Page 38 of Stormvein

Maybe courage, once kindled, cannot be entirely extinguished.

And that thought, close to the end of my life, brings something that might almost be called peace.

Chapter Nine

ELLIE

What is taken in darkness returns changed. Always.

The Nature of Veinblood Rebirth

My hands won’t stop shaking.No matter how tightly I grip the reins, the tremors persist. It’s not exhaustion, it’s something deeper, more complex.

Fear, and rage, and worry that we won’t make it on time.

We’ve been riding through the night, pushing the horses to the limits of their endurance to reach Glassfall Gap before the convoy carrying Sacha gets there. The mountain path twists and turns ahead of us, barely visible in the early morning light. Stones clatter beneath hooves, echoing through the silence. Every second matters, every moment takes Sacha closer to Blackvault and whatever horror awaits him there. The name alone makes my stomach twist.

Blackvault.

A place that made even Varam look sick when he spoke about it.

“We’re approaching the pass,” Varam calls from the lead position. “Glassfall Gap is just beyond.”

Fifteen fighters follow him in tight formation, faces grim with determination. My position in the center of the group isn’t a coincidence. They’re keeping me protected, surrounded. The light inside me flickers with every surge of emotion, harder to control as exhaustion sets in. We’ve been riding for nearly fourteen hours with only brief stops to rest the horses.

The mist stalker keeps pace alongside us, its form more substantial than ever. It runs gracefully over the rough ground, sometimes disappearing briefly only to reappear ahead of us. Unlike the horses, it shows no sign of fatigue. If anything, it appears to be growing stronger with each passing mile.

Mira pulls her mount alongside mine, her expression troubled. “You need to stay hidden when we reach the gap.” It’s not the first time she’s said it. “Your …” She waves her hand at my arms. “That could give us away before we’re ready.”

“I know.” Frustration bleeds into my voice despite my best efforts to stop it. “You’ve all made that very clear.” I meet her gaze. “I’m sorry. I … I can’t stand the thought of staying back when he’s so close.”

“It’s not about the light.” Her voice drops. “Your power is unpredictable. If you lose control during the ambush?—”

“Isaid Iunderstand!” The silver flashes again, breaking through the fabric of my tunic. The mist stalker turns toward me, the hackles on its back rising.

Mira’s features soften. “We all want him back, Ellie. But we can’t risk?—”

“The mission. Iknow.” I force my breathing to slow. “I’ll stay out of sight until it’s over.”

“No,notthe mission.” She reaches over to grasp my arm, squeezing gently. “We can’t risk losingyou. We’ve lost him, we …Idon’t want to lose you as well.”

I stare at her. She holds my gaze.

“You’ve become important to us, Ellie. Not because of whatever power you’re developing, but for who you are.”

There’s a burning sensation behind my eyes, and I blink rapidly, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip. She squeezes my arm again, then releases me.

“So, you’ll stay hidden, yes?”

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. She stays beside me until the path forces us to go back to single file.

The sky has lightened by the time we reach the pass, the darkness giving way to a deep, cloudless blue. Below us, a narrow path winds through the valley toward a sharp break in the cliffs. Glassfall Gap is within sight. Even from this distance, the crystals embedded in the rock catch the first rays of dawn. They glitter like broken mirrors, and seeing them sends a chill up my spine. They remind me too much of the crystal Sereven used at River Crossing.

Varam raises a hand when we reach a small clearing. “Dismount. We’ll go the rest of the way on foot. Hooves will echo through the valley, and announce our presence to anyone listening.”

I swing down from my saddle, legs stiff from hours in the same position. The silver that is a constant presence now has faded, but not disappeared. It still shifts below the surface, giving my skin a slight sheen. It’s getting harder to control the brightness, the longer I stay awake. And I find myself constantly touching Sacha’s ring through my tunic, drawing strength from its presence.

We secure the horses in the sheltered grove. It’s off the path and hidden from view, with enough vegetation and a small stream to keep the horses fed and watered while we’re gone. Varam issues quiet instructions to the men gathered around him. Archers will take high positions, and the rest will face the incoming Authority on the ground.