This was not the way things were supposed to end, Baron thought with a hiss as he moved through the hidden path in the forest, trying to escape the Free Fae.

He was headed to Astaria to hide in the Summer Court and monitor things before returning. Annequin might have betrayed him, but thanks to her, he had his backup plan.

Baron was not traveling alone. With him was Councilor Zion and a few other Fae assigned to protect him, along with servants carrying the most important properties he couldn’t part with.

He had intentionally left Enock behind. That old fool was not smart enough. Moreover, if Violet came after him, Enock and Celeste would be the reasonable target. He couldn’t risk himself.

Baron believed Queen Seraphira was dead and that he had ruined every plan of bringing her back. However, Asher’s plan had failed, and now he had to deal with Violet, who would surely want revenge.

"How long till we get there?" Baron grumbled impatiently.

"Not long now, your highness," Zion answered.

They were not taking the normal routes out of the border, knowing there was a high chance of being caught there. But with the chaos in the palace, it would take time for anyone to track this path, and he would be out of the Free Fae by then. Teleporting would have been easier, but Astaria was unfamiliar territory, and the Free Fae teleportation methods might not work there. Not to mention, he didn’t know exactly where he would end up.

They had already made arrangements with one of the lords of the Summer Court. He was related to the Summer Prince, Valerie, and Baron would enter his court under the guise of asylum.

That way, even if Violet came after him, she wouldn’t be able to touch him, not unless she wanted to start a war with the kingdom of Astaria.

Already, Baron was forming plans in his head.

If Violet did take over the Free Fae, then he would set his sights on Astaria. It would take time to climb his way up the ranks—things would have been easier if that bitch Annequin had agreed to marry him—but he was patient enough.

Fae lived long lives, after all. He just had to make the right impression on the leaders of this new territory. And this time, he would not fail.

Then, out of nowhere, taking everyone by surprise, the earth suddenly split open. The servants carrying his load shrieked as the ground gave way beneath them, plunging them into the pit.

They clawed at the edges, trying to climb out but the earth closed over them just as quickly, swallowing them whole and cutting off their screams forever.

Baron was left flabbergasted, frozen for a moment before his survival instinct kicked in.

"We’ve been found out! Run, Your Highness!" Zion screamed.

Like he had been doing all day, Baron took off.

It was late at night, but Fae had excellent eyesight, and he could see his way clearly through the forest. He ran with supernatural speed, as if his life depended on it—because it did.

He couldn’t see his pursuer but he could feel them. The hairs on his body stood on end, his spine tingling with a sharp awareness that something was closing in.

Baron shoved desperately through the tall bushes in his path, however, something was wrong. The bushes only seemed to grow taller, thicker, closing in around him, and turning his escape into a struggle.

He knew what this was. Earth magic.

His pursuer was not just hunting him, they were toying with him. For the first time, Baron felt something close to fear twist into frustration.

After everything he had done, here he was, running like a coward. How had his life come to this?

Still, he forced his way forward, pushing through the living barrier until he came to a sudden stop, nearly tripping over himself.

Baron’s eyes widened in horror. His breath caught. For a moment, it felt like his soul had left his body.

Standing before him was his wife.Seraphira.

The very woman he had been certain he killed.

"No..." Dread crawled down his spine. The soul transfer worked? But how? He thought he handled it. Baron was sure of it.

"Going somewhere?"

Seraphira’s smirk was pure menace, her eyes glinting with something dark and unforgiving.

For the first time, Baron truly felt fear. So he did what every cornered animal would do. He attacked.

A violent surge of air blasted forward from him, aimed straight at Seraphira. But she was ready. The earth rose instantly at her command, forming a thick wall that absorbed the impact with a dull, crushing force.

Seraphira could have ended him right there, but she didn’t. The queen of the Free Fae let him believe he had a chance.

Moisture gathered in the air at Baron’s command, freezing into sharp icicles that formed in an instant before shooting toward her in a deadly barrage.

He had no idea how powerful she was now, but he clung to one hope that she wasn’t at full strength after switching bodies. What Baron failed to understand was that there was no force more dangerous than a woman betrayed, a wife murdered, and a mother whose child had been threatened.

Baron wasn’t fighting to win but to escape.

So when he summoned a raging cyclone, twisting violently around Seraphira, he didn’t stay to watch. He ran.

Seraphira let the winds swallow her whole, making him believe it worked. She watched him flee through the storm with cold amusement.

She had to give it to him. Like an ant, he was desperate to live. But that fragile hope

was exactly what she needed. Because she crushed it.

It was almost laughable, the way the hope drained from Baron’s face the moment he saw her floating right in front of him again, unharmed.

His legs gave out instantly. Baron dropped to his knees.

"Please... please, Seraphira, have mercy."

She descended slowly, like an angel of death, her feet finally touching the ground.

"Is that so?" Her lips curved wickedly as she stepped toward him.

Baron scrambled back, his hands shaking, panic flooding his features.

"I must have been out of my mind," he rushed out. "I don’t know what came over me. It was Celeste! She wanted to be queen so badly she turned me against you. But you know me, Seraphira—I even shared my life force with you."

"I know that," Seraphira said calmly, stopping right in front of him.

"And that is why I must thank you properly."

"Huh?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Confusion barely had time to register in Baron’s head before Seraphira moved and drove her fingers into his eyes.

Baron’s scream tore through the forest.