MasukARAHEENThe words left her reeling. It was the last thing she had expected to hear from her father. Questions crowded her mind, and she had no idea where to begin.“How…” Araheen murmured. She knew her mother had once been a scholar—born into a family of them—but she couldn’t imagine her discovering something like Awakening while the rest of the sylphs remained unaware.“Your mother was a highly curious woman,” her father said. “She told me of the things she learned and uncovered—some so blasphemous that when she was younger, the Oracles took her away to the Isle of the Broken and kept her there for a time.”Her memories of her mother were few, given how young she had been when she died. But now, it felt as though she had never known her at all.“A few years after our union, she confessed to me that she had discovered the Sylph Awakening on the Isle of the Bro
ARAHEENShe was surprised to see the Crescent Tower in ruins—unlike the Grand Castle, which had already been restored to its pristine state when they flew over it moments ago.“You’re not going to repair the tower?” she asked as they dismounted.“Lord Zephyr has no intention of doing so,” Theobald said, feeding the bird with a large python he pulled from a satchel strapped to the mount’s side. “He said the tower is merely a symbol of the High Council’s inflated sense of superiority. That they like watching their enemies suffer for their own amusement.”Araheen glanced back at the half-broken structure and realized parts of it remained intact—likely shielded by sigils Garud had not managed to destroy.“It will be brought down soon enough,” her stepbrother added, giving the eagle a single stroke along its neck before guiding Araheen toward the walkable paths inside the tower.“Where’s the Warden?”“I killed him,” he rep
ARAHEENRiding on Garud was unsettling, but it was nothing compared to the unease gnawing at her over Gildeon and the others. Zephyr had assured her no more harm would come to them as long as they were locked away, unable to interfere, but part of her still couldn’t be at peace.And then there was whatever fate awaited her—wherever Zephyr was taking her.“You’ve been quiet,” Zephyr said, turning his head slightly over his shoulder.“Forgive me if I have nothing pleasant to say to my captor,” she replied.He ignored the sarcasm in her tone. “I’m not your captor, and you’re not my prisoner,” he said, his gaze returning to the horizon.“If I’m not, then you shouldn’t be keeping me against my will. You can let me go and—”“I can,” he cut in. “Let you go. But you know I would find you again. There’s nowhe
ARAHEENA tight, creeping cold spread through her back. She had anticipated this moment, prepared herself for the worst—but now she realized she hadn’t been prepared at all. Fear paralyzed her, fogging her mind. She couldn’t think of her next move.“We’re waiting,” Zephyr said low, flexing his fingers at his sides. The coils of wind tightened around Yadira and Eitan, forcing strained sounds from their throats. Blood seeped from their ears, eyes, and mouths, and Eitan’s body struggled to regrow his severed arm.Araheen could not bear it any longer. At last, she moved, drawing her hands behind her back, her sigil needle working against her left palm in one final attempt to save them all. She then slid the needle back into her hair and summoned her owl to carry her down toward the camp.As she did, her eyes darted upward, widening at the sight of Garud. A moose she had hunted not long ago was clenche
ARAHEENGildeon’s body was already stretched to its limits. If she didn’t act soon, he would be in real danger.Yadira and Eitan supported her decision. It was Kohina, surprisingly, who opposed her plan to shut down the Prisoner Sigil, arguing that this was not what Gildeon would have wanted.“He put himself in that situation so you wouldn’t end up in Zephyr’s hands,” Kohina added.“And if he dies, I won’t be able to live anyway!” she snapped, her lips trembling.Silence fell over them.Araheen drew a steady breath. “I’m doing it whether you agree or not,” she said, finality in her tone. Then she sank onto her heels and placed a hand at the back of Gildeon’s neck. Kohina said nothing more and allowed her to work.She drew on her power, and the sigil began to glow. Closing her eyes, she reached into its depths, like forcing open a vault seale
GILDEONHe lay at the grassy edge of the riverbank. Araheen sprawled over him, her body draped along his. Heat bled from him, drying the water on both of them, spreading through her until her shivers eased.This was peace—her blue hair damp against his skin, her cheek resting on the steady rise and fall of his chest.The feel of her made him forget the world burning down around them.“I could get used to this,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to his chest. “I won’t feel cold anymore.”His hand moved along her spine, fingers tracing each ridge with care. “Long as you keep ending up naked on me like this.”She rolled her eyes at him, and he let out a low, amused breath.Araheen reached for her phoenix dagger resting at their side.“I haven’t seen you use that yet,” he commented.She planted the tip into the ground and spun it lazily between he
ARAH“Then who did it?” she asked, her pulse pounding in her ears. Her mind flashed back to that night—to her terrifying encounters with each man. “Are you saying someone else gave the order?”“That is impossible,” the guard r
ARAHShe burst out of the back hallway, sensing the danger in the air. She froze in place, her eyes darting toward the plume of smoke curling up from the distant horizon. Fire crackled, likely coming from the direction of the main gate and watchtowers. Had the enemy blown them up with magic?Her stoma
ARAHShe stirred, her body feeling as if a boulder were pressing down on her. Her mind was hazy, her muscles sore, and her joints cracked with even the slightest movement. How long had she been asleep? Her mouth felt like sandpaper, and the bright light stung her eyes, tear
GILDEONHe yanked off his shirt, tossing it aside. Time to get serious. Individually, these three looked tough—tougher than that rogue crab witch he’d dealt with before. Gildeon could’ve faced them one by one, but he needed to see how they fought together.Half his arm shifted this time, controlled po







