Chapter Forty-six
THEA
T hea stood in the chamber she had shared with Wilder, packing her bag in the deafening silence.
Her heart might have been in pieces, but she vowed to forge it anew, using rage as the binding to solder those cracks back together, so that she would be stronger than before. Untouchable. Impenetrable.
Bring him Thezmarr’s justice. Do that… and his swords are yours.
Osiris’ words echoed in her mind, refusing to let her lose herself in the task at hand.
On the bed, the bed they’d shared, was the map Wilder had given her. The very one that marked the weakest parts of the Veil, the places to search for fallen Warswords.
Hunt him down.
She intended to.
Briefly, she wondered if that arrow she’d shot had found its mark.
Her fate stone swayed against her chest as she moved about the room, taking stock of the supplies she’d need.
Thea had limited days left to walk the midrealms, but she would spend them well.
She would spend them hunting Wilder Hawthorne.
She would spend them becoming a Warsword and bringing him to justice.
Her failures demanded to be seen and heard before she could right them.
Regret coiled like a serpent in her gut.
She had failed Thezmarr, failed the guild and aided a traitor in their midst. Thea had let him into her world, and he had wrought ruin upon the midrealms and her heart.
She would not give way to an inch of weakness, not anymore.
It was the end, and it was the beginning.
Her gaze flicked to the balcony, where she saw the ravens being released from the aviary.
She watched as they carried the news of Wilder’s treason out into the world.
The rulers and Osiris had promised that word would spread to every corner of the midrealms and beyond.
To the influential houses of all the kingdoms, to any resource the former Warsword might seek out.
There was a price on his head now.
And Thea had vowed to claim it.
From the balcony where they’d fucked, she watched the black wings beat against the sky, disappearing beyond the clouds, her mind invaded by thoughts of war.
A war she had lost. The most devastating kind.
A war of hearts. A war that left only a dark void within.
A war that called for vengeance as its only form of payment, of retribution.
The day outside was bright and clear, the sun intensifying on the golden hills of Tver. It only served to fuel Thea’s misery. For how could she feel so broken while there was still so much light in the world?
Thea shook the thought from her head and went to finish packing. It hurt to move Wilder’s things as she searched for her own. He’d left everything as though he were only heading out for a meeting, as though he had fully intended to return to her.
She shifted a pile of his clothes and heard a soft thud on the carpet.
Crouching, she picked up a heavy blue gem.
It was the sapphire she’d found in his cabin back in Thezmarr.
The jewel she’d never had the courage to ask about.
She ran her thumb over its multi-faceted face, the simple action reminding her that she hadn’t known Wilder, not wholly.
And now, she never would know him, not as anything other than her enemy.
She stared at the glimmering gem, dazed. And though she told herself it didn’t matter now, she slipped it into her pocket anyway.
Just as she finished securing her pack and scanning the list of items she’d need to pick up, a knock sounded at her door.
It was Wren.
Thea’s sister closed the door behind her, dropped her bag on a chair and surveyed the mess of the room. ‘You’re truly going, then?’ she asked, not sounding the least bit surprised.
‘Yes.’
The sisters hadn’t had a moment alone since they’d faced the Daughter of Darkness in those woods, since they’d discovered who she truly was. Now, the revelation hung heavy between them.
‘I don’t know what to say,’ Thea admitted.
‘Nor I,’ Wren replied. ‘Someone had to have known…’ she ventured.
‘My coin is on Audra,’ Thea huffed, stuffing a final spare shirt into her pack with a little too much force. And Wilder , she added silently.
‘You’re probably right.’ Wren sighed. ‘I don’t know what to do from here, Thee. Who to tell, what to ask…’
‘Tell no one,’ Thea told her, her heart hardening. ‘We trust no one until we know more.’
‘No one?’
Thea redid her braid and faced her sister. The betrayal she carried with her was so raw and tender. ‘Cal and Kipp can be trusted. And… despite his brother, I trust Malik with my life. Torj too.’
‘Then I trust them as well.’
Thea nodded. She was glad to be leaving Wren with people who would support her.
‘You and I must remain united,’ Wren warned her. ‘At least in spirit and cause.’
‘I agree,’ Thea said. ‘What will you do while I’m gone?’
‘While our people are here, I’ll make use of Notos’ library. It’s meant to be one of the best ones in the midrealms. Perhaps I can learn more of our enemy…’
‘And then?’
‘When I’m no longer needed here, I’ll return to Thezmarr. When I know as much about… her as possible, then I’ll do what I can to prepare for what comes next. Alchemy, magic, whatever it takes.’
Her… Their sister.
Thea found herself nodding again, understanding the responsibility her sister was taking on for the both of them. ‘There’s one more thing I need to ask of you, Wren.’
‘Ask it.’
Thea’s hand went to her fate stone. She pulled it from her neck and held it out to the best alchemist she knew. ‘I need you to remove the treatment on this.’
Wren’s gaze snapped up to hers, her eyes wide with surprise. ‘You’re sure?’
Thea pressed it into her sister’s palm. ‘No. But I need everything I have in my arsenal to find him, to beat him.’
Wren seemed to understand, her fingers closing around the stone. ‘Consider it done.’
To Thea’s surprise, Wren took the piece of jade to the small fire crackling in the hearth and dropped it into the flames. She watched on, fascinated, as the flames turned green for a second, burning the alchemy from the stone.
As she watched, she felt her magic seize inside her, flaring to life, feeding off the turmoil within, stronger than ever before.
