"No." Thane's voice brooked no argument, deep and resonant like the earth itself. "You are a person. Living. Breathing. Full of potential and dangerous chaos. The only thing about you that is not within your control is how much we care for you. You are Aria Pandoros. You are who you have always been, regardless of who made your ancestor."
I closed the book with a soft thump and hugged it to my chest for a moment, drawing strength from the lingering scent of chamomile. "Who I am, who I was, none of that matters right now. I wish we had more answers, but we can't move freely through the Citadel to research, so we have to work with the scraps we have. We have a path forward. That is what we focus on."
The cavern shuddered violently. Dust and small pebbles sifted down from the ceiling, landing in Kaelen’s dark hair like gray snow. The teal light from the hunting beacon outside must have been sweeping closer.
"Existential crisis later," Flynn said, drawing his daggers. The metal gleamed wicked and sharp in the gloom, reflecting his predatory amber eyes. "Right now, we have a goddess's party to crash and a song to sing. Steve?"
The Skal perked up, mandibles clacking, looking surprisingly adorable despite its hideous visage.
"Hunt," Flynn ordered.
TWENTY-FOUR
Aria
I stood up, wincing as my muscles protested. The magical exhaustion was still there, a hollow ache in my marrow, but the food and the rest had given me enough fuel to keep moving. I shoved the journal into the waistband of my breeches, tightening the belt.
"Everyone ready?" I asked, looking at my pack.
Flynn flipped his dagger, catching it by the hilt. "Always."
Thane hefted his rock. "Ready."
Elias smoothed his robe, looking serene. "The currents are chaotic, but the path is clear."
Kaelen stepped up to me. He reached out, his hand cupping my cheek. His thumb brushed over my lower lip, his golden eyes searching mine. The jealousy regarding Thane was still there, a simmering heat in the bond, but he had leashed it. He had channeled it into focus.
"Stay behind me, fireheart," he commanded softly. "When the fighting starts, do not be a hero."
"I'll be whatever I need to be," I promised.
He leaned in, stealing a quick, hard kiss that tasted of smoke and possessiveness. "Let's go."
We moved out.
The tunnel leading back to the excavation site felt tighter than before, the air thicker. We moved in a formation born of necessity, Flynn scouting point, silent as a ghost; Kaelen and me in the center; Elias and Thane watching the rear; Steve the Skal scuttling along the ceiling like a horrific chandelier decoration.
As we walked, the silence stretched, heavy with unspoken things. I could feel the bond humming between us, a four-part harmony of anxiety and resolve.
"Kaelen," I whispered, the darkness giving me courage.
"Yes?" He didn't look back, but his pace slowed just a fraction.
"About Thane," I said. "On the mountain."
His shoulders stiffened. "We do not need to discuss it."
"We do," I said. "Because I can feel your teeth grinding from here. And Flynn was right. If we go into this with you waiting for a betrayal..."
He stopped. We were in a narrow stretch of the tunnel, the walls pressing in. He turned to face me, his golden eyes luminescent in the dark.
"I do not expect betrayal from him," Kaelen said, his voice low. "Thane is the best of us. He carries burdens that would crush me."
"Then what is it?"
Kaelen looked away, staring at a patch of lichen on the wall. "When you were with him you were quiet. Your soul was quiet. With me, you burn. With Flynn, you run. With Elias, you fracture." He looked back at me, and the vulnerability in his expression stole my breath. "I am afraid that what you really want, what you really need, is peace. And I am simply not capable of giving you that. I am a sword, Aria. I am not a shield."
I stepped closer, taking his hand. His skin was scorching. "I don't want peace, Kaelen. Peace is what the Council offered me.Peace was the silence of the Sanctorum while I bled safely into a cup. I want life. And life burns."
