Jax, Torvyn and Finn are also waiting, expressions laden with anticipation and curiosity. It’s Jax who speaks up first, “Cutting it pretty fucking fine, Kael. It’s almost dusk.”
“What do you want me to say, Jax? It took as long as it took for a fucking reason,” weariness has seeped into my tone and my words come out as a snap. “Now, make yourself useful,” I say, handing the reins to Jax, and dismounting seamlessly off the back.
I reach for Elyssara’s waist, and before she’s even had the chance to move, I lift her from Nyx and place her gently on the cobblestones. At ground level, her eyes are at the same height as my chest. I tilt her chin upward, dragging her gaze to mine.Gods, she’s beautiful.Her gaze drifts over my face, across my chest and shoulders, lingering a second too long. She bites her lip, and I know exactly what she's thinking.
I lower my voice, letting it drop into something rough, something meant for her alone, “You keep looking at me like that, darling, and I won’t care who’s watching when I make good on what your eyes are asking for.”
The blood rushes to her cheeks then, but she steels herself, refusing to feel embarrassed. “You make me feel...” she falters, breath catching. “Stars, I don’t even know how to explain it.”
Therion brushes past us then, and in an almost whisper, he says, “I’ve accepted this, but it doesn’t mean I want to watch you mentally undressing each other all the fucking time, or listen to you talk about your cute little feelings.” His words come out harsh, but there is no denying the smile he is fighting. He walks away brusquely, and Elyssara chuckles in his wake.
“Mavyrn’s right—he’s a grumpy bastard,” I say. We both laugh then, but it doesn’t last long.
“I hate to interrupt,” Jax wags her finger between us, “whateverthisis, but we have business to tend to.”
“Fuck’s sake, Jaxxy. We spoke about this—be nice,” Merrik stresses the last words, as if he has indeed spoken about this. Likely a lot.
Jax rolls her eyes but reluctantly—and thankfully—backs off. Merrik has always had a way of getting through to her that none of us have ever been able to. It’s why I paired them up to infiltrate the Dravari guard. She’s chaos, but he is somehow able to rein her in.
“We need to move quickly. Word from the unit in Vyrhal is that the Royal Guard are exceeding our timing predictions. They know we’ll be trying to cross The Joining, and they’re coming to intercept before we make it to The Wastes. We have to leave tonight,” Torvyn speaks with the confidence of a battle-hardened leader who’s been in these situations many times before.
“Fuck,” I drag my hands through my hair. I turn to Seren, knowing she’s the key to the next leg of our journey. “We need to take a look at the next part of the prophecy and know exactly where we’re going.Now,” urgency coats my words.
Seren nods with efficiency and conviction—she’s been doing that more and more. “I’ll need help to sort through the books with such little time. Ronyn and Elyssara know how I work, they can come with me,” she says with the grace of a leader, and I can’t help but agree that it’s a smart call.
Elyssara’s radiant jade-green eyes lock onto mine—brighter, deeper, more alive with every relic we claim—wordless but screaming everything she can’t say. There’s a hesitation there, a pull, like she doesn’t want to leave. I nod anyway, forcing the encouragement she needs, even as my chest tightens, the ache deepening with every damn time we’re apart. Whatever this is between us, I need answers. And soon.
Elyssara follows Seren reluctantly, and I spin on my heel, pulling up a crate around the table while the rest of them do the same, and we all do what we do best—plan our next mission.
“So, give us the rundown,” Merrik is straight into action, as usual.
I opt for quick and ruthless, “We’re changing plans.”
The group erupts in similar fits of displeasure. A cacophony of “I knew it’s” and “this will never work’s”. I allow them their moments, but ultimately, they will get in line or I will fucking put them there.
Jax looks downright disgusted at the change of plans, and seething, her face dripping in disdain, she spits, “The council will never go for this, Kael.”
“We’ve never had a chance at actually bringing down The Decay! We’ll break the curse, extract Nalya ourselves when they’re vulnerable, take back what's ours.” I’ve been planning how I’ll counter their resistance for hours coming down the mountain, and this is the best bet I can make.
“That’s a suicide mission and you know it—we’ve never even broken through the castle grounds!” She’s panting, rage permeating every part of her, “And that’s assuming she’s even there!”
“We will find a way,” I say.
“You’re fucking delusional!” Jax throws her arms in the air, spittle forming in the corners of her mouth.
“That’s what I said,” Therion concurs.
I throw him a venomous look to shut the fuck up and keep his opinions to himself.
“Alright, alright,” Merrik’s calming presence cuts through the chaos—forever the voice of reason. “Let the lad plead his case, you lot.”
A darkness rumbles through me then, and the air turns ice cold and still. I know without looking that my shadows have come out to play, because all eyes are locked on me and they’ve all stopped breathing. I look straight into the eyes of each of them, “Firstly, don’t you ever fucking forget who you’re talking to. Secondly,” I pause weighing the merits of sharing this, “she’s Skaedor’s heir.”
Silence. Stunned.
Jax’s mouth opens—of course she’s going to say something snide—but I slam my hand on the table. Shadows lash out like smoke, cold tendrils curling around the legs of the table, coiling up armsbefore snapping back into me. Deadly and sharp. “Don’t,” I say directly to Jax.
“WHAT!?” the words reverberating through my skull, as Torvyn, Finn, and Merrik look to me to elaborate.
