CHAPTER 16 #4
Everything was noise and heat and pain. Then, through the ringing in her ears, Sebastian. An extremely angry Sebastian.
“What the fuck did you do to her?” he bellowed.
Something cracked and the ground trembled. She heard Henry stagger back. Felt the shift of pressure in the air as magic surged around her – red-hot and furious. The pain in her head pulsed violently, burning, and carved, if possible, even deeper. Another scream tore out of her.
“Stop hurting her. Now,” Sebastian snarled.
“She chose you,” Henry spat. “That makes her a traitor too–”
“You attacked her.” Each word dripped with hate. “Whilst she was unarmed.”
Henry’s voice came, tight and defensive. “She stood in my way!”
“Well, you’re in my way now, Caldris.”
Kara trembled on her knees, her head pounding, tears leaking from her useless eyes. The crackle of Sebastian’s magic grew louder, and there was a roar as something heavy – someone – was thrown.
A thud. A choked grunt.
Then the pain vanished as quickly as it had come and she collapsed, exhausted.
Sebastian stopped him.
Slowly, mercifully, her vision began to return. Just flashes of colour at first, a grey hue, then red and green bled into the edges. Shapes focused. Blurred outlines sharpened. As she came back to herself, a shadow fell over her.
Sebastian was still there.
He hadn’t run. Hadn’t left her.
He stood a few feet away, fury restrained, but only just. His gaze wasn’t on her – it was on Henry, who lay unconscious, slumped against a tree trunk – blood staining the corner of his mouth.
His white magic had fizzled out. Kara blinked rapidly, the pain in her skull ebbing.
Her fingers twisted in the grass as she tried unsteadily to sit.
Sebastian’s head turned to her at the movement but he didn’t rush to help. Just stared.
“You stayed,” she said hoarsely.
He didn’t respond at first. Then–
“I wasn’t going to leave you blind in a forest with him.” His disdain was evident, but she thought she heard the faintest trace of something softer underneath it. Barely.
Kara didn’t speak. Just sat with her hand to her temple.
“You stood in front of me,” he said. “Why would you do that?”
She told him the truth, raw and unfiltered. He deserved that from her. “Because I couldn’t let him hurt you.”
Sebastian raised a brow at her response. Kara watched him warily, waiting for more anger, but it didn’t come. He didn’t approach her, didn’t utter a word. Instead, he crouched beside Henry, grabbed the nightshade wraps from where Kara had thrown them in the grass and began binding Henry’s wrists.
“What are you doing?” Kara asked cautiously.
“Returning the favour,” he said flatly. “He can wake up with his own hands tied. See how he likes it.”
Kara opened her mouth to speak. But nothing came. She didn’t even know if she agreed or not. So she only watched as Sebastian tied the knots with controlled precision. Henry’s breathing was even but shallow, it was unlikely he’d wake for hours. Sebastian stood again, looking towards her only once.
“You said you wanted the truth. You’ve got it. Now what?” he asked coldly.
Kara stood, slowly, the shake in her limbs masked by sheer force of will. She didn’t look at him right away. Instead, she pulled the satchel from where it lay under her pack. Her fingers hovered over the fastenings. Then she opened it. The Shards inside pulsed gently.
Earth. Water. Air.
Kara turned and drew a long breath, felt the weight of the choice she was about to make.
This is it. No going back.
She hesitated. Ridiculous really, she’d made her choice the moment she untied him. She held the satchel out.
“You’ll be needing these.”
His expression changed – confusion, disbelief, and then hope.
“You’re giving them back?” he asked as he took it from her.
She didn’t answer. She moved to Henry’s bedroll and retrieved Sebastian’s sword as well. Handed it to him. “And this too.”
He buckled it at his hip wordlessly, not taking his eyes off her. The moment it settled into place, his posture changed. Straightened. Kara gazed at him for a moment before she turned and walked towards the valmares, gesturing for him to follow. She heard his footsteps, unsure behind her.
“What are you doing?” Sebastian asked.
Kara’s gaze went to Henry – still unconscious, bound – then to the horizon beyond the camp. Then, finally, she looked at Sebastian.
“I thought...” Her voice trailed off. She straightened her shoulders. Perfect Hale girl. Obedient daughter. Dutiful heir. Or–
“I thought you might need at least one person willing to stand with you. So I’m coming with you. To the Fire Shard. If you’ll let me.”
Sebastian stared at her. His chest was rising and falling faster than it should. His grip tightened on the satchel, crimson sparking faintly at his fingertips, as if even his magic didn’t know what to do. He looked utterly speechless.
“You want to come?” he finally managed, hollow with shock. “You’d damn yourself for me?”
She took a breath. “I’m doing it for Vallenna.”
Kara looked him directly in the eye.
And for you. Because you shouldn’t have to do this alone.