She went utterly still, as if even the smallest movement might break the fragile thread between them.
He drew back just enough to meet her eyes. His stare held her hostage, daring her to move. To run. But she didn’t.
“You tasted my blood without permission,” she whispered, her voice softer now, though the storm hadn’t entirely left her.
He sighed and gave her a light shove. “I just told you more about my power than I’ve ever told anyone.”
“Really?” Her chest tightened, a shiver racing down her spine.
“Yes.” His gaze did not waver. “It’s taboo in Dravaryn. We don’t talk about blood magic here. My people fear it. What it used to be.”
Ella fell quiet, her thoughts twisting because he had just opened up to her about his gift, something forbidden in his own kingdom, something he clearly did not share with anyone outside of his circle.
She didn’t know why he’d chosen to tell her, but it was affecting her more than she’d care to admit. A small part of herargued that she should answer with something of her own, that offering a piece of herself was a good move if she wanted to gain his trust. That was the strategic thing to do, a step in the right direction. But another voice rose beneath it. She didn’t want the conversation to end yet, savoring each truth revealed.
“I don’t understand how I Threadwalked,” she said, the words slipping out before she could second-guess them. “I’ve never shown any sign of another power besides my flame. Not once. But the moment I crossed your wards, something changed. My royal Orchid mark flared on my chest like it was waking up.”
She drew a breath, unsteady but honest. “I told myself it was just the Veil thinning, magic reacting, the world unraveling. But this…this ability to Threadwalk is not tied to any soil magic that I know. No kingdom carries this gift. It doesn’t exist anywhere in my family lineage that I know of.”
Her voice dropped. “I don’t understand how any of this is possible.”
Jakobav went still, as if he were memorizing each syllable she dared to give him.
“I know the feeling,” he said. “But we can’t waste time wondering how. We keep moving.” His grip tightened, steadying her in a way that felt like a promise. “We use what we have, even if it shouldn’t exist. Neither of us belongs fully to the gifts of our kingdoms. So we make our own path.”
He moved his hand, fingers grazing a strand of her dark hair. “And while we hesitate, breaches continue tearing this realm apart. More every day.”
She hadn’t meant to let the emotion rise, but it did, clawing its way up until she could hardly swallow it back. His words struck true, and she found herself worrying about more than just her own kingdom.
So when he pulled her into his arms, she did not resist.
He held her close, his voice low against her ear. “You won’t face this alone. Stop running from me.”
Ella was flayed open, hating that his words sank deeper than she wanted to allow, hating most of all that he could make her feel anything. But she couldn’t allow herself to read too deep into his words, so she wielded deflection as a weapon.
“Okay, so we push forward. We keep moving. I’ve revealed enough for one night. I feel naked,” she added quickly, “not literally this time. Thank the gods.”
Jakobav let out a low sound, more grunt than laugh.
His hand lingered at the base of her spine, both steadying and unsettling. For a long moment, he didn’t move, as if reluctant to break the fragile peace that had settled between them. When he finally sighed, it was slow and loaded, filled with something that felt like resolve.
And Ella, despite her instinct to retreat, leaned into it.
24
TAVERN AND TRUTH
They reached the village well past midnight, the narrow lanes deserted, the air thick with the faint tang of peat smoke and stale ale drifting from shuttered windows.
Ella was still dusted in dried blood, dirt clinging to her boots, her hair tangled and matted from the fight. When they’d first entered town, they had passed an inn, and every instinct in her body was screaming to scrub herself clean.
She rubbed her forehead and glanced at Jakobav.
“Do you think we can rent a couple of rooms for the night? I saw an inn earlier, and I desperately need a bath before we find the seer.”
Jakobav blinked at her as though she had sprouted wings.
“Of course not,” he said. “We’re staying at the tavern.”
