Elara's POV
Soldiers in golden armor flooded through the broken wall like a wave of death.
Kael shoved me behind him and drew his sword in one smooth motion. "Get to the inner keep! Now!"
"I'm not leaving—"
"GO!"
Steel clashed against steel. Kael moved like a dancer, his blade flashing in the torchlight. Three soldiers fell before I could blink. But more kept coming, pouring through the breach.
Too many. Way too many.
Captain Roan appeared with a dozen guards, forming a defensive line. "Protect the lady! Fall back to—"
An arrow whistled through the air. Roan stumbled, clutching his shoulder where it had struck.
"Roan!" I started toward him.
"Don't!" Kael's voice was a whip crack. He fought his way to Roan, cutting down two more soldiers. "Get her out of here!"
Mira grabbed my arm, pulling me backward. "Please, my lady. The duke can't fight if he's worried about you!"
She was right. I knew she was right. But watching Kael fight—watching him kill—made my stomach twist. Because every time his sword found flesh, I saw him flinch. Saw pain flash across his body.
The curse. Every death fed it.
"This way!" Mira dragged me down a side corridor.
We ran. Behind us, the sounds of battle echoed—screaming, steel on steel, the boom of more explosives. The castle was falling apart around us.
Mira pulled me into a small room and slammed the door. "There's a passage here. Hidden behind the bookshelf. If we can just—"
The door exploded inward.
A soldier stepped through the smoke, his sword bloody. His eyes locked on me, and he smiled. "The duke's bride. The Emperor will pay well for you. Dead or alive—his choice."
Mira stepped between us. "You'll have to go through me first."
"That can be arranged." The soldier lunged.
Mira screamed.
I grabbed the first thing I could reach—a heavy candlestick—and swung it with all my strength.
It connected with the soldier's head with a sickening crack. He stumbled, dazed but not down.
"Run!" Mira shoved me toward the bookshelf. "Find the passage—"
The soldier backhanded her. She fell hard, her head hitting the stone floor. She didn't move.
"Mira!" I screamed.
The soldier turned to me, murder in his eyes. "Your turn, girl."
I backed against the wall, the candlestick raised. My hands shook. I'd never hurt anyone before. Never even been in a real fight. But I'd watched enough action movies to know—aim for the vulnerable spots.
Eyes. Throat. Groin.
He came at me.
I swung at his face. He blocked it easily and grabbed my wrist, twisting until I cried out and dropped the candlestick. His other hand wrapped around my throat.
"The Emperor said make it painful," he hissed.
Black spots danced in my vision. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't scream.
This was it. I was going to die in a medieval castle, murdered by a stranger, 800 years before I was born.
Then the soldier's grip went slack.
He fell forward, revealing Kael behind him, sword dripping red.
"Elara." Kael caught me as I collapsed, gasping for air. "Are you hurt? Did he—"
"M-Mira," I choked out, pointing.
Kael immediately moved to her, checking her pulse. "She's alive. Unconscious but alive." He scooped her up with one arm like she weighed nothing. "We need to move. Now."
I grabbed the candlestick—my only weapon—and followed him through the corridor. More explosions shook the castle. Dust and debris rained down. Somewhere close, I heard fighting.
Kael led us to a heavy wooden door and kicked it open. Inside was a small room with medical supplies. He laid Mira gently on a cot.
"Stay here," he commanded. "Lock this door. Don't open it for—"
He stopped mid-sentence, swaying.
"Kael?" I grabbed his arm to steady him.
His hand clutched his chest. Through the torn shirt, I saw the curse mark—and my heart stopped.
It had spread. The black veins now covered most of his chest, creeping up his neck, down his arms. And they were glowing with dark red light, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"How many did you kill?" I whispered.
"Lost count." His voice was strained. "Ten. Maybe fifteen. Had to—to protect—"
His legs gave out.
I barely caught him before he hit the floor. He was heavy—all muscle and armor—but adrenaline gave me strength. I dragged him to the second cot and laid him down.
"Kael, talk to me. What's happening?"
"The curse." He could barely speak through the pain. "Too many deaths. Too fast. It's—burning—"
I tore his shirt open completely. The curse marks writhed across his skin like living things. Where they touched, his skin was blistered and bleeding. It looked like he was being burned from the inside out.
"What do I do?" Panic clawed at my throat. "How do I stop it?"
"You can't." His hand found mine, gripping weakly. "Just—stay. Don't want to die alone."
"You're not dying!" I pressed my hands against the curse mark, just like before. "Last time I touched you, it faded. So we're doing that again. We're breaking this thing."
The moment my palms made contact with his chest, warmth flooded through me. The curse mark flared—but this time, instead of golden light, it blazed white-hot.
Kael screamed.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry—" I started to pull away.
"No!" His hand clamped over mine, holding them against his chest. "Don't stop. It hurts but—it's working. I can feel it."
I looked down. The curse marks were fighting against my touch. Where my hands pressed, they receded, shrinking back. But the moment I moved, they surged forward again.
"I need to touch more of it," I realized. "Cover as much as possible."
