The naive girl who boarded that helicopter three days ago wouldn’t recognize the woman standing here now. I’ve been tested in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and I’ve survived. More than survived; I’ve proven myself. I’ve discovered powers I never knew I had, feelings I never expected to find.
My mother’s eyes track over me. Then her gaze shifts past me to where Luke now stands with Caleb and Dorian, who’ve approached while we embraced.
Something in her expression shifts. Sharpens with recognition. Knowledge. Her eyes narrow as they flick between us, sensing the invisible threads now connecting us.
“What happened out there?” she asks, voice dropping lower.
“The helicopter crashed. Mara—” My voice catches on the name, the guilt still raw. “Mara fell. We… we lost her. We survived in the caves for three days before the Syndicate captured us.”
Her grip tightens on my shoulders. “Captured?”
I nod, keeping my voice steady. “Luke got us out. We escaped, gathered intel, made it to extraction.”
Her eyes narrow slightly as she studies my face. “And in those three days…” She pauses, choosing her words with careful deliberation. “You were alone with Kenan.”
It’s not a question. It’s an observation weighted with implication that makes my face heat despite myself. My dragon stirs beneath my skin, scales threatening to emerge along my jawline in response to my emotions.
“We were surviving, Mom. That’s all.” The deflection comes easily, though there’s a lie wrapped in it that doesn’t sit right.
Vanya holds my gaze for several long seconds, reading more than I want her to see.
Then: “We’ll discuss this later. Right now, medical needs to check you.”
Her tone is final, but I see the promise in her eyes: This conversation isn’t over. Not by a long shot.
Dammit.
We move toward the helicopter, where the rest of the extraction team waits. My dad approaches with a warm but cautious smile.
“Good to see you in one piece, Ember.”
I manage a small smile in return. “Mostly one piece.”
Tabitha appears beside him. “Did you gather any intel?” she says.
“I… yes,” I answer, still feeling overwhelmed by everything that’s happening.
My mother raises a hand, stopping me. “Save it for the debrief. We’re wheels-up in two minutes.”
Across the clearing, Caleb and Dorian flank Luke, their heads bent in low conversation I can’t hear. I watch Luke’s body language—tense, controlled, deliberately not looking in my direction. Already the wall is going up, the mask sliding back into place. Operative, not lover.
The distance between us feels like miles instead of yards. As if the intimacy we shared has been packed away, replaced by professional personas neither of us can afford to drop now that we’re back in the real world.
My mother guides me toward the helicopter with a gentle hand on my back. The gesture feels both comforting and constraining after three days of making my own choices, surviving on instinct and courage.
Inside, she directs me to a seat near the front; maternal positioning, keeping me close. Luke settles in the rear with Caleb and Dorian, separated by crates of equipment.
Hargen takes the seat across from me, studying me. I focus on fastening my harness, avoiding his gaze, but I can feel his attention, the slight narrowing of his eyes as they move between me and Luke. For a moment, I’m certain I sense a hint of understanding.
The rotors spin up to full power; the clearing drops away below us. I watch the Carpathian peaks recede through the window. Snow and stone and shadows that nearly became my grave. Yet still, they’re beautiful.
Relief mixes with a strange melancholy as we climb higher. Something was left behind in those mountains. Not just Mara. Not just innocence. Something indefinable that can’t be reclaimed in the light of day, in the reality of professional boundaries and maternal concern.
“How are you feeling, darling?” My mother’s voice is gentle.
“I’m okay, Mom.” My response is subdued.
“You’re sure? After what happened with Mara…” she starts to say.
