The moment Kael disappeared into the Veil Woods with Silas, the world narrowed to a single point—my pulse, pounding like war drums beneath my skin, the cold iron of the Council’s cuffs biting into my wrists, the scent of pine and iron fading with every step he took away from me. I didn’t turn to watch him go. Didn’t call out. Didn’t beg. Because if I had—if I’d seen the agony in his golden eyes, the way his wolf prowled just beneath the surface, the way his body trembled with the effort of walking away—I would have broken.
And I couldn’t break.
Not yet.
The Council envoy—silver-eyed, voice like frost—grabbed my arm, his grip bruising. “Move.”
I didn’t resist. Just walked, my boots silent on the stone, my storm-gray eyes fixed on the horizon where Kael had vanished. The bond between us still pulsed—hot, electric, a tether stretched thin—but it was different now. Distant. Like a dying star. He wasn’t fighting it. Wasn’t pulling me toward him. He was letting me go.
Because I’d asked him to.
Because I’d told him to live.
And gods help me, I loved him for it.
***
The cell was beneath the keep—a forgotten dungeon carved from black stone, its walls slick with moss, its air thick with the scent of damp earth and old blood. No windows. No torches. Just a single iron door, sealed with Council sigils that flared crimson when I passed through. The cuffs remained, their magic suppressing my power, draining the fire from my veins, the strength from my limbs.
I didn’t sit. Didn’t cower.
Just stood in the center of the room, my back straight, my breath steady, my mind racing.
They thought they’d won.
They thought they’d broken me.
But they didn’t know what I was capable of.
They didn’t know about the vial.
Hidden beneath my tongue—thin, glass, humming with ancient magic—was the last of my sister’s blood. A truth charm. A weapon. A vow. I’d carried it for three years, through every lie, every betrayal, every sleepless night. And now—
Now it would be my salvation.
But not yet.
I had to wait. Had to let them believe I was powerless. That I was broken. That I would confess, that I would kneel, that I would give them everything they wanted.
And then—
I would burn them from the inside out.
***
They came at dusk.
Not the envoy. Not the guards.
A woman.
She stepped through the door like smoke—tall, pale, dressed in a gown of midnight silk that clung to her like a second skin. Her hair was black as obsidian, her eyes silver, her smile too sharp. Fae. And not just any fae.
Cassien’s mother.
Lady Nyx Nox—the Vampire Matriarch, the Shadow Weaver, the one who had brokered Elira’s deals, who had whispered lies into the Council’s ears, who had helped frame Kael for my sister’s murder.
And now—
She was here to finish the job.
“Lady Vale,” she purred, stepping closer, her scent flooding the cell—spiced wine, decay, something darker. “Or should I say… *Jade*?”
I didn’t flinch. Just met her gaze, my storm-gray eyes burning. “You’re not here to talk.”
She smiled—slow, mocking. “No. I’m here to offer you a choice.”
“I don’t make deals with murderers.”
“Then you’ll die in this cell,” she said, circling me like a predator. “And Kael—” her voice dropped, “—will spend the rest of his life wondering if he should have stayed. If he should have fought. If he should have let you burn so he could live.”
My jaw tightened. “He’s alive. That’s all that matters.”
“And Silas?” she asked, stopping in front of me. “Is *he* worth it? The man who sold you out? Who led the Council to Veridia? Who handed them the documents that proved your conspiracy?”
My breath caught.
“You’re lying.”
She laughed—low, cruel. “Am I? Then why do you feel it? The shift in the bond? The way it flickers, like a dying flame? Because he *betrayed* you, Jade. For power. For protection. For a seat at Cassien’s table.”
I didn’t want to believe her.
But I could feel it.
The bond *was* flickering.
Not from distance.
From doubt.
From betrayal.
“And if I don’t believe you?” I asked, my voice steady.
“Then I’ll show you,” she said, lifting her hand.
A mirror formed in the air—cracked, ancient, its surface swirling with smoke. And then—
Images.
