She did it because Siergen ordered her to.
And somehow, that truth hurt more than dying ever could.
Chapter
Thirty-One
Kaelith descended from the mist like a thundercloud breaking through a storm, wings spread wide and silent. The bond thrummed inside me now, faint, fragile, butreal. Her presence tethered to mine like silk pulled taut through fire.
We landed hard, her talons skidding against the stone, and the Ascension Grounds erupted around us.
My squad roared.
Ferrula let out a shrill whistle, and Naia clapped her hands over her mouth, relief etched in every line of her face. Even Cordelle exhaled audibly, the tension bleeding from his shoulders as Kaelith folded her wings behind me.
I slid from her back, my knees buckling the moment my boots hit the ground.
I stumbled.
Jax was there in seconds, catching me with strong arms, his face pale and tight with concern. “Easy,” he said, steadying me. “You alright?”
I glanced past him, just once, and caught Zander’s gaze from across the field. He looked like he wanted to run to me, but hisplace in Crownwatch held him like iron. His knuckles were white against the hilt of his sword.
Remy stood near his squad too, staring at me with something unreadable in his eyes.
But they couldn’t move. Not yet.
The trial wasn’t finished.
Jax helped me back to our line, one arm around my waist. “What happened?” he asked.
“She bonded me,” I said, my voice rasped, barely audible. “But only at the last second. It’ll take time for me to… repair the damage.”
I didn’t tell him my heart still felt like it was struggling to pump. That each beat echoed with an ache I couldn’t name. My insides had been hollowed out and I had to focus to put one foot in front of the other.
Cordelle reached me first, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder. The others quickly formed a half-circle around me, their bodies a wall shielding me from the eyes of the watching riders across the field.
Their presence gave me a moment to breathe.
Riven slipped in and threw her arms around me without hesitation.
“How do you feel?” she asked, pulling back just enough to study my face.
I managed a smile, tired and too thin.
“Like I died,” I whispered. “And she brought me back just in time.”
Riven’s brows knit, but she didn’t press further.
Because the pain was still written across my face. And she knew some things were too deep to explain.
We gathered near the edge of the Ascension Grounds. Our dragons were perched on the cliffs beyond the castle. They seemed to look down on us like gods surveying their people.The sun was fully risen now, casting long golden lines across the field, lighting our breath in the cold air. Around us, squads celebrated, laughter echoing like victory bells.
But here, withinourcircle, there was something quieter. Somethingdeeper.
Bonded.
We were all finallybonded.
