Rubin tightened his grip on his dagger, his eyes darting between the shadowed figures encircling them. Himu struggled to push himself up against the wall, wincing as fresh blood seeped through his fingers. They were outnumbered, and Himu was already in no condition to fight.

One of the figures stepped forward, lowering their hood to reveal sharp, angular features and piercing violet eyes. A Celestaran assassin. “Prince Himu,” the assassin drawled, his voice smooth yet laced with venom. “You should be dead by now. Your father will be disappointed.”

Himu smirked, though pain flickered across his expression. “Then I suppose I should apologize for the inconvenience.”

The assassin didn’t return the humor. With a flick of his wrist, a thin, silver blade gleamed under the moonlight. “Kill them both.”

Rubin barely had time to react before the first attacker lunged. He sidestepped, slashing out with his dagger. Steel met steel in a sharp clang, the force sending vibrations up his arm. Another assassin moved behind him, and Rubin twisted just in time to dodge the incoming strike. He wasn’t a soldier, but he had trained enough to defend himself—at least for now.

Himu, despite his injury, managed to evade an attacker’s swipe, using the ruins to brace himself as he kicked out, sending the assassin stumbling back. But he was weakening. His breaths were labored, his balance shaky.

Rubin’s heart pounded. They wouldn’t last long.

A sudden whistle cut through the air, followed by a blur of motion. An arrow struck the ground between them and the assassins, forcing their attackers to halt. Rubin’s head snapped toward the source.

Elara stood at the archway, her bow drawn, another arrow already nocked. Her gaze was fierce, unyielding. “Step away from them. Now.”

The assassins hesitated.

Another arrow flew, this time grazing the arm of the lead assassin. He hissed, eyes narrowing. “You’ll regret that.”

A distant shout echoed from the palace grounds. The Drakos guards had been alerted. The assassins exchanged glances before their leader sneered. “Another time, prince.”

In an instant, they vanished into the shadows, leaving only the whisper of disturbed leaves in their wake.

Elara rushed forward, kneeling beside Rubin and Himu. “Are you two insane?” she demanded, scanning Himu’s wound with concern. “Hiding in the ruins? Fighting assassins? Without me?”

Rubin let out a shaky breath, offering a weak grin. “Glad you could make it.”

Himu groaned as Elara inspected his wound. “We need to get him out of here before more of them return.”

Rubin nodded. “The question is—where can we take him where he won’t be found?”

Elara’s expression hardened. “I know a place. But if we do this, Rubin, we’re committing treason. Hiding an enemy prince? That’s a death sentence.”

Rubin glanced at Himu, then back at Elara. He had made his choice the moment he saw the fear in the angel prince’s eyes.

“Then let’s make sure we don’t get caught.”

Elara led them through a hidden path beyond the ruins, weaving through dense foliage and silent stone sentinels covered in ivy. The air grew cooler, the scent of damp earth mingling with the crisp night breeze. Rubin kept close, supporting Himu as they moved, his own nerves on edge.

“Where exactly are we going?” Rubin whispered.

Elara glanced back. “There’s an old safe house beyond the river—one my family used before the war. It’s well-hidden.”

Himu exhaled sharply, the pain evident in his voice. “Can… can we trust it’s still safe?”

“It’s our best option,” Elara replied. “Unless you’d rather bleed out here.”

Rubin felt Himu shift against him, his breath shaky but resolute. “I’ll take my chances.”

The sound of distant horns shattered the fragile silence. Drakos guards. Their pursuers were already searching. They had to move faster.

Rubin exchanged a glance with Elara, and without another word, they picked up the pace, disappearing deeper into the night.