Page 119 of Stormvein

“I never use it.” She looks down at her hands, where silver sparks between her fingers, then back up at me. “I’ve always gone by Ellie. I don’t think anyone has ever called me Elowen since I was a child.” Her tongue flicks out again, and my eyes track the path it takes across her bottom lip. “It sounds different when you say it.”

She’s quiet for a long moment. I reach across the space between us, my hand hovering over hers for a second, before I link my fingers with hers.

“I always felt like I didn’t belong. In Chicago, I mean. Like I was waiting for something that never came.”

“Until you arrived here.” My thumb strokes over the inside of her wrist.

“Yes.” Her gaze finds mine again, vulnerable and fierce all at once. “Until I found you in the tower.” Her fingers tighten around mine, and for a moment, that silver light tangles around us both.

“She also mentioned Blackstone Ridge.” The dream is coming back to me in fragments. “She called it a place where truth can no longer be buried.”

“Then that’s another reason why you have to let me be there.”

Before I can say anything else, there’s a knock at the outer chamber door—three quick taps followed by two slower ones.

“That will be Varam. We should get ready to leave.”

I throw back the covers and stand, reaching for my clothes. Once dressed, I turn back to where Ellie is still sitting on the bed. Using one knee for balance on the mattress, I lean closer to cup her face between my palms.

“We’ll talk about this more, Mel’shira, but right now preparations for travel must take priority.”

“I know.” She nods and reaches up to press a kiss against my lips. “The Vareth’el must attend to his duty.” Her smile softens her words.

My thumb strokes over her lip. “Know that the man wishes it didn’t have to be that way.”

Before she can reply, I walk out. Varam is waiting in the outer chamber. He nods when he sees me.

“The escort for Lisandra is ready. We’ve put out the story that she’s traveling to a secondary outpost as part of an expedition to confirm information the Authority captain supplied. Information too important to be left to a simple scouting patrol.”

I nod. “Make sure she’s properly secured, but not visibly restrained. Anyone watching must believe she’s traveling willingly.”

Ellie comes through the door, holding a small pack. “How are we getting you out without the rest of Stonehaven finding out that you’re completely healed?”

“We’re not.”

Her brows lift slightly. “You’re just going to walk through Stonehaven like the second coming?”

“I … don’t know what that means. But yes, it’s time they learned the truth. Rumors are already spreading about whether I’m dead or alive. The uncertainty served me well while we were searching for the traitor. Now I’d rather control the moment, than let it twist in whispers.”

“But everyone at once? Won’t that cause chaos?”

“Controlledchaos. The Veinwarden leaders have had time to prepare. They’ll manage the reactions while we’re gone.”

Varam clears his throat. “There’s something else. The last patrol returned with reports of increased Authority movement near the northeastern passes. They’ve been repositioning scouts. Light forces. Possibly staging for something larger.”

That doesn’t surprise me. “Sereven is going to assume the worst, and act accordingly. He hasn’t remained in power for this many years through luck alone. It changes nothing about the plan. If anything, it confirms his desperation to ensure I’ve been eliminated.”

Varam nods, but I can see the concern in Ellie’s eyes.

“We leave within the hour.”

Once we’re ready, we step out of my quarters and walk through Stonehaven’s passageways toward the main cavern. I don’t pretend to be injured or weak. I walk with my head held high, shadows occasionally dancing between my fingertips, a living testament to what Sereven failed to destroy.

Word spreads ahead of us like fire through dry grass. The whispers start, then falter into silence as people see me. Fighters stop mid-conversation, healers pause in gathering potted-herbs, baskets forgotten. Families gather in groups, bowing low as I walk past. Their expressions mirror their disbelief, shock giving way to wonder, confusion to cautious joy.

In the main cavern, a crowd has already formed, fighters pressing forward to witness the rumors that preceded our walk. Some reach out to touch me, to verify I’m real and not some elaborate deception or spirit conjured from grief. I let them. Others drop to their knees, hands pressed over their hearts, heads bowed in reverence they’d never give to the Authority.

Ellie is tense beside me, uncomfortable with the display and so many eyes on us, yet I stand straighter, absorbing the energy of their hope and fear. This is what Sereven could neverunderstand. Power isn’t what you take, it’s what people are willing to give you.