Soren, gravely wounded and pursued by assassins, finds unexpected refuge when Fiona risks everything to save him. Despite the danger he poses, Fiona’s willingness to protect him represents a rare fragment of kindness in a hostile world. As she questions his trust and identity, Soren, too exhausted to speak much, simply asks to be taken away from the city to safety.
Fiona carefully plans their escape, refusing to involve her family or risk exposing Soren’s true identity. She instructs Pearl to return to the manor to gather medicinal herbs, avoiding any contact with local doctors who might betray them. The carriage’s deaf and mute driver further ensures their secrecy, a small mercy that proves invaluable.
Soren’s memory drifts to a past life where he and Fiona were married, a time when survival seemed assured. Yet relentless attacks have worn him down, and for the first time, he doubts his fate. Despite never learning who he truly is, Fiona remains determined to save him, her care and tenderness contrasting sharply with the cold, guarded man he once was.
As they cross the city walls, Fiona soothes Soren’s pain and leads him to the Custodian Shrine, a place tied to their shared past and potential allies. Soren accepts her support without suspicion, a marked change from the wary, sword-ready man she once knew. Their brief, natural connection hints at a fragile trust blossoming amid the peril surrounding them.
Chapter 279: Shelter in Blood
No matter if the entire world turned its back on him, what difference did it make? The very fact that Fiona was willing to risk everything to save him was proof enough that the world still held some fragments of kindness.
Fiona’s eyes locked onto the man’s, her voice dropping so low it felt like a sacred whisper. “Will you trust me, sir?”
A faint sound escaped his cracked lips, barely audible. “Mm.”
She studied him closely, suspicion flickering beneath her calm exterior. “Do you know who I am?” she asked softly. After all, someone so close to death wouldn’t place their trust in a stranger without reason. His fate had already begun to diverge from what prophecy had foretold—such a shift could only happen if their paths had crossed before.
Soren longed to shield her from the dangerous storm chasing him, yet he sensed she already suspected the truth. “Get me out of the city,” he rasped, the words scraped from the depths of his exhaustion.
He had no strength left for more conversation; every syllable was a precious resource.
Fiona weighed her choices carefully. Smuggling him back to Niven Manor was out of the question, and dragging the Niven family into this mess would be catastrophic. Perhaps ignorance was the safest cloak to wrap around his true identity.
So, even when she heard the deliberate rasp in his altered voice, she chose not to press further.
“Pearl, I want you to return to the manor,” Fiona instructed firmly. She had rented the carriage under the guise of a gentleman taking a day trip; even if anyone traced it, suspicion would not fall on the Niven family.
Pearl’s brow furrowed with concern. “You should leave him, Ms. Fiona. He pointed a sword at you just moments ago. Who knows if he’s a villain? We could find a doctor for him.”
Fiona shook her head, her expression resolute. “The county town is crawling with those hunting him. The infirmary will be their first stop. We can’t risk any physician tending to him. Go back and gather whatever medicinal herbs we have at the manor. Don’t step outside to buy anything new. If we lack something, leave it.”
Fortunately, her pretense of convalescence meant she had brought plenty of supplies from Jexburgh.
Pearl, though still uneasy, accepted the order and wasted no time in leaving.
Soren rested his head against the cushioned wall of the gently rocking carriage, his voice barely louder than the creaking wheels. “The driver…” His warning hung unfinished in the stale, candle-lit air.
Fiona answered before silence could grow heavy. “The driver is deaf and mute. He can’t betray us.” She had hired the man out of simple mercy, never imagining this small kindness would save them from countless dangers tonight.
For over ten nights, Soren had not known true sleep. Since fleeing Broadmoor, three separate groups of assassins had pursued him relentlessly. Vigilance clung to him like a second skin, whether he moved through shouting crowds or slipped beneath whispering pines. Every shadow could hide a blade.
Ahead lay Dasshire, a restless market city where merchants and murderers rubbed shoulders. Hidden among its crooked alleys were safehouses even the Zonfrillo family could not find. When he fled Broadmoor, he had pinned his hopes on disappearing into that lawless city until the storm passed.
Yet before the boundary stones of Dasshire appeared, it was at the crossroads of Southmere that Fiona had crossed his path.
The ambush on Gravesorrow Mountain had left him torn open, old wounds burning beneath fresh cuts. He had only intended to hijack a passing carriage for cover, never imagining the coach he stopped would belong to her.
He recalled a past life where he had taken Fiona as his bride. Back then, surviving this trial had seemed certain, so he clung to that memory like a map etched on his heart.
But each new attack chipped away at that certainty. For the first time, he wondered if fate might allow him to die.
He stiffened briefly, glanced at her, then accepted the support, his hand nowhere near a hidden blade. In that other life, he had gripped his sword at every kindness, ready to repay aid with death.
Back then, one wrong move would have cost her life.
Tonight, their brief touch felt as natural as old friends sharing the road.
The chapter closes on a note of fragile hope, where trust blossoms amid uncertainty and danger. Fiona’s unwavering resolve to protect Soren, despite the risks and mysteries surrounding him, reveals the quiet strength born from compassion. Their shared history, hinted at yet unspoken, adds layers of complexity to their connection, reminding us that sometimes salvation comes from the most unexpected places—and people.
Soren’s gradual surrender to vulnerability, paired with Fiona’s gentle care, softens the harshness of their perilous journey. The delicate moment of their touch speaks volumes about the shifting tides between them, from suspicion to a tentative alliance. In this shelter of blood and shadows, they find a fleeting refuge—not just from their enemies, but from the loneliness that has long haunted their paths.
As the carriage wheels come to a halt beside the shadowed Custodian Shrine, a fragile alliance is forged between Fiona and the masked fugitive, Soren. Yet beneath the surface of their tentative trust, old wounds—both physical and emotional—throb with unresolved pain and buried memories. The quiet gratitude in Soren’s eyes hints at a man grappling with his past and uncertain of the future, while Fiona’s resolve to protect him sets the stage for a journey fraught with danger and difficult choices. What secrets lie hidden within the shrine’s darkened walls, and who awaits their arrival in the silent woods?
The next chapter promises to deepen the mystery surrounding Soren’s true identity and the shadowy forces that relentlessly hunt him. As Fiona steps further into a world where loyalty is scarce and every gesture carries weight, the tension between trust and suspicion will intensify. Readers can expect moments of vulnerability and strength, where the characters’ intertwined fates begin to unravel, revealing the fragile threads that bind them. Will their alliance be enough to withstand the storm gathering on the horizon, or will old enemies and new betrayals tear them apart?
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.

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