"Elara—"
I climbed onto the cot, straddling him, and pressed both hands flat against the center of his chest. More of the curse was exposed now. I could see it spreading down his torso, across his ribs.
"This is going to sound insane," I said, "but I need to—"
I lay down on top of him, pressing as much of my body against his as possible. Chest to chest. My arms wrapped around him. Skin touching skin where the curse marks spread.
Kael's entire body went rigid. "What are you—"
"Maximizing contact," I said against his shoulder. "The more I touch, the more curse I can fight. So shut up and let me save you."
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then power exploded through me.
It felt like lightning and sunshine and fire all at once. The curse marks blazed so bright I had to close my eyes. Kael's body arched beneath me, his hands gripping my back desperately.
"Don't let go," he gasped. "Whatever you do—don't let go."
I held on tighter.
The power flowing between us grew stronger. I could feel the curse now—not just see it, but feel it. Like a living thing wrapped around Kael's heart, squeezing, burning, destroying him piece by piece.
And I could feel it dying.
Every second I held him, the curse weakened. The marks faded from black to gray to nothing. The burning eased. The pain released its grip.
Minutes passed. Or hours. I couldn't tell. Time felt different, suspended.
Finally, the light faded.
I lifted my head and looked at Kael's chest.
The curse marks were half gone. Where there had been thick black veins covering his entire torso, now only faint gray lines remained. His skin looked normal again—scarred from old wounds but not burned.
"It worked," I breathed. "Holy crap, it actually worked."
Kael stared up at me, those ice-blue eyes wide with wonder. "You saved me."
"We're partners, remember? Partners save each other." I started to move off him. "Can you sit up? We should—"
His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me in place. "Wait."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." His voice was rough, emotional. "For the first time in ten years, nothing's wrong. The curse isn't burning. The pain is gone. I can breathe without agony." His eyes searched mine. "Because of you."
My heart hammered against my ribs. We were so close. His body warm beneath mine. His hands on my waist. My hair falling around us like a curtain, shutting out the rest of the world.
"Kael—"
"I don't know who you really are," he interrupted. "I don't know why you were brought here or what magic connects us. But I know one thing with absolute certainty."
"What?"
"You're mine." His hand came up to cup my cheek. "Not as property. Not as an obligation. Mine to protect. Mine to trust. Mine to—"
The door exploded inward.
I screamed and rolled off Kael, hitting the floor hard. Soldiers poured in—five, no, six of them.
Kael grabbed his sword and stood between them and me, still shirtless, still recovering. "Touch her and I'll paint these walls with your blood."
"The Emperor's orders," one soldier said with a cruel smile. "Bring the girl. Kill the cursed duke."
They attacked as one.
Kael fought like a demon unleashed. His sword moved so fast I could barely track it. Two soldiers fell immediately. But he was still weak from the curse, still recovering.
One soldier got past his guard and lunged at me.
I grabbed the candlestick again and swung. It connected with his jaw. He staggered, and Kael's sword finished him.
But more soldiers came. Too many.
Kael was bleeding now, a cut across his ribs. He stumbled, and a soldier's blade came down—
I threw myself forward without thinking. The blade meant for Kael's heart caught my shoulder instead.
Pain exploded through me, white-hot and blinding. I screamed.
"ELARA!" Kael's roar shook the room.
What happened next would haunt me forever.
Kael moved faster than humanly possible. His sword became a blur. In less than five seconds, every soldier was dead. Not just dead—destroyed. Cut down with such brutal efficiency it didn't look real.
Then Kael dropped to his knees beside me, his hands shaking as they pressed against my bleeding shoulder.
"No no no no—" His voice broke. "You stupid, brave, impossible woman. Why would you—"
"Partners," I gasped through the pain. "Partners protect each other."
"I'm supposed to protect you!" He ripped cloth from his discarded shirt and wrapped my shoulder, his movements desperate. "You're not supposed to take blades meant for me!"
"Too bad." My vision blurred. Blood loss, probably. "Someone has to keep you alive long enough to break that curse completely."
"Elara, stay with me. Look at me." He cupped my face. "Keep your eyes open. Please."
I tried. I really did. But darkness pulled at the edges of my vision.
The last thing I saw was Kael's face above mine—mask abandoned somewhere, those ice-blue eyes filled with fear and something else. Something that looked almost like—
Everything went black.
I woke to voices arguing.
"absolute miracle she's alive"
"lost so much blood"
"my lord, you haven't left her side in three days"
Three days?
I tried to open my eyes, but they felt glued shut. My whole body ached, especially my shoulder, which felt like someone had set it on fire.
"She's waking." That voice I recognized. Kael's. Close by. "Someone get water."
Footsteps hurried away.
I managed to crack my eyes open. Blurry shapes slowly came into focus. I was in a bed—my chambers, I think. Sunlight streamed through windows. And beside the bed, looking like death himself, sat Kael.
He'd clearly not slept. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. His hair was a mess. He wore a clean shirt but no armor, no mask.
When he saw my eyes open, his whole body sagged with relief.