Silas, in a dimly lit chamber, kneeling before Cassien, handing over a blood-red dossier. Silas, whispering to Council envoys in the shadows. Silas, watching me from the balcony, his expression unreadable.
My stomach twisted.
“You forged this,” I said, my voice breaking.
“No,” she said, her smile widening. “I simply revealed the truth. And now—” she stepped closer, her breath hot on my skin, “—you have a choice. Join us. Help us bring down Kael. Expose the lies. Confess that the bond was corrupted, that you used magic to manipulate him, that you conspired to assassinate Elira. And in return—” her hand rose, brushing my cheek, “—I’ll let you live. I’ll let *him* live. And you can walk away. Free.”
I didn’t answer.
Just stared at her, my storm-gray eyes burning.
And then—
I spat in her face.
She didn’t flinch. Just wiped it away with a silk handkerchief, her smile never fading. “Wrong answer.”
And then—
She was gone.
Like smoke.
Like a lie.
And I was alone again.
But not powerless.
Not yet.
***
The hours passed like centuries.
I didn’t sleep. Didn’t eat. Just stood in the center of the cell, my mind racing, my body humming with suppressed magic. The cuffs burned against my skin, the sigils flaring every time I tried to summon even a spark. But I didn’t give up. Just waited. Listened. Felt.
And then—
I felt it.
Not the bond.
Not the magic.
Him.
Kael.
Not in the cell.
Not in the keep.
In the bond.
Faint. Distant. Like a whisper in the dark.
But there.
Alive.
And he was coming back.
My breath caught.
Because if he came back—if he tried to rescue me—he’d walk into a trap. The Council would be waiting. Nyx would be waiting. Cassien would be waiting. And they’d kill him before he even reached the gates.
I had to stop him.
But how?
The cuffs suppressed my magic. The cell was warded. The door was sealed. I couldn’t speak to him. Couldn’t warn him. Couldn’t—
Wait.
The vial.
My sister’s blood.
It wasn’t just a truth charm.
It was a *link*.
Forged in blood. Forged in magic. Forged in love.
And if I could use it—just once—I could send him a message. A warning. A plea.
But it would cost me.
The blood was the last of its kind. Once used, it was gone. And without it, I couldn’t prove the truth. Couldn’t expose Nyx. Couldn’t clear Kael’s name.
But if he died—
None of it would matter.
So I closed my eyes.
And I bit down.
The glass shattered—thin, sharp, bitter. The blood flooded my mouth—dark, rich, humming with ancient power. I didn’t swallow. Didn’t spit. Just held it, let it pool on my tongue, let it ignite the magic in my veins.
And then—
I spoke.
Not with my voice.
With my soul.
Kael. Don’t come back. They’re waiting. It’s a trap. Run. Hide. Live. I’ll find you. I promise. But don’t come back. Not yet.
The magic flared—crimson and wild, witch and wolf entwined—surging through the bond, through the cuffs, through the wards, through the stone. I felt it reach him—felt his shock, his fury, his fear. Felt him stop. Felt him turn. Felt him run.
And then—
The vial was gone.
The blood was spent.
And I was alone.
But I had bought him time.
And that was enough.
***
They came for me at dawn.
Not Nyx. Not the Council.
The guards.
Two wolves, their fur patchy, their eyes dull with obedience. They didn’t speak. Just unlocked the door, grabbed my arms, dragged me through the keep. I didn’t fight. Didn’t resist. Just walked, my boots silent on the stone, my storm-gray eyes fixed on the horizon.
The keep was different.
Not in structure. Not in law.
In air.
The wolves no longer lowered their eyes when I passed. The fae attendants no longer whispered behind their hands. The vampires in the solarium now met my gaze with something that wasn’t fear.
Pity.
Because they knew.
They knew I was being taken.
They knew I was being silenced.
And they did nothing.
***
They brought me to the east gate.
The same place where I’d kissed Kael goodbye.
Where I’d told him to run.
Where I’d let him go.
And now—
They were taking me away.
