Page 68 of Stormvein (The Veinbound Trilogy #2)

Chapter Thirty

ELLIE

If you cannot trust the hand, watch the hesitation.

Wisdom of the Wandering Sages

A hand on my shoulder, gentle but insistent, pulls me from sleep. I blink against the gray light of pre-dawn, forcing my eyes open, disoriented for a moment before reality settles around me.

Camp. Blackstone Ridge. Sereven.

“It’s time.” Sacha’s voice is low, carrying an undercurrent of tension that chases away the last wisps of sleep.

I sit up, and look around. The camp is already in motion. Fighters checking weapons, readying horses, preparing for what might be coming. Varam is standing near the edge of the clearing, speaking in hushed tones with two scouts.

“How long before we get there?” I get to my feet, and gather up my bedroll and pack.

“Less than two hours, if we can keep a steady pace. We need to make sure everyone is ready before Sereven arrives.”

My gaze moves to where Lisandra is still sitting beneath a tree, fully alert and looking around. She hasn’t been released yet. Her eyes meet mine. I force myself not to look away. After a second, she inclines her head, and breaks eye contact.

“Is she really going to go through with it?” I keep my voice low. “Walk up to Sereven with your message?”

“She will.” His voice is cool, not cruel exactly, but absolute in a way that still unsettles me despite everything we’ve been through. “She understands the consequences of attempting another escape.”

Two fighters walk over to Lisandra while I watch, untying her from the tree trunk and helping her to her feet.

They’re more careful with her than I expected, given her actions yesterday.

Their hands are firm but not rough as they check the bindings at her wrists, ensuring they’re secure.

One offers a waterskin, which she accepts with a small nod.

I watch this exchange with conflicted emotions.

This woman betrayed Sacha. She orchestrated his capture and torture.

She held a knife to my throat. The memory of her desperate eyes as she threatened me sends ice through my veins.

And yet something about seeing her bound, accepting water with that small, dignified nod, makes my chest tighten uncomfortably.

She made terrible choices, but in her mind, she was protecting Stonehaven. Does that justify what she did? Does her intention matter when the consequences were so devastating? I think of how Sacha looked when we found him in that cage—flayed, branded, infection burning through him.

How different would my choices be if I’d grown up in this world, watched friends die, and lived in fear of discovery?

Does it even matter?

Sacha touches my arm, drawing my attention back to him. “Stay close to me today. No matter what happens.”

“That was our agreement.”

He studies me for a moment, eyes moving over my face. “Yes, it was.” There’s an intensity to his words.

Everyone mounts their horses, forming into the small groups that will approach Blackstone Ridge from different directions.

Sacha and I will travel with Varam and two others, positioning ourselves on the high ground overlooking the meeting place.

The largest group will circle to the western approach, ready to move in and grab Lisandra after she delivers Sacha’s message.

As we ride, the sun begins to rise over the mountain peaks, casting long shadows across the ground. Sacha sends his raven ahead, scouting our path. The mist stalker remains inside me, but I can feel it stirring, responding to the tension building.

“Authority scouts.” Sacha’s voice is soft. “Three of them, moving along the eastern slope.”

Varam signals immediately, directing our small party into a sheltered ravine until they pass. We wait in tense silence, horses standing patient and still as the minutes stretch. My heart is pounding so loudly, I’m certain it will give away our position.

“Clear,” Sacha says eventually. His familiar must have confirmed that the scouts have moved on.

We resume our approach, more cautious now.

The landscape grows increasingly rugged as we near the ridge.

Rocky outcroppings jut from the earth, sparse trees providing minimal cover, the path narrowing between stone walls that rise on either side.

The air grows thinner, colder as we ascend, carrying the mineral scent of stone and dry earth.

Each step of our horses dislodges small cascades of pebbles that sound deafening in the otherwise silent approach.

The black stones that give the ridge its name come into view, huge formations of obsidian-dark rock that seem to absorb the morning light rather than reflect it. Even from a distance, there’s something ominous about them, as if they’re watching our approach with ancient patience.

“We leave the horses here,” Sacha says when we reach a small hollow sheltered by an overhanging rock. “We need to go the rest of the way on foot.”

