Chapter 55
Chapter
Fifty-Five
FINN
T he air in my chambers is tense, heavy with the weight of what’s to come. Sable sits in the center of the room, her legs crossed, her eyes flashing with defiance. Torin is perched lazily on the arm of a chair, flipping one of his blades between his fingers, while Kael leans against the wall, his arms crossed and his expression as stony as ever. And me? I’m pacing, the familiar roll of my ring between my fingers as I try to focus.
“There are ninety minutes until the Trials begin,” I say, breaking the silence. “We haven’t practiced enough as a team, we haven’t finalized a strategy, and we haven’t even decided who will fight first.”
Torin snorts. “What’s there to decide? I’ll go first. Let me slice up a few of those cocky bastards and show them why they shouldn’t mess with us.”
Kael glares at him. “This isn’t about showing off, Torin. We need precision. Strategy. ”
Torin raises an eyebrow, twirling his knife in a lazy circle. “Oh, forgive me, Alpha. I didn’t realize we were playing chess.”
“Enough,” I snap, shooting them both a sharp look. “This isn’t the time for bickering. We need to act like a team, or we’re going to lose. All of us.”
Sable’s voice cuts through the tension like a blade. “You’re forgetting something.” She stands, her gaze shifting between the three of us. “I’m part of this team too. And if you think I’m going to stand back and let you fight for me, you’ve got another thing coming.”
Kael stiffens, his eyes narrowing. “Sable, you’re our?—”
“Our what?” she interrupts, stepping closer to him. “Your prisoner? Your little plaything? You think you can just lock me away and keep me safe while you fight my battles?”
Torin chuckles, shaking his head. “She’s got a point, Kael. Kitten’s got claws.”
“This isn’t a game, Torin,” Kael snaps, his frustration bubbling over. He turns back to Sable, his voice softer but still firm. “You don’t understand what’s at stake. If you get hurt?—”
“Then I get hurt,” she interrupts again, her voice rising. “That’s my choice. My fight. Or have you all forgotten that I’ve been hunting warlocks long before I met any of you?”
Torin grins, leaning back in his chair. “She’s feisty when she’s mad. I like it.”
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Enough. All of you.” I turn to Sable, meeting her fiery gaze. “No one’s asking you to stand back because we doubt you. We’re asking because we care about you. Because if something happens to you out there, it’s not just you who suffers. It’s all of us.”
Her anger falters for a moment, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I don’t need protecting.”
Kael exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “ This isn’t just about protecting you. It’s about surviving. Together.”
“We’re wasting time,” I say, stepping between them. “Sable, you’re fighting. That much is clear. But we need a plan, and we need it now.”
I glance around the room, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “Torin, you’ll go first. You’re aggressive, unpredictable. You’ll rattle them, make them doubt themselves.”
Torin grins. “Now we’re talking.”
“Kael, you’ll go second,” I continue. “You’re the powerhouse. Once Torin’s shaken them, you’ll finish them off with precision.”
Kael nods, his expression serious.
“Sable,” I say, turning to her. “You’ll go third. Use everything you’ve learned so far. Your powers, your instincts. Don’t hold back.”
She nods, her jaw set in determination.
“And I’ll go last,” I finish. “If it comes to that.”
Kael frowns. “If?”
I meet his gaze evenly. “It won’t.”
The room falls silent, the weight of the plan settling over us. Just as we’re about to leave, Sable speaks up. “Wait.”
We all turn to her, and she hesitates for a moment before taking a deep breath. “I need to tell you something. All of you.”
She moves to the center of the room, her hands clasped in front of her. “I haven’t been honest with you about why I came here. Why I started hunting warlocks in the first place.”
Torin tilts his head, curiosity flashing in his eyes. “Go on, kitten.”
Sable’s voice trembles slightly as she begins. “My family was killed by warlocks. I was just a child. They destroyed my village, slaughtered everyone I loved. I swore an oath that I would avenge them. That I would hunt warlocks until I couldn’t anymore.”
The room grows heavy with her words, the pain in her voice cutting through even Torin’s usual humor.
“But then I met you,” she continues, her eyes shifting between us. “And I realized... not all warlocks are the same. You’re not monsters. You’re my... you’re my family now. And for the first time in years, I feel like I belong somewhere.”
I feel my chest tighten. Torin is the first to break the silence, standing and pulling her into a tight hug. “Damn it, kitten,” he says gruffly. “You’re gonna make me cry.”
Kael steps forward, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. “You’re not a prisoner, Sable. You never were.”
She looks up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Thank you,” she whispers.
The moment stretches, and then, to my surprise, she leans up and presses a soft kiss to Kael’s cheek. He looks stunned for a moment, but then his expression softens, and I see the faintest hint of a smile.
Torin clears his throat. “Not to ruin the moment, but if we’re all admitting feelings, I think I should say?—”
“Not now, Torin,” I say, cutting him off with a smirk.
Sable laughs, the sound light and genuine. For the first time in what feels like forever, the tension in the room eases.