Chapter Fifty-Eight
ELYSSARA
The tunnel stretches endlessly, plunging deeper into the earth’s crust, swallowing sound, light, and life as it goes.
Kael’s breathing is labored, rasps and wheezes escape him, alongside his scuffing feet and skin slick with sweat—evidently still holding the cloak in place over Aura and Nyx. I could tell him to drop the cloak. But I already know—Kael would rather die than risk exposing us. Stubborn bastard.
“I’ll be right back,” I throw over my shoulder to Kael as I run to catch up to Seren, who’s still brandishing her crossbow and looks as if she might squash it to death.
“I need to talk to you,” I say, and by the erratic jump she answers with, Seren did not hear me coming.
“Of course, of course,” she says, flustered. “What about exactly? Are you okay?”
“I’m... confused,” I say, brows knitting together. “I... can feel him.”
“What do you mean ‘feel him’? Like emotionally or...” she trails off.
“Here,” I say, tapping my chest. “And I know this sounds absolutely insane, but I think... I heard his thoughts.”
Seren’s composure shatters—her face turns ghostly pale, and she grips the crossbow like it might keep her upright. “When? How?” she says with intense scrutiny.
Well, if I knew that, I wouldn’t be fucking asking.
“I—”
But before I can continue, Therion halts, holding his hand up to stop the group. Kael doubles over, taking respite with his hands on his knees, and Merrik and Jax automatically take up fighting stances.
“Light,” Therion states simply, pointing to the end of the tunnel.
“‘Bout fuckin’ time,” Merrik grunts out, wiping sweat from his brow.
The air in the tunnels is stagnant and suffocating, the acrid stench is a reflection of the nonexistent ventilation and festering remnants of smugglers' deals gone wrong. The thought of light, air, and sunshine is a welcome reprieve from the tunnels and my own circuitous thoughts.
“And I’m assuming we can expect another little party of armies, rebels, and pointy things when we emerge?” Ronyn quips nonchalantly.
“Well, now that we know the Lightborne can just blast them, we should be fine, right?” Jax snarks.
I consider biting back, but Jax’s need to provoke me is becoming insufferable. Tiresome. Repetitive. Predictable. Perhaps I’ll blast her. Just a little.
Kael’s head jerks toward me. Eyes wide. Shocked. Like I shouted straight into his mind. He gives me an almost imperceptible shake of the head as if cautioning me from following through on my thoughts. And I know it now—he can hear me, too.
“For the love of all the Stars in the sky, Jax,” Kael wheezes again, his voice barely more than a croak. “Would you shut the fuck up?”
Ignoring everyone’s bickering, Therion gets right down to business.
“I can’t sense anything out of the ordinary, but I’ll go out first with Jax,” his tone is all command.
He looks at Jax. “Channel from me, and we’ll head out ahead of the group, secure the horses, clear the area, and ensure we have an exit strategy into some cover. ”
Jax has a scowl on her face, and I assume she’s about to argue—that’s what she does—but she gives a tight, reluctant nod and makes her way to Therion.
We all seem to agree that we move silently the rest of the way.
I can still feel him.
The awareness of Kael lingers at the edges of my mind, a tether I never sought, never wanted, but now cannot seem to shake.
The realization that he can feel me, too—that he heard me—is something else entirely.
A prickle of unease settles at the base of my spine.
What else did he hear? How deep does this connection go?
I swallow hard, keeping my eyes trained on the faint light ahead, though my mind is anything but steady.
This... this should not be possible. This is another complication in a tangle of problems I don’t have time to solve.
But the fact remains: I am not alone in my head anymore.
Therion turns around and places a hand on the small of Seren’s back, whispering something into her ear. I notice the way Ronyn flinches at the sight, his lips pressing into a thin line. Okay, I guess we’ll talk about whatever that was later.
Seren moves quickly towards the rest of us, instructing us to stay here for thirty heartbeats. We wait, bodies stilling against the background hiss of Kael’s breathing. Therion and Jax surge ahead, and we wait.
No ambush. No fight. No clang of metal.
We edge out of the tunnels, creeping into a small clearing near an abandoned and dilapidated outpost. I turn to look for Kael, when an arrow sings through the air—
“DOWN!” Ronyn leaps for Seren and me, his body crushing us against the dry, packed dirt.
I look up to see the arrow jutting from the rock, less than the width of a fingernail above Kael’s head.
Kael stands up straight, a smirk kicking up the right side of his mouth.
Within a single heartbeat, he drops the cloak over Nyx and Aura who become visible in the clearing, and without credence to his injuries and exhaustion, charges into the lifeless trees.
A lone man breaks from the trees, chestnut hair blowing back as he runs, his sharp, fox-like amber eyes meeting Kael’s as they sprint towards each other.
I draw my Starforged Blade and a throwing dagger, about to unleash them when instead of a clash of swords, I hear the clash of chests—an embrace, laughter, levity.
“You missed,” Kael teased.
“You know I only miss when I mean to, ya bastard!” the man taunts, but there is no mistaking the fondness in his tone.
“Time to go,” Therion breaks the reunion with a terse timbre.
