From our hands, the harvest. From soil, the strength.
–The Creed of House Sorrel
The next morning brought a cold frost with it – Kara’s breath curled in front of her as she walked. In early autumn. Wrong. Wrong enough to make her wonder if it was another effect of the stolen Shard. Her mind raced despite exhaustion. She hadn’t slept at all.
Just before she reached the City stables, a voice sounded from the alleyway behind her. “Kara, wait.”
She turned, surprised. “Sienna?”
“I heard about the Shard – about Sebastian. Messenger hawks were coming and going all night.” Sienna searched her face. “Where are you going?”
Kara hesitated. “They want me to bring him back.”
“What? Why you? That’s Thorne duty,” Sienna said, shocked.
“His father won’t send his soldiers after him.”
Kara made to walk past but Sienna grabbed her arm. “You can’t go.”
Kara looked her directly in the eye. “They’ve given me an order. I don’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice,” Sienna responded hotly, her grip tightening. “I know your feelings for him. This is too much to ask of you.”
“He stole a Shard. That’s treason,” she cried, wiping tears from her cheeks. “You know the law... it’s absolute.”
Sienna looked at her for a long moment, saying nothing.
“I wish I knew why. Why did he do this? What was he thinking?” Kara asked desperately.
Sienna stepped closer. “I don’t know, Kara.” She was quiet for a moment. “He’s not going to come quietly. Even for you. He’ll fight.”
“I can get close enough,” Kara said, though her voice faltered. “They only want me to put him to sleep.”
Sienna’s voice dropped low. “Kara, canyoubring him back? For trial? Maybe even execution?”
The words tore open the thought she’d buried in the Council chamber. It clawed its way back, sharp and merciless. Hearing it aloud made her flinch. Her thoughts flooded with visions of Sebastian dragged to the pyre, or hanging from the noose.
Kara took a breath. “I–I can’t let him take the other Shards.”
“That’s not what I asked. And you know it.” Sienna hesitated. “What if you let Sebastian go?”
Kara stared at her. She couldn’t have heard that right. Her fury ignited. “Do you really think I’d put him before Vallenna?”
Sienna didn’t back down. “No. But I feel your confusion–”
“Stop.” Kara stepped back, shaking. “Stop using your magic on me.”
Sienna looked stunned.
“My feelings are private, Sienna,” Kara snapped. The words came out harsher than she intended, but it felt like betrayal – dragging her secret into the light and weaponising it like that.
Guilt flashed across Sienna’s face, but she masked it quickly. “He might not have a good reason for this, Kara. There might be something darker in him we didn’t see.”
“Do you believe that?”
Sienna hesitated. “I don’t know. I hope not.”
Kara lifted her chin. “If he is doing this to hurt Vallenna, then he deserves his punishment.” Her voice broke slightly – but the conviction behind the words was real. “I’ll find out the truth of it myself.”
