Chapter 26
Hours slip by at the edge of the glistening pool, my voice tangling with Lowan’s as he tries to coax me through the knots of my magic.
I can feel it. I know where it waits, pulsing just beyond my reach.
But every time I stretch toward it, the dungeon rises inside me—the shackles bite into my wrists, the stink of rot fills my lungs, and my body slams on the brakes before I can touch it.
Finally, I admit it out loud. “I know it’s there. I can feel it. But every time I intentionally try, I’m back in that place. I see the chains. I smell filth. I feel trapped again.”
Lowan’s eyes flare, silver flashing with protective rage. “Then don’t reach for it. Not right now.” His voice is low, tight, as if the thought of me trapped again is unbearable.
We sit barefoot on the smooth stone, letting the pool lap cool against our feet. The waterfall mists the air, its steady roar a kind of balm. For a long while, we simply breathe.
My mind drifts to the others. “I wonder if everyone else is filling their cup out here—plenty of room for Remli to run. Selene’s probably in her element. And Zillah…”
“Oh, recharging, I’m sure,” Lowan says flatly.
I laugh, the sound startling a few birds from the canopy. “That reminds me of the stories last night…”
His expression shifts, even more serious now. I hesitate, then ask, “Did you know? About Zillah?”
He shakes his head. “I knew there were hard years, but I never realized how much she carried. And when she found Selene, she was different. Happier. None of us wanted to pry.”
“And Selene?”
“No, Zillah would never share her secrets.”
I pause, then ask softly, “Did you know they were Threadbound?”
He studies the rippling water. “I suspected it, but I never wanted to ask. I figured they’d share when they were ready. Zillah before Selene and Zillah after, it wasn’t the same person. It was more than an attraction. You could see it.”
My heart stutters. I think of Selene’s words, how she described being drawn to Zillah as if there was no choice at all. I hear my voice before I can stop it. “Have you ever felt that?”
He turns it back on me. “Have you?”
I stall, fumbling for words, until he takes my hands in his, thumbs pressing circles into my palms. “Metra,” he says, “I told you how I found you. My magic led me there. From that moment on, I suspected. But I didn’t want to brand you with the word if you didn’t feel it too.”
My chest tightens. “I didn’t even know what Threadbound was. But even before, I always felt tugged toward you. Even when I barely knew you. Even when you infuriated me, and now, sharing your magic—it’s constant. Stronger at some times than others. And last night—”
“You felt it too?” Lowan’s tone is urgent, almost desperate, his silver eyes burning into mine.
“Yes.” My cheeks burn. “Stronger than ever.”
His thumb traces across my knuckles, grounding me and unraveling me all at once. “Same for me.”
My heart hammers. “What do you think it means?”
He smiles, fierce yet tender in the same breath.
“I’ve known there was something about you from the start.
I’ve known that I love you for some time.
I would split the realm apart to reach you.
I would destroy myself and any enemy if it meant keeping you safe.
You are mine, and I am yours. Not just because Fate says we are Threadbound, but because I fucking choose it. ”
Lowan’s words settle over me like sunlight, but it’s when he finally says it—we are Threadbound—that it happens.
A rush of warmth floods me, so sudden and intense I gasp. It’s not just heat—it’s light. Every inch of my body hums and glows, as if something set my skin aflame, though it doesn’t burn. I blink and see the same glow radiating from Lowan. We’re mirrors of each other, illuminated.
My hand flies to my chest. He covers it with his own. The warmth deepens under our joined hands.
“Fated,” I whisper.
His gaze doesn’t waver. “Yes.”
For a heartbeat, we stare, tethered by something larger than both of us. Then he leans in, and his lips brush mine—softly, tenderly, sealing what words could not.
“I’ve suspected it for a while,” he admits against my mouth. “But so much else was happening. It never felt like the right time to say it.”
“Right,” I breathe, even though my heart is racing.
He pulls back enough to search my face. “Are you good with this? If not, I’ll swallow it. But if you say yes, I’ll wear your consent like armor and serve only you.”
I laugh, breathless. “I’m more than okay, Lowan. You are, you’re everything to me. What about you? Are you sure you’re okay with Fate tying you to me? When I’ve disrupted your life and endangered your family and—”
“Shhh.” He presses a finger to my lips, silencing the spiral. His eyes blaze with certainty. “Metra, you are more than I could have ever dreamed. Fate has given me a treasure I’m not always sure I deserve. You don’t even know.”
