The room was still dark when Alina opened her eyes. Beside her, Austin was still fast asleep, his one arm wrapped around her waist. For a moment, she just watched him. He looked peaceful and more at ease than he had in days.
Carefully, she slipped out from under his arm. His grip tightened around her instinctively for a second, his body refusing to let her go even in sleep. Then it loosened.
Alina stood beside the bed and looked down at him one last time before reaching for the three sealed letters she had hidden in her drawer the night before.
The castle was silent at this hour. Her footsteps echoed softly as she walked downstairs towards the servants' wing.
She stopped in front of Evelyn's door, took a deep breath and knocked. Evelyn opened it after a minute, rubbing sleep from her eyes. But when she saw Alina's facial expression, her sleep vanished instantly.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I need your help."
Evelyn immediately stepped aside to let her in.
