Chapter 12
Kieran
“You borrowed Dev’s power?”
“I amplified it. For a moment,” Seph said, leaning tiredly against Ash’s side in Elliot’s office.
I watched Ash breathe her in, grounding himself in her presence. He seemed at peace with her.
Dev stood opposite them, his attention fixed on her, his body angled instinctively toward hers.
When she met his eyes, she smiled.
I looked away.
Elliot stood by the window, staring out at the damage below.
The attack had been unexpected — but it had been well met. The compound had suffered no casualties, thanks largely to Sy. The dragon had vanished not long after the fighting ended.
Probably feeding.
The thought didn’t bother me.
He would return soon enough. Sy would never leave Seph behind.
And it was becoming irritating.
Sable paced by the door, agitation sharp in every movement. “How did they even know where to find us?”
“Someone is feeding them information,” Elliot said at last. “Though I don’t yet know who.”
“This is Gideon’s doing,” Sable snapped. “He’s paying someone off.”
“Isn’t he locked in a cell?” Seph asked.
“You know one of his talents is charm,” Sable replied coolly.
Elliot nodded. “That’s precisely why only a very small number of us have access to him.”
Seph frowned. “Does this mean we need to move? Now that they know?”
Elliot shook his head. “These mountains stretch for hundreds of miles. We have tunnels everywhere. Even if they return, we’ll be gone long before they reach us.”
He turned back toward the room.
“But we do need to find out who told the Council about Moorshire.”
“We could torture him,” Sable said flatly. “He’ll tell us then.”
Seph’s gaze snapped to her sister. “He’s our father!”
I stared at her, incredulous. “You would still protect him?”
Seph met my stare, defiant. “I wouldn’t approve of torturing anyone .”
I let out a sharp laugh. “That kind of thinking is exactly why men like him keep their power. Someone always decides to be merciful. Someone always decides not to cross the line. And the monsters count on that.”
“And what the hell do you mean by that, Kieran?” she shot back.
“Drop it.”
“No, you started this. Tell me what you mean.”
I looked at her. “I mean you’re living in a fantasy world, Seph. You think if you refuse to become ugly, the ugliness will disappear.”
“Someone has to be willing to get their hands dirty. You just don’t want to see it.”
“What the hell, K?” Dev snapped. “That’s not fair! Seph fought with all of us out there!”
I stepped toward her.
“You could have obliterated those soldiers out there without a thought, Seph. And I know you don’t want to hurt people — I get it. But ask yourself… would any one of them do you the same courtesy?”
Seph straightened, lifting her chin. She didn’t retreat an inch.
“And what would you have me become?” she demanded. “A monster? The Void? Would that finally make you happy?”
“No.” The word came out sharper than I intended. I forced myself to steady it. “What would make me happy is for you to understand that the things I do — the things we do — aren’t about cruelty. They’re about survival.”
The words hung there, heavier than I’d meant them to be.
“No,” Seph said quietly. “But they are at the expense of me. At the expense of Dev. Of Ash. Of Sy.”
My jaw tightened.
“We’re in a war, Seph. If we don’t fight back with everything we have, we lose. And if we lose…” I exhaled slowly. “Then none of this matters. Not mercy. Not restraint. Not us.”
“I can’t change who I am, Kieran. Any more than you can,” she said tiredly.
“I know.” The admission cost more than I let show. “But if you won’t cross that line… then don’t condemn the ones who do.”
“Enough. Both of you.”
Elliot’s voice cracked through the room like a whip.
“This isn’t a philosophy debate,” he snapped. “We’ve just survived a coordinated strike, and we still don’t know who handed the Council our location.”
He turned sharply to Sable. Then to me.
“Sable. Kieran.” Elliot turned fully toward us. “I want the guards taken into holding. Every one of them.”
Sable’s eyes lit with something sharp and hungry.
“Interrogation?” she asked.
“Yes,” Elliot said coldly. “Individually. Thoroughly. Use Ash if you need to.”
Seph stiffened beside Ash. “No,” she said immediately. “Ash is not a goddamn tool you can use.”
Ash reached for her. “It’s ok,” he said quietly. “I can handle it.”
The look she gave him faltered. Just a flicker of something raw appeared when she realised he meant it.
That this wasn’t sacrifice to him. It was routine.
“What?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.
Elliot looked at her then — really looked.
“This is my call, Seph,” Elliot said flatly.
She stared at him. “Then I want to talk to my father. Alone.”
“No.”
“Why not? Let me try!”
“He didn’t listen to you for 19 years, Seph. Why the hell would he listen to you now?” Sable growled.
Seph’s jaw tightened. “Because I’m not a child anymore.”
Sable laughed, sharp and humourless. “That’s exactly why he’ll never listen.”
Silence fell.
Elliot exhaled slowly. “This conversation is over.”
Seph opened her mouth as if to protest. Dev got there first.
“Why don’t we go to the training room and practise,” he said gently. “Get a breather.” I watched them have an unspoken conversation with their eyes.
Finally, Seph stepped back. “Fine. Whatever.” She stood up.
“Seph.” Elliot said.
She paused, “What?”
“This is the right move. If this is a way you can help us, then – I’m glad you’re on our side.” Elliot said finally.
Her eyes narrowed, like she was about to refute it. Dev cleared his throat, warning her.
Seph glared at him, then nodded briskly, before swinging open the door and stomping outside.
I watched Dev follow her closely. The room emptied out until it was just Sable and me.
“She’s gotten feisty,” Sable said finally.
I laughed. “You have no idea.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“About what?”
“About Ash and Dev. The way they follow her like puppies,” she said.
“I don’t know if I need to do anything.”
“You know there is no future with her, right? For any of them. Or for you.”
I snapped a glance at her. “Be careful, Sable.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t back down.
“Seph doesn’t understand relationships,” Sable said coolly. “She’s never had to. She’s been protected her entire life. You know that. You were part of it.”
“And now?” I asked.
“Now she has three men orbiting her,” Sable said. “And she thinks there is a future there.”
Her gaze sharpened. “We both know there isn’t.”
I looked away from her, scowling.
“She’s not involved with any of them. They’re friends.”
“For now.” Sable sighed. “I don’t want her hurt, Kieran. I want her to be happy. But that’s not romance. It’s instability. And it will fracture the team if you let it.”
Sable’s words lingered after she left.
I stayed where I was, staring at the door Sable had gone through, irritation coiling tight in my chest.
Goddamn Phantom .
She always did that. Walked out before conversations were resolved .
I scrubbed a hand over my face and exhaled slowly.
Instability, Sable had said.
I told myself she was wrong.
I didn’t know why the doubt still crept in.