Chapter 35: Chapter 35

KAMORA

A few days passed. Kamora and Jarosh had gone back to what they used to be, with the latter happy and jovial around the former.

It was nighttime, and the entire manor was asleep.

The halls were dark, and shadows poured in from the windows under the moon’s rays.

Everything was peaceful.

Yet Kamora couldn’t sleep. She shifted beneath the weight of her quilt, restless.

Her body craved rest, but her mind refused to obey. There was something—something in the air that tingled against her skin, something that tightened her chest with unease.

She couldn’t place it, but it whispered to her like an echo down a long, forgotten hallway. Something was coming.

Unable to endure the stillness, she slipped out of bed. Her feet brushed against the cold floor. Carefully, she eased the door shut behind her and padded down the stairs, guided only by the moonlight silvering the corridors.

In the kitchen, she found a candle stub on the counter. With a spark from the flint, the flame flickered to life, casting warm light against the walls.

Then she sat down by the counter and sighed. The action brought back memories of how she had first found Jarosh, and she couldn’t help but smile.

He had been a young, stuck-up lord, thinking himself an adult in the body of a child.

A sudden crack jolted her upright. Her candle trembled in her hand as her gaze swept the room.

She moved slowly, carefully, toward the sound. In the far corner, something caught her eye.

A vine—dried, withered, and out of place. She crept toward it, frowning.

Had one of the maids left it here after tending the garden? But as her fingers reached out, the vine twitched—then moved.

Kamora stumbled back, nearly dropping the candle. It slithered slowly upward, alive.

Her breath caught. Someone was controlling it.

There was a Fae in the house. But just who—

Gwen.

She scrambled to her feet, eyes locked on the vine as it began to move away, snaking silently across the floor. Without hesitation, she followed. Her mind raced.

They had agreed to meet at the end of the month. Has she already received news of the man they were looking for?

Or was it something else?

The vine led her to the garden, whose entrance doors, surprisingly, weren’t locked. They were always locked.

Not wanting to think more about it, she quickly opened the door and entered the garden, looking around, trying to spot her sister.

And there she was, by the far bush, hidden under the cover of the night. Slowly, Gwen stood up just as Kamora walked toward her.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered.

Gwen removed the dark hood from her head and stared at her sister, her face etched with concern and seriousness.

“I have received word from that man. The person you are looking for has returned,” she said.

Joy lit up in Kamora’s heart, and the wheels in her head immediately began turning.

“Okay then. I just have to come up with an excuse to leave tomorrow—”

“No,” Gwen said, cutting her off. She shook her head.

“We don’t have time for that.”

Kamora frowned. “What do you mean?”

“We do not know when next he will leave. Tonight is the only chance we have of catching up to him, else we have to wait till the end of the month.”

“Still, I have to report my absence—”

“Do you want to regain your memories or not, Kamora? This is the best chance you have now. When we return, we can then think of what excuse to tell them. But that wouldn’t be needed, because by then, you would know who you truly are, and—” She paused suddenly, swallowing.

“And what?” Kamora urged.

“And leave. You aren’t meant to be here.”

Kamora remained silent, not knowing what to say.

If it were truly as Gwen had said, that she truly wasn’t meant to be there, could she even bring herself to leave? Could she betray Jarosh in that manner?

“Are you having second thoughts?” Gwen asked.

“No, no. I’m just… This is all too sudden.”

Gwen remained silent, waiting for her to make up her mind.

“Okay,” Kamora finally said, nodding. “I might as well do this and get it over with.” She looked around.

“How did you get in here?”

“That’s not a problem. Quickly go get dressed. I’ll be waiting outside the manor for you. I already have a horse waiting. Please make haste.”

Kamora nodded and dashed back through the house, her heart pounding. Upstairs, she changed in a blur, pulling on the first outfit she found.

She shut the door behind her as silently as she could and hurried to the front entrance. Lifting the mat, she retrieved the key, unlocked the door with a wince at the groaning hinge, then slid the key back inside.

Truly, Gwen had a horse ready—a magnificent one at that. It was a giant steed, its coat as black as ink, perfect for hiding under the cover of the night sky.

Gwen was already seated atop it. As Kamora drew nearer, she wondered just how she would get on. She needn’t think much, for Gwen made use of her vines to lift her up, eliciting a shocked scream from Kamora.

“Quiet!” Gwen hissed. “Do you want to wake everyone up?”

“Sorry,” Kamora whispered, breathless. “Just wasn’t expecting that.”

She shifted closer, arms wrapping tightly around Gwen’s middle.

“Hold on,” Gwen warned. “It’s going to be a rough ride.”

“Where did you get this horse from?” Kamora asked. “It looks expensive.”

Gwen snorted. Kamora could have sworn that she also was dissatisfied with the horse.

“It doesn’t matter,” she answered. “It just has to take us out and back, that’s it.”

The horse lurched forward, hooves pounding against the earth. Wind tore at Kamora’s hair, stinging her cheeks and eyes.

The world blurred as they raced through the dark, the scent of soil and night air filling her lungs. Kamora’s heart beat wildly—not from fear, but from the thrill of it all.

The anticipation that had haunted her earlier had taken form. It pressed against her skin, insistent.

This was it. No more hiding.

No more avoiding the truth. She was finally running toward the past that had always chased her.

And even as fear crept in—cold and persistent—she couldn’t turn back now. She had to know.

She had to remember.