I do care. His voice echoed softly in her mind, too intimate, too familiar.At least about you, I do.
She flinched, her jaw dropping in shock.
Ah, so it still works. His shoulders eased.That is encouraging.
There is nothing to be encouraged by here, Kae!Rynna forced herself to turn her back on him and join Thorn and the Rider, hoping to hide the erratic rise and fall of her chest.So, a part of me didn’t want to see you trapped in that living hell. That doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t change anything. Not the mile-long list of horrible shit you’ve done these last fifty years, and certainly not the fact that I love Fenn. Now get the fuck out of my head!
“You’ve given me a second chance, Hollow-born of Ember Reach—Rynna—to...to be human again. I’m not fool enough to waste it,” Kaelith spoke, drawing surprised looks from both the rider and Thorn.
“You don’t deserve any chances, snake.” Thorn’s expression remained frigid as he turned away again, focusing instead on the distant ramparts of Tengujo.
Rynna exhaled, taking in the sight of Pulse Reach’s capital and temporary Alliance Headquarters. It rose like a fortress carved into the forest itself, massive trees intertwining with stone, as though the city had been grown, not built. The wooden bridges between the towering structures swayed gently, connecting buildings that reached for the sky like the talons of a giant bird.
Maybe I don’t deserve any second chances. But how can the Crimson Wolf love you if he doesn’t even know you?Kaelith whispered in her thoughts.You can’t tell me you’ve shared with him what you once shared with me.
Rynna bit down on the inside of her cheek, her nails digging into her palms so hard they left tiny grooves in her skin. She had to sever this connection, this mental link forged during their captivity in the Hearth.
Kaelith wasn’t wrong about their bond, but it didn’t matter now. That life…her heart seized at the thought. That life was over. It was over the moment she disappeared into another great war on a distant world that needed her help, whether she had wanted to leave or not. It didn’t matter that her new Mission had brought her back here. In this life, she loved Fenn.
With each pull of air, she pushed the memories back, forcing them into a corner of her mind where they couldn’t reach her. She wasn’t that person anymore. And Kaelith wasn’t the man she had known back then. He was a monster; second chances be damned.
Chapter thirty
Rynnacouldfeeltheweight of the stares on her, hear the murmurs ripple through the crowd as they crossed the parapet toward the great hall where the Wardens awaited.
“Let me go!” One of the men stationed at the entrance struggled against his comrade, his hand gripping the hilt of the short blade strapped to his waist. His dark green Hollow-born garb bore the Pulse Reach crest, faintly illuminated by the soft glow of the sun. “He deserves to die for what he did! I’ll slit his throat right now and save everyone the trouble!”
She glanced around and saw at least five others, their eyes filled with barely restrained fury, fists clenched, hovering on the edge of action. Her heart quickened, and she picked up her pace, forcing the others to keep up with her.
“You sure this was a good idea?” Thorn asked quietly from her left, with Kaelith walking tightly between them. The rider had already slipped away at some point.
“Not in the slightest.” She ground her teeth, keeping her face neutral. “But it’s out of my hands once we turn him over. What will happen, will happen. I’m prepared for the consequences.” She hoped her voice carried more confidence than she felt.
In truth, beyond Fenn, she was terrified of how Lady Takara would react. The Ember Warden had accepted her story of a past life and entanglement with the traitor after the Ascension when she’d been installed as the new leader of Ember Reach. Fenn had insistedthey could trust Takara with the truth, that she was a better Warden than the one before her. And he’d been right.
“Rynna—” Kaelith began, but Thorn shoved him forward, cutting him off.
“Do not speak.”
At least he’s not trying to speak mind-to-mind, she thought, squaring her shoulders as they walked through the door.
The Warden meeting hall loomed ahead, its towering stone pillars casting long shadows across the polished floor with carvings of all the elements engraved into the ancient walls. Light streamed in from narrow windows high above, illuminating the banners of each Reach hanging between the columns, their colors bright but worn with age.
In the center, six large chairs formed a semi-circle, occupied by the five ruling Hollow-born from the strongest and largest of the Reaches, leaving one chair empty for the long-disappeared Void Reach. Pulse Warden, master of the life element, sat with arms crossed, while the Tide Warden’s expression remained calm and poised, like the surface of a still lake, though subtle ripples beneath hinted at unseen currents. Then there was the Gale Warden from Wind Reach, and the gruff Stone Warden, who drummed his fingers on the arm of his seat, each tap resonating through the ground beneath him as if the earth itself responded to his touch. And at the center was Lady Takara, eyes blazing with fire as she watched them enter.
Rynna looked to the back of the room, where Fenn leaned against the wall, arms folded. His eye softened with relief when he saw her and Thorn, but as soon as his gaze landed on Kaelith, his frown returned, and his arms crossed tighter.
Fuck, she thought, her brow knitting. Was she really prepared to deal with Fenn’s reaction?
What if he leaves me?Pain bloomed beneath her breastbone.
As they reached the center of the hall, heads turned, and whispers rose in disbelief as Hollow-born exchanged glances, eyes darting between Rynna, Thorn, and the notorious traitor standing between them.
Lady Takara folded her hands into a steeple, the long sleeves of her crimson and gold robe cascading like silk. Her dark hair, pulled into an elegant bun, was adorned with glimmering ruby hairpins, their piercing tips glinting in the light.
She lowered her face behind her hands, the soft glow of the lanterns casting shadows across her sharp, porcelain-like features. For a moment, she remained still, deep in thought.
Then–
