Throne of Sin

The Hunter's Cabin

The safe house was a hunter's cabin tucked into a clearing deep in the forest.

It was small and weathered, the kind of place that looked abandoned until you noticed the well-maintained roof and the fresh wood stacked beside the door. Evander produced a key from somewhere in his coat and let them inside.

The interior was sparse but functional: a stone hearth, a rough-hewn table, two narrow beds against opposite walls. Supplies lined the shelves—dried meat, grain, medical supplies, weapons. Everything they might need for a few days' rest before continuing the journey.

"We'll stay here tonight," Evander said, moving to light the fire. "Tomorrow we'll head east toward the lowlands. Three more days to Aurelian's Crown if we push hard."

Catalina set down her pack and stretched, feeling the ache in her shoulders from the long descent. "And then?"

"Then we make contact with our first ally." He glanced at her over his shoulder, firelight catching in his eyes. "I've arranged a meeting with General Ashgrave. He's in the capital for a military council—one of the few times Aldrich can actually get him to show up. If we can secure his support, the rest will fall into place."

"And if he refuses?"

"Then we move to plan B." Evander's smile was sharp. "But he won't refuse. Not once he sees what kind of leader you are."

Catalina felt something settle in her chest at those words—not flattery, but recognition. She'd spent fifteen years preparing for this. Learning strategy, studying the empire's history, training her body and mind. She knew what she brought to this fight: intelligence, determination, and yes, the kind of presence that made people look twice. She'd use every advantage she had—her father's legacy, her strategic mind, her ability to inspire loyalty. Whatever it took.

"Tell me about him," she said, settling into one of the chairs by the fire. "The general."

Evander joined her, stretching his long legs toward the flames. "Talon Ashgrave. Career military. Rose through the ranks on merit rather than birth—his family were minor nobility from the Ashcrown Reaches. He's brilliant, ruthless, and completely devoted to the empire's defense. Your father trusted him implicitly."

"But he serves Aldrich now."

"He tolerates Aldrich. There's a difference." Evander's expression was thoughtful. "Talon is loyal to the throne, not the man sitting on it. He's kept the borders secure and the legions disciplined because that's his duty. But he has no love for your uncle. And he's smart enough to see that Aldrich's rule is destroying everything your father built."

"So he's waiting for an alternative."

"Exactly. Someone with a legitimate claim and the strength to hold it. Someone the legions will follow." Evander's eyes found hers, warm with conviction. "Someone like you."

Catalina turned the ring on her finger—her father's ring, heavy with history and promise. The firelight caught the twin-dragon seal, making it gleam. "Why didn't you give this to me before?" she asked quietly. "You've had it all these years."

Evander was silent for a moment, his gaze on the flames. "You were seven years old when I pulled you from that palace, Catalina. A child who'd just heard her father died. You needed safety, not symbols. You needed to heal, to grow, to become strong enough to carry what that ring represents."

He looked at her then, his gray eyes serious. "I was waiting for you to be ready. Not just old enough—ready. Ready to understand what it means. Ready to bear the weight of it. Ready to be the empress your father believed you could be." His voice softened. "And you are. You're ready now."

She felt the truth of it settle over her like a mantle. He was right. If he'd given her this ring years ago, it would have been a burden she couldn't carry. Now it felt like what it was: her birthright, her weapon, her promise to the empire.

"Thank you," she said.

He nodded, something fierce and proud in his expression. "Always."

Catalina absorbed this, her mind already working through the angles. "What's his weakness?"

"He's a soldier. He values strength, competence, loyalty. Show him those things and he'll respect you. But he's also..." Evander paused, choosing his words carefully. "He's been alone for a long time. Married to the military. No family, no close relationships. I think he's forgotten what it's like to want something beyond duty."

"You want me to seduce him."

It wasn't a question. Evander met her gaze steadily. "I want you to show him what he's been missing. What he could have if he stands with you. The general is a powerful man, Catalina, but he's still a man. And you..." He trailed off, his eyes darkening as they traced over her face. "You're extraordinary. Talia taught you well."

Heat coiled low in her belly at the way he was looking at her. "Is that what you want, Evander? For me to seduce the general? The rebel commander? The sorcerer and the lord?"

"I want you to do whatever it takes to reclaim your throne." His voice was rough. "If that means using every weapon in your arsenal—including your beauty, your intelligence, your ability to make powerful men want to lay the world at your feet—then yes. That's what I want."

"And what about you?" She leaned forward, holding his gaze. "Do you want to lay the world at my feet?"

"I already have," he said simply. "Fifteen years ago, when I pulled you from the flames. Everything I've done since then has been for you."

The fire crackled between them, casting dancing shadows across the cabin walls. Catalina felt the tension pulling taut, felt the weight of everything unspoken pressing down on them. It would be so easy to close the distance, to take what they both wanted. To lose herself in him before the real battle began.

But she'd meant what she said earlier. Not yet. Not until she'd proven herself. Not until she was more than just a princess he'd saved.

"Get some rest," she said, standing abruptly. "We have a long road ahead."

Evander nodded, but she could see the frustration in the set of his shoulders, the tension in his jaw. "As you wish."

She moved to one of the narrow beds, pulling off her boots and lying down fully clothed. Across the cabin, she heard Evander doing the same. The fire burned low, filling the space with warm light and the scent of pine smoke.

She closed her eyes and let exhaustion pull her under, dreaming of thrones and dragons and a spymaster's gray eyes watching her from the shadows.