The words sink deep, unspooling something I hadn’t realized was still tangled inside me. I swallow hard. “I…I want to try again.”
His brow furrows. “Try again?”
“To shift,” I say. “It feels different now. Like acknowledging our bond, something in me was forged that I didn’t even realize I needed. I want to try.”
A small smile curves his mouth. “Then let’s try.”
We rise, and he takes my hand, guiding me away from the water’s edge, then lets it go, giving me space. “You know where the Thread is,” he reminds me. “Reach for it. Let the magic guide you.”
I close my eyes. Let the magic guide me.
The Thread gleams within, familiar and terrifying.
For a moment, the dungeon claws its way back—the shackles, the rot—but I shove it aside, replacing it with Lowan’s voice, his touch, the warmth of what just passed between us.
His love eclipses the shadows. And then I erupt.
Flame, wings, light—I am the phoenix. My feathers shimmer in colors I cannot name. The air rushes beneath me, and I hover, regal. Lowan watches, pride etched across his face. When he steps forward, his hand brushes down my fiery neck.
“Fucking radiant,” he purrs, silver eyes flashing like fire.
He steps back—and then he’s gone, replaced by the sleek black of the raven.
Together we leap into the air. The canopy closes over us, but inside its shelter we soar.
Free. Side by side, darting and weaving through shafts of gold light.
Birds scatter, squawking in protest as we slice past. The jungle blurs beneath us—green, endless, alive.
Once, I glimpse Remli’s lynx form racing between the trees, her pale coat flashing through shadows.
Lowan sometimes takes the lead, and I ride his wake; other times, he lets me lead, his raven wings banking to follow my fiery path.
Time dissolves. There is only the sky. Only freedom. Only us. I understand now why he kept this secret. Up here, no chains exist. No burdens. Just the wind, the wild, and the unshakable truth of our bond.
The sun tips toward the horizon, gilding the canopy in bronze. Reluctantly, we descend. My wings fold, fire sinks back into flesh, and I land barefoot on the soft moss. Lowan is already there, waiting, and he gathers me into his arms before I can even breathe.
“Flying was always sacred to me,” he says against my hair. “But flying with you—it’s something else entirely.”
I tilt my face up to him, and he cups my cheek, thumb brushing tenderly over my skin. That’s when the others emerge from the trees—Remli in human form now, Selene and Zillah at her side.
Zillah smirks. “Well, well. Look who needs to get a room now. I’m sure there’s an inn somewhere on this island, brother.”
Lowan laughs, and I do too, though I tuck myself closer to him anyway.
“Are we ready?” Selene asks, glancing toward the hidden waterfall cave.
For a moment, we all look up at the sky, drinking in the last of the light. Remli sighs, stretching. “Can’t wait to see what fresh revelations are waiting this time.” Her sarcasm breaks the spell, and we laugh together, turning back toward the falls. Back toward whatever awaits.
By the time we circle back to the waterfall, the sun is lowering in the sky. This time, we understand the rules to enter this hidden gem. One by one, we prick our fingers, letting a single drop fall onto the stone. The magic stirs, recognizes us, and the entrance yields.
Inside, the air is cool and humming, the familiar glow of crystals casting soft light along the walls. We make our way to the common room, and Elaris is waiting—poised, as if she knew exactly when we would return.
Her eyes flicker over Lowan and me, and there’s a sparkle there that makes my cheeks heat. “Ah,” she says, her voice smooth as silk. “No need for truths today. You’ve freely brought me one.” The others glance around, confused.
“The Threads that bind you,” Elaris says, gaze sharpening on me and Lowan, “now fully open and acknowledged.”
Lowan’s hand finds mine. I meet his eyes, and in that single look I know he’s remembering the warmth, the glow, the kiss.
“Sometimes,” Elaris continues, “time and proximity are their own form of truth—revealing things we have long known but were not yet ready to face.”
A small gasp runs through the group. The realization sinks in. Zillah and Selene leap to their feet first. Zillah’s arms crush me in a fierce embrace, and Selene’s tears are already streaking her cheeks as she pulls us both close. “Fate has a way,” she keeps whispering, her voice breaking with joy.
Even Remli steps forward, her eyes bright.
She embraces Lowan, their forearms clasped tight.
Whatever they murmur to each other is too low for me to hear, but I see the peace in her face, the shine of unshed tears.
Closure, respect, something whole again.
Lowan glances over his shoulder, his gaze locking with mine as she speaks, and I see the soft nod, the faint smile.