she rested against him, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. The world outside the room was distant, almost irrelevant.
Almost.
“I could stay like this forever,” she said.
His mouth brushed her temple. “I could lose myself in you for an eternity,” he whispered. “And it still wouldn’t be enough.”
A soft knock at their door brought them back to reality.
“Just a minute!” Gisela called out. She slipped into one of the silk robes hanging on a hook, the fabric a cool whisper against her skin, and she went to crack open the door.
“The light stirs, and so must we—Oh . . .” Adrian sang, pausing mid-step. His gaze flicked past her to where Thorne was pulling his tunic over his head. Adrian raised a brow, eyes twinkling with amusement. “Lucky girl,” he mumbled with a teasing grin.
“You have no idea,” she said as she opened the door wider to allow him in.
“You two have a good night?” he asked, his gaze flicking between Gisela and Thorne.
“We did,” Thorne said, his focus settling onto Gisela.
“More than good,” Gisela said into Thorne’s mind.
Thorne’s smirk widened as he ran his hands through his disheveled hair.
Adrian’s eyes darted between them. “Seraphina would like us all in the dining room for breakfast.” He gestured for them to follow him. “I’ll walk you. You can get lost in this place easily.”
They walked through the corridor, their footsteps echoing beneath the vaulted ceiling. The space was vast and cool, the stone carrying every sound.
Gisela slowed. She had never seen a place like this, so open, so unburdened. A world away from Frosthaven. “Why are you here in the palace?” Gisela asked.
Adrian lifted his head as he walked, shooting her a sideways glance. “You’re not the only one who had a good time last night.”
Gisela giggled and linked arms with him. “Oh, tell me more.”
Thorne walked beside them, shaking his head, though he couldn’t hide his amusement.
They entered the dining hall, light streaming through tall arched windows that stretched nearly to the ceiling.
The room was too bright, the kind of brightness that pressed against her eyes.
Light glinted off plates and caught on silver.
Every sound scraped—dishes clinking, voices echoing, chairs shifting.
She squeezed her eyelids shut, shaking her head.
Eira stirred inside her. A faint pulse, like a ripple beneath her skin. “Your senses are heightened.”
Something inside her was different. Her senses had sharpened last night with Thorne, every touch magnified until it felt unreal—overwhelming in the best way.
This was something else.
Too harsh.
She steeled herself and approached the long table running down the center, set with a spread that could have fed a small village—eggs, pastries, fruit, pitchers of juice.
Butter and sugar perfumed the air, and the fireplace crackled through the open space.
She faltered before sitting, wondering how many people in Frosthaven had gone hungry that morning.
Seraphina was already seated at the head of the table with Eva, Silas, Marina, and Bjorn. She looked up with a welcoming smile. “Good morning,” Seraphina greeted. “I trust your accommodations were pleasing?”
“The pleasure was copious, Seraphina, thank you,” Adrian said, dropping into a seat beside Eva. His eyes flicked to a guard standing stoically at the door, and the man shifted slightly but remained impassive.
Above him, Aerion drifted lazily in his suspended perch, relaxed, a small smirk ghosting his lips as if he were in on some private joke.
Thorne and Gisela exchanged a glance before Gisela replied, “Yes, thank you.”
Seraphina’s smile widened as she gestured for them to sit.
Eva gave Gisela a knowing look, her smile soft and amused. She inclined her head in a wordless greeting before returning her focus to her plate.
Gisela took a seat beside Marina and nudged her. “How was last night?” she whispered.
“The pleasure was copious,” Marina mimicked, earning a quiet giggle from Gisela. Then Marina’s expression softened. “I missed him.”
Gisela’s smile warmed. “I’m glad you had time together.”
Marina reached for her hand beneath the table, giving it a squeeze. “Me too.” Her gaze drifted to Bjorn, whose relaxed posture and faint grin said everything about their reunion.
“Seraphina,” Marina began hesitantly. “I wondered if I could borrow one of the dragons today. Take me up to the dock. I’d love to bring the crew some of the Mystic Isle delicacies.”
Seraphina inclined her head. “Granted. We appreciate all you do. Take Terranox.”
Silas bit into a pastry, his eyes widening. “Which one is that?”
“The one I took down here with Gisela,” Thorne said easily.
A few surprised looks passed around the table.
Seraphina paused mid-sip, her head tilting slightly.
“How’d you know that?” Silas asked.
“Lucky guess.” Thorne shrugged and reached for another pastry.
The clatter of silverware resumed, filling the room with the familiar sound, but Gisela’s attention had already shifted. The laughter, the hum of conversation, the smell of food—it all blurred into something distant. Too loud and too far away at once.
Marina leaned closer to Gisela. “Bjorn and my father did a lot of talking last night. He didn’t come to the room until midnight.”
“Looks like it went well,” Gisela said, her voice thin.
Silas and Bjorn shared fruit, both smiling easily.
“Thank The Six for that.”
“And you and your father . . .?”
Marina exhaled and took a sip of juice. “We’re working on things. As angry as I was, I did miss him. I need him still.”
The words hit deeper than Marina could know.
Gisela tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
The ache that had been building finally broke open.
She thought of her father’s voice, firm and steady.
