“Hey, watch your language, sprout,” I teased through tears.
Annalese’s voice cut through, slicing the moment clean. “Your sister has been doing some truly extraordinary things out here, Jax,” she purred. “How’s Canyon reacting to her success?”
Jax’s gaze darted up to Ava, a silent exchange. He swallowed. “People are real proud. They… they keep saying you guys might finally make a difference. Ava says you might be the one who changes everything.”
The words should’ve filled me with pride. Should’ve felt like a rallying cry. But they just made my throat tighten. Because deep down, I knew. No matter what I did here, no matter how hard I fought, it wouldn’t be enough. Praxis didn’t play fair. Praxis didn’t lose.
And Jax… Jax was going to suffer for it.
“Ava, do you have anything to say to Brexlyn?” Annalese prompted. And Ava’s mouth opened before she pulled it shut again. Sighing, her eyes filled with unshed tears.
“Ava?” I asked, leaning forward as if she were really in front of me.
“It’s not fair,” she whispered.
“I know,” I responded quietly. “But I’m trying to do what you told me to. To come back home to you guys. In one piece.”
She nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I really do believe you can do what no one else ever has. What Canyon, and all of Nexum has been waiting for.”
I narrowed my eyes. What was she talking about?
“We’ll need to end the call here shortly,” Annalese announced, chipper and heartless. “Is there anything else you’d like to say to your sister, Jax?”
He didn’t hesitate.
“I love you,” he said softly.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, nodding. “I love you too, sprout. I’ll see you both soon. I promise.”
“May the stars shine on you, Brexlyn Hollis,” Ava whispered through her tears, echoing her words from the vote.
Then the screen blinked to black.
And the cold hit me instantly. Like someone had doused a fire inside me, leaving only ash and empty air. The crowd roared their approval, but it felt distant.
“What a heartfelt reunion,” Annalese cooed, turning toward me with a grin sharp enough to cut. “Brexlyn, tell us, how did it feel, seeing your brother again?”
I forced myself to clear my throat, dragging the sleeve of my jacket across my damp cheeks. “Too good to be true,” I managed.
“And Praxis made that happen for you!” she chirped, all faux warmth.
I met her gaze then, steady and sharp.
“Now that you’ve seen him…” Annalese leaned in, her voice dropping like she was letting me in on a secret, though the whole world was watching. “Has your focus been renewed?”
I exhaled slowly. “Yeah. It has.”
“And are you more determined than ever to win those resources for him?”
I didn’t look away. “Of course I am.”
She smiled, satisfied, the trap snapping shut.
“And why do you feel you have the best chanceto win?”
I stepped straight into her scripted segue, my voice steady. “Because I have a team.”
Her face lit up like I’d handed her the final piece of a puzzle. “And what a team it is!” she turned toward the audience with a dramatic sweep of her hand. “Shall we bring out the Wildguard?”
