Chapter 69 It's Time

Chapter 69 It's Time
“Go rest.”

I stare at Kael from where I’m sitting at the sitting room table.

“No.”

Around us, nobody even bothers pretending not to listen. Marcus leans against the wall near the monitors with his arms folded across his chest while Adrian studies one of the perimeter maps spread across the table beside Nevaeh and the other witches. Kael doesn’t blink.

“Elowyn.”

“You’re all still working.”

“Yes,” Adrian says without looking up. “But one of us needs to remain conscious during the realm opening.” Marcus points toward him immediately. 

“That sounded rude, but honestly, he’s right.”

I glare at both of them and Mara snorts quietly from the couch in the corner. Kael rests both hands against the edge of the table before leaning down slightly toward me.

“You haven’t slept properly in days.”

“Neither have you.”

“I’m not opening a magical prison realm tonight,” he says. I open my mouth immediately then close it again because unfortunately that is difficult to argue with. Kael’s expression softens slightly when he realizes I’m considering it. “A few hours. That’s all I’m asking.”

“A few hours isn’t enough to actually rest.”

“Maybe not,” he agrees. “But it’s enough to keep you standing.”

The exhaustion sitting behind his eyes hits me harder than the words themselves. He looks tired. Not physically. Soul tired. Like he’s been carrying the weight of tonight on his back since the moment we realized the opening couldn’t wait any longer. I exhale slowly before pushing back from the table.

“Fine.”

Marcus immediately points toward me dramatically. “Witnessed by all present.”

“I still have time to hit you before I leave.”

“That sounds aggressive for someone who was just prescribed a nap.”

Mara laughs softly while I grab the abandoned coffee cup sitting near my papers. The coffee went cold over an hour ago. I drink it anyway. Kael takes the cup from my hand before I can finish the rest.
“You’re done with caffeine.”

“You sound controlling.”

“You look one inconvenience away from collapse.”

“That’s fair,” I sigh and small smile almost pulls at his mouth before fading again. The room quiets slightly around us as Nevaeh begins discussing the formation placements again with Adrian. Northern perimeter. Southern anchor points. Emergency withdrawal routes. Every conversation tonight feels too calm for what we’re preparing to do. Maybe that’s how people survive things like this. You either panic or focus and everyone in this room chose focus. Kael’s hand settles against my lower back as he walks me toward the doorway. “You’ll come get me if something changes?”

“Yes.”

“Promise?”

“Elowyn.”

“I’m serious.”

He stops walking long enough to look directly at me. “I promise.” Something inside my chest loosens slightly at that. Not because I think tonight will suddenly become safe but because I trust him entirely. That realization still scares me sometimes. Kael brushes one hand lightly against my cheek before stepping back toward the strategy room again. “Go rest.”

“You’re really committed to this.”

“You’re really bad at following basic medical advice,” Kael retorts.

“Sleep dramatically. It fits the mood,” Marcus calls after me immediately. Adrian doesn’t even look up from the maps before speaking.

“I’m begging someone to remove him from the palace.”

“I’m emotionally essential to this operation.”

Mara shakes her head while I finally leave the room before the argument escalates again. By the time I reach our bedroom, exhaustion settles heavily enough in my body that I almost miss the fact she followed me upstairs.

“You know,” she says as the door closes behind us, “normal people usually need to be told to rest once.”

“I am resting.”

“You’re pacing.”

“I can’t shut my brain off.”

Mara drops onto the couch near the windows before kicking off her boots.

“Then don’t.”

I frown slightly. “Helpful.”

“No, seriously.” She gestures toward me loosely. “Stop trying to force yourself not to think about tonight.”

I sink slowly onto the edge of the bed.

“That sounds dangerous.”

“You know what’s more dangerous?” Mara asks. “Pretending you aren’t terrified.”

I stare at the floor quietly for a second.

“I’m not terrified of the opening.”

“No?”

“No.” I rub both hands slowly over my face. “I’m terrified of what happens after.” Mara’s expression softens immediately. “My parents are real now,” I whisper. “Not just names. Not just stories.” Emotion catches painfully in my throat. “I could actually meet them tonight.” The words still sound impossible aloud. Mara stays quiet. I think she understands this is the kind of fear that doesn’t need interruption. “I don’t know how to be their daughter.” 

