Chapter 27
A HIDDEN PASSAGEWAY
TWENTY-SEVEN
“‘A path forgotten . . . A past buried . . . A return inevitable’ It might sound obvious, but I am certain there is more to these ruins. What we found could hold the answers we are searching for.”
—VALEN’S JOURNAL
AMARA
The morning air is crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and the lingering smoke from the hearth fires behind us. The sun’s just beginning to climb, softening the sky with pink and gold.
The outpost is already awake when we ride out. The clang of swords rings through the sharp morning air, soldiers beginning their drills in the training grounds. The scent of steel and fire lingers in the wind.
We take the horses, as only a few of us are bonded dragon riders. The outpost shrinks behind us, its tall stone walls standing sentinel over the valley.
I look over my shoulder as we pass through the heavy gates. For months, this place has been my entire world. When I arrived here, the outpost felt like a cage. But somewhere along the way, it became my home.
My heart squeezes as I tighten my grip on the reins, urging her forward. Because the world is waiting.
The hardest part was saying goodbye to Darius, Fenric, Nessa, and Taila.
Fenric kissed my temple and whispered, “Don’t let them bore you to death in the capital.”
Nessa tucked a lucky charm into my pocket when she thought I wasn’t looking. “For protection,” she said, her voice too steady to be natural.
Darius gave me a look like he wanted to say something brave but couldn’t trust his voice.
Taila murmured, “Don’t just be brave. Be loud.”
I nodded like I was fine. But the truth is—I’ve never been further from fine. Thank the gods Lyra is coming to the capital too.
I don’t know when I’ll see my friends or the outpost again. I only know I’m not the same girl who arrived here.
I steal a glance at the others surrounding me, the steady rhythm of hooves filling the silence.
Our Escort.
Thane, Valen, Garrick, Jarek, and Rian ride ahead—silhouettes cut against the brightening sky. Behind them, ten of the outpost’s best soldiers move in disciplined formation, armor gleaming, hands near their weapons.
Five supply horses carry provisions, weapons, and medical gear—every need accounted for.
We are not an army. But we are not defenseless.
A small, deliberate force—fast, mobile, carrying enough weight to show Lumoria’s capital that I am not arriving alone.
A reminder that even as I ride toward the heart of the realm, I do not ride unguarded.
The Fire Warlord and his best warriors ride with me.
Still, it’s the dragons overhead that make even our fiercest warriors feel small.
They create a sharp gust of wind over us as they glide around our party.
A vast shadow crosses the sky—impossibly fast for something so big.
I tilt my head back, my breath catching as a shadow passes over the sun.
Xaroth leads the flight, his massive obsidian-black wings cutting through the morning light, his golden eyes locked onto the road below, bound to the man who rides ahead.
Beside him, Calryx soars precise and unhurried. Her pearlescent white scales catching the sun, flashing with iridescent hues as she tilts her wings to ride the wind.
Three others follow—gems in the sky, their scales catching fire in the early morning light.
Calryx’s voice brushes against my mind. A steady presence. “We are watching, Virelya.”
I exhale, loosening my grip on the reins just a bit.
The morning sun stretches higher, burning off the last of the dawn mist. The open road stretches ahead, winding through golden fields and rolling hills, the shadow of the mountains lingering at our backs.
Hoofbeats pound against the dirt, the steady rhythm of the horses filling the quiet between us. Of course Lyra doesn’t let the silence last.
“Alright,” she says, steering her horse closer so that I can hear her lowered voice. “Talk.”
I blink at her. “About?”
She glares. “Oh, don’t play that game with me, Mara.”
“What game?” I ask, tilting my head like the innocent little liar I am.
“You and Thane.”
I shrug. “What about me and Thane?”
She lets out a dramatic sigh. “You’re different. He’s different. Something happened last night, and if you don’t start talking, I will drag you off that horse and shake it out of you!”
I bite back a grin. “We slept together.” I pause. “Again.”
Lyra chokes on air. “You—what?!”
I wait. Watch as she sputters, her eyes going wide, her grip tightening on the reins. I hold the silence. Let her suffer. Then—
“We slept, Ly.” I smirk. “As in, actual sleep.”
She stares at me. Then she swears under her breath. “I hate you.”
“You love me.”
“Fine, but I hate that you made me think—” She groans, throwing her head back. “Just tell me what happened, damn it!”
I laugh, shaking my head—but it fades quickly. I exhale, slower this time.
Because gods, I can’t deflect forever. Not with Lyra. But I can’t tell her everything, even though I always have. I can’t tell her about Thane’s secret.
