Chapter 59
Chapter
Fifty-Nine
FINN
T he shadows cling to me as I move through the crowd, slipping between bodies like a ghost. Rothgar is nowhere to be seen, and that realization settles uneasily in my chest. He’s not in the ring, not where he should be. My gut tells me exactly what he’s up to, and I hate that I have to leave Sable alone, even for a moment. But this isn’t just about her—this is about the tribe. If Rothgar is a coward, if he won’t face us in the Trials, exposing that cowardice will do more than any blade could.
Still, every instinct I have screams at me to go back to her.
The crowd roars as Kael takes a hit, stumbling to his knees in the dirt. My heart skips a beat, but I see it in his movements—he’s not out of the fight yet. The strike wasn’t fatal; he’ll recover.
I push my magic outward, cloaking myself in shadow, and weave closer to the edge of the arena. That’s when I see him—Rothgar, slipping through the chaos, his blade glinting in the torchlight as he holds it against Sable. My stomach twists as I see her standing there, her focus entirely on the fight.
She doesn’t see him yet. But I do.
Her bond hums in the back of my mind, an echo of her emotions. Fear pulses faintly, but beneath it is something far stronger. Determination. Grit. She’s not panicking—she’s bracing herself, ready for whatever’s coming. My respect for her swells all over again. Gods, this woman.
Kael stumbles again in the ring, blood staining his side, his movements sluggish and labored. My chest tightens, and I feel the need to act, but I push it down. He’s not done. Not yet.
My voice slips into his mind, soft but firm. “This is it, Kael. Your moment. Stand up.”
For a heartbeat, he doesn’t respond. I feel his frustration, his anger, and the crushing weight of his pride. But then his head lifts, his gaze locking onto mine from across the chaos. His jaw tightens, and I see it—the moment my words hit home. The moment he understands what I mean.
Torin is already moving, his hand gripping Kael’s arm as he hauls him to his feet. “Come on, Alpha,” Torin says, his voice teasing but steady, the kind of grounding Kael always seems to need in these moments. “This isn’t how you go out. Not like this.”
Kael exhales sharply, his breath misting in the cold air, and I watch as his stance shifts. The raw anger bleeding out through the bond is replaced by something else—focus. Determination. His blade drags through the dirt as he steadies himself, his shoulders squaring.
He meets my eyes again, and there’s something different in his expression. A flicker of clarity, of composure. He nods once, a silent acknowledgment. I nod back, relief flooding through me.
Kael steps forward, his voice cutting through the noise of the crowd like a blade. “Look at him!” he bellows, pointing at Rothgar with all the authority of an Alpha. “This is your leader? A coward who won’t face the trials but sneaks around to murder his challenger in the shadows?”
The crowd stills, murmurs rippling through the gathered warlocks. Eyes turn to Rothgar, who stands with his blade pressed against Sable’s throat. He sneers, but I can see the flicker of uncertainty in his expression.
Kael presses on, his voice steady despite the blood dripping down his side. “You think he’s fit to lead you? A man too afraid to fight, too weak to stand in the ring? This is your champion?”
Torin, ever the showman, laughs loudly and slaps Kael’s shoulder. “Pathetic, isn’t it?” he says, his voice carrying. Kael winces but not enough for the crowd to see. “I’d almost feel bad for him if he weren’t such a snake.”
The crowd’s murmurs grow louder, turning into shouts of discontent. Rothgar’s grip on Sable falters for a fraction of a second, but it’s enough. With a sharp twist, she breaks free, spinning around to face him.
Sable’s foot connects with Rothgar’s knee, sending him stumbling backward. Before he can recover, she’s on him, his own blade in her hand as she steps onto his chest, pinning him to the ground.
The crowd erupts as she presses the blade to his throat, her voice clear and sharp. “I’ll fight you,” she declares, her gaze burning with defiance. “In the Trials, where everyone will see just how weak you really are.”
Rothgar snarls, but there’s fear in his eyes now. The crowd isn’t with him anymore—they’re with her. The warlocks roar their approval, their chants of her name rising into the night.
I stay in the shadows, my pulse racing as I watch her stand over him, fierce and unyielding. She’s magnificent, every inch the warrior I always knew she was. And gods help me, I’m hard as a rock for her right now.
Focus, Finn. There are trials ahead, and she’s counting on all of us. But as I step out of the shadows and move toward her, one thing becomes clear. Sable isn’t just our challenger, our ally, our mate.
She’s our reckoning.