Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he nodded.
And after another long, heavy silence, he huffed a quiet laugh.
“You’re going to ruin me, Sorcha.”
She turned to him, blinking back the sting behind her eyes. She smiled softly. “I think that’sa youproblem.”
His lips twitched into a slight smile as he reached for her hand. And in the quiet, with the fire burning low, they stayed like that.The silence between them stretched as the fire crackled low in the hearth, casting golden embers over his face once more.
His exhale broke the silence, raking a hand through his hair. “I should go.”
She almost told him to stay but instead, she only nodded.
Kyron pushed himself to his feet, grabbing his cloak and heading for the door. He paused as he reached it, his hand resting on the wood for a fraction longer than necessary. For a moment he hesitated, as if he might turn back.
Without another word he pulled the door open and began to step into the night when Cat sauntered in, of course Perfectly timed. Kyron barely had time to react before the Cait Sídhe effortlessly slipped past him, his tail flicking in what was definitely smug amusement.
“Good talk?” Cat purred. He cast a knowing glance at Sorcha, his silver eyes gleaming in the firelight. “Very productive, I see.”
Kyron huffed a short, humorless laugh, shaking his head as he stepped fully outside. “You’re a menace.”
Cat grinned, all sharp teeth and satisfaction. “I know.”
Kyron hesitated for only a moment longer before closing the door behind him, leaving Sorcha alone with Cat and the dying embers of the fire. The weight of everything settled over her as she let out a slow breath, pressing her fingers against her temples.Gods. That was… a lot.
She turned to Cat, who was already stretching luxuriously on the rug, looking far too pleased with himself.
“What?” she muttered.
Cat merely flicked his tail. “Oh, nothing. Just enjoying the show.”
Sorcha groaned, throwing a pillow at him.
Cat dodged it effortlessly, smirking. “A little tense, are we?”
“Cat.”
“Yes, Sunshine?”
She sighed, flopping back against the rug.
“Shut up.”
Cat purred, utterly unbothered. “Never.”
And with that, the fire crackled as the night stretched on, and Sorcha was left with the lingering warmth of what was left unfinished.
Chapter 55
A Race Against Time
Sorcha spent the next two days training relentlessly. Each sunrise bled into sunset with barely a breath in between. Every morning, she stepped onto the training grounds, and every night, she left more exhausted than the day before. Rhosyn, Commander Nethran, and Cat pushed her harder, making sure she had full control over her abilities or at least enough to keep from burning the place down. She had managed to conjure creatures from sun threads, summon small fireballs, and wield a whip of liquid light that incinerated anything it touched.
Kyron, Eirin, and Drystan had the unfortunate job of being moving targets. Clad in full armor, they held up wooden planks, bracing themselves for whatever Sorcha threw at them. By the end of the secondday, most of their time was spent dodging, rolling, and throwing themselves behind cover.
Drystan, in particular, suffered the worst of it. One poorly aimed fireball hit his helmet dead on, leaving nothing but a cloud of embers and an unfortunate consequence; his pants catching fire. What followed was absolute chaos. Drystan tore off his armor, sprinting across the training grounds, flailing and cursing as flames licked up his legs. Cat was doubled over, wheezing with laughter. Rhosyn, between fits of giggles, still managed to summon a wave of water, drenching Drystan from head to toe. He stood there, soaked and miserable, his once pristine tunic dripping onto the dirt. “I’m done,” he declared flatly, throwing up his hands. “I’m absolutely done.”
For the rest of the day, the remaining guys had to draw sticks to decide who would be next in Sorcha’s line of fire. Exhaustion was a permanent weight on Sorcha’s limbs. The others fared nobetter. Drystan had yet to forgive her, Kyron had nearly taken an ember to the face as well and even Eirin was beginning to regret volunteering. But there was no time to slow down. Each session pushed her further, each spell growing stronger, wilder. And still, it wasn’t enough. She trained from dawn until long after nightfall, her body moving on pure determination alone. Sleep was scarce. The few hours she managed to steal were restless, her mind too busy memorizing maps and scrawled notes. Every spare moment was spent gathering supplies. Commander Nethran had called upon the High Druids and priests to bless their weapons, gear, and even the clothing they would wear. She packed canteens full of holy water, checked and rechecked their provisions. If she wasn’t training, she was preparing. There was no room for hesitation. No room for failure. At the end of the third day, Eirin found her.
