I inhale deeply, letting the burn of the smoke ease my mind, the floating cloud hugging me. My eyes take on a glowy tint as I appreciate the details of the woods now covered in deep snow. It never takes long for winter to arrive. Kallahan has always been known for its cold weather; after all, we are in the north of Elgar. The only place where lycans are truly in their element, comfortable in their skin and closer to the moon. It's also where creatures of the night thrive. And that’s why Kvirr chose Kallahan to be the house of the guardians of light, the valkyries.
It feels surreal to think back to when those legendary warriors guarded peace across kingdoms and even realms. A decade has passed since we last knew what safety truly meant. Now, hope is piercing through the shadows, its promise both tempting and fragile. Hope that could be our salvation... And probably my damnation.
Wyll strides over, pulling me back to the present. Caleb follows close by, sliding in on my other side. They’re the only two I truly call my own. Though lately, that circle seems to be growing, and I don’t know how to feel about that.
“What’s up, boss?” Wyll asks, looping an arm around my shoulder as he takes a long swig from his bottle of fire whiskey.
“I knew there was some left.” He doesn’t answer, just gives me a wolfish grin. “Hand it over,” I order, nodding toward the bottle. I feel Caleb’s steady gaze weighing on me, peeling back the layers I am trying to bury.
My best friends are polar opposites, ice and fire. And I’m the paradox that binds them together. Caleb is my reason, the quietmind that dissects every situation with logic. Wyll is my wild card, the impulse unleashed, letting demons run free. Because when the pain is on the outside, it doesn’t have to rot on the inside.
And the three of us?
We know that truth all too well.
40
Avilyna
TELL ME EVERYTHING
I can’t believeVanessa is actually here. The candlelight flickers weakly, but the usual foreboding the wax and wick bring is amiss. A small aftertaste that no longer presses down on my chest, cutting my airways like it used to do. As if, deep down, I know it’s not the real reason why I lost them.
The light barely cuts through the dark; the silence is suffocating as I sit down next to her. My heart is hammering in my chest. I thought my old life was gone for good, but right now it all crashes back down, shattering the illusions I’ve held of two separate realities. I didn’t realize how lonely I’d become, and refused to acknowledge it. And the brutal truth slices through me; I’m truly alone here.
But now, with Van, part of this crazy new reality I’m trying to survive, it feels manageable. A tiny spark of hope, of trust in something bigger, flickers in my chest. Hours have passed since the attack. Her breathing is shallow, uneven. Vanessa’s body is bruised. Her silver hair stained pink at her right temple, proof of the blow she took.
What the hell was she doing out there alone in the forest?
“Come on, Van,” I whisper, voice tight with worry. “Wake up.”
Sakura told me again and again that her vitals are stable, that witches don’t heal like other creatures of Elgar. They’re still human; superpowered, but human all the same.
And every second without any sign of life feels like forever. Then, finally, a slight twitch in Van’s fingers catches my eye. Relief crashes over me as her eyelids slowly flutter open.
“Lyna?” Her voice is hoarse, breaking the heavy silence.
“ThankKvirr!” I practically smother her in a tight hug, but the reality of her condition snaps back to the front of my mind. My hand reaches for a glass, filling it with cold water. Vanessa’s piercing gaze tracks the movement before she flicks a quick look around.
“I thought you were dead,” Van whispers, voice cracked, before gulping down the water.
“I’m so sorry.” Before I can say more, she throws a punch to my shoulder.“Ouch! What the hell was that for?” I rub my arm, startled.
She’s slim, yeah, but ballet dancers? They’re tougher than they look. Van stopped playing the perfect little girl a long time ago. Once she realized her parents didn’t really care about her. As long as she stayed invisible, she had peace, most days. But ballet was different; it was the one thing she truly loved in that fragile, porcelain life. That’s why classical music speaks to her soul.
Secrets like those are what set friends apart from soulmates. When you share those shattered, hidden pieces of yourself, hoping they’ll be held safely, you forge a bond deeper than the ocean.
“That’s for leaving me without any explanation!” she shouts. “I thought we were best friends.” It’s the first real sign of vulnerability I’ve ever seen from Vanessa. Even when she told me something upsetting, she was always so nonchalant about it, as if it were trivial, not worth her time. But now, her eyes don’thave that usual intimidating edge; they are brimming with tears. And that pulls something out of me, too.
“Of course we are!”
“Then why didn’t you give me any sign of life for almost four months?” It’s only been three months and eighteen days, but it feels like a lifetime since we skipped class or went to the bookstore together.
“I’m sorry. You’re right, I should have reached out earlier. I should have tried harder, but things got out of hand...”
Her cold hand presses against my arm, stopping me mid-sentence and Van’s features soften.“I suppose I should apologize too. I could have been more honest. I doubt it would’ve made much difference. But maybe if I had been, this... Could’ve been avoided.”
“Did Vanessa Hawthorne just apologizeandgive a hug on the same day?”