Moments later, Wren removed the fate stone from the fire and set it aside to cool before she went to the bag she’d set down and rummaged through its contents. She produced a package wrapped in cloth and bound by twine, holding it out to Thea.
‘Audra said to give this to you.’
Frowning, Thea took it, turning it over in her hands. ‘What is it?’
‘She called it a name day present, for a week’s time. It’s something to help you with your power on the road. Now that there’s another one of us out there, Audra’s more determined than ever to see us master our storms.’
Thea stiffened at those words, but decided not to open the parcel then and there. Instead she packed it away with the rest of her belongings, hesitating before she spoke again. ‘How do you do it?’
‘Do what?’
‘Master the magic?’ she asked, her chest tight.
Her sister smiled then. ‘I have far from mastered it, Thee, but when I manage to make it work…’
‘Yes?’ Thea pressed, her stomach fluttering.
‘Let go. Stop trying to control it. You are the storm. What does your lightning and thunder tell you?’
Thea stared at her sister, her magic seeming to respond to the words alone.
‘I am the storm,’ she echoed firmly, inhaling her first easy breath in days.
* * *
When Thea got to the stables, she saw instantly that Wilder’s stallion was gone. It was another knife to the heart, knowing that he’d planned his betrayal far enough in advance to ensure his horse would remain with him.
She set about saddling her mare, the stable hands keeping far away from her as she worked.
The Shadow of Death , she heard them murmur in awe.
Thea hadn’t bothered with farewells. She wasn’t sure she could stand the pitying looks, the question on everyone’s lips.
How did she not know?
She was asking herself the same fucking thing, over and over again.
Gritting her teeth, she tried to ignore the ache in her chest as she mounted up and rode from the stables, through the gates of Notos.
It was the first time she’d ridden alone. The first time she’d had a mission of her own as a Guardian of the midrealms.
The thought left her feeling hollow.
Consulting the map Wilder had left her, she decided on her first stop.
Ironhelm. A Guardian garrison closest to the eastern wall of the Veil, where numerous tears had been reported.
Thea rode to the edge of Notos’ citadel and looked out onto the golden lands beyond.
‘Not leaving without us, are you?’ a familiar voice sounded just behind her.
Thea turned to find Kipp and Cal on her heels, their horses loaded with supplies, weapons strapped to their backs.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, frowning.
‘Writing a fucking sonnet, Your Highness,’ Kipp replied. ‘What’s it look like?’
Thea shifted in her saddle. ‘I told Wren you’d be there for her.’
‘Who d’you think told us where you’d be?’ Cal said.
Kipp nudged his horse up alongside hers. ‘She’s going to stick with Malik. She promised.’
‘And we’re going to stick with you,’ Cal added.
‘What about Torj? And your apprenticeship?’
Kipp snorted. ‘We love you, Thea, but it’s not like we don’t cherish having our balls attached to our bodies as well. We got leave from Osiris, Torj and Esyllt to join you. So just deal with it. You’re stuck with us.’
Thea felt a tiny piece of her heart fall back into place, and a smile ghosted across her lips. ‘Is that right?’
Kipp grinned. ‘Afraid so.’
Thea turned to Cal. ‘And what of your family? Are they alright? Are they safe?’
Cal grinned. ‘More than alright. My sisters told me if I don’t ride at your side, they’ll disown me. They’ve got it into their heads that they’re going to be warriors like you when they grow up. My mother’s not overly pleased.’
Thea’s eyes prickled. ‘Is that so…’
Kipp clapped her on the shoulder. ‘Face it, wraith slayer. There are going to be little girls knocking at Thezmarr’s gates, demanding to be trained, before the day is done.’
‘Good,’ Thea said. ‘We need all the help we can get.’
‘I’ll drink to that,’ Kipp replied with a wink.
Thea surveyed her friends, her grip tightening on her reins. ‘So, you’re really going to help me hunt down the most powerful Warsword in Thezmarr’s history?’
‘ Former Warsword,’ Cal corrected her.
‘Course we are,’ Kipp declared. ‘But that doesn’t mean we’re not gonna have some fun on the way. The Fox has sister taverns all over the midrealms.’ He winked. ‘So… where to first?’
Warmth swelled in Thea’s chest for a brief moment. ‘East,’ she said, turning her horse to the sweeping gilded valleys.
‘East it is. And I assure you, the Blushing Bear is on the way,’ Kipp said grandly, before kicking Cal’s leg. ‘Last one to the treeline buys the first round.’
‘Wait a minute —’
But Kipp was already off, and Cal surged after him with a curse.
Thea knew they’d done it to give her space, to let her say goodbye to what she thought she’d known.
Thoughts of the man who’d meant something – everything – to her consumed her.
Silver eyes meeting hers. The rich timbre of his voice as they whispered secrets to each other in the night.
The taste of him. His arms wrapped around her.
Because I fucking love you.
She had thought those words would be imprinted on her soul forever, but she shoved them away, letting them fade from her like shadows swept away by the wind.
Thea steeled herself, her armour sliding into place around her. Taking a breath, she silently thanked him for all he’d done.
He had shaped her from a shieldbearer to a Guardian, to a true warrior of the realm. To someone worthy of the Great Rite.
Yes, she thanked him from the bottom of her cold, wretched heart.
For he had forged her into the warrior she needed to be to slay her enemies.
And Wilder Hawthorne was now one of them.
With lightning sharp in her veins and her heart full of fire, Thea set out across the midrealms, the wind tearing at her braid as she rode east, the taste of vengeance on her lips.
And so the hunt began.
* * *