That admission hurts more than I expect it to because part of me still feels like a small child… alone and furious at the world for making me feel unwanted my entire life. And another part feels guilty for even thinking that now. My parents didn’t abandon me. They lost me. Mara finally speaks carefully.

“I don’t think parents care as much about perfect reunions as people think they do.” I look toward her and she shrugs slightly. “If they’ve spent all this time trying to get back to you, I’m guessing they’ll just be happy you’re alive.” Emotion swells painfully in my chest again. I look away before it fully reaches my face. Mara notices anyway. “You should try sleeping for real.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“You can lay there dramatically with your eyes closed then.”

A laugh escapes me before I can stop it.

“There’s the emotional support.”

“I’m incredibly nurturing.”

“That’s definitely the word for you.”

Mara grins before standing from the couch.

“I’m gonna go make sure Marcus hasn’t started a fistfight with the perimeter guards out of boredom.”

“That feels weirdly possible.”

“It feels inevitable.”

She crosses the room before pausing near the doorway before speaking quietly.

“You’re gonna make it through tonight.”

Emotion flickers unexpectedly through my chest at the certainty in her voice.

“I hope you’re right.”

“I usually am.”

“That’s objectively false.”

“Rude.”

I smile despite myself while she leaves the room. Silence settles afterward. Real silence this time. I sit motionless on the edge of the bed for several minutes before finally lying back against the mattress fully clothed. The ceiling above me blurs slightly as exhaustion finally starts catching up to me. For the first time all day, nobody is asking me questions. Nobody is watching my reactions. Nobody is waiting for me to hold the kingdom together. It’s just me and my thoughts. Which honestly might be worse. I stare at the ceiling and think about my parents. About my mother’s voice inside the bond. About the way she said my name. About the fact that somewhere inside the lunar realm, they’re waiting for me too. My entire life changes tonight no matter what happens. Either we succeed and I meet the family I lost before I could remember them.Or we fail. I don’t let myself finish that thought. A soft knock interrupts the spiral before it can go further. I already know who it is.

“Come in.”

Kael steps inside quietly before shutting the door behind him. His hair looks worse than it did earlier which probably means he’s been dragging his hands through it for hours. I sit up slightly.

“You’re supposed to be downstairs.”

“I delegated.”

“That sounds fake.”

A tired laugh escapes him softly before he crosses the room toward me. The second he reaches the bed, I reach for him automatically. Kael exhales quietly before sitting beside me. For a while neither of us speaks. He just pulls me against his chest while I rest my head against his shoulder listening to his heartbeat. Steady. Warm. Real.

“You didn’t sleep,” he says eventually.

“You sound surprised.”

“A little disappointed maybe.”

I smile faintly against his shirt.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” His fingers slide slowly through my hair before he speaks again. “You wanna know something selfish?”

“That depends.”

“I wish tonight was only about you getting your family back.”

Emotion tightens painfully in my chest. Not politics. Not kingdoms. Not war. Just family.

“I know.”

Kael rests his cheek lightly against the top of my head.

“I hate that there’s danger attached to every good thing that happens to you.”

The honesty in his voice hurts because I know he means it. I tilt my head back enough to look at him.

“You know what’s funny?”

“What?”

“It wasn’t that long ago that my biggest problem was avoiding awkward conversations with nobles.” One side of his mouth lifts slightly.

“You were bad at that too.”

“I was excellent at it actually.”

“You threatened a duke with a serving tray.”

“He deserved it.”

“That’s fair.”

The soft laugh that escapes me this time feels fragile somehow. Like something worth protecting. Kael’s expression shifts slightly when he hears it. Softer. Almost relieved. His thumb brushes lightly beneath one of my eyes.

“You’re exhausted.”

“So are you.”

“Yes.”

Neither of us argues after that. We just sit there quietly together while the palace continues moving around us somewhere beyond the walls. Eventually, I feel myself drifting slightly against him. Not fully asleep. Just enough that my thoughts stop racing for a little while. Kael notices immediately. His hand smooths slowly over my back once. “Stay with me,” he whispers.

“I’m trying,” I mumble sleepily.

A knock sounds against the door before either of us can say anything else. Not hurried. Not panicked. Just certain. Kael exhales quietly.

“It’s time.”

And just like that, the night finally begins.