“Lighten up, Teddy. Truly, I don’t know what you’re so sore about—you andSerihad a sweet little moment, you solidified a nickname, and you were one with the fiddle. What’s not to love?” Rubi says with mock sincerity.
“Enough,” I interject. “We’re here for reasons that change the fate of the known realms. Fucking act like it,” I snap the words with brusque authority.
But Elyssara’s gaze lingers on me—her eyes picking up the way I clench my fist in anticipation of all that’s ahead, the way my molars grind together in tension.
Before she can speak, I open myself to the tether.I’m okay, I soothe.It’s just… whatever we learn here will be the ruin or redemption of both our people.
She closes her eyes for a heartbeat, exhaling deeply.I have come too far, sacrificed too much, lost too many, for ruin to be an option. Whatever we learn—our fate is not sealed. We’ll write our own.
My body hums in resonance with her words. Because she’s right—fate will bow at my feet before I let it determine how this ends.
She looks at me, emerald-green eyes boring into me like a fucking brand. She holds my gaze, intense and reverent, and her throaty words whisper down the tether.From now…
And my breath rips from my lungs.Until the Stars claim me, I finish.
My heart beats fast and strong behind my ribs, because despite the way I crave her, worship her,loveher, I didn’t know if she’d let me close like this again. Didn’t know if she’d ever say those words again.
This woman—she owns me.
And her words lift a weight from my shoulders I forgot I’ve been carrying.
She gives me a small nod, and turns back towards the castle, eyes trained on the next battleground, Elarion Castle, but this time, it’s a battle of wits.
As we press closer to the castle, the street splinters into narrower walkways. Most are the same weathered cobblestones, but those leading to the libraries and academies shimmer pale under the lanterns, paved in riverstone, polished until it gleams like crystal. Each one feels like a thread spun toward knowledge, marked apart from the common street. Ivy drapes through their archways, flowering vines spilling blossoms across lintels carved with runes and constellations, as if the very paths have beenblessed. Even here, the city insists—learning is sacred, and to tread its halls is a privilege.
The street bends. Rising cliffs open before us as the cobbled streets fall away, and well-worn paths of rocky terrain emerge. Every step is like climbing a steep tiered staircase toward Elarion Castle—a humble, yet magnificent kingdom hewn straight from the mountain itself. Arched bridges sweep from crag to crag, cradling whole wings of the castle in their embrace, while pale columns climb into the sky. Trees root themselves in the terraces, their branches spilling green and gold over carved balustrades, as though nature herself has claimed a share in its making.
And it reminds me of the kind of greatness Thornewood could hold. Perhaps I’ll consecrate a new capital when I take back my throne.
It looks impossibly suspended, perched in the throat of the cliffs, the morning sun catching its windows until the entire structure blazes like a beacon. Hawks circle the towers, their wings catching the light, their cries carried down to us on the river-wind. For a moment, I’m awed.
But awe is a dangerous indulgence. My soldier’s mind measures the fragility of bridges that could collapse under siege, the vulnerability of towers perched so high. Beautiful, yes—but beauty crumbles quickest when fire comes.
The pale limestone of Elarion Castle wouldn’t last a moment in a battle. God metal weapons would tear through the brittle stone like a blade through skin. No, Nymeris is not built for war, it’s built for learning.
The rocky paths stretch higher, dragging us upward in an arc that mirrors the sun’s ascent.
“I’m a fucking healer, Mavyrn. Not a godsdamned horse. Could you have opened the Gateway at the top of the climb?” Rubi complains, doubled over with her hands on her knees.
The old Arcanist ignores her, the scowl on her face the only sign she’s heard her.
“I’m starting to wonder if youdoactually heal people, or just treat the people you’ve caused harm to,” Teddy teases lightly, brushing past her, his mood having shifted dramatically since the tavern.
“Rubi is just skilled on both sides of the equation—how to harm, how to heal. Masters must understand all elements of their craft, must they not?” Ronyn quips, devilish grin on show.
I swear to the gods that man could spin a story about anything.
The others laugh, but Elyssara doesn’t notice—too immersed in her own thoughts to notice.
What is it, my love?I probe down the tether.
She startles at the sound of my voice in her mind, and she softens her jaw, drops her shoulders.I just… can’t believe I had no idea the rest of the realms existed. I feel… angry. So fucking angry that no one told me—my parents, Gellesk, Revryn. They didn’t prepare me. Fed me to the wolves.
Her heartbreak is unmistakable, heavy and sharp in her chest—I can feel it in my own through the thread that connects us.
Darling, wolves are no match for you. Perhaps they knew you were the one all the wolves would bow to.I throw it down the tether like a raft.
But the moment is interrupted by the clatter of steel against rock.
