Page 144 of Stormvein

“I want her to see the consequences of every choice she made. Every life lost because of the information she provided. Every family destroyed because she decided their lives mattered less than her comfort.” I stop walking and lean against a tree. “If she dies here, people will believe she was lost in the fight against Sereven. They need to know the truth.”

Behind us, Lisandra is still gasping for breath, the sound harsh and ragged in the mountain silence.

“She has to come back to Stonehaven with us. Not hidden away behind excuses for her absence, but as the traitor she is. People need to see what betrayal looks like. What it costs.”

She reaches out, her fingers wrapping around mine. “How did Sereven know my name?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think Lisandra might know something?”

“I think she knows more than she’s admitted to. But that will have to wait until we’re safe.” I turn to look back toward the camp. “We’ll rest for a few hours here, then continue back to Stonehaven.”

The few hours turn into longer than planned. My raven reports soldiers searching the areas nearby, their torches moving like fireflies through the darkness, and we can’t risk being seen. So we remain motionless, weapons ready, and wait to either be discovered or for the soldiers to pass us by.

I use shadows to keep us hidden, weaving them through the air like a net that turns eyes away from our location. When the patrols get too close, I use Voidcraft to create distractions. Sounds that send their attention in the opposite direction. Shadows that look like movement in areas far from where we huddle in the cold.

Eventually, they move on, their search pattern taking them further into the mountains, and we can finally break camp.

The journey back to Stonehaven becomes a careful game of avoidance. Lisandra rides between guards, hands bound to the saddle horn, shadows wrapped around her to prevent any attempt at escape. She’s gagged once more, but I catch her watching Ellie with an intensity that makes the hairs rise on the back of my neck. Whatever she knows, she’s keeping it locked away, probably to use as a bargaining chip later.

By the second day, exhaustion weighs heavy on everyone. We haven’t risked stopping for more than an hour here and there, and the horses’ steps grow labored despite our careful pace. But we push on, driven by the need to reach the safety of Stonehaven.

The mountain path unfolds before us, revealing Stonehaven’s hidden entrance, and relief passes through the group in an almost physical wave. Safety. A place where we can finally stop looking over our shoulders.

But even as we approach the hidden door, my mind keeps replaying the confrontation at Blackstone Ridge. Sereven’s face when he saw Ellie. The way his voice broke on her name. Recognition, yes, but not only that. There was alsofear. A gut-deep terror that doesn’t make sense. He shouldn’t know her name. Not from a world he’s never touched. Not when it only came to me in dreams I don’t understand.

The more distance we put between ourselves and Blackstone Ridge, the more the questions twist around each other, growing thorns and taking root. There’s a pattern forming here, connections I can’t quite see yet. But I can feel them pulling together like threads in a tapestry, and I have the uncomfortable feeling that when the picture finally becomes clear, none of us are going to like what it reveals.

For now, my focus needs to remain on our immediate safety. I push these questions aside, and send my raven higher to scout the area. There are no immediate threats, but Authority patrols have been sighted in the surrounding valleys.

I know Sereven won’t abandon pursuit easily. Not after what happened, and seeing how Ellie’s power merged with mine against his crystal weapon. If anything, it will make him more determined, especially now that he knows his torture of my body wasn’t successful. His failure will make him relentless.

The man who protected my back is long gone, replaced by someone who would destroy anything that threatens the Authority’s control.

Varam moves ahead, leading everyone to the section of rock face that hides the entrance to Stonehaven. My familiarcontinues its patrol overhead, while we wait for Varam to open the doorway.

Ellie shifts in the saddle, exhaustion evident in the slump of her shoulders, despite her determination to stay alert. She’s pushed herself hard over the past few days, keeping up with fighters who’ve spent their lives in these mountains, never complaining despite the cold and the pace and the constant threat of discovery.

Varam emerges from the darkness. “We’re clear to go inside.”

“Move quickly,” I tell everyone. “Dismount. Single file. Minimum noise.”

One by one, the fighters lead their horses through the hidden entrance. Lisandra is escorted inside under watchful eyes. I remain outside with Ellie until everyone else has passed safely through, scanning our surroundings one final time.

“After you.”

She doesn’t move at first, her gaze meeting mine. “How are you going to explain about Lisandra, and what happened at Blackstone Ridge?”

“Security first. Then answers.” I gesture toward the entrance. “But not until we’re safely inside.”

She nods, and steps through the entrance. It’s a sign of how tired she is that she doesn’t argue with me, doesn’t demand explanations that I’m not yet ready to give. I follow behind her, ensuring the rock face seals properly behind us, leaving no trace of our passage. Not that it matters. Sereven knows Stonehaven exists. It’s only a matter of time before he finds the entrance, if Lisandra hasn’t already supplied him with the information.

The familiar amber glow of lightstones greets us, illuminating the passageway that leads deeper into the mountain fortress.

Once we’re all inside, we move quietly through side passages, avoiding the main caverns where our arrival mightdraw unwanted attention. The fewer people who know about Lisandra’s betrayal for now, the better. I need control over the flow of information until I decide what comes next. No one speaks until we’re inside my quarters, and the heavy door closes securely behind us.

“Take her to the lower room,” I tell Varam. “Four guards on rotation. No one speaks to her without you or me there.”