Chapter Forty
Lia
Kylo and I get ready, packing up the few things we brought. I slip on my black jacket, jeans, and boots. When I turn around, my heart stutters.
He’s also in a black jacket, paired with a dark shirt and fitted pants. His tousled waves fall across his forehead, effortlessly perfect.
His eyes light up when he sees me. “You shouldn’t look that good in jeans and a jacket.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “Looks like we’re matching.”
His hands slide to my waist, pulling me toward him. I brush my fingers along the stubble on his jaw.
“I need to shave.”
“I like it.”
He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “I can’t read your thoughts.”
“Now you know how it feels, living with a little mystery,” I tease, curling my fingers around the collar of his jacket.
His palm cradles my face, thumb brushing circles against my cheek. He leans in, lips about to brush mine—
Thud. Thud. Thud.
I jump, and he steadies me with a hand on my shoulder. “It’s just Zayne and Carter.”
“Are you two ready yet?” Carter calls. “We’re starving, and every minute we stay is a risk. Let’s go.”
“I thought you said they couldn’t track us,” I call back.
The door swings open to reveal Carter and Zayne, both dressed and ready to go, bags slung over their shoulders.
“They can’t,” Carter says. “I’m taking precautions.”
Zayne looks between us. “How are you two not running out the door for food?”
The last time I ate was before the attack yesterday. I glance at Kylo, and guilt hits me hard. He didn’t eat either, and it’s because of me.
“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault,” he says in my mind before adding aloud, “Breakfast does sound pretty damn good.” He winks, his face crinkling into that unfairly charming grin. “Ready to go, sweetheart?”
“If you promise to quit using that nickname.”
His hand slides to my lower back, and he pulls me flush against his chest. Leaning down, his nose grazes the shell of my ear as he whispers, “Tell me you don’t like it when I call you sweetheart.”
Goosebumps rise along my skin.
“Seems I’ve provoked a reaction after all,” he says.
Absolute menace to my sanity.
A throat clears behind us, snapping me out of my Kylo-induced haze.
Zayne looks like he walked in on a crime scene, eyebrows raised so high they practically hit the ceiling.
“I’m going to pretend this never happened,” Zayne says as he turns away.
“Well, Zayne’s never recovering from that,” Carter says, following behind, shaking off a laugh.
We drive for about thirty minutes before pulling into an old ’50s-themed breakfast diner. The place looks straight out of another era, with neon pink and blue lights washing over checkered tiles and chrome-lined counters.
Sliding into a white vinyl booth tucked in the corner, I take in the bright, lively space that somehow still manages to feel secluded.
After we order, the waitress disappears, leaving us in silence, each of us sipping from our coffee mugs.
Carter watches me like I’m a code he can’t crack. Kylo sits close, protective and wary, as if he’s waiting for something to go wrong. Zayne… well, Zayne’s expression is the usual. He doesn’t acknowledge me unless he has to.
The menu suddenly becomes interesting as I shift in my seat. “Are Elijah and Seraphina still meeting us in Alaska?”
“They are,” Carter says. “They took Elijah’s private jet back. He’s probably already there.”
“And the asshole couldn’t wait for us,” Zayne mutters.
I’m relieved Elijah and Seraphina are alive.
We’re alive.
Yet countless lives were lost.
“Is anyone else meeting us?” I ask Carter.
“Just Elijah and Seraphina. Though there are others at his compound who weren’t there yesterday.”
My grip tightens around the fork. “No one survived?”
Carter’s face gives nothing away. “Not to my knowledge.”
Zayne interjects. “Nobody signed up for a fairytale. This is war, and the price was clear from the start. We’re all chasing the same ending.”
“Draven’s head on a spike,” Kylo adds.
The Aether Hunters have taken too much. Burned too many homes. Destroyed too many lives.
When will it be enough?
“Joaquin is gone. I killed him. Doesn’t that mean the war’s over?”
“You didn’t kill Joaquin. I did,” Kylo says.
“I’m the reason he’s dead. All you did was speed up the process,” I argue.
“Draven’s still out there,” Carter says. “Plenty of hunters fled with him, which means the war won’t be over until they’re all eliminated.”
After everything I went through yesterday, it still wasn’t enough. My hand clamps around the water glass, knuckles straining.