“I don’t even know where to start.”
Lyra doesn’t blink. “Try.”
I bite my lip, glancing up at Thane riding just ahead, his shoulders tense, his presence grounding. I don’t have to see his face to know he’s listening. I don’t have to look to feel him there because the bond pulls taught in my chest.
And that alone should terrify me.
But it doesn’t. Not anymore. Now it just . . . fits.
“It’s different now,” I say, softer this time.
Lyra’s expression shifts. “How?”
I swallow hard. “Because he’s not fighting it anymore—in any sense.” The bond, the feelings between us.
Lyra stays silent, giving me space to keep going. The weight of that truth settles between us. Because it’s not just him.
“And I stopped too.”
Lyra’s eyes soften because she understands. Because she knows me.
“I don’t know what this is,” I murmur. “Where it goes, how it ends. What any of it really means.” I let out a breath. “But I know I’m done pretending it doesn’t matter. Because I can’t anymore.”
Lyra watches me for a long moment. Then—her lips curl into a smirk. “So, you’re telling me you’re doomed.”
I huff out a laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah. I think I am.”
Then, Lyra sighs.
I glance over. “What?”
She chews her lip, as if debating something. Then—casually, too casually—she says, “Speaking of being doomed . . . I’ve been sleeping with Garrick.”
“I figured something was going on there,” I smile at my friend.
She grins, pleased with my reaction. “Yeah, it’s been going on for a while now.”
I gape at her. “And you’re just telling me now?”
She shrugs. “Well, you were kinda busy—bonding to a dragon, tossing magics tantrums across the outpost, becoming the realm’s shiny new savior . . . so I figured my sex life wasn’t exactly priority news.”
I stare at her. Then—burst out laughing.
Lyra grins. “See? This is the kind of reaction I was waiting for.”
I shake my head, still laughing. “Garrick?!”
She smirks. “What can I say? That body. The man has stamina.”
I groan. “I did not need to know that.”
She cackles. “Oh, but you do, my friend.”
We ride in companionable silence for a while, the only sounds the rustling wind and the steady thud of hooves against dirt. But the closer we get to the capital, the heavier it feels, wearing the title Spiritborn like armor that doesn’t quite fit.
“What if I’m not enough?” I murmur. The words slip out before I can stop them. Terrifying. Too true.
Lyra turns sharply, her copper-red hair catching the sunlight, her expression shifting from easy amusement to something harder. “What?”
I shake my head, regretting saying anything. But Lyra has never let me get away with silence.
“What if I fail them? What if I fail everyone?”
The bond pulls tight, sharp and sudden. Thane feels it too—I see the start of his turn—but he stops himself. He gives me this moment with Lyra. And gods, I’m grateful for it.
Lyra says nothing for a long moment. Then she yanks her reins, cutting her horse in front of mine, forcing me to halt.
I blink. “What the—”
“No.” Her voice is firm. Steady. Unshakable.
I frown. “No?”
“No, you don’t get to do this.” She points at me, fire in her light brown eyes.
“You don’t get to sit here and doubt yourself when I’ve seen you become stronger, and so fucking powerful.
Every damn day since we got here. When I’ve felt your magics, when I’ve watched you bond with a godsdamned dragon like it was the most natural thing in the world. ”
I open my mouth, but she isn’t done.
“You are not going to fail, Amara. You are not going to disappoint anyone. And you sure as hell are enough.” She leans forward, deadly serious. “And if you ever doubt yourself like this again, I will personally throw you off a cliff.”
I stare at her. My heart aches—and not just from the fear. From the love.
“Isn’t that how I bonded with Calryx?” I say, smiling through the ache.
Her gaze pins me down. “That’s beside the point.”
A laugh bubbles up before I can stop it, and I shake my head, warmth creeping into my chest.
Lyra grins, satisfied. “There it is. The Amara I know.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re the worst.”
“And you are about to become the most famous person in the realm, so you better start acting like it.”
I groan, nudging my horse forward again. “I hate you.”
“You love me.”
Lyra leans back in her saddle, stretching. “Honestly, I’m just excited to see the city.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Really?”
She snorts. “Obviously. I’ve spent my entire life in a small dusty village. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to see big city life?”
I grin. “You just want to see the fashion.”
“Absolutely.” She flips her hair dramatically. “I want to see noblewomen in dresses that cost more than my family’s home. I want to see ridiculous feathered hats. Useless fashion. That’s the dream.”
I laugh, shaking my head. The capital never called to me. But with Lyra beside me—making it a spectacle—maybe it won’t be so bad. Maybe it might even feel like a beginning.