Chapter 297: An Uncertain Future (Ryder's POV)

(Ryder's POV)

Kate had fallen asleep beside me on the sofa, her breathing calm and steady.

I meant what I had said earlier. No one was going to take her anywhere she didn’t want to go. She might have these crazy abilities, she might be tied to the Elysian Line in ways I couldn't fully understand, but she was still a person. Her own person. She deserved to have control over her life.

Just because someone has the talent or the ability to do something doesn’t mean they’re obligated to follow that path. And just because she was born into something didn’t mean that has to be her entire future.

If Kate wanted something else, she should be free to pursue whatever was going to make her happy.

I looked down at her, resting against my chest. I ran my fingers through her hair, grateful to have her back. She looked so peaceful, so innocent in that moment. But there was so much weight resting on her shoulders. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. The Elysian Line, Harlan, The Elders... all these