Chapter 4 Finally

Brianna’s POV

The palace had finally begun to quiet.

Hours ago, chaos had consumed every hallway, every courtyard, every inch of the kingdom we called home. Warriors had rushed through the corridors with weapons drawn while healers hurried from one injured person to the next. The smell of smoke still lingered in the air, mixing with the faint scent of herbs drifting in from the infirmary. Now there was only exhaustion.

Ryder stood beside one of the tall windows overlooking the palace grounds, his broad shoulders tense as he stared into the darkness outside. Even from across the room, I could tell his mind hadn’t left the battlefield. Mine hadn’t either.

I slowly crossed the room until I was standing beside him. Without saying a word, I slipped my hand into his. His fingers immediately intertwined with mine, squeezing gently as though he needed the reminder that I was standing there.

We simply watched the warriors below continue clearing debris from the gardens while others reinforced the palace walls. Torches flickered across the grounds, illuminating the destruction left behind by the attack.

“I hate this,” I whispered.

Ryder turned toward me. “I know. I keep thinking about everyone who got hurt.” His thumb brushed across the back of my hand. “We’ll rebuild.”

I nodded my head, though my heart still felt heavy.

A knock echoed against the door before it opened. Atlas and Cassian stepped inside together. One look at their faces told me something had happened. Neither of them looked panicked. If anything… They looked stunned. Ryder noticed it too. “What happened?”

Atlas shut the door behind him before looking around the room, making sure everyone was listening. “We just got a mind link from Abraham.” Every bit of my attention shifted toward him. “He and his team captured someone.”

Cassian folded his arms over his chest, still looking as though he couldn’t quite believe the words himself. “You’ll never guess who.”

Ryder frowned. “I’m not in the mood for guessing.”

Atlas nodded once. “They caught Clarence.”

I blinked my eyes a few times. For a second, I honestly wondered if I’d misheard him. “Clarence?” I repeated quietly.

Atlas nodded again. “Alive.”

Ryder stared at him. “You’re serious?”

My stomach tightened. Clarence had spent years staying one step ahead of everyone. Every story I’d ever heard about him painted the same picture. Intelligent. Patient. Ruthless. The kind of man who always had another escape planned. The idea of him sitting in our dungeon felt almost impossible.

“Where?” Ryder finally asked.

“Near the western cave system,” Atlas answered. “Abraham’s team spotted movement before Clarence reached the tunnels. They surrounded him before he could disappear.”

Cassian shook his head, still sounding amazed. “They’ve got him restrained with silver chains, and Abraham made sure he was dosed with wolfsbane before they moved him.”

For the first time all night, I saw a little of the tension leave Ryder’s shoulders. “Good.”

Atlas nodded. “I already ordered doubled guards. Nobody goes near him alone until we decide what comes next.”

Before anyone could answer, another knock sounded. Benjamin entered with Trinity close behind him, followed a moment later by Elliott and Brandi. They immediately noticed the expressions around the room. Benjamin’s eyes narrowed. “What happened?”

Atlas looked toward him. “Our warriors captured one of the people responsible for tonight.”

Benjamin straightened immediately. “Who?”

Atlas held his gaze. “Clarence.”

Benjamin’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”

Cassian gave a small shake of his head. “I thought the same thing.”

For several seconds, nobody said anything. The news settled over the room almost as heavily as the silence had. The door opened again. Elara stepped inside, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “The coven women are secured,” she announced before noticing everyone’s expressions. “What did I miss?”

“Caught Clarence,” Cassian answered.

She stopped walking. “… Seriously?”

Atlas nodded his head. “He’s locked in the dungeon.”

A slow smile spread across Elara’s face. “Well… that’s one piece of good news.”

“It is,” Ryder agreed, “but I don’t want anyone underestimating him. Men like Clarence don’t survive this long by making careless mistakes.”

Atlas agreed immediately. “We’re treating this like he still has a dozen plans in motion.”

I admired how naturally the conversation shifted between them. The kings were already thinking several moves ahead. Even after everything we’d survived tonight, they hadn’t stopped protecting everyone else.

Cassian glanced toward Atlas. “We still need a full damage report.”

“It’s already being handled,” Atlas replied. “Evander and Alaric are organizing everything. They’ll bring us the complete report as soon as it’s finished.”

Ryder finally released my hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “I should probably head back outside.”

“No.” The word escaped my mouth before I even realized I’d spoken. Every pair of eyes turned toward me. I swallowed. “You’ve been out there all night.”

His expression softened. “So have you.”

“I know.” I stepped closer until only a few inches separated us. “But for five minutes… just stay here.”

He smiled. “I can do five minutes.”

Warmth spread through my chest. Sometimes that was all either of us needed. Just a few quiet moments together.

The room had barely settled again when Caden’s voice broke the silence. “Atlas.”

Everyone turned. Both of my dads stood near the doorway, and something about their expressions immediately made my stomach twist. Neither of them looked relieved. If anything… They looked worried. Atlas noticed it too. “What is it?”

Coban folded his arms tightly across his chest before answering. “Have either of you seen Kevan or Mark?”

Cassian looked toward Atlas before slowly shaking his head. “I figured they were still helping outside.”

“They’re not,” Caden replied quietly. “We’ve been looking for them.”

Coban’s jaw tightened. “They’re not answering their mind links.”

A chill ran down my spine. Everyone in the room understood what that meant. Silence during an attack was never a good sign.

Ryder was already moving toward the door. “We’re not waiting.”

Atlas nodded once. “No.” His voice carried the calm authority that had become second nature. “We find them.”