Everything outside looks ordinary. The sight of it triggers a strange, out-of-body feeling. Life goes on—people driving to work, stopping for coffee—like nothing changed.
Yet here we are, sitting in a booth and eating like it’s just another day, even though my brother and dozens of others are never coming home.
I focus on each ice cube in my drink, something tangible in a moment that feels unreal.
Carter hasn’t stopped watching me. “Lia—”
The walls seem closer. I slide out of the booth and step outside, pacing in front of the restaurant as I try to calm the panic. When it doesn’t ease, I slide down the brick wall and sink onto the ground, forcing myself to center.
I can work through this.
It doesn’t have to own me.
In for four. Hold. Out for four. Hold.
I rest my head against the wall, growing steadier with each passing second.
The crunch of gravel draws my attention, and dark brown boots come into view. “Can you breathe?”
“Yes.”
“You and I have a few things to straighten out.” Carter jerks his chin toward the sidewalk. “Let’s walk for a bit.”
Yes, Carter, we do.
I stand, brushing off my hands, then fall into step behind him.
He glances over his shoulder. “Would you like to start?”
I dive in without holding back. “Leo and dozens of others died, yet all three of you are pretending like it doesn’t matter; like finding Draven is somehow more important.
This whole situation is a mess. You told me we had a better chance at winning if we stuck together, but as soon as we arrived, everyone split up. ”
His blank stare only infuriates me further. “Are you finished?”
“For now.”
Finally, something shifts in his face.
Good.
I’ve cracked through the stoicism.
“You’re pissed at us, and I expected that. But there’s a lot you don’t know. Everything happened for a reason. Leo knew that.”
“Meaning what, exactly?”
He runs a hand over his forehead, pinching his brows together in frustration.
“I’m not supposed to tell you this, but you’re giving me no other choice.
” He exhales. “When Leo and I first met, he had a vision of Joaquin killing you. After that, he barely slept. He couldn’t focus during our sessions.
I told him that as future seekers, it’s crucial not to let our visions interfere. ”
Carter frowns. “He didn’t listen. Stubbornness runs in the family, apparently. Leo came up with a plan to save you—one that came at a cost.”
I should’ve known. Mom did the same.
“Leo told me repeatedly that he would die for you. He stressed how important it was for you to live. I thought his love for you had made him reckless. In the end, it blurred the line between vision and choice.”
“You’re saying he risked everything for me?”
“Leo saw a future where you defeated Joaquin. For that future to happen, you had to survive. I understood the torment he was in. Two conflicting futures. Two paths. Each with a price.”
He gives me a minute, and I do my best to absorb the truth of what he’s saying.
“That’s when I agreed to help him,” he continues. “Leo asked me to do whatever it took to keep you alive. That’s why I split us up. Leo and I knew what was bound to happen.”
Leo had looked so lost, so drained.
I knew it had to do with his visions.
“I know you’re angry, but Leo made his choice. And now we have to finish this.”
My throat thickens. “My twin died yesterday. I’m still grieving.”
“Throwing yourself into traffic isn’t grief.”
I stiffen. “That won’t happen again. I was hurting.”
“I know,” he says, not unkindly. “I needed to say it. Kylo’s going soft on you. I’m not. I see things for what they are. We have to stay strong, stick together, and finish the mission. Can you do that?”
“How can I trust you? The last time you said that, we were split up, and my brother died.”
“It’s different this time,” he insists. “His vision was clear. You have to trust the decision he made.”
Trust Leo? He’s not innocent either. He knew and chose silence. I never learn the truth until it’s too late.
“He should’ve told me. I didn’t get to say goodbye.”
“Vision seekers can’t talk about what we see, not if we want things to unfold the way they’re meant to.
That’s how it works.” He hesitates, then adds, “Exhibit A? You. You’re already proof of what happens when someone tries to change the outcome.
If Leo had told you, you would’ve made different choices. You might’ve changed everything.”
“How can I work with you if I don’t trust you?”
“Would you trust me if you could see?”
“See what?”
“The day Leo and I chose another way.”
He takes a step toward me, and I step back.
“Have I ever given you a reason to believe I’d hurt you?”
“No,” I admit, barely above a whisper.
“Then why are you backing away?”
Because I don’t know.
Because my body reacts before my mind can catch up.
