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25. Chapter Twenty-Five

JAX

Under the stark night sky, I stand guard, the biting cold of the campsite gnawing at my bones. Each breath forms a mist before me, quickly disappearing into the dark. My hand, almost without thought, slides into the pocket of my heavy coat, fingering the small, cold gemstone I'd found in my treasure chest after the Arcane Scholar competition. Just a small piece, smooth and seemingly insignificant, yet I can't seem to part with it. It pulses in my hand, emitting a golden glow. Rolling it between my fingers provides an odd sort of comfort as I pace the perimeter, alert.

Everyone got what they wanted inside their chests. But I only got this stupid gemstone. I was ashamed to even show Rose—that this is what my heart really desires.

More fucking treasure.

Everyone is asleep, and only the low murmur of the wind reaches my ears. I pause, the gem pressing into the flesh of my thumb and forefinger and look towards the light seeping from the cracks of the cabin's wooden logs. The night is too quiet, the kind of quiet that feels like a breath held too long.

A shift in the air—a charge, thick and distinct—pulls my gaze upwards. The stars seem to flicker, as if mirroring some change I can't quite grasp. My hand tightens around the stone, its surface suddenly warm against my cold skin. The heat spreads, a slow crawl up my arm that makes me stop in my tracks.

A low hum, almost too quiet to hear or feel, vibrates through the soles of my boots. It comes from all around, an indescribable noise that pulls every hair on my body to stand on end. I turn, and the gemstone pulses to the beat of my racing heart.

Then, there's a boom. A gust of wind so fierce it almost knocks me off my feet. It rushes past, carrying with it the scent of ozone and something more. Something dark and foreign. I squint into the emptiness of the night, my hand remaining clenched around the gem.

Memories flicker at the edge of my vision—not fully formed, but shadows and whispers of moments I thought I'd forgotten. Laughter from the day before Kieran lost his parents, a searing pain of watching him break, desperate need to have my best friend back. A deal with a dark god. Each one flares with an intensity that's nearly overwhelming, then fades just as quickly as it came.

I'm moving before I realize it, striding away from the cabin, away from the murmurs and the magic. The need for space, for air, is overpowering. The ground underfoot crunches with frost, but I barely hear it over the rush of blood in my ears and the strange, rhythmic thumping that seems to sync with my heart—a heart that suddenly feels too full, too heavy.

As I drop to my knees, the snow seeps through my pants, biting at my skin, but it's the heat coursing through me that's unbearable now. The gemstone, no longer just a simple stone but a beam of raw, unfiltered emotion, burns in my hand. I'm gasping, air sharp in my lungs, as the realization hits—this isn't just a jewel. It's part of me, something vital and lost, now returning in waves that threaten to break me.

Eyes shut tight, I brace against the swell of sensations, each wave crashing harder than the last. It robs my breath, crushes my chest, sings in my lungs. Agony, ecstasy, grief, joy—they pass over me in blinding strokes, painting a visceral picture of a universe that I'm a part of, a universe that is part of me.

A surge of raw emotion courses through my veins, filling me with a sense of empowerment. I gasp for air, feeling whole and alive for the first time in what feels like an eternity. As if a heavy weight has been lifted off my chest, I am finally able to take a full, satisfying breath.

When I open my eyes, the world hasn't changed, but perhaps I have—a male remade, still kneeling in the frost, clutching what I now know is an empty vessel that carried my soul.

This is what I'd desired more than anything.

Kieran

Breakfast of eggs and jerky is ready by the time Rose and Chaos come down the cabin steps, and each of us freezes as we take in the twin marks on their necks.

"What the fuck is that?" Jax shoots to his feet, stalking over to them both. His eyes are wild, disbelieving as he tugs at the collar of Chaos' coat. He stumbles back, gripping his chest in a panic.

"Is that what I think it is?" Deakan glances up, his fork clattering to his plate.

Theo's expression hardens, the lines around his eyes deepening as he locks eyes with Chaos. "Rose must ascend within twenty-four hours of mating you," he states, the words heavy with a foreboding that sinks like a stone in my stomach. "We aren't ready. She isn't ready." His words are barely audible, so tinged in disbelief they scarcely leave his lips.

