Because Phoenix was right about one thing—I did want her. And that made everything more dangerous. For her. For all of us.
I thought of Elira—those sharp, electric-blue eyes that sparked like gas flames when she was angry. The way she stood toe-to-toe with men twice her size, like a cornered kitten daring the world to come at her. All claws and no fear. A little wildcat.
Despite myself, I chuckled under my breath.
Phoenix caught it. “I think she’s starting to like us too, you know.”
“Ha.” I shook my head. “She hates me. She’ll never forgive me for taking her away from her friend.”
Phoenix’s voice softened. “What happened to him?”
“We let him go. Back into the city. He was harmless. Just a street rat. Didn’t do anything wrong.”
Phoenix’s brow lifted. “Does the king know that?”
I stiffened. “He doesn’t need to know every little move I make.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “You soft bastard.”
I shot him a look. "Shut up."
Phoenix leaned back, looking way too pleased with himself. "So what do we do with our little ghost? Try wooing her?"
I scoffed. "She'd chew you up and spit you out. Girl’s too damn sharp for that."
Phoenix laughed, rough and easy. "You almost sound like you admire our little shadowmancer."
I clenched my jaw. "I don't. She's an infuriating little gnat, always throwing herself into danger for people who don't deserve it. She's reckless. A damn fool."
I looked away. "She’s gonna get herself killed trying to save a world that’s never done a damn thing for her."
Phoenix studied me, something calculating flickering behind his eyes. “Maybe that’s the key.”
I shot him a sidelong glance. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Her heart," he said simply. "It’s what made her break into the keep to help her friend. It's why she risked everything to save that soldier in the king’s chambers. She’s got a saviour complex."
He leaned forward, a slow, dangerous smile tugging at the edge of his mouth.
"So why don’t we give her someone to save?"
I looked at my friend, thinking carefully. “You’re thinking Green Valley?”
“It’s not a stupid idea," Phoenix said. "If she can see we aren’t all monsters—”
“We barely know this girl, and you want to trust her with something like that? You’re insane.”
“Thorne—”
“No, Phoenix." My voice cut sharper than I intended. "We don’t even know where she came from. Hell,shedoesn’t even know where she came from.”
Phoenix’s mouth tightened. “She’s no friend of Ashton, that’s for sure.”
“Maybe not." I raked a hand through my hair, frustrated. "But what about the rest of the world? She could have ties we don’t know about. People she'd choose over us without blinking. We’re playing with fire, and you want to hand her a match.”
Phoenix’s jaw flexed. “Until Ashton gets what he wants from all of us,” he muttered.
“I’m not saying that,” I snapped, sharper than I meant. “We just need him confident we have her under control. Then he’ll let her stay with us.”
