189

189
The prisoner's remarks were heavy and oppressive, hanging in the air like an omen.

At first, Thalia did not move. Her thoughts raced, trying to figure out what those gruff, cryptic words meant. You were wrong to return.

Ryker was evaluating the prisoner with a tight stance and a keen look. "Go ahead and speak."

Breathing unevenly, the figure on the cot shuddered. Their voice remained faint as they swallowed, their throat adjusting to the strain. "Killian." A sloppy breath. He has consistently been one step ahead. He's been holding out.

Thalia and Ryker looked at each other. They knew Killian wouldn't do anything careless, but waiting? It suggested control and patience. It was a trait Killian had never learned.

"What are you waiting for?" Thalia stepped forward and asked.

With a look of hesitation on their face, the prisoner's bloodshot eyes briefly shifted to her. And then, just above a murmur, "For you."

She felt a cold creep down her back.

Ryker's frown widened. "Make it more explicit."

As though expecting Killian to appear there, the inmate's eyes flitted to the entrance of the tent. "He knew you'd come back," they whispered, licking their cracked lips when none did. Everything you've done has been preparing you for this moment. He's allowed it to happen.

Stillness.

Devlin, who had been on watch at the door, then let out a piercing sigh. "That's not logical." This war has been governed by us, not by him.

The inmate chuckled, breathless and bitter. "You haven't?" Once more, their eyes focused on Thalia. "You got away." Power came to you. What he feared you would become, you did. What if I told you, though, that he desired that?

Thalia felt nauseous. That was not feasible. She had fought for every inch of land, no matter what. She had made a name for herself outside of Killian's shadow by enduring pain, bleeding, and suffering. He could not have permitted it, could not have arranged it.

She shook her head, saying, "No." "Killian wants me to be killed."

The inmate's face was unreadable. "Yeah," they muttered. “But not just yet.”

Her chest felt the pressure of those words. She turned to Ryker, looking for anything, perhaps reassurance, in his features. Despite his good disguise, he appeared just as disturbed as she did.

Ryker replied in an irritated tone, "We cannot afford to waste time solving riddles." If Killian is plotting something, we must find out what it is.

The prisoner breathed shakily. "He was talking to a man when I last saw him." Someone new. One of his typical allies, no. They furrowed their brows in contemplation. "I only heard a portion of the conversation, but they mentioned a last move—one that would make everything work out for him."

Thalia was scowling. “Who was that man?”

“I don’t know his name.” The prisoner paused. "But his scent was off."

Ryker's eyes widened. "Wrong way."

“Like he didn’t belong. Like he wasn’t…” A hold-up. "Deadly."

The room was enveloped in a dense quiet. The weight of those statements was impossible to ignore.

Thalia clenched her throat. If Killian had aligned himself with something—someone—unnatural, then this conflict had now taken on a completely new shape.

She forced herself to keep steady, to push through the doubt trying to cloud her judgment. They needed further information.

“Did Killian say what his next move was?” she pressed.

The prisoner shook their head. “Only that he was ready. It was almost here, whatever it was he had been waiting for.

It was insufficient, but it was sufficient to validate one point.

Killian didn't feel hopeless. He had been ready.

Ryker let out a breath through his nose, his face unreadable. Without saying another word, he pivoted on his heel and walked confidently out of the tent.

Thalia didn't even pause before following.

Outside, the camp was alive with quiet movement. Warriors sharpened their blades, messengers darted between tents, and in the distance, a fire crackled, casting long shadows against the trees.

Ryker came to a halt just beyond the healer’s tent, his shoulders tense.

"We must relocate," he whispered, more to himself than to her.

Thalia's arms were crossed. “And do what, exactly? Even what Killian has planned is unknown to us.

Ryker pivoted and fixed his eyes on hers. "We figure it out after that."

Examining him, she considered the resolve in his face. It was this man she had decided to stand next to. She had decided to fight beside this man.

And she had no intention of letting skepticism take that away from her.

She had spent so much time being molded by what other people thought of her. Luna was weak. A mate who was abandoned. an innocent person.

But suddenly she recognized herself.

She stood up straight. "So we don't wait for Killian to initiate contact. First, we make ours.

A gradual grin pulled at Ryker's mouth. "You're thinking like an Alpha right now."

Her chest began to warm—not because of what he said, but because of the truth in it. By herself, she was an Alpha. By will alone, not by birth or title.

She also had no problem taking the lead.

She was going to say anything when Cassius came up, his face tense. "We're having an issue."

Ryker flexed his jaw. “Now what?”

Cassius blew out a breath after glancing between them. There was movement at the border, according to the eastern patrol. A tiny group that is too big to be ignored yet too small to be a full force.

Thalia felt her heart race. “Scouts?”

“Perhaps.” Cassius was hesitant. However, something odd is happening. Their movements are not scout-like. They're awaiting

A shiver ran down her back.

Ryker's eyes squinted. “For what purpose?”

He shook his head, Cassius. "We have no idea."

Thalia's mind was racing. They had just been informed that Killian had something to wait for. And now, near their border, a strange gang was hanging around. It wasn't an accident.

She and Ryker exchanged glances.

His head nodded. "We take a ride."

Something in her heart was resolved by the choice.

She wasn't merely reacting for the first time since this battle started. She was more than simply getting by.

She was in charge.

She was going to confront whatever lay beyond that boundary.

Thalia and Ryker rode through the trees, the night air soft on their skin, their soldiers trailing behind them like shadows. She was grounded by the aroma of pine and damp earth filling her nostrils.

The border was close.

With a raised hand, Ryker paused his horse. Immediately the warriors behind him stopped. It was quiet in the forest.

Thalia's senses were stretched.

Not a thing.

Next—

A murmur of motion.

One of the figures appeared.

The breath left Thalia's mouth.

The lone man had a loose, almost carefree stance. The hood of his robe partially covered his features, but she could see the faint gleam of piercing, shrewd eyes.

His smile said it all. "You're here at last."

Thalia felt nauseous.

Ryker spoke in a low, perilous voice. “Who are you?”

The stranger's eyes flickered with enjoyment as he inclined his head. “Now, now. No need to be hostile.

His eyes shone.

"I've been anticipating you."

Thalia's heartbeat roared.

A problem existed.

The stranger raised a hand, and then she was able to move and breathe.

Everything changed.

The earth shook under her feet, and something invisible made the air thicker.

Something squeezed against her chest, something she had never experienced before.

Thalia staggered.

The sly smile of the stranger was the last thing she saw.

Next—

Everything went dark.