“Don’t be like that, ya grumpy ass,” the man chides. “Get in here.” The man pulls Therion into the embrace, and I can see how at home Therion feels.
I sheathe my weapons again and move to make my way to them when Ronyn sails past, a roguish grin on his face. “I like him.”
“Things are about to get a whole lot... louder,” Merrik exhales the words, as if already exasperated by the pairing Ronyn and this new man will make.
“Daelen, can’t say I’ve missed you,” Jax croons, though she embraces him all the same.
“Jaxxy, still being difficult, I assume?” Daelen quips.
Maybe I like him too.
“You fuckin’ know she has, Dae,” Merrik growls, clasping Daelen’s arm in a warrior’s embrace. “It’s been too long, brother.”
The group take a moment to reunite, affection and camaraderie flowing freely, when Ronyn clears his throat, asserting himself. “You don’t know me yet, but I’m the better-looking, more talented, and generally quicker-witted version of whatever you’ve got going on. Ronyn, at your service.”
He extends a hand. Daelen stares at it.
A beat passes—just long enough for me to consider drawing the Starforged Blade again—before Daelen roars with laughter, grabs Ronyn’s hand, and yanks him into a handshake-turned-hug.
Daelen looks to his comrades and grins. “I like him.”
“Dae, this is Elyssara, the Lightborne, and this is Seren,” Therion asserts simply.
Daelen’s eyes meet mine, and I swear I sense sadness, perhaps even resignation, in them. He lingers on me before extending a hand, “Elyssara, it’s a pleasure.” He turns to Seren then, and a warm smile graces his face, as if hoping to disarm her, “I look forward to working with you, Seren.”
Before I can respond, Therion shifts, as if sensing something. We all notice, and go straight for our weapons, eyes darting, searching, seeking answers for whatever has put Therion on edge.
Through the trees, a tall man with ashen white hair and pulled back in a simple tail with a leather strap walks with an unsettlingly controlled and powerful gait.
The others sheathe their weapons, but they don’t relax completely, especially Therion, who looks decidedly uneasy with the man’s presence.
The tall, sinewed figure stalks toward us, his blue-gray eyes bore into me, as if my very existence is a burden to him.
“Oh yeah,” Daelen drawls, “I forgot to mention that fuckin’ Zakarius brought himself along on this little adventure of mine.”
“How the fuck did he know you were coming?” Kael grits out, some color and energy returning to him now that the cloak has dropped.
“He’s not an Aetherstride, Kael, but he tracked me all the way from camp to here without a single fucking sound,” Daelen explains, though his irritation is evident.
“Fuck’s sake,” Merrik exhales. I tuck the reactions away into my mind for analysis later. They do not like this man.
The closer Zakarius gets, the more unsettled I feel. His stormy gaze flicks over me, unimpressed. Dismissive.
Then he exhales through his nose, barely concealing his disdain.
“I see you didn’t just find the Lightborne. You picked up a few strays along the way.” A scoff, cold as ice. “Not the plan, Kael.”
There’s something in the way he looks at me that makes my stomach tighten. Not curiosity. Not interest. Not even disdain. Calculation.
Like he’s assessing risk. Like I’m a problem that needs solving.
Or removing.
A flicker of something cold flashes in his dark eyes—gone too fast for me to name.
I swallow hard, forcing my spine straight.
I notice a subtle shift beside me. Kael.
I don’t need to look at him to know his body has gone rigid, that he’s already picked up whatever passed between Zakarius and me.
His fingers flex at his sides. Just slightly. But enough for me to know that he sees it all.
Kael doesn’t respond straight away, as if weighing his words.
He exhales, long and controlled, “I think you forget that I make the fucking rules, Zakarius,” his voice pure menace. “And you? You execute them,” he pauses for another moment, and I think he’s done, but he adds, “like an obedient dog.”
Zakarius doesn’t react right away. Doesn’t bristle. Doesn’t scowl. He just... looks at Kael. Long. Unblinking.
Then, ever so slightly, his lips curve—just the barest flicker of something that might be amusement. Might be rage.
“Careful,” he murmurs, voice smooth as cut glass. “An obedient dog only heels for so long before it bites.”
Kael doesn’t take the bait—instead, he shrugs off the threat like it’s beneath him.
He smirks, “Bite all you want, Zak. A dog’s still a dog.”
Zakarius exhales, a slow, measured thing, as if filing Kael’s words away for later. “We’ll see.” A pause, just long enough to feel like a promise. “We always do.”
I could slice the tension in the air with my blade, tempers running hot, primal urges to fight rippling off both men.
“Are you two done measuring dicks yet? Or can we get the fuck out of here?” For the first time ever, I’m actually relieved to hear Jax speak.
“Here! Here!” Merrik chants in agreement.
Thank the gods.
As if snapping out of some sort of spell, Zakarius’ demeanor changes from stone cold to tactical. “I’ve mapped a route out of here that will avoid every checkpoint and watch tower inside The Decay.”
“Well, lead the way, Zak,” Therion encourages, exasperation heavy on his tongue.
Zakarius spins on his heel, movements sharp and controlled.
Not a glance back.
“Try to keep up.”
I grit my teeth.
Guess we’re going to Thornewood.
Gods help us.