Ahead, the forest begins to thin.
The first outline of the sanctuary appears through the trees—stone and light, waiting.
“Home,” I whisper.
And for the first time in my life, the word feels true.
Chapter 37
Thane
We crest the hill just as the first light breaks through the trees.
Bree reaches the top first—and stops so abruptly I nearly walk into her.
“Thane,” she breathes.
I step beside her and look down.
The sanctuary spreads below us—stone and garden, walls and pathways. It should be empty. Zira said it was empty.
It’s not.
The courtyard is alive with movement. Dozens of figures working the grounds—tilling, hauling, building. But the rhythm is wrong. Too uniform. Too quiet.
Then I see the collars—silver bands around every throat, glowing faintly with suppression runes. The kind the Counsel uses to dampen Feeder magic. To keep us compliant.
My stomach drops.
“They’re bound,” Bree whispers beside me.
“They’re enslaved,” I correct, voice flat. The word tastes like ash. “We used to call it protection.”
Two guards stand at the gate, relaxed and bored. They’re not expecting trouble. Why would they? The Ether’s doing Riley’s work for her—keeping everyone docile, obedient.
Bree’s hands curl into fists. Her Ether rises, silver threads flickering at her fingertips. “I can feel them. Their magic—it’s crying out.”
“I know.” My throat tightens. “I can too.”
Because that’s what we do. What Feeders do. We feel the emotional weight of everyone around us, and right now it’s crushing.
Despair. Exhaustion. Resignation.
The others catch up behind us. Riley stumbles between Wes and Zira, her face pale.
“I’m sorry,” Riley whispers, voice breaking. “I’m so sorry.”
No one answers her.
Gray moves to my other side, taking in the scene below. His jaw works, but he doesn’t speak.
Rhett’s flames flicker out completely.
Theo’s eyes go distant, seeing futures I don’t want to know about.
Bree’s breathing hard beside me, her whole body trembling. Not with fear. With rage.
“I can’t stand here and watch this,” she says quietly.