Mekhi tosses his empty plate down before crossing over to Chaos and shoving him. "Are you trying to fucking kill her? She isn't ready!"

As though a fog has cleared from their heads, Rose and Chaos glance at each other, both of their faces draining of all color.

"I didn't—we didn't—" Rose stammers.

"No." Chaos pulls Rose further away from the cabin before spinning around, hands on his head, gripping his hair in a full-blown panic attack. "No. No. No. No."

"Somebody better tell me what the fuck is going on right now," I shout.

"Twenty-four hours! She has twenty-four hours to ascend before this fucking asshole dies!" Jax gestures wildly, smoke billowing from his nostrils in his rage. "But she isn't ready! He's as good as killed our MATE!"

Theo's panicked, tear-streaked face turns towards Rose. "How many hours has it been?"

"I-It's been …" Rose's chin trembles, her voice wavering. "I don't know, maybe … eight or nine?"

A collective gasp of horror fills the air. Fifteen hours. Chaos is practically hyperventilating now, backing up until he hits the trunk of a tree.

"How did this happen?!" Mekhi parks in front of Chaos, shouting in his face. "YOU KNEW! You knew?—"

"Wait—"

The former witch shoves against Chaos' chest. "You knew she wasn't ready, but you mated her anyway, you fucking bastard, I'll?—"

"Stop!" Theo pulls Mekhi back, arm around his middle as he drags him away from the god. "Did each of you sleep with Rose in the cabin?" He glances at each of us, and one-by-one, we nod.

He focuses on the cabin for a long time before his attention turns back to Chaos. "Who did you say built the Aether Plains, along with these cabins?"

"A long-dead business partner. He built it for his mate, one he forced to bond with him," Rose chokes out.

Chaos doesn't appear to be coherent enough to answer. I cross over to her, pulling her into my arms. Her entire body trembles against mine, and I feel the despair through our bond.

Theo's eyes dart to the cabin, his face ashen. "For his mate. Is there any possibility that he built in some … some sort of aphrodisiac? Something that lowers inhibitions? There's no way you would've put her life at risk like this."

Chaos looks up abruptly, his eyes bloodshot and wide with horror. "It's … it's possible." A gasp ripples through the group, and despair threatens to crash over us like a tsunami. "He was in love with a witch who didn't reciprocate his feelings. Who knows what desperate measures he might've taken … oh gods, Rose."

At the sound of her name, she shivers violently in my arms. I tighten my hold on her.

"Okay." Theo lets go of Mekhi and begins to pace. "So, we have fifteen hours to get out of Aether Plains and back to Sanctuary for ascension?—"

"Three."

Collectively, each of us whips our heads to where Chaos sits in front of the towering pine.

"What did you just say?" Deakan breathes.

Chaos's tear-soaked face tilts towards the sky as he rests his head against the trunk of the frozen tree. "Fifteen hours, minus the twelve hours I forfeited by giving Jax his soul back."

Panic claws at my chest. It takes us days just to get to the next cabin. There's no way we're going to make it.

"What?" Rose sobs, pushing out of my arms so she can fall at his feet. "What?!" She clutches his coat, shaking him.

Chaos just shakes his head, tears rolling freely down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, my soul," he whispers through choked sobs. "I had no other choice."

"But you promised!" Rose cries out, her hands clenched tightly in his coat. "You promised we would make it back. That we would all make it back!" Keening wails peel from her throat as she clings to the god, as though her grip alone could save him.

There's silence then, a deafening quiet as Rose's sobs echo through the frozen tundra. The whispering of the trees seems to hush, the constant chatter of the wind has gone still, as if bowing in respect to our despair.

"I'm sorry," Chaos repeats, his voice a bare whisper against her cries.

With a jolt of fear, I find my voice. "There must be another way," I implore, wheeling to face Theo who's now standing frozen, his mask giving way to helplessness.

Theo shakes his head slowly, the usual fire in his eyes now extinguished. "If we try to ascend now, there's a good chance several of us will die trying. It's too soon. But if we don't ascend in three hours, Chaos dies. And so does all magic."

Deakan's normally tan face pales. "Either way, someone dies."

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