Sebastian’s free hand curled into a fist at his side. “I wouldn’t have cared about that – my fate was sealed anyway. At least you would have survived!”
“I chose you,” she said firmly. “And I chose the truth.”
He shook his head at her, aghast. “You were going to burn for–” He stopped, took a deep breath. “You are completely insane, Kara Hale.”
“Maybe. But so are you. So we match.” She smiled faintly. Then, more seriously, she said, “I told them everything, Sebastian. I had to try and warn them. The vision – Draknor. All of it. But they didn’t believe me.”
“Of course they didn’t,” he muttered. “Stupid bastards.”
“He abstained,” Kara said. “My father. At my trial. Wouldn’t vote either way. Couldn’t bring himself to find me guilty but as soon as I was disobedient–”
“He wouldn’t stand with you,” Sebastian finished.
“No. He wouldn’t.” She waited for the pain of it to hit her. And it did. But it was softer than she expected.
Sebastian was quiet for a long moment. “You know, the more I hear about your father,” he said finally, “the more I want to kill him.”
Kara didn’t answer.
His voice dropped lower, venomous. “They almost had you executed, Kara. They deserve what’s coming.”
“And they almost did the same to you,” she said fiercely. “But we’re still here. And whilst we are, we stand. Not for the ones who would see us burn – but for everyone else, the ones who can’t fight back.”
He searched her face – his own wild with conflict – the desperate urge to choose her and damn everyone else. But slowly, some of his fury ebbed. He sighed. “Hells, Kara, you know I’d follow you anywhere.”
“We’ll need a plan. The Fire Shard will be heavily protected now. They’ll be expecting us to go for it,” she said.
Sebastian pulled a face. “Every soldier in Thorne will be guarding the routes in now. I don’t think fighting through them is an option, even for me.”
“So what do you recommend?”
“I could send a hawk to my father. Ask for information about the guard rotations,” he suggested. “Itmightbe enough to slip through.”
“Would he do that?” she asked, surprised.
“I don’t know how far he’s willing to go,” Sebastian said. “But it’s our best chance.”
It was the only plan they had. So they agreed to stay one more night. There were no more signs of soldiers, and Kara had not yet fully recovered. A heaviness sat in her chest, and her mind relived Cade’s laughter over and over, smelling smoke when she closed her eyes. Some wounds her magic couldn’t reach. The kind that lived in her mind, not her body.
It would take time.
It was better, by far, when she was in Sebastian’s arms. He watched her carefully, his presence doing more than any magic could. When her hands started shaking, he took them in his, pulled her closer. Told her she was safe, held her until she believed it. He’d ask what she needed. Didn’t push when she couldn’t answer. Made sure she was warm. Checked if she was hungry, thirsty. Constant, quiet care. He never stopped.
She tried to do the same for him. One of the reasons she wanted to stay was so that the man would actually get some sleep. He had been running on fury and fear for too long. The shadows under his eyes had begun to look like permanent bruises.
Their escape from the City had taken them east, into Sorrel territory. Luckily, Sorrel hawks were easy to come by. Tomorrow, they would send one north to Sebastian’s father, and begin a slow and careful journey back towards the Thorne–Fatàn border.
And pray Tobias responded.
If not, well, neither of them had talked about that yet. Instead, that night, they lay in each other’s arms, legs intertwined. Laughed together. Stole kisses, just because they could. Watched their magic dance until she couldn’t tell where hers ended and his began. It eased her shakiness. His magic didn’t just make her stronger; it made her steadier.
And through it all, one thought was louder than all the rest:
I love this man.
Not just because he saved her – though he had.
Not just because he’d risked his own life, his freedom – everything – though he’d done that too.
