Chapter 73: The Secret Keeper
Galen followed Aveloria down the hall without speaking. His steps were steady behind her, and he didn’t push her to talk. She didn’t look back at him once. Her mind was still on the discussion, her father’s reaction, Eirene’s expression, and the heavy weight of the decision she had just announced. The air between them stayed quiet until they reached her chambers.
Aveloria pushed the door open and walked inside. Galen entered right after her, and the moment the door shut behind them, he finally spoke.
"What was that?" he asked. His voice wasn’t angry, but he sounded serious. "This sudden announcement. Accepting your mates. Calling for all of us to gather in three days. What are you doing, Aveloria?"
She didn’t answer right away. She sat down on the edge of her bed and stared at the floor. Her thoughts were still tangled, but she had known this conversation was coming.
Galen stepped closer. "If it’s because of what Elder Thalos said, you don’t have to rush into anything," he continued. "You don’t owe anyone an immediate decision."
"It’s not because of Elder Thalos," she said. "It’s more than that. I have a plan."
"A plan?" Galen repeated. "What kind of plan?"
She shook her head. "There are things you don’t fully understand."
He moved closer, slow and careful. Then he crouched in front of her, forcing her to look at him. When she finally raised her head, he reached out and held her face in both hands. The touch was soft, steady. He didn’t grip too tight. He didn’t force her. He held her like he wanted her to know she wasn’t alone.
"Aveloria," he said quietly, "I know you have walls up. You keep most things to yourself. You don’t trust me yet. At least not fully. And maybe you don’t trust anyone."
She swallowed but didn’t deny it.
"I’m not asking you to trust me with everything," he said. "But don’t doubt my loyalty. Could you not shut me out completely? I don’t want you to go through everything alone."
Aveloria looked at him for a long time. He wasn’t pleading. He wasn’t angry. He was just present, steady, and willing to take on whatever she carried.
She let out a slow breath. "Fine," she said. "I’ll tell you. But this isn’t easy to explain."
"I’m listening," he replied. Galen settled next to her on the bed.
Aveloria turned to look straight at him and pulled her hands together. Her fingers interlocked tightly, and she stared at them as if grounding herself.
"There’s more about Eirene than what Elder Thalos mentioned," she said quietly.
Galen’s expression tightened, but he didn’t interrupt.
"And there’s something else," she continued. "Something about me."
He raised his head slightly, trying to understand.
Aveloria met his eyes. Her voice was calm but firm. "I died, Galen."
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I lived a whole life before this one," she said. "I died in that life. And then I woke up again...here. Back at the beginning. Back before everything went wrong." She paused. "Back before my death."
Galen’s confusion was apparent. "Aveloria...that doesn’t make sense."
"I know," she said. "I know it sounds insane. I know it doesn’t match anything we’ve been taught. But it happened."
He stayed silent, letting her speak.
She took a deep breath and began to explain. She told him about her past life—how she had grown older, how events had unfolded, how betrayal struck her and ripped her life apart. She told him how everything collapsed around her, how she took her last breath, and how she opened her eyes again in this same world, at an earlier point, surrounded by people who didn’t know what she had lived through.
"It felt like I was thrown back here for a reason," she said. "Like something wanted me to change the outcome."
Galen watched her closely, but there was no mockery in his eyes. No disbelief. Only concern and careful attention.
She didn’t stop there. She told him about the visions she had seen through the amulet—images that weren’t dreams or hallucinations, things that felt too real. Things that connect the past and the future. She spoke of the warnings, the signs, the fear she had carried alone.
And then she said what she had never told anyone before.
"Eirene killed my mother."
Galen inhaled sharply.
Aveloria clenched her hands. "I didn’t know in my past life. But everything lines up. The visions, the signs, her behavior. And now she and Rowena are trying to do the same thing again. If they succeeded once, they’ll do it again. Eirene will target my siblings. One by one. She wants all of them gone so there’s no one left to stand between her and whatever she wants from the throne."
Galen was quiet for a long time. She expected hesitation or doubt, or for him to tell her to slow down and consider that she might be mistaken.
But instead, he nodded.
"I believe you," he said.
Aveloria blinked. "You do?"
"Yes," he said plainly. "Every word. I don’t understand all of it. I don’t know how rebirth works or why it happened to you. But I know you’re not lying. And if you say Eirene is a danger, then she is."
Aveloria looked down, unsure of what to do with the relief that washed through her.
Galen continued, "I don’t care if the truth sounds impossible. I care that it matters to you. And I care that it affects the people you’re trying to protect. So whatever you need from me, whatever role I have to play, I’m in."
She nodded and wiped her hand across her face.
Galen straightened slightly. "But let me ask you again," he said softly. "Are you sure about accepting your mates?"
"Yes," she said. "It’s part of my plan. I need Theron and Lucien close. They’re important in what comes next."
"And Marek?" he asked carefully.
Aveloria’s jaw tightened. "Not him. Not after everything he did. Not after Evander caught him kissing Rowena. I meant what I said. I won’t forget that."
Galen nodded slowly. "Then why include him?"
"I’m not including him," she said. "I’m accepting my mates, but it doesn’t mean I’m letting all of them close. I’ll manage him differently."
Galen studied her face. "You’re sure?"
"Yes," she said again. "Trust me."
He pulled her into his arms. She didn’t resist. She leaned into him, letting herself rest in the warmth and steadiness of his embrace. It felt grounding, something she needed without realizing it.
"I’m here," he said quietly. "You don’t have to keep everything inside anymore."
