I surge forward, lungs seizing, reaching for her—reaching for anything—But Strannt’s other hand grabs me, pulling me back just as my body folds, stomach twisting, convulsing. I gag, hard, bile scorching the back of my throat.
This can’t be real.
Thisisn’treal.
Talen didn’t just?—
No.
He didn’t.
I pull air, my lungs won’t work. My throat closes. And I feel myself slipping. Not physically—mentally. Out of my body, watching. Frozen.
Weasel Senior exhales, satisfied. “My son here, and these two officers, will escort you to the Northern Peaks.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’d wish you luck, but we both know it would be wasted.”
Strannt’s grip tightens, hard and unrelenting, as the two other officers close in.
“No—” I cry out. A sob. A snarl. I don’t even know.
But they don’t stop, just haul me backwards, boots scraping stone, my body jerking between them like a rag-doll.
I reach for my Threads one last time, clawing, begging. Nothing. Not even a flicker.
Beyond them, I catch a glimpse—Ezzy. At Talen’s feet, not moving.
Then the door opens.
Cold air rushes in.
And they drag me out.
The horse-drawncarriage rocks as we leave the last of civilisation behind, wheels thudding over uneven ground,heading north toward the peaks. It’s still dark, but the sun’s bleeding up over the horizon.
I’m in the back, feet and hands bound in rope. Strannt’s weaselly eyes are smug as ever, raking up and down like he’s cataloguing every inch.
One blonde officer is up front holding the reins. The other—older, broad, bald—sits next to Strannt across from me, close enough that his knee brushes mine with every jolt.
But I barely register it. Mind fractured, body somewhere else. Because this—this can’t be real. How could it even happen? Rowan, Finn, Ezzy. All gone. Dead? Because of Talen. Because of me?
I didn’t even get any justice for Ashvale. I didn't get home to Bren. God Bren... why did I ever leave that morning? I should have just stayed like he wanted me to. Could I have avoided all this? Would they all still be here? Would Serrane’s creepy army of black-eyed cadets and dragons still be attacking?
I should be fighting—planning, doing something—but all I can think is that I don’t want to cry in this goddamn uniform, especially not in front ofthem.
I just want to get through this without falling apart. Because the truth’s already sitting heavy in my stomach, I can't stop what's coming; that this is the end, that I know I’m going to die.
But I won’t give them the pleasure of watching me break. They’ve already taken enough from me, already taken everything. Sochin up. Eyes forward.
I just need to hold it together a little longer. Then it’ll all be over.
But I can’t. The pain is too much—raw and immediate, pressing in until I can’t breathe. Tears slide down my cheeks, salt bleeding on to my lips.
“I heard it was your boyfriend who handed you over.” Strannt sneers, opposite me. “Went to the council, said you tricked himinto some fake relationship. Claimed he ended it the moment he found out. Then added you were stealing books from Officer Green, too.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. Hard. Don’t flinch, don’t react. But everything inside me is screaming because I’m such a fool. To trust him.Talen.
This is why he never gave me real answers—because he was already acting against me. It was all a lie. Every word, every touch. I thought he was trying to help me, but he was just helping himself. Helping Merrin,Serrane?
The cart slams through another rut, and pain punches through my shoulder, sharp enough to knock the air clean out of me—and something else loose with it.