I dismount, legs stiff from riding, and pull out my waterskin. Sacha moves to my side as I drink, and holds out a small knife.

“What’s this?” I take it from him, frowning.

“Your control over your power is getting better, but still unpredictable, and we haven’t had a chance to teach you how to use it to defend yourself. Keep this tucked into your belt, just in case.”

“Just in case of what? ”

He shakes his head. “Remember, no matter what happens, stay hidden.”

Something about his tone raises red flags in my mind. “What aren’t you telling me?”

His fingers lift and brush over my cheek. “Sereven is bound to have the crystal weapon with him.”

The image of that terrible blue light tearing through Sacha’s shadows rises to the front of my memory.

“If he uses it.” His fingers move beneath my chin, and he tips my head up, meeting my eyes. “ When he uses it, don’t interfere. No matter what you see.”

“But—”

“Promise me, Ellie.”

The intensity in his voice stops my protest. He’s not trying to exert control, he’s trying to keep me safe.

“I promise to try. That’s the best I can offer. You would say the same if our positions were reversed.”

I know he’d prefer complete obedience, but we’ve moved beyond that dynamic … if it ever existed in the first place. Whatever happens today, we’ll face it as equals. Different but balanced, each with our own power, our own purpose.

He accepts my compromise with a slight nod. His thumb strokes along my jawline. “Yes, I would.”

His head lowers, and his lips touch mine in a kiss so brief that he’s stepped back before I can react, leaving me gaping at him in shock at his clear public display.

“Are you coming or staying with the horses, Ellie?” His voice drifts back to me, snapping me out of my frozen state, and making me hurry to catch up to them.

We climb steadily toward the high ground that will give us a perfect view of the meeting place.

The ground grows more treacherous with each step—loose stones threatening to roll beneath our feet, narrow paths forcing us to climb in single file.

Sacha leads, I follow behind, with Varam and the others bringing up the rear.

“There.” Sacha stops when we reach a rocky outcropping near the summit. “Blackstone Ridge.”

I step up beside him, following where he points.

Below us spreads a natural hollow, partially surrounded by the towering rock formations that give it its name.

Black stones rise on three sides, creating an amphitheater-like space only on the southern approach.

The ground within is flat, covered in sparse grass and scattered stones.

“Where will she meet Sereven?”

“In the center of the hollow. Maximum visibility from all sides, which also means maximum danger for Lisandra.”

“And for you, if Sereven realizes you’re here.”

Something flickers across his face—not quite denial, but not quite agreement either.

“Our position gives us an advantage. Height, distance, multiple escape routes if needed, and the rocks are dark enough that I can use shadows to hide us without it being obvious to anyone looking.”

Varam instructs the fighters to take their positions—one to our left watching the eastern approach, another to our right monitoring the western path. Varam positions himself behind us, watching our backs.

“When will they arrive?” I settle behind a large boulder that offers concealment and a view of the hollow below.

“Lisandra should be approaching from the south now. Sereven will come from the east. He’ll be cautious and want to confirm she’s alone before coming out into the open.”

“How many guards will he bring?”

“I don’t know. Most will be positioned out of sight. Some will be watching from positions similar to ours.”

My stomach tightens into knots. We could be being watched just as we are watching. Authority soldiers could be positioned in places around us, monitoring our movements.

Sacha must guess my thoughts, because he touches my arm. “The raven has confirmed no one is here yet, no one is watching us. But stay low. Any movement could draw attention.”

We wait in tense silence while the sun climbs higher, its light shining down on the hollow below.

I find myself holding my breath when a small figure appears at the southern approach.

Lisandra, walking alone toward the center of the space.

Her hands are unbound now, part of the necessary illusion that she’s here of her own volition.

“She’s early.” Varam’s voice is tense.

“Deliberately. It’s a message to Sereven that she’s eager to deliver her information. Making him believe she fears failing him.” Sacha’s voice is soft and sure.

From where I’m positioned, I can see how still Lisandra stands when she finally reaches the center of the hollow. She waits there, head high, hands linked together in front of her.

Minutes pass by with excruciating slowness.

Then movement at the eastern approaches draws my attention. A group emerges from the shadow of the black stones—about a dozen figures walking slowly in a group.