The crowd erupted—half cheers, half boos.
“What? No!” I staggered to my feet, mud dripping from my hands.
Scarlet vaulted the railing and caught me, lifting my arm over her shoulders before I could protest. Rhodes ripped through the vines, steadying Shayde beside him.
“You know the rules, Fallon,” Doryan said, tone final.
The ring emptied fast—torches burning low, shadows crawling through churned mud. My chest still heaved. I wanted to scream, but each breath scraped my throat raw.
Scarlet pivoted, steering us away, but his gaze found mine in the dark. Shayde’s brown eyes burned with hatred, cold and hollow. No smirk. No triumph.
“See you in the morning,” he said, voice flat, and turned his back.
Chapter 35
River’s cold, wet nose nudged me awake from a dreamless sleep. The fireplace still crackled, flames hearty and alive—Doryan’s doing. He’d escorted me home last night and made sure the fire would last until sunrise.
He knew I despised the freezing cold. Lighting that fire had to be his way of saying, “You’re going to be miserable in Tyria. And you’re going with Shayde Wylder. So here’s a warm fire to cheer you up.”
I sat up and touched my cheek, surprised it wasn’t sore or swollen from the right hook. Shayde had landed the hit, sure—but he’d held back.
River whined again, a polite warning to get moving. I obeyed, pulling on my warmest leathers and packing a second set in my satchel. The thick mud from last night’s duel was gone—washed away by a steaming bath, another quiet kindness from Doryan.
I wished he were coming with me. Part of me was glad he wasn’t. This mission was going to be the hardest I’d ever faced, and I couldn’t bear the thought of returning to Balveer without him.
I shrugged on my winter cloak, grabbed my favorite weapons, and stepped out. The sun was rising over the mountains, gilding the peaks in gold. It stole my breath.
The Hollow Summit was beautiful. Strong. My home.
But it was also dark. Haunted. And my prison.
By the time I reached the General’s station, the sun was fully up, painting the sky a sharp blue. A perfect day for travel, deceptively serene. Hopefully Shayde’s horse could keep up with River, because I wouldn’t hesitate to leave him behind.
The door was already ajar. River nudged it open with her snout, and I stepped inside—only to stop cold.
Shayde was already there, deep in conversation with my father and Rhodes. He wore the Hollow’s thickest, fur-lined leathers and cloak, a heavy pack slung over his shoulders. As he turned, I saw the array of weapons strapped to him: a dozen daggers in their sheaths, a longsword crossed on his back, a bow secured over top.
And, of course, the obsidian collar around his neck that nullified his elements.
His brown eyes locked onto mine, unreadable but heavy with the weight of the past few months. He stood tall, sharp-edged, a soldier shaped for war. But I knew Shayde Wylder didn’t see me as a partner in this mission.
He saw me exactly as I saw him.
An enemy—in every way that mattered.
His actions last year hadn’t just nearly led to our lands being conquered by Tyria—they’d cost an innocent girl, Delaney, her life, and nearly killed my twin sister. He carried more than enough skeletons, thanks to reckless choices after Cora Reyes found him in a vulnerable state.
But that wasn’t why I hated him. Not truly.
My hatred burned because of what he did to Scarlet.
After everything she’d endured—every hole she’d clawed out of, every fight just to keep her head above water—Shayde Wylder used his charm as a weapon against her. She didn’t deserve him slithering into her life only to deliver her straight into the enemy’s hands. She didn’t deserve his betrayal, or his games.
Or hisabandonmentafter the Burn Trials.
Small, deadly thorns pricked through my palms, and I clenched my fists to hide them. If Father sensed I wasn’t capable of working with my partner, he wouldn’t let me go. He didn’t need to know my real plan: return from this mission alone—use it to rid the world of Shayde Wylder.
All I had to do was hold it together until the mission was complete. Use him to get the job done—and discard him on the way back.
