Chapter 260: Episode 260.

Five days later:

Aire opened her eyes.

Her eyelashes trembled first, then stopped. For several seconds, nothing happened. She stared at the ceiling without really seeing it.

Everything felt distant, and heavy.

Her body felt as though it belonged to someone else.

Her head throbbed. Her chest ached with every breath she took, and her throat felt painfully dry.

She tried to swallow.

Her lips parted slightly. They were cracked, and dry. There was a faint sting when she moved them.

Aire blinked slowly.

The room gradually came into focus.

She frowned at the thought of the Dark Fae realm.

Her eyes widened. She tried to sit up. Pain immediately pulled through her body. A small sound of pain escaped her.

Nate, who had been sleeping beside the bed, jolted awake. He had fallen asleep with his head resting against the edge of the mattress.

His eyes snapped open.

For a second, he simply stared at her.

He didn’t breathe. “Aire?” His voice was barely more than a whisper.

She looked at him. Her eyes were tired, and confused, but awake.

Nate stood so quickly that the chair nearly fell backward. “Xander.”

Xander, who had been sleeping near the window with his arms folded, immediately looked up.

He froze.

Aire was staring at them.

Nate’s face crumpled with relief. “Oh, thank the gods.” He reached for her hand.

Aire let him take it.

His fingers closed around hers carefully, as though he was afraid she might disappear if he held her too tightly.

“You scared us.”

She tried to speak, but nothing came out.

Nate immediately reached for the glass of water beside the bed.

“Slowly.” He lifted it toward her lips.

Aire took the smallest sip.

The water barely touched her tongue before she pulled away. Her throat still hurt.

Nate placed the glass down. “Don’t force it.”

Aire stared at him. Her lips finally moved.

Nate leaned closer. “What?”

She swallowed painfully. Her voice finally came, weak and rough as her last memories finally hit the back of her mind.

“Where…” She stopped. Her chest rose. She tried again. “Where is Alaric?”

The room changed.

Nate’s expression went completely still.

Xander looked away.

Neither of them answered.

Aire watched them. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Where…” Her voice cracked. “Where is Alaric?”

Nate looked at Xander.

Xander looked back at him.

Aire’s heartbeat began to increase. She pulled her hand from Nate’s. “Tell me where he is.”

“Aire…”

“Where is he?” She demanded.

Nate swallowed. “He…”

He couldn’t finish.

Aire pushed the blankets away.

Nate immediately reached for her shoulder. “No. Lay down.’

She looked at him. “I’m going to him.”

“You just woke up.” He reminded soflty. “You can’t even stand.”

“I can.” She placed one hand against the mattress, then slowly pushed herself upright. Her body trembled immediately.

Nate caught her around the waist. “Xander.”

Xander was already beside him. “Easy.”

“I said I’m fine.” Aire hissed, tired.

“You are absolutely not fine.”

Aire’s feet touched the floor. The moment she tried to stand, her knees buckled. Both men caught her.

“Aire!”

She closed her eyes. For several seconds, she simply breathed. Then she opened them again.

“I need to see him.”

Nate shook his head. “You need to lie down.”

“No.” She swallowed quickly. “You don’t understand. I need to see him.”

“Aire.”

“I need to see him!” She snapped at Nate.

Xander looked toward the door.

The witches had already gathered outside. The eldest witch stepped into the room. She took one look at Aire standing between the two men.

“She should not be walking.”

Nate nodded immediately. “That’s what I’ve been saying.”

Aire glared at him weakly.

The witch studied her. Then unexpectedly, she smiled. “Let her.”

Nate glared at her. “Do you wish to die?”

Aire gave him a look.

Nate cleared his throat, and looked away.

“Let her walk.” The witch repeated.

Xander frowned. “She’s barely standing.”

The witch’s gaze shifted toward Aire. “She is walking toward something.”

Aire didn’t understand what she meant. She didn’t care. She took another step forward.

Nate immediately followed. Xander followed too. The witches moved behind them. Nobody told Aire where to go, pointed, or guided her.

Yet she walked on. She walked slowly and weakly, but with certainty. She moved through the corridors, past the servants, and past the enormous windows overlooking the Wolf Realm.

She didn’t look around, or hesitated.

Every time the corridor split, she instinctively chose the correct path.

Nate noticed. “So…” He glanced at Xander. “She knows where she’s going.”

Aire kept walking.

Her feet dragged slightly against the stone Her breathing remained shallow, but something inside her pulled her forward.

A quiet thread.

A feeling she couldn’t explain.

She didn’t hear a voice, or see anything. She simply knew that Alaric was nearby, and he was hurting.

The corridor became colder.

Aire slowed. Her fingers curled slightly. She stopped before a pair of enormous black doors.

She stared at them. Her chest tightened. “This…” Her voice barely existed.

Nate stepped beside her. “Tell me.” He urged softly.

She raised her hand.

The doors opened before she touched them.

Everyone froze, but Aire didn’t.

She stepped inside.

The chamber was enormous, but it was almost completely dark. There was not even a single servant here, pnly a single bed in the centre.

King Elijah sat beside the bed. He hadn’t moved. He had barely left.

His clothes were the same kind of dark robes he had worn when he carried Alaric from the sacred chamber.

His hair was slightly disheveled, and his face looked older. Much older. His hand rested on Alaric’s.

Alaric looked nothing like himself. His skin had become almost completely white.

Not pale, but white.

The Dark Fae magic had drained every trace of colour from him. His lips were colourless.

Aire stopped at the doorway.

Her heart broke. “Alaric…”

King Elijah looked up. Their eyes met.

“He’s asleep.” he said softly, and then his gaze returned to his son.

Aire understood.

He had no strength left for words. She walked toward the bed. Her legs trembled.

Nate instinctively moved forward.

Aire lifted one hand, stopping him.

He stopped.

She kept walking. When she reached the bedside, she stared at Alaric. She had never seen him unconscious before.

His body remained behind while everything that made him Alaric had slowly been pulled away.

Aire reached for his hand.

It was cold. Far too cold that she flinched.

“Alaric?” She squeezed his fingers. “Alaric.”