"You're awake." His hand found mine, gripping it like a lifeline. "Thank the gods, you're awake."
"What—" My voice came out as a croak. "What happened?"
"You saved my life and nearly died doing it." His jaw clenched. "The blade that hit you was poisoned. You've been fighting the toxin for three days. The healer said—" His voice broke. "He said you might not wake up."
"But I did." I squeezed his hand weakly. "I'm stubborn like that."
A sound escaped him—half laugh, half sob. "You're the most stubborn, reckless, extraordinary person I've ever met."
"The siege—"
"Is over. The Emperor withdrew after you collapsed." Kael's expression darkened. "He saw what happened when you got hurt. Saw how I reacted. Now he knows for certain—hurting you is the fastest way to destroy me. He'll use that knowledge. Plan his next attack around it."
My heart sank. "So we're still in danger."
"Always." His thumb traced circles on my hand. "But we're alive. Together. That's what matters."
I looked at his chest, visible through the open collar of his shirt. The curse marks were still faded, still mostly gone.
"Your curse didn't come back," I said. "Even after killing all those soldiers."
"I know." Wonder filled his voice. "Whatever you did when you held me—when you pressed against the curse and forced it back—it didn't just push the marks down. It changed something fundamental. The curse is still there, but it's weak. Dying."
"Good." I tried to sit up and gasped as pain lanced through my shoulder.
"Don't move." Kael gently pushed me back down. "You need to rest. Heal."
"I'll rest when I'm dead." I met his eyes. "Which almost happened, apparently. So now I have questions. Starting with—why did the Emperor really withdraw?"
Kael hesitated. Then: "Because when you got stabbed protecting me, I lost control. Completely. I slaughtered twenty soldiers in under a minute and didn't even feel the curse burn. The power that exploded out of me—" He stopped. "It terrified everyone. Including me."
"What kind of power?"
"The kind that proves you're not just breaking my curse. You're awakening something else. Something that's been sleeping inside me since the curse was cast." His grip on my hand tightened. "Elara, I think you're not just the key to breaking the curse. I think you're the key to destroying the Emperor. To taking back everything he stole."
Before I could respond, Captain Roan entered, his arm bandaged but moving well. His eyes widened when he saw me awake.
"My lady! Thank the gods." He bowed quickly. "My lord, we have a problem."
"What now?" Kael didn't release my hand.
"A messenger arrived. From Baron Aldric." Roan's expression was grim. "He's demanding his daughter back. Says the marriage was illegal without his consent. Says if we don't return Lady Elara within seven days—"
"He'll do what?" I asked.
Roan met my eyes with sympathy. "He's threatening to reveal to the Emperor that you're from another time. That you possess forbidden knowledge. He has evidence—your phone, your journal, testimonies from servants who heard you speak of the future."
Ice flooded my veins. "He's going to have me burned as a witch."
"Unless we surrender you to him first," Kael said flatly. "Which will never happen."
"My lord," Roan continued, "there's more. The Emperor has also sent terms. He'll lift the siege and grant you peace—if you annul the marriage and execute Lady Elara yourself. Publicly. As proof of loyalty."
Silence fell like a stone.
I stared at Kael. He stared back.
"So let me get this straight," I said slowly. "My father wants me back so he can kill me for witchcraft. The Emperor wants you to kill me to prove loyalty. And if we refuse both—"
"They unite their forces and crush us," Kael finished. "Yes."
"Those are terrible options."
"I know."
"So what do we do?"
Kael stood, still holding my hand, and looked at Roan. "Send messages to both of them. Tell Baron Aldric his daughter is dead—he sold her to a monster, and monsters don't give refunds. Tell the Emperor—" His voice turned to ice, "—that if he wants my wife, he'll have to pry her from my cold, dead hands."
"My lord, that's essentially a declaration of war," Roan said.
"Good." Kael's eyes blazed. "I've been his puppet for ten years. Cursed, controlled, forced to play the monster. But I'm not alone anymore. I have someone who sees past the mask. Someone willing to die for me." He looked down at me. "Someone I'm willing to burn the empire down to protect."
My heart stopped. "Kael—"
"Seven days," he said. "We have seven days to break this curse completely, discover why you were brought here, and prepare for war against the Emperor and your father." He smiled grimly. "Think we can manage that?"
I thought about everything I'd survived. The foster system. Poverty. Being ripped from my world. Forced marriage. A siege. Nearly dying.
And through it all, I'd found something I never had before: someone who fought beside me instead of abandoning me.
"Yes," I said firmly. "We can manage that. But I have one condition."
"Name it."
"You teach me to fight. Really fight. Because the next time someone tries to kill me, I'm not going down without taking them with me."
Kael's smile turned genuine—the first real smile I'd seen on his face. It transformed him completely.
"Deal," he said. "Partners?"
"Partners," I agreed.
And as Roan left to send those declarations of war, as Kael sat beside my bed refusing to leave, as the seven-day countdown began—
I realized something terrifying and wonderful:
I was falling for the masked duke.
And he was falling for me too.
Which meant the Emperor couldn't just kill me anymore.
He'd have to kill us both.