Chapter 116: A Dangerous Bargain

"Our paths are different," he said. "We’re heading east—toward the border. Toward Asmodeus’s territory. Not Solaria."

Elise didn’t flinch. If anything, her gray eyes grew even more focused.

"I know," she replied softly. "I knew the moment you touched me last night."

She lifted her hand—the one he had held when the curse flared—and turned it palm-up as though showing him something invisible.

"When the curse attacked again... and you suppressed it... I felt it. Something inside you is wounded. Deeply. A piece of your soul is missing—or rather, it’s being preserved somewhere else, fragile and fading. I’ve told you already: I’m sensitive. The curse forces me to be."

Seraphina shifted uneasily, but Elise continued without pause.

"You three are not human. Not fully. Entering Solaria in your current state would be suicide. The border wards, the inquisitors, the royal mages—they would sense the anomaly in moments. You’d be hunted before you crossed the first checkpoint."

Adam’s expression didn’t change, but Ignis and Lilith both tensed slightly behind him.

Elise leaned forward just a fraction, voice calm and measured.

"But I can hide you."

She let the words hang for a heartbeat.

"I carry the blood of Melium’s royal line. The old royal wards still answer to me—enough to cloak non-human auras, to rewrite your presence as something mundane, something human. I can get you through the border. Past the patrols. Into the capital itself, if needed."

She paused, studying his face.

"In exchange... you suppress the curse until we reach the Archivist of Lost Tomes. Keep it dormant. That’s all I ask."

Her gaze never wavered.

"It’s not a bad deal, is it? You get safe passage through the most dangerous kingdom on the continent. I get to live long enough to find a real cure."

Adam was silent for several long seconds.

In his mind, thoughts turned rapidly.

’I don’t even know how I suppressed the curse last night. It was the Crown’s aura leaking out—pure accident. I can’t guarantee I can do it again. But...’

He thought of Alice—her faint, flickering essence still nestled inside his soul, growing weaker by the day.

’If this Archivist knows soul curses, soul bindings... he might know how to repair a void-corrupted core. This is the closest lead we’ve had since leaving the dungeon.’

He exhaled slowly.

"Before I agree to anything," he said aloud, "tell me exactly how you plan to hide us. What kind of magic? How long does it last? And what happens if the ward fails mid-journey?"

Elise’s lips curved—just the smallest hint of a confident smile.

"Royal blood magic," she answered. "An old rite called Veil of Kin. It doesn’t alter your body or your power—it simply masks your aura, rewrites the signature your presence gives off to the world. To wards, to mages, to scrying tools... you will read as human. As long as I am conscious and in physical contact with at least one of you when crossing the border, the veil will hold for the entire journey."

She lifted her chin slightly.

"The spell draws from my own life-force. The curse already weakens me, so the veil will fade if I fall unconscious or die. But as long as you keep the curse at bay... the veil stays up."

She paused, then added quietly, "And if the veil fails... we all die together. That’s the risk. I’m not hiding it from you."

Adam’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly, weighing her words. The room felt smaller, the air thicker with the weight of the offer hanging between them.

"You’re offering to smuggle three non-humans straight into the heart of Solaria," he said slowly, voice low and measured. "Past their wards, past their inquisitors, past every mage who’d love nothing more than to dissect something like us. And all I have to do is keep your curse quiet until we reach your Archivist."

Elise nodded once, unflinching. "Precisely."

Seraphina shifted, armor creaking, but held her tongue—though her eyes screamed distrust.

Before Adam could respond, Lilith stepped forward one graceful pace, her voice cool and precise as always, yet carrying a razor edge of scrutiny.

"Forgive my intrusion, Human," she said, crimson eyes locking onto Elise’s gray ones. "But let us speak plainly. You claim royal blood magic can mask our nature completely—down to the wards and scrying orbs of Solaria’s elite mages. Yet you are dying. The curse is eating you alive. If you collapse midway, or if the veil falters because your life-force gutters out... we become the most hunted creatures on the continent overnight."

She tilted her head slightly, white hair catching the lamplight.

"What guarantees do we have that you won’t become a liability the moment we cross the border? Or worse—that this ’Veil of Kin’ isn’t just another leash you intend to place around our necks?"

Elise met Lilith’s gaze without flinching, though a flicker of respect passed through her expression.

"There are no guarantees," she answered honestly. "Only necessity. The veil draws directly from my royal lineage—it is not a spell I can cast and forget. It requires my conscious will and my living blood. If I die, it ends. If I fall unconscious for too long, it weakens. That is why I need you to suppress the curse—not once, but consistently. As for leashes..." Her voice softened, almost wry. "I have worn enough of my own. I have no desire to forge more for others."

Lilith studied her for several long seconds, then glanced at Adam—silent question in her eyes.

Adam exhaled through his nose.

"I still don’t know how I suppressed the curse last night. It wasn’t intentional. It was... an accident. A side-effect of something else. I can’t promise I can do it again reliably."

Elise’s gaze didn’t waver.

"Then we’ll find out together. If it fails, I die. If the veil fails, we all die. We’re already gambling with our lives. What’s one more roll of the dice?"

Lilith spoke again, quieter this time, almost to herself—but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Calculated risks are acceptable... when the reward outweighs the cost. The Archivist may indeed hold knowledge we cannot obtain elsewhere." She turned her head slightly toward Adam. "Alice’s condition grows more fragile by the day. If there is even a chance this man understands void-tainted souls... the risk may be justified."

Adam let the silence stretch one final time.

Then he nodded—once, slowly.

"Fine. We have a deal. But let’s be crystal clear: this is temporary. We get you to the Archivist. You keep us hidden. Once we have what we need—both of us—we part ways."

Elise’s gray eyes met his without hesitation.

"Agreed."

She extended her hand for a solemn agreement.

Adam clasped it. His grip was firm, careful, but unyielding.

The moment their palms met, a faint shimmer of pale silver light traced along their joined hands—barely visible, like moonlight on water—then faded.

Elise exhaled slowly, shoulders relaxing for the first time since they’d entered.

"Thank you."

"Don’t thank me yet," Adam said dryly. "We haven’t crossed the border. And if your lich shows up again..."

Lilith’s voice cut in smoothly, a faint smile touching her lips.

"...we will remind him why ancient horrors should stay buried."

Seraphina looked between them, relief warring with lingering wariness.

"I’ll prepare what little we have left. Horses, supplies... whatever remains after the chase. We leave at first light tomorrow."

Adam nodded once.

"Then get some rest. We’ll need everyone sharp."

As they turned to leave the room, Elise’s quiet voice followed them.

"Adam."

He paused in the doorway.

"When this is over... thank you. Not as a princess. As someone who finally has a chance to stop running."

Adam didn’t turn back.

"Just don’t die before we reach the Archivist," he said.

Lilith lingered a moment longer, glancing back at Elise with a look that was almost approving.

"Determination like yours is rare," she murmured. "Do try to keep breathing until we finish this."

Then she followed Adam and Ignis out into the corridor.