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Wren’s gaze snapped up to hers, her eyes wide with surprise. ‘You’re sure?’

Thea pressed it into her sister’s palm. ‘No. But I need everything I have in my arsenal to find him, to beat him.’

Wren seemed to understand, her fingers closing around the stone. ‘Consider it done.’

To Thea’s surprise, Wren took the piece of jade to the small fire crackling in the hearth and dropped it into the flames. She watched on, fascinated, as the flames turned green for a second, burning the alchemy from the stone.

As she watched, she felt her magic seize inside her, flaring to life, feeding off the turmoil within, stronger than ever before.

Moments later, Wren removed the fate stone from the fire and set it aside to cool before she went to the bag she’d set down and rummaged through its contents. She produced a package wrapped in cloth and bound by twine, holding it out to Thea.

‘Audra said to give this to you.’

Frowning, Thea took it, turning it over in her hands. ‘What is it?’

‘She called it a name day present, for a week’s time. It’s something to help you with your power on the road. Now that there’s another one of us out there, Audra’s more determined than ever to see us master our storms.’

Thea stiffened at those words, but decided not to open the parcel then and there. Instead she packed it away with the rest of her belongings, hesitating before she spoke again. ‘How do you do it?’

‘Do what?’

‘Master the magic?’ she asked, her chest tight.

Her sister smiled then. ‘I have far from mastered it, Thee, but when I manage to make it work…’

‘Yes?’ Thea pressed, her stomach fluttering.

‘Let go. Stop trying to control it.You are the storm.What does your lightning and thunder tell you?’

Thea stared at her sister, her magic seeming to respond to the words alone.

‘I am the storm,’ she echoed firmly, inhaling her first easy breath in days.

* * *

When Thea got to the stables, she saw instantly that Wilder’s stallion was gone. It was another knife to the heart, knowing that he’d planned his betrayal far enough in advance to ensure his horse would remain with him.

She set about saddling her mare, the stable hands keeping far away from her as she worked.

The Shadow of Death, she heard them murmur in awe.

Thea hadn’t bothered with farewells. She wasn’t sure she could stand the pitying looks, the question on everyone’s lips.

How did she not know?

She was asking herself the same fucking thing, over and over again.

Gritting her teeth, she tried to ignore the ache in her chest as she mounted up and rode from the stables, through the gates of Notos.

It was the first time she’d ridden alone. The first time she’d had a mission of her own as a Guardian of the midrealms.

The thought left her feeling hollow.

Consulting the map Wilder had left her, she decided on her first stop.

Ironhelm.A Guardian garrison closest to the eastern wall of the Veil, where numerous tears had been reported.

Thea rode to the edge of Notos’ citadel and looked out onto the golden lands beyond.