CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Olivia woke in the medical tent, which was becoming an uncomfortable habit.
She was bandaged, bruised, and hooked to an IV that delivered something clear and cold into her veins. Her hand was wrapped in gauze where she'd cut it. Her ribs were taped again. Every inch of her hurt.
But she was alive.
"Welcome back," Aisha said, checking her vitals. "You were out for two days."
"Two days?"
"Your body needed rest. You pushed it past every limit. Again." Aisha's tone was scolding, but her eyes were gentle. "The good news: your injuries are healing faster than expected. Something about the tree's energy—it left a residue in your system. You're... changed."
"Changed how?"
"We're not sure yet. Blood tests show unusual markers. Nothing dangerous, just... different."
Olivia flexed her hand. It felt normal. Better than normal, actually—stronger, more responsive. She sat up, ignoring Aisha's protests, and swung her legs off the cot.
"Where's Lucas?"
"Resting. He pushed himself harder than you did. Sable ordered him to sleep for forty-eight hours. He's probably awake now, disobeying orders."
Olivia smiled despite herself. "That sounds like him."
She found him in the armoury, predictably, examining the Key of Echoes with exhausted intensity. He looked terrible—pale, drawn, with dark circles under his eyes that looked like bruises. But he smiled when he saw her, and that smile was worth everything.
"You're supposed to be resting," she said.
"So are you."
"I don't follow rules."
"Neither do I." He crossed to her and enveloped her in a careful hug, mindful of her injuries. "I thought I lost you. When the tree wouldn't let go—"
"But you didn't lose me. You got me back. Like you promised."
"I promised." He pulled back, his green eyes searching her face. "Aisha told you about the changes?"
"She said my blood work is weird."
"Weird is one word. Olivia, the tree gave you something.
A connection. A small piece of what it is.
" He hesitated. "I think... I think you might be slightly awakened now.
Not fully. Not like me or Sable. But something.
Your healing is faster. Your reflexes tested higher this morning.
And there's something else—something I can feel when I'm near you. "
"What?"
"Resonance. Like the Key, but... gentler. Living." He took her hand, the uninjured one, and pressed it to his chest. "I can feel your heartbeat through the air. Like we're connected."
Olivia wasn't sure how to feel about that. She'd spent her whole life as a normal person in a world that valued the extraordinary. Now she was becoming extraordinary herself.
"Is it dangerous?" she asked.
"I don't think so. But we'll monitor it. Learn what it means." He kissed her knuckles. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together."
"Together," she agreed.
They sat in the armoury, holding hands, the Key of Echoes sitting between them like a sleeping dragon.
"So what happens now?" Olivia asked. "The Veil is healing. The Legion retreated. Does that mean we won?"
Lucas's expression darkened. "No. We bought time. The Veil is healing, but it's still damaged. The Legion will regroup. And there's something else—something the tree showed me while you were connected to it."
"What?"
"The Veil didn't break naturally. It was destroyed. Sabotaged. Someone on our side—someone human—helped the Legion break through."
Olivia felt ice in her veins. "A traitor?"
"Worse. A collaborator. Someone who wanted the worlds to merge. Someone who believes humanity is better off under the Legion's rule."
"Who?"
"I don't know. The tree showed me a symbol, not a face. A circle divided by a jagged line." Lucas pulled out a sketch—rough, but clear. "Does this mean anything to you?"
Olivia studied it. "No. But someone in the compound might recognize it."
"We can't ask openly. If the traitor is here, they'll know we're looking."
"Then we ask quietly. Carefully." Olivia took the sketch and tucked it into her pocket. "I've spent my whole life being underestimated. People talk around me like I'm furniture. Let's use that."
Lucas smiled, tired but genuine. "You're going to spy for us?"
"I'm going to listen. And watch. And find the person who tried to end the world." She stood, wincing at the pain in her ribs. "Then I'm going to make them regret it."