Carter’s intelligent eyes hold mine with a weight that makes it impossible to look away. “You have nothing to fear from me. I know what Joaquin did to you, and as long as I’m around, no one will ever put you through that again.”
I chew the inside of my cheek and try to swallow the sudden wave of shame rising in my throat. “Leo told you?”
“While I was helping him meditate, he struggled to quiet his mind. I walked him through some of his trauma, what little he was willing to share. He didn’t tell me everything, but I learned enough.”
At least he had someone.
Leo never talked about the abuse or what it did to him. It was a silent understanding between us.
He was stronger than me.
He never needed pills.
“I’m glad you were there for him. Leo needed a friend. Someone other than me.”
He nods in understanding. “I’m going to show you by dropping my shield. Place your hands on mine and look at the memory.”
He lifts them to his temples, and I cover them with my own, cradling his face between our palms. The moment our skin connects, my mind reaches for his, slipping into the memory he offers. Everything softens at the edges as I float above it, watching it unfold.
Carter and Leo stand in a dimly lit room, locked in an intense conversation. Leo paces, agitated. His shoulders are tight, his hair disheveled.
“You know you can’t act on your visions,” Carter warns, arms crossed.
“You didn’t see what I saw, man. I can’t let this happen.”
“I know how it feels,” Carter replies. “But if you interfere with the vision, there will be consequences.”
Leo stops pacing and turns, eyes blazing. “Lia is the key to ending all of this. The Aether Hunters. Joaquin. All of it. I’ve seen it. The visions contradict each other, but they all point to her. We win if she survives.”
“Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment,” Carter says. “You need to stay objective.”
Leo drums his fingers against his chin, thinking. His posture shifts, something resolute settling in. “I have an idea, but you’re not going to like it.”
Carter exhales, bracing himself. “What is it?”
“I can stop this. Save Lia. End the war.”
“How?”
“I die instead.”
Carter’s eyes widen. “You’ve lost your damn mind.”
“Hear me out,” Leo insists. “In one vision, Lia is stabbed by Joaquin. But I can change it. I’ll take her place.”
“You think sacrificing yourself will fix this?” Carter snaps. “What if trying to save her is what gets her killed?”
Leo’s expression hardens, every trace of doubt burning away. “This is her best chance of survival.”
Carter drags a hand down his face, pacing. Every line in his body screams resistance.
“I don’t agree with this.”
“We’re out of options.”
I blink rapidly, trying to catch my breath and regain my bearings in the cold morning air.
“Do you understand now?” he asks.
The truth doesn’t erase the heartbreak of losing Leo, but it gives the tragedy meaning I can hold onto.
“I’m sorry I blamed you.”
“You lost your brother, and you’re an empath. That’s a heavy burden to bear.”
“Every emotion is amplified. Right as I was starting to manage my abilities, Leo died. The grief is unbearable. I don’t know what to do with it, Carter. I can’t imagine continuing without him.”
“Nothing takes that pain away entirely, but it does become easier with time. I wish I could give you more than words, Lia. Just know that I’m here. You’re not alone, little Lockhart.”
Little Lockhart.
My insides squeeze with affection for this man. He’s exactly the kind of role model Leo and I needed earlier in our lives—the man Draven never was.
He proved his loyalty yesterday when he fought Blair to protect Leo, cornered into an impossible choice between his sister and his friend.
I throw my arms around Carter. He hugs me back, both arms wrapping around me, solid as a mountain.
“I’m sorry about Blair,” I whisper into his coat.
“Despite my love for Blair, she made her choice the moment she threatened our lives.” He releases me. “War is ugly. It forces sacrifices none of us are ever ready for.”
His calm seems effortless. He’s only eight years older than me, yet he carries decades more. Maybe that’s what war does—stretches time, etches scars into who you become.
“I wish things had been different for you and Blair,” I say softly.
He offers a tired smile. “We all wish things were different. I’d rather look forward than live in what I can’t change.”
“That’s something I need to work on.”
“You and Kylo both. I’ve never seen him like this. He’s different with you.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
What if Kylo ends up hurt next for protecting me?
“Don’t let your fear dictate your actions. Work with your fear.”
Kylo throws me into walls. Carter throws wisdom at my face.
Both hurt… just differently.
He pats his firm stomach. “You ready to head back? I’m starving.”
A light laugh slips out of me. “Me too.”