The Council’s carriage waited—black, forged from moonsteel, its wheels lined with sigils. No horses. Just shadows that slithered beneath it like serpents. The envoy stood beside it, his silver eyes cold.
“Get in,” he said.
I didn’t move. Just stared at him, my storm-gray eyes burning. “You think this will stop him?”
“He’s already gone,” the envoy said. “Into the Veil Woods. Into exile. And if he’s smart, he’ll stay there.”
“He’s not smart,” I said, stepping forward. “He’s *fierce*. And he’ll come for me. And when he does—” I stepped closer, my voice low, dangerous, “—you’ll wish you’d killed me in that cell.”
The envoy didn’t flinch. Just grabbed my arm, shoved me into the carriage.
The door slammed shut.
Darkness.
And then—
Movement.
The shadows slithered, the wheels turned, and we were gone.
***
Hours passed.
The carriage moved fast—too fast—through forests, across rivers, over mountains. I didn’t sleep. Didn’t speak. Just sat in the darkness, my wrists still cuffed, my magic still suppressed, my mind racing.
And then—
I felt it.
Not the bond.
Not the magic.
Her.
The High Witch of Veridia.
My mentor. My savior. The one who had taken me in when the coven cast me out. The one who had taught me to fight. To survive. To believe.
And now—
She was calling me.
Not with words.
With magic.
A thread—thin, silver, humming with power—wove through the darkness, through the cuffs, through the wards. And I grabbed it.
Not with my hands.
With my soul.
Jade, her voice whispered, you’re not alone. We’re coming. Hold on. Just hold on.
Tears burned in my eyes.
Because I wasn’t alone.
Because they were coming.
And when they arrived—
We would burn the world down.
***
The carriage stopped at midnight.
We were in the Veil Woods—ancient, endless, its trees towering like sentinels, their roots coiled like serpents. The air was thick with magic—crimson and gold, witch and wolf entwined—pulsing through the forest, through the bond, through my blood.
And then—
I felt it.
Not the bond.
Not the magic.
Them.
Wolves howled in the distance. Spells flared in the shadows. Fangs bared. Wings spread.
The Free Pack.
Lyra. Torin. The hybrids.
They were here.
And they were coming for me.
The door opened.
The envoy stepped in, his silver eyes cold. “Last chance. Confess. Submit. And you’ll be spared.”
I didn’t answer.
Just smiled—small, fierce, real.
And then—
The forest exploded.
Wolves tore through the shadows. Witches sent bolts of fire into the air. Vampires descended like ghosts. Fae spread their wings, thorns glinting in the moonlight.
And in the center of it all—
Lyra.
Her silver blade flashed, cutting through the first guard. Torin was at her side, his coat gone, his scars on display, his fangs bared. Behind them—wolves with fire in their eyes, witches with spells at their fingertips, vampires with fangs bared, fae with thorned wings.
The Free Pack.
My storm.
My truth.
And they weren’t here to negotiate.
They were here to burn.
***
I didn’t wait.
Didn’t hesitate.
Just moved.
The cuffs were still on, the magic still suppressed, but I didn’t need power to fight. I had fists. I had teeth. I had fury.
I lunged at the envoy—fast, desperate—my shoulder slamming into his chest, knocking him back. He snarled, grabbing for me, but I twisted, driving my knee into his gut. He doubled over, and I slammed my forehead into his nose.
Blood.
Pain.
Victory.
He fell, and I was free.
Not from the cuffs.
But from fear.
Lyra reached me first—her silver blade dripping, her dark braid coiled like a serpent, her eyes sharp. “You okay?”
“Better now,” I said, grabbing the dagger from the envoy’s belt.
“Kael’s waiting,” Torin said, stepping beside her. “At the border. He didn’t want to come. But we told him you’d kill him if he didn’t.”
I didn’t smile.
Just nodded.
And then—
We ran.
Not from the fight.
From the past.
From the lies.
From the woman who had come to destroy Kael—
And stayed to save us all.
Outside, the forest burned.
But inside—
There was only us.
And the fire that would burn the world down.