Chapter 94

Third Person POV

Alaric moved down the halls of the east wing of the palace, away from his room, surprised to see Mia hovering outside his door.

How did she know he was staying over here? He’d kept it pretty secret — then again, this was Mia. She found everything out.

“Hi,” she smiled, her voice gentle for once. There was no devious sparkle in her eye; if anything, she looked exhausted.

“Mia,” Alaric said with a little suspicion, hesitating outside the door. “I’d ask how you knew I was here, but…you’re you.”

“Exactly. Let’s go in.” She stepped back so he could open the door, following him in a beat later.

Mia sat at his desk, letting out a soft sigh. Something was definitely wrong.

“Why are you here?” Alaric asked softly, sitting at the edge of his bed.

“I just…” She sighed again, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry for everything, honestly. It’s been eating away at me.”

Alaric was surprised. It seemed like just yesterday, she was hounding for his hand in marriage.

“I want you to know…that rogue attack, the one at Blackmoon,” she took a shaky breath in. “That was one of the hardest decisions of my life.”

Alaric’s eyes narrowed. “Right, all to try and bring Sienna down?”

“I admit it was wrong.”

Wow, she finally admits it, his wolf snorted, its hatred for her clear as day.

“That’s a relief.” Alaric can’t help but snort like his wolf did, still finding Mia to be a little much. “Glad you’ve realized that.”

“I really am sorry.” Her words were so soft, and for once, she sounded so fragile. “And I’ve come to realize how different we are.”

What’s gotten into her? Alaric’s wolf asked, though Alaric was just as confused.

“Um.” He blinked at Mia, clearing his throat to buy time. “I’m…I don’t really know what to say.”

Mia shrugged, a small smile on her lips. “I guess I was a little blinded by the need to be…something more.”

“You’re wonderful the way you are,” Alaric murmured, returning her smile.

Mia let out a soft sigh, a sadness to it, before she stood up, strolling over to the almost invisible trapdoor to the tunnels. “So…is it all planned?”

Alaric couldn’t help the wave of caution that pressed down on him, even with Mia’s change of heart. He didn’t necessarily trust her enough to disclose their whole plan.

“We will be using the tunnels,” he said, watching her carefully.

“Is there anything I can do?” Something about her had changed, and even though he still doubted her a little — well, a lot — he had this nagging feeling that she really did want to help. Part of her old self was surfacing, and that’s what he was recognizing.

Another helpful hand wasn’t the worst thing — and she didn’t need to know every detail. If someone was out in the palace, making sure things go smoothly when they take the King…

“Well…” Alaric paused, holding her gaze for a moment. “If you could, perhaps, give my uncle’s guards a little something to think about around, say, midnight tomorrow, that would be ideal.”

“I can give them something to think about, alright,” Mia laughed, that devious twinkle in her eye. “They’ll be distracted around midnight.”

She paused, glancing back to the trapdoor, the slightest bit of concern washing over her face.

“You’ll be careful, right?” She turned to face him, her eyes sad again.

“I always am.” Alaric smiled at her, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You know I’ve been planning this for years.”

“You have,” she nodded, her mind somewhere else, somewhere far in the past. “I was devastated when you disappeared.”

“You didn’t even recognize me when we met,” Alaric chuckled, raising a brow playfully.

“I’m awfully ashamed at that,” Mia huffed, rolling her eyes. “I’m the most observant person I know, and I couldn’t even recognize my best friend?”

A warm, comforting feeling spread through Alaric’s chest when she called him her best friend. It’d been so long, and she’d been so dark and sour — he thought the girl he’d loved for so many years was gone forever.

“Shame on you,” Alaric winked, and Mia let out one of her sweet, gentle laughs that once gave him chills.

“The blond does work on you, but…your black hair was always best on you.” Mia tucked a strand of her own dark hair behind her ear, and was that blush on her cheeks?

“I’m going back to the dark before I announce the changes in leadership to the city.” Alaric ran his hand through his hair, agreeing with her. “The black hair was always the best suited on me.”

“Can’t wait to see you back as yourself,” she winked, but for once, it wasn’t flirty. It was just…genuine.

“Are you okay?” Alaric asked suddenly, his voice tender.

“I’m…okay.” The way she hesitated made him lift a brow expectantly. There was more coming.

Alaric waited, silence filling the room.

“I had this vision in my head, when I found out it was you, that we’d fall right back into the place we were before you left.” There was the slightest brimming of tears in Mia’s eyes. “I grew bitter over the years, thinking you were gone, dead, even.”

She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye, and Alaric resisted the urge to reach out to her.

“I thought we’d grow old together, you know?” Her voice cracked at her last words, something that rarely happened with her.

“I did too,” Alaric said softly, forcing back the threat of his own tears. “But people change.”

“And we did change,” she nodded, blinking back anymore tears. “That doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends.”

“As long as you don’t plot to kill anyone,” Alaric murmured, averting his eyes. That’s one thing about her that disappointed him to his core, something he may never fully forgive her for.

“The power got to me. A promise of something great, to be someone.” Mia let out a choked sigh, shaking her head.

“You don’t have to be evil to gain power,” Alaric smiled sadly. “Too many people let that happen — like my uncle.”

“He’s a bad man,” Mia sniffed, starting to pace a little. “And I hate that I ever looked up to him; that I ever trusted him.”

“You didn’t know,” Alaric shrugged, his eyes soft. “Now that you do…”

“I support what you’re doing, fully.” She nodded aggressively, the pacing stopping so she could focus on him. “And I will do everything I can to help it work.”

“Thank you,” Alaric whispered, moving to hug her. She folded right into his arms, so familiar and still comforting.

It was almost like they’d never been apart, never not been friends. All the adventures they’d had, the secrets they’d shared — it was built into them.

They would always be friends.

She pulled back, giving him that dazzling smile of hers, only it didn’t affect him the way it used. Mia was gorgeous, and she knew it, but Alaric knew he’d found his real one.

“I’ll be there to distract around midnight.” Mia gave him one last wink, pausing before she slipped out the door. “Be careful.”

“You know I will be.” Alaric nodded, a huge weight lifting off his shoulders.

Tomorrow, everything would change.