“Enough!” I shoved myself between them, hands out like I could hold back the storm with sheer will. “This isn’t the time. I don’t care what games Theron is playing, or what ancient rivalry you two are trying to revive, but this is bigger than both of you.”
Neither of them backed off. Remy’s jaw was tight, that noble fire sparking in his eyes. Zander just stared, cold and unreadable, like he was calculating whether a punch would be worth the fallout.
Then Kaelith’s voice sliced through my mind like a breath of frost.
The others have found something. You must come now.
I turned, ignoring the heat still crackling in the air between them. “We need to go. Kaelith says the others found something.”
Zander turned to Hein without another word, mounting in one smooth movement, but the stiffness in his posture spoke volumes. Remy lingered a heartbeat longer, like he wanted to argue again, but even he knew better than to question a dragon’s urgency.
We returned to our mounts in silence, but as Kaelith and Hein lifted into the smoke-stained sky, I couldn’t ignore the tension still pulsing beneath my skin.
The wind carried the bitter scent of scorched earth and something older, something that didn’t belong in this area as we flew over the broken border between Caston and Amdar. Kaelith’s wings arched wide, riding the updrafts with a grace that belied the tension thrumming through her muscles.
Below, a strange structure emerged from the withered trees, jagged and bone-white, like the skeleton of some forgotten beast. My pulse quickened.
What is that?
We’ll know soon,Kaelith answered, her tone tinged with unease.
Zander and Hein were already descending. We followed, landing in a clearing where the grass had long since withered to ash. The structure stood at its center—an obelisk of white stone carved with glowing crimson runes. It pulsed faintly, like it breathed. Like it waited.
“A Blood Fae shrine,” Zander said grimly, dismounting and approaching the stone. “I read about them in the restricted archives. They’re not just symbols. They’re anchors—points of power that tether the Blood Fae to the land.”
I stepped closer, ignoring the chill sweeping down my spine. The shrine was easily twice my height, and now that I was near it, I could see fine lines of script etched into the base. Runes laced in a spiraling pattern, each one humming with restrained magic. Old magic. Fae magic.
“Why would they erect it here?” I asked.
Zander didn’t look away from the runes. “Because they’re consolidating power. Establishing footholds. This continent won’t remain unclaimed much longer… and this shrine won’t be abandoned. Not for long.”
A beat passed before he turned to the others. “We need to scout the area. There could be more.”
Hein huffed beside him, tail twitching.
I nodded and jogged toward the tree line, adjusting the strap of my dagger as I moved. I heard footsteps behind me and didn’t have to look to know who they belonged to.
Remy.
We walked in silence for a while, the trees thickening and the light dimming beneath their canopy. Just as I was about to suggest splitting off, his voice broke the quiet.
“If you ever wanted to leave it all behind…” He hesitated, just enough to make the words feel real. “I’d go with you.”
I stopped. The wind rustled through the branches, carrying the scent of moss and magic. My back stiffened.
Not this again.
He took a step closer, but I didn’t turn. I couldn’t. Not yet.
“You had your chance, Remy,” I said, my voice harsh. “You could’ve told me the truth. You could’ve come back.”
“I know.” His voice was quiet, rough around the edges. “But if there’s a part of you that still wonders…”
I finally looked at him. His eyes held something raw—regret, maybe. Or desperation.
“I don’t.” The lie tasted like iron on my tongue. “Now help me search the perimeter. You go left. I’ll go right.”
His expression faltered, but he nodded, stepping past me into the trees.
