The roof gave way first.
A split-second of sound—wood splintering, tile shattering—then her boots struck empty space where the rafters had already fallen through. Dropping together, the collapse caught them mid-fall like a trap sprung too late. Kaelith’s arm hooked around her waist, yanking her in as they fell. On the other side, Fenn shifted, twisting his body beneath hers just before the floor rushed up to meet them.
Rynna barely registered the impact before Fenn’s body crashed to a stop. Beneath her, he let out a rough, involuntary“hnnhf—”as the second impact of her body slammed into him. Still, his arms wrapped around her without hesitation, holding tight.
An instant later, Kaelith hit beside them, his body curling around her right side, one arm thrown over her head just as the rafters gave way completely. A shelf broke loose above and came down in a rain of debris over Kaelith’s shoulders and back with a hollow crunch, then scattered across the ground in splinters.
Dust settled in the silence that followed.
Pinned between them, Rynna froze, blood roaring in her ears, as her fingers dug reflexively into Fenn’s chest. To her side, Kaelith let out a sound—half a groan, half a laugh—as he rolled clear of them.
“I’m getting better at your insane jumping.” He paused, then scrambled to his hands and knees just as a dry heave wracked through him.
Raising one hand to his mouth, he swayed slightly. “No. Never mind. Still awful.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t accidentally drop you during the first jump with all your twitching.” Rynna pushed herself upright, then settled back on her heels.
She coughed once—half laugh, half leftover dust—then glanced over at him.
“Accidentally?” Fenn’s voice came from the ground.
He was still flat on his back, staring up through the jagged tear in the roof. Then, after a long release of air, he sat up slowly, a grimace tugging at one side of his mouth.
Kaelith gave a half-hearted grumble and rolled his eyes as he pushed himself to his feet, brushing off the worst of the splinters.
He reached a hand down toward Rynna. “Yes, you two are hysterical. I absolutelycannotwait for more of your humor.”
She took it, rising unsteadily, knees protesting, and bumped his shoulder with hers as she steadied. Then she turned, extending a hand toward Fenn. He clasped it, pulling himself upright in one fluid motion, his other hand skimming the small of her back.
“We did something funny?” he asked, deadpan, expression unreadable.
Rynna and Kaelith exchanged a look. No words passed between them, just a sharedAre you hearing this?glance—dry, exasperated, perfectly in sync.
“Unbelievable.” Kaelith groaned and tipped his head back.
“Perhaps the joke was before my time?” Fenn blinked once, as if genuinely confused.
There was no change in his voice, no smile. But Rynna caught the flicker at the corner of his mouth, in the way his eyes didn’t quite stay blank. A glint. Quick and feral.
She saw it a second before Kaelith did.
He froze, mouth opening slightly. “Wait—”
But before he could continue, a voice cut through the space.
“So glad you all could make it.”
They turned in unison.
Lady Takara stepped through the fractured doorway as if it were carved for her alone. Fire licked at her heels, both real and Source-born, while the silk of her robes hissed likeembers. Behind her, the air distorted, shimmering with power. And in her eyes, there was no mercy, only purpose.
They didn’t speak, and Rynna straightened as the Ember Warden stepped fully into the ruined room, fire and dust trailing in her wake.
Outside, the groan of the dead rose into a crescendo. Inside, silence pressed close. Dust drifted in lazy arcs through the broken light filtering from the gap in the roof above them.
They had made it. But the wall was already failing.
Chapter fifty-nine
