Chapter 35
River’s cold, wet nose nudged me awake from a dreamless sleep. The fireplace still crackled, flames hearty and alive—Doryan’s doing. He’d escorted me home last night and made sure the fire would last until sunrise.
He knew I despised the freezing cold. Lighting that fire had to be his way of saying, “You’re going to be miserable in Tyria. And you’re going with Shayde Wylder. So here’s a warm fire to cheer you up.”
I sat up and touched my cheek, surprised it wasn’t sore or swollen from the right hook. Shayde had landed the hit, sure—but he’d held back.
River whined again, a polite warning to get moving. I obeyed, pulling on my warmest leathers and packing a second set in my satchel. The thick mud from last night’s duel was gone—washed away by a steaming bath, another quiet kindness from Doryan.
I wished he were coming with me. Part of me was glad he wasn’t. This mission was going to be the hardest I’d ever faced, and I couldn’t bear the thought of returning to Balveer without him.
I shrugged on my winter cloak, grabbed my favorite weapons, and stepped out. The sun was rising over the mountains, gilding the peaks in gold. It stole my breath.
The Hollow Summit was beautiful. Strong. My home.
But it was also dark. Haunted. And my prison.
By the time I reached the General’s station, the sun was fully up, painting the sky a sharp blue. A perfect day for travel, deceptively serene. Hopefully Shayde’s horse could keep up with River, because I wouldn’t hesitate to leave him behind.
The door was already ajar. River nudged it open with her snout, and I stepped inside—only to stop cold.
Shayde was already there, deep in conversation with my father and Rhodes.
He wore the Hollow’s thickest, fur-lined leathers and cloak, a heavy pack slung over his shoulders.
As he turned, I saw the array of weapons strapped to him: a dozen daggers in their sheaths, a longsword crossed on his back, a bow secured over top.
And, of course, the obsidian collar around his neck that nullified his elements.
His brown eyes locked onto mine, unreadable but heavy with the weight of the past few months. He stood tall, sharp-edged, a soldier shaped for war. But I knew Shayde Wylder didn’t see me as a partner in this mission.
He saw me exactly as I saw him.
An enemy—in every way that mattered.
His actions last year hadn’t just nearly led to our lands being conquered by Tyria—they’d cost an innocent girl, Delaney, her life, and nearly killed my twin sister. He carried more than enough skeletons, thanks to reckless choices after Cora Reyes found him in a vulnerable state.
But that wasn’t why I hated him. Not truly.
My hatred burned because of what he did to Scarlet.
After everything she’d endured—every hole she’d clawed out of, every fight just to keep her head above water—Shayde Wylder used his charm as a weapon against her.
She didn’t deserve him slithering into her life only to deliver her straight into the enemy’s hands.
She didn’t deserve his betrayal, or his games.
Or his abandonment after the Burn Trials.
Small, deadly thorns pricked through my palms, and I clenched my fists to hide them. If Father sensed I wasn’t capable of working with my partner, he wouldn’t let me go. He didn’t need to know my real plan: return from this mission alone—use it to rid the world of Shayde Wylder.
All I had to do was hold it together until the mission was complete. Use him to get the job done—and discard him on the way back.
I tilted my head and grinned. “Snake.”
He didn’t blink.
“Scarlet and her guest will be here shortly with the items needed for this mission,” Father said. “Fitzroy, I’m sorry to inform you—River will not be accompanying you.” His voice was final.
I scoffed and stepped forward. “Why not? River outpaces any horse in this terrain.”
Father clasped his hands behind his back.
“You won’t be traveling by horse or on foot.
It’s time I introduced you to a set of ancient runes, known only to the leaders of Arya.
These runes open portals to any location the caster has previously set foot in.
You’ll cast them to the northernmost point of the Barrens you’ve reached.
That will give you ample time to complete the mission. ”
The Wylder brothers exchanged confused glances—mirroring my own.
“This chasm won’t allow animals through,” Father continued.
“And the runes must be drawn with perfect precision. A single miscalculation could open a gateway to a dimension you’ll never return from.
” He paused, then looked to the brothers.
“From what I understand, the Wylders are fluent in rune magic.”
Of course they fucking were.
Then he turned to me. “As are you. I have no doubt you’ll master the sequence together.”
If he had no doubt in me, why was I only now learning that our leaders possessed ancient rune magic capable of opening portals across the continent?
“I already went over the formation with Shayde and Rhodes while we waited for you.”
