Chapter 17

Jasce leadsme to a corner of the garden, where a gnarled old oak tree stands. Its branches reach out like twisted fingers, casting eerie patterns on the ground.

Shards of moonlight splinter around him as he sweeps aside a dense curtain of ivy, revealing a hidden door that has been skillfully concealed within the garden's stone walls. The weathered wood blends seamlessly with the rough-hewn stone.

I've walked past this spot countless times before, oblivious to the secret that lay just beyond the veil of leaves.

With a firm push, he opens the door. Shadows dance along the passage, driven back only when Jasce reaches into the folds of his cloak and retrieves a crystal that thrums with a pulsing light.

I steal a glance at him as he walks next to me, taking in his hard jaw. My stomach squeezes, knowing I upset him earlier. A part of me blames him for what happened to me, even though I know he wasn't involved with what his mother did to me.

The air grows colder as we delve deeper beneath the walls surrounding the fortress, and I shiver, drawing my cloak tighter around my shoulders.

At last, we emerge into a darkened alley. The buildings loom over us, their windows shuttered and silent. In the distance, the faint sounds of the city drift toward me—the clatter of hooves on stone, the distant laughter of revelers stumbling home from the taverns.

A gentle breeze rustles through the trees and plays with the hem of my cloak as I follow Jasce and think about Asha. Maybe I'm being a coward, running away under the cover of darkness, but I cannot be imprisoned again, nor can I stay here without the ability to control Lyra's magic.

And if I'm honest, there's a part of me that craves Jasce.

Jasce takes alleys I barely know and keeps to the shadows as he guides me through the city. With each step I take, I curse myself for not leaving Asha a note, some kind of message saying I love her, that I will always love her, no matter what has happened between us.

Unfortunately, I knew the moment I started to write the words, I would lose my nerve to leave. Then, where would I be? Locked away? Kept under lock and key to protect the people living in Bakva?

Jasce guides me to a small, unfamiliar stable on the edges of the city. I follow him inside, where a young man, who looks to be a few summers younger than Jasce, leans casually against a wooden post, arms crossed over his chest.

A woman sits on a bale of hay opposite the man. She stands when we enter the stable and brushes bits of stray hay from her simple linen surcoat.

The man's black hair mirrors Jasce's, though it's slightly shorter and more tousled, as if he's been running his fingers through it. His warm brown eyes, so similar to Jasce's, glitter with flecks of amber instead of gold.

He appears to be a few summers Jasce's junior, with a leaner frame that hasn't quite filled out yet. Despite the differences in their builds, the family resemblance is unmistakable. It's there in the strong, angular line of his jaw and the proud, almost defiant set of his broad shoulders. He carries himself with the same innate confidence as Jasce, a sense of self-assurance that seems to run in their blood.

Jasce nods toward him. "This is my younger brother, Jude."

"Hello," I say.

"Hello, Ani." He grins. "Do you mind if I call you Ani?" When I shrug, he continues. "It's good to finally meet the woman my brother has risked everything for."

My gaze snaps to Jasce as he frowns at his brother.

"I-I…" Stop stammering.

Jasce turns to the young woman next. "This is Arian. She will help us travel back to crimson territory."

"How?" I ask as I look between the men and Arian.

"With silver flames," she says.

She's from House of Silver?

Inwardly, I shake my head, wondering why she would be willing to help them.

Jude straightens from his lazy perch against the wooden pillar and flashes Arian a charming grin. Arian's cheeks flush as she returns his smile.

So, that's the reason. Jude has somehow charmed this woman.

Arian moves closer to me and curtseys. "It's an honor to meet you, Lady Annora."

I nod at her and try to not think about the ache in my chest, the one desperately needing to set eyes on my sisters, to beg their forgiveness.

"Before you create the portal, there's something Annora and I need to do," Jasce says.

My brow furrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He meets my gaze, his brown eyes softening with a sincerity that I haven't seen before. "We need to write a letter to your family. They should not wonder what happened to you. I wouldn't feel right about taking you away from Bakva without that letter."

Jasce's right. It would be cruel to leave without a word, to vanish like a wisp of smoke in the wind.

I nod. "All right. I'll write the letter."

Jasce reaches into his cloak and produces parchment and a writing utensil. He lays them before me on a nearby crate, turning it into an impromptu desk.

The quill trembles in my hand as I hover over the parchment and scrawl the words.

Asha,

By the time you read this, I will be gone. Please understand that I did not make this decision lightly. My heart is torn between duty and desire—between what is expected of me and what I yearn for.

Know that I love you and our sisters more than anything in this world. You have been my rock, my protector, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

I cannot stay here and risk our people or myself any further. I must acquire the skills to control this power within me for all our sakes.

I am going to crimson territory with Jasce, so I may learn how to control this magic.

Please forgive me.

With all my love,

Annora

Once finished, my hand lingers on the parchment, as if it could transfer my resolve into the ink itself.

Jasce takes the letter from me and rolls it up with care. He steps out of the stables without a word, leaving me with Jude and Arian in a silence punctuated by the occasional stamp of a horse's hoof.

As I wait, I wonder who he's entrusting with such precious cargo. Probably some spy he has planted in the city.

A short while later, Jasce returns. His nod at Arian is all it takes for her to rise from her seat on the hay bale.

Arian's long chestnut hair sways against her back as she moves to an open space in the stables. She lifts her arms out to her sides, palms upturned. Nerves tighten in my throat as silver flames leap from her to the open space before her. They swirl and curl as if caught in an invisible wind, forming an oval frame taller than me.

I glance at Jasce and Jude. Their faces show no surprise, only bored nonchalance, as if they have witnessed this type of magic countless times before.

Arian lowers her hands and the glow enveloping her body fades. A fine sheen of sweat glistens on her forehead, and she sways slightly. Conjuring the portal must have drained some of her strength. Jude moves to her side and slips an arm around her shoulders to steady her.

Jasce takes my hand and leads me toward the portal. Nerves thrum in my throat as we step through. For a moment, all sight and sound blur away, leaving nothing but the gentle caress of silver fire.

Just when I think I can't endure it any longer, solid ground materializes beneath my feet, and the tingling fades away, leaving me gasping in the cool night air.

An endless sea of stars glitters above us, and in the distance, sheer cliffs rear up against the night, their faces carved with elaborate spirals. Banners with crimson Phoenix's flap from poles mounted atop the cliffs, the fabric snapping in the wind.

Even in the darkness, I know those are the fabled Cliffs of Solasine.

Forgive me, Asha.