Page 161 of Stormvein

“If it’s true, if they planned all this … the Veinblood masters, maybe my parents too, decided my entire life for me. They sent me to grow up alone in a world where I never quite fit, feeling like I didn’t belong anywhere.”

Sacha is quiet for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “And yet?” he prompts.

I search my feelings, looking for the anger that should be there, the sense of violation at having my fate decided before I could even speak. Instead, I find something unexpected.

“And yet I don’t feel angry. I feel ... purpose.” I look down at my hands, at our linked fingers, at the power flowing visibly beneath my skin. “Like all those years of feeling out of place were preparing me for this moment. For coming back.”

“For facing Sereven.”

“He recognized me. Hefearedme. Not only for who I was then, but for who I am now.” I flex my fingers, watching the light respond. “For what we discovered we can do together at Blackstone Ridge.”

“Our combined power affected his crystal in ways he clearly didn’t anticipate.”

“That’s the key, isn’t it?” The realization turns uncertainty into excitement. “It’s not what my power can do alone, it’s what happens when it merges with yours. That’s what terrified him.”

Sacha’s expression grows more focused. “The crystal separated what was joined, and joined what was separate.” That’s what Telren found in the archives.”

“And when our powers combined—” My heart beats faster as the connections form.

“We defied that separation,” he finishes.

I can almost feel the puzzle pieces sliding together, forming a clearer picture. “That’s why he called me Elowen with such fear. He recognized me, yes, but more importantly, he recognized what was happening between our powers.”

“‘Two forces never meant to meet shall intertwine,’" Sacha quotes from the prophecy. “‘Their union defies the patterns of ages past.’”

The words send a shiver down my spine.

“Maybe it’s not about who I am,” I say, my thoughts racing ahead. “Maybe it’s about who we are together.” I pull my hand free from beneath his and hold it palm out.

Without hesitation, Sacha raises his hand to mirror mine, shadows flowing between his fingers. He doesn’t touch me, but holds his hand near mine. His power reaches toward me, creating swirling patterns in the narrow space between our palms.

“If that’s true, then Sereven’s fear makes even more sense. Not just of you returning, but of you returning and finding me.”

“You really believe we can bring down the Authority, don’t you?”

“Yes.” The certainty in that single word is absolute. “More now than ever.”

I look at him,reallylook at him. The determination in his eyes, the set of his jaw. This is a man who survived twenty-seven years in a tower without breaking. Who endured torture that should have killed him, and emerged stronger.

My body releases some of the tension it’s been holding, shoulders dropping and my breath coming easier. The storm inside me doesn’t disappear, but it calms, finding focus instead of chaos.

“I need to know who I am. Where I came from. What happened to my parents.”

“I know.” His hand finds mine, fingers intertwining. The contact sends a surge of warmth through me, and with it, a rush of energy. His shadows curl around our joined hands, my light pulses between our fingers.

“We’ll learn more tomorrow with Lisandra.” Sacha pushes to his feet, the movement fluid, and turns to tug me up alongside him. Our hands remain connected. “She may have insights others lack.”

I rise, standing close enough to feel the warmth of his body.

“Do you think she’ll tell us the truth? She’s been lying about where her loyalties lie for years.”

His mouth curves into a grim smile. “She has little reason to lie at this point. Her betrayal is discovered, her position lost. Information is her only remaining currency.” His thumb traces small circles over my wrist. “And she knows what I’m capable of if I discover more deception. There are far more worse things than death.”

“Thank you. For all of this. For helping me search, for not telling me to focus on defeating Sereven and ignore the questions.”

“Your identity matters, Ellie. It has nothing to do with what it might mean for our fight, but because you deserve to know. Everyone deserves to know where they came from.”

I study his face in the dim light, the sharp planes and angles that I once thought were too severe to be handsome.