Her mother’s quiet humming while she blended herbs.
Her brother’s teasing grin. Her little sister’s laughter.
Each image slipped, like sand pouring through her fingers.
She needed them too.
Needed them in a way she hadn’t let herself think about.
Then Thorne’s presence touched her mind, gentle and worried, but even that soft contact landed too heavily. The brightness, the noise, the longing—it all collapsed inward at once.
The room tilted slightly.
Her chair scraped as she pushed back from the table. A tightness seized her throat.
“Are you okay?” Thorne’s voice slipped into her mind.
“I need some air,” she said aloud, and before anyone could stop her, she slipped from the room.
The air was too thin. Her heartbeat slammed against her ribs. She pressed a hand to her chest, dizziness flooding through her. The palace, for all its vastness, closed around her anyway.
You can’t fall apart here. Not now.
Eira sent a wave of cold through her veins, trying to steady her.
Marina was on her heels. “Gisela! Wait!”
Gisela’s legs gave out. She sank to her knees, the world collapsing into noise and pressure.
Marina knelt beside her, gripping her shoulder. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to—”
Gisela shook her head. “No,” she managed, the word breaking on her tongue.
Thorne’s footsteps came fast behind them. “I’ve got her,” he said.
Marina’s shoulders slumped and her gaze fell to the floor. She hesitated before retreating, turning her head back once before disappearing down the hall.
Thorne knelt and cupped Gisela’s face in his hands. “Hey,” he whispered, his voice steady and calming. “Focus on me.” He brushed his thumbs across her cheeks, wiping her tears.
She tried. Slowly, the storm inside her quieted beneath his touch. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Never apologize for this.”
“I . . .” she started, choking on her words. “I need to see them. Before anything else, I need to see them.”
Thorne nodded. “We’ll find a way.”
Footsteps approached, soft and sure. Seraphina appeared with that impossible grace, as though she was floating. “Gisela,” she said. “There’s something I want to show you.” She extended her hand.
Gisela hesitated, then took it.
Seraphina led her down a side corridor with Thorne close behind. She paused and glanced back at him. “She’s safe here. I promise you. This will help her.”
He nodded reluctantly. Thorne’s fingers twitched at his sides as he watched them go. “I’m here,” he whispered into her mind.
“I know,” she responded back, giving him a soft smile before turning her attention back to Seraphina.
They strolled down the corridor, the air growing warmer and infused with the scent of lavender and lemon. At the end of the hall stood a large wooden door with intricate carvings of vines and flowers.
Seraphina rested one hand on the handle, her other hand lightly brushing the carvings.
The door opened, revealing a room unlike anything Gisela had ever seen.
Soft, enchanting light filled the sanctuary. Smooth stone floors sparkled underfoot and a giant pool of rippling water rested in the center. The sound of a cascading waterfall filled the space, wrapping Gisela in an instantaneous sense of calm.
“Do you have a favorite color?” Seraphina asked.
Gisela considered the question. “Violet.”
With a graceful wave of her hand, Seraphina cast the room in a violet glow. Mist curled above the pool, tinted purple.
Seraphina led Gisela to the water’s edge, where a cotton robe was draped over a smooth stone bench.
“The waters here are special,” she explained.
“They’re infused with the natural magic of the isle.
They have a way of calming the mind and healing the spirit.
Mystics find clarity here when their magic strains against them.
Take your time.” She left Gisela at the water’s edge and slipped out, closing the door behind her.
Gisela admired the room before undressing and placing her clothes neatly on the stone bench. She stepped into the pool, carefully lowering herself into the warm, soothing waters.
It reached her neck, and a deep sense of peace flooded her.
Eira stretched within her, no longer bracing or tense.
The current around Gisela shifted, syncing with her pulse.
She submerged and let the water carry her. It swirled around, responding to her touch, acknowledging her presence.
When she surfaced, the tension in her chest had loosened. She leaned back and floated, letting the water guide her. Her heart steadied. Her breaths deepened. For a few precious moments, there was no fear, no guilt—only stillness.
The mysterious waters fueled Eira, and Gisela’s power strengthened and refined with every ripple.
She stayed there for a time, savoring the quiet inside and out. The ache in her heart hadn’t vanished, but it was no longer overwhelming or all-consuming.
She swam to the stairs and stepped out and found her skin completely dry. She looked back at the pool, pausing to examine it. The water stilled, then rippled in small acknowledgment. Gisela smiled and pulled on the robe.
Seraphina reentered, her face bright. “Do you feel better?”
“I do,” Gisela replied. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.” She glanced at the violet light dancing over the surface.
Seraphina waved her hand, returning the room to its natural state. “We must care for ourselves. It’s easier to face our troubles with a clear mind. Clarity lets us see the road ahead, even when the path is uncertain.”
Gisela softened at Seraphina’s kindness.
The benevolence was foreign to her, having grown up amidst the rule of King Ravenor. Despite not knowing who they were, Seraphina had welcomed them warmly, offering a place to rest and food to eat. She hadn’t realized how much she’d longed for that kind of generosity from a ruler.
“Come. Your friends are waiting,” Seraphina said, leading her out of the sanctuary and to the palace gardens.