The plan was reckless.
Reckless, dangerous, and utterly insane.
Which, of course, made it perfectly suited for Eva.
Lucian had barely processed her words before she was gone, vanishing from the dungeons with the same stormy determination she had arrived with. And now, sitting in his damp cell, he exhaled through his nose, pinching the bridge of it in frustration.
"Unbelievable," he muttered to himself.
Because of course Eva would attempt something like this.
Because of course she wouldn't listen to reason.
And because of course—against every shred of his better judgment—he was actually looking forward to seeing how she planned to pull this off.
---
Meanwhile…
Eva paced in her chambers, heart hammering against her ribs.
She had absolutely no idea what she was doing.
But that had never stopped her before.
Lucian was innocent. That much was clear. And if her father refused to see the truth—if Magnus continued his venomous manipulations—then she had no choice.
She had to get Lucian out.
Now, the only problem was how.
Sneaking into the dungeons was one thing. Breaking him out? That was something entirely different.
Her mind raced. Who could help her? Who could she trust?
And then—
A slow smile spread across her lips.
She knew exactly who.
---
The Kitchens, Midnight
Tobias wasn't expecting company.
Especially not princess-shaped company.
So when Eva burst through the kitchen doors, hood drawn low over her face, he nearly dropped the pot he was scrubbing.
"Princess?!" he hissed, wiping his hands on his apron. "What in the blazes—?"
"I need your help," she cut in, stepping closer.
Tobias sighed, already rubbing his temples. "Of course you do."
Eva leaned on the counter, eyes gleaming with mischief. "I need to break Lucian out of prison."
There was silence.
Then—
Tobias let out the longest, deepest breath of his life.
"Oh, absolutely not."
"Tobias."
"Nope."
"Tobias, come on—"
"I like my head where it is, thank you very much!" He threw his arms in the air. "Why do I even ask anymore? Of course you'd do something this reckless."
Eva grinned. "You do know me well."
Tobias grumbled something under his breath before glaring at her. "Do you even have a plan?"
Eva hesitated.
Tobias groaned. "Unbelievable."
"Listen! I just need you to create a distraction."
Tobias frowned, crossing his arms. "And what do I get in return?"
Eva smirked. "The satisfaction of knowing you helped a wrongly accused man."
Tobias snorted. "Not good enough."
"Fine. Two extra pastries at breakfast for a week."
"…Three."
Eva narrowed her eyes.
"Deal."
---
The Dungeons
Lucian was drifting in and out of sleep when the chaos started.
The guards stationed outside his cell suddenly cursed, the clatter of metal echoing through the stone halls.
"What's going on?" one of them barked.
"I—I don't know! Something's happening in the kitchen!"
There was a pause.
Then—
"Gods above, the dishwasher is on a rampage again!"
Lucian blinked.
Tobias?
He barely had time to process before the guards rushed away, their footsteps fading.
And then, from the shadows—
A figure stepped forward.
Lucian exhaled sharply through his nose.
"Of course."
Eva smirked. "Miss me?"
Lucian shot her a glare. "This is the worst idea you've ever had."
"Oh, please. You haven't even heard my worst ideas yet."
Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Eva—"
She produced a stolen key with a flourish. "Shall we?"
Lucian groaned, but he was already standing.
Eva unlocked the cell, swinging the door open dramatically. "Your freedom awaits, Sir Valemont."
Lucian stepped forward. "This is insane."
Eva beamed. "I know."
She grabbed his wrist, pulling him down the dim corridor. They moved swiftly, silent as shadows.
Lucian could not believe he was doing this.
But gods help him, the warmth of Eva's hand in his sent an entirely different kind of frustration through him.
---
The Escape
They made it to the courtyard without incident.
The cool night air hit them like a slap, and Lucian inhaled deeply.
"Almost there," Eva whispered.
They darted toward the stables.
Then—
"STOP THEM!"
Magnus' voice boomed across the courtyard.
Lucian turned, just in time to see guards flooding in from all sides.
Eva cursed under her breath.
"Run!" she hissed.
Lucian ran.
They sprinted, dodging swords and arrows, making it to the horses. Lucian swung onto a saddle, reaching for Eva.
She took his hand, but as she hoisted herself up—
An arrow whizzed past, grazing her arm.
She gasped.
Lucian caught her, yanking her the rest of the way up.
"Hold on," he growled, kicking the horse into motion.
They bolted through the gates, hooves thundering against the dirt path.
Eva clutched his waist, heart pounding. "That was too close."
Lucian didn't answer.
Because in that moment—holding her, feeling her breath against his neck—he wasn't thinking about the escape.
He was thinking about her.
---
The Woods, Later That Night
They stopped in a clearing, breathless.
Lucian swung off the horse, turning to Eva. "Are you hurt?"
"It's just a scratch."
He frowned, stepping closer. "Let me see."
Eva scoffed. "Since when do you care?"
Lucian scowled. "I don't. I just don't want to deal with you bleeding to death on my watch."
Eva smirked. "Aw. You do care."
Lucian glared. "Shut up."
He took her arm, inspecting the wound. It wasn't deep, but seeing her hurt made something unfamiliar twist in his chest.
Eva was watching him closely.
He suddenly realized how close they were.
How the only sound was their breathing.
How her lips were right there.
Lucian swallowed.
Eva tilted her head. "Lucian?"
His gaze flickered to her mouth.
Eva raised an eyebrow. "Are you about to kiss me?"
Lucian jerked away like she had burned him.
"I absolutely am not."
Eva laughed.
Lucian glared. "Go to sleep."
Eva smirked. "You so were."
Lucian groaned, turning away. "Unbelievable."
But as he sat by the fire, arms crossed, he could not stop thinking about it.
Eva could not stop smiling.
And deep in the palace, Magnus seethed.
Lucian had escaped.
But Magnus wasn't done yet.