“Yeah,” Shayde added. “You should be able to catch up.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to unleash a tidal wave of thorned branches on all three of them. Father had been livid when I brought Shayde back to the Hollow after the battle with Cora. Now he was treating him like a trusted ally? Overnight?
And most of all—I had arrived early. I was always the first soldier to arrive for a mission.
The door opened and closed behind me, followed by my sister’s voice. “This should be everything you need, Fallon. Shayde has the masks.”
I frowned and turned. Masks?
“Thank you, General Fitzroy, for granting us credit with your merchants,” Cleo said, bowing slightly to our father. “I think Fallon and Shayde will blend in nicely.”
Father nodded once. “That’ll be it, then. Let’s go.”
The wind was brisk this high in the mountains, and the sun hid behind a cluster of clouds, making the shade feel sharper. Tendrils of my hair whipped in the breeze as I reached back, undid my braid, twisted it into a low bun, and secured it tight.
Father had gone over the rune pattern twice, and I’d committed it to memory. Shayde hadn’t spoken since we left the station hut. Now he stood off to the side, deep in conversation with Rhodes.
River paced restlessly, and I felt her worry. I leaned into her warmth and scratched behind her ear, right where she loved it. Her dark eyes fluttered closed, her muzzle tipping toward me.
I sensed Scarlet approaching from behind. “Take her saddle and everything off once we leave, okay? And have Cleo make sure she gets exercise, but rests. Don’t let her worry herself sick over me.”
“I can do that. She’ll be okay.”
I glanced over my shoulder and met my sister’s crimson eyes. Her expression was grim, lips pressed into a tight line.
“I will be okay,” I said quietly, just for her.
“Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t draw attention to yourselves. Don’t—”
“Yes, Mom,” I cut in.
Her face faltered—just a little—then hardened again. My chest tightened. I hadn’t meant to say it. It slipped.
What would life have looked like if our mother were still here? Would she have been like Arrow? She’d given her life trying to save ours. Elements, what I would have given just to speak with her once. Or for Scarlet to—she lost two mothers.
“Ready, Fitzroy?” Shayde’s flat voice cut through my thoughts.
I hugged River around the neck, breathing her in.
Then I crossed the clearing to where Shayde stood, facing the stone wall Arrow had selected for the chasm.
He and Orion had led us deep into the Golden Crest and up narrow trails to a secluded outcrop overlooking the ocean.
He’d insisted only the twins come—both pairs—and River, who wouldn’t have stayed behind even if ordered.
I lowered to the ground beside Shayde, and we began painting the rune shapes. Arrow told us the mixture had to be exact. The runes would illuminate once powered, then vanish until it was time to return.
We worked in silence. The shapes curled up the wall until they reached above our heads, meeting in the center of the arched design. Once finished, we stepped back. The only sound was the distant crash of waves below.
I closed my eyes, ready to channel—when Scarlet’s voice stopped me.
“Wait.”
Her boots scuffed over the rock until she was at Shayde’s side. I glanced over to see her place a hand gently on his shoulder. She looked up at him.
“Bring her back. Please.” Her voice sounded broken as she addressed the man who’d delivered her to the enemy just months ago.
Shayde said nothing, but held out his pinky instead. Scar’s eyes glossed at the gesture; her gaze flicked between his pinky and his face.
She wrapped her pointer finger around it. “And yourself,” she whispered.
His pinky tightened around hers. “I can’t promise that.”
Scarlet’s eyes dimmed. She let go and stepped back, her crimson gaze finding mine. She stopped beside Rhodes, folding her hands behind her back as he draped an arm over her shoulders. Shayde glanced briefly at his brother, but I was already turning to face my father and River one last time.
Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes. Holding my palms to the sky, I channeled earth and water. Power stirred at my fingertips—dust in one hand, droplets in the other—and I released them slowly toward the rune-marked wall. They drifted into the painted shapes like offerings.
I pictured the closest spot to Tyria where I’d set foot—somewhere I’d reached on a recent mission for the Hollow. Less than a day’s travel to the northern wall of the Barrens, hidden within jagged cliffs and a maze of secret tunnels.
As I set my mind there, light burned behind my eyelids. The painted runes flared, bordering a purple swirl of light that hadn’t been there before. Unease churned at the unpredictable magic in front of me.
Could I trust my father’s word? How did I know this wasn’t a trap—his way to rid the world of Shayde and me in one sweep? A consequence for my disobedience?
I didn’t have time to overthink. I took my enemy’s hand, and we stepped into the unknown together.