“He might not be as much of a monster as we thought.”
Edith stilled, her body going tense. She was no fool. She opened her mouth like she meant to say something, then closed it again, her lips pressed tight. The look on her face left a cold knot in my chest. “You must be careful, Rubi. You must not lose your heart to a man like that.”
I gave a hollow little laugh. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She gripped my arms tightly, her fingers digging into my skin. Her face was intense, her eyes burning into mine.
“Listen well, my love,” she said, her voice low and urgent. “There is no future for you with him. It will only lead to heartbreak.”
Frustration bit at my heels, but…wasn’t she right? The Blake I’d had the night before might’ve been perfect for me. And it might well have been the real him. The man I’d seen last night—the one who fought for those he loved, who burned with lethal protectiveness, who met the world with both sharp intelligence and unexpected warmth—was dangerously and devastatingly irresistible to me.
My foolish, reckless heart was too fragile when it came to him.
I was already half in love with him.
But as long as he continued to play second to the king who hated me, who wanted my people dead, then what future did we have together? One perpetually in hiding, until he had to make a choice? How long would his ruse go on?
I wasn’t a Silver. I wasn’t powerful. I never would be.
Grief twisted low in my chest, a deep, raw ache. No matter how close he held me, no matter how much he made me feel like I belonged to him in those stolen hours, he was fundamentally a man of duty. He would sacrifice everything to do what he thought was right.
There was indeed no future. Not for us, anyway.
As if she could tell the painful place my thoughts had led me, Edith pulled me close, wrapping her arms around me.
And I finally let myself cry. For everything that had been building since the night Flame came to our hut.
Edith didn’t say a word, just held me, steady and loving until the storm inside me started to quiet. My hands shook as I wiped at my eyes, forcing myself to stand tall, to remember who I was and what had to come next.
“I’m all right,” I said quietly as I straightened, locking my spine even though the ache inside me hadn’t faded.
She looked at me, grief deep in her eyes, but she didn’t waver. Her face was set with a quiet, unshakable strength as she whispered, “I know you are.”
—
The entire dominion was inan uproar. News of the so-called rebel ambush and demon attack had spread like wildfire, igniting fear in every corner of the city. People were afraid to leave their homes. Nelly reported that markets stood half empty; doors were bolted and windows shuttered. No one wanted to be caught in the open.
And because of that, our last day of training before the Culling began at noon.
Jace stood at the front, his expression unreadable as he surveyed us. Several warriors and trainees had died the night before.
Malissa was cool and composed as ever, her green eyes sharp as a blade. Ire lingered at the edges, arms crossed, saying nothing. But it was Quinn and Calla standing among a group of Azures who surprised me the most.
Quinn caught sight of me first, and before I could react, he ran to me and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Thank the creator goddess Nuwa, ribbon girl,” he murmured against my hair, his grip warm, familiar. “I was afraid you—” He cut himself off, exhaling as he pulled back, scanning me as if reassuring himself that I was whole.
“I’m sorry I frightened you,” I whispered, holding him tightly,burying my face in his familiar scent. “Thank you for getting Edith back safely.”
My skin prickled with awareness, and I turned.
Despite the easy stance he took beside Jace, I could feel the heat of Blake’s gaze, his eyes locked onto Quinn’s arms still around me.
His look was possessive.
With a groaning shriek of metal, one of the giant iron sparring frames—the heavy ones they used for full tyger drills—twisted in on itself with a deafening crunch, the iron beams bending and snapping like twigs. Dust and gravel sprayed into the air as it slammed into the ground, a ruined heap.
Every head turned. Warriors went still, hands tightening on their weapons, instinct and fear flashing in their eyes. No one dared to speak. Even Blake looked surprised at himself.
