Rest, Storm-born, he called over one shoulder.Your reckoning will not wait for you.
And then he was gone. A shimmer of red vanishing into the night.
The wind was icy tonight, slicing through my cloak as I leaned against the stone wall. Lanterns flickered beyond the gate, in neat rows like fallen stars, but they didn’t warm me. Not even a little.
My thoughts were too loud. Memories of Kaelith’s silence, Siergen’s words of wisdom, and Cyran’s quiet admission of his Crimson Sigil allegiance clouded my mind.
My fingers toyed with the hilt of the dagger at my hip, not really thinking. Justfeeling.The cold metal. The weight. The burn of too many decisions that couldn’t be undone.
So I didn’t hear the footsteps.
Not until a hand touched my shoulder.
I spun on instinct, drawing my dagger with a hiss of steel. My heart was already in my throat when the blade came up—poised, ready.
Remy stepped back, hands lifted. “Slow down, Ashe,” he said quickly. “You should’ve heard me coming.”
My grip on the blade didn’t ease. “And yet I didn’t,” I snapped, voice tight. “I don’t need a lecture right now, Remy.”
He studied me for a moment, eyes scanning my face, searching for something I didn’t want him to see. His expression softened, but only slightly. “I was looking for you. Why do I have the feeling you were avoiding me?”
“Take a hint,” I said, sliding the dagger back into its sheath. “Now’s not a good time.”
He crossed his arms. “That meeting with Cyran. What was it about?”
I turned away, bracing my palms against the stone. I wasn’t surprised he knew where I went. Remy had a way of finding out what he wanted to know. “I told you, not now.”
“You were in danger,” he pressed. “You went to the man who might’ve tried to kill you,alone, and now you’re skulking around the castle like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I faced him with my jaw clenched. “Don’t push me right now.”
Remy stepped forward, voice low. “I’m trying not to. But I need to assess the danger to you. What did he say, Ashe? If Cyran’s connected to the Sigil, if he’s threatening your life?—”
“He didn’t order the assassin,” I snapped. “And no, I’m not about to start justifyinganyof his choices to you.”
“So you’re protecting him now?”
“I’m not protecting anyone!” I hissed. “I’m trying to survive, Remy. Which is a lot harder when everyone I care about thinks they have a right todemand answerswhile I’m barely holding my ribs together from the last attack!”
He flinched. Just slightly.
And for a moment, neither of us said anything.
The wind howled between us, colder than before.
Finally, Remy spoke, softer this time. “I just… don’t want to lose you again.”
I swallowed. “Then stop treating me like a child. And remember, I’m not yours anymore.”
Remy grunted. “Trust me, I haven’t forgotten my mistakes. I just want to know what the Order is up to.”
“You’re not listening,” I said through gritted teeth, backing away from him a step, my arms folded tight across my chest as if that could somehow keep the rest of me from cracking open.
Remy followed, relentless. “Iamlistening. You went to Cyran. You sat across from a man who’s been accused of everything from underground trafficking to staging raids in the outer kingdoms. I need to know, Ashe. Did he admit anything? Has he orchestrated any of the attacks on noble caravans? Is he arming the Crimson Sigil rebels?”
My heart sank. He hadn’t heard a word I’d said.
This wasn’t about me. Not really.
