“So, the Riftborn….” Calythra’s words trail off, heavy in the air.
Solan’s jaw tightens, his large eyes darting between us. He still looks like he wants to argue, to shoot the idea down entirely, but something stops him. Maybe it’s the weight of everything Calythra just said before my realisation, or maybe it’s the way my hand instinctively finds his again, grounding him.
I squeeze gently, offering silent reassurance. “How do we even find them?” I ask, keeping my voice steady. “And how do we know they’ll trust us?” Or how can we trust them, for that matter?
Calythra lets out a soft huff, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s the tricky part. They don’t exactly advertise their base. But I’ve got… connections. People who owe me favours. I can get us there if we’re willing to take the risk.”
Solan’s lips part, but he hesitates, his gaze flickering to me. “This isn’t a decision we can take lightly,” he murmurs, his voice low and deliberate. “The Riftborn may oppose the realm, but their methods are… controversial. If we align ourselves with them, there’s no going back.”
Jamie shifts in my peripheral vision, frowning. “Isn’t that better than being on the run forever?” His voice is small but determined, and it makes my heart clench. “They sound like the good guys.”
Calythra chuckles dryly. “Kid’s got a point. But trust me, Jamie—they’re not all heroes. They’re desperate, and desperation makes people dangerous. You’ve gotta decide if that danger’s worth it.”
I take a breath, letting the weight of the moment settle over me. “We need a plan. Solan, I know you’re worried, but we can’t keep running blindly. If we’re going to survive this—and not just survive but actually live—we need allies. If the Riftborn are fighting for the same things we want, then it’s a risk worth taking.”
Solan studies me for a long moment, his face etched with uncertainty. But there’s something else there, too—trust. He nods slowly, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “If you believe this is the right path, I’ll follow.”
Jamie grins, a flicker of youthful optimism breaking through the tension. “Looks like it’s settled, then.”
Calythra’s sharp teeth flash in a crooked smile. “Good. But first things first—we’re not going anywhere without that horse of yours. What did you call it again? The Mountain?”
Jamie laughs, his voice light despite the gravity of the moment. “No, it’s Ridge. But Mountain works too.”
“Right,” Calythra says with a playful smirk. “Let’s grab Ridge and get the hell out of here before we run into thoseklaustras. Again.”
The levity is brief but welcome as we start moving, weaving through the trees towards where Calythra stashed the horse. Calythra keeps up a steady stream of commentary, half for humour, half to mask his own tension. “You know, this ‘Ridge’ better not be as temperamental as the last horse I dealt with. That thing tried to eat my satchel. And by ‘thing,’ I mean it was basically a furry demon with hooves.”
Jamie snickers, and I can’t help but crack a small smile. It makes sense other horses have found their way into this world. I’m sure there’re some of my cattle roaming around somewhere. Even Solan’s lips twitch, though his shoulders remain taut with vigilance.
When we reach Ridge, the sleek black horse is exactly where Jamie said he would be. The animal tosses his head, snorting softly as Jamie approaches with a grin. “See? Told you he’s the best.”
Calythra raises a brow, eyeing the horse as though he might suddenly grow a second head. “I’ll reserve judgement.”
As we prepare to move out, Solan steps closer to me, his hand brushing against mine. I glance up at him, and his expression is softer now, his golden eyes warm and searching. The contact steadies him, doing the exact same to me.
Jamie notices, of course, because he’s twelve and impossible to evade. He tilts his head, grinning slyly. “You two are weird.”
“Thanks for the observation, kid,” I shoot back, my tone dry.
He shrugs, his grin widening. “I mean, it’s cute, though. Like… gross cute.”
Calythra laughs, a low, rumbling sound that echoes through the trees. “Ah, young love. Makes me glad I’m not involved.”
I roll my eyes, but there’s a smile tugging at my lips. For the first time in what feels like forever, there’s a glimmer of hope threading through the chaos. It’s faint, but it’s there. And for now, that’s enough.
CHAPTER
TEN
For two days,we’ve travelled—me on Geralt’s back, Jamie and Calythra on Ridge, while Solan has stayed on foot. The sun hasn’t been as intense as the rays that beat down on me the day before my life changed irrevocably, a relief considering the number of craggy rocks that we’ve had to sweet talk the horses to trek over.
We’ve stopped for a few breaks, sometimes pushing on despite knowing Jamie was struggling. Other times, I insisted we stop when I saw him slumping forwards on the saddle, Calythra preventing him from slipping off with a careful grip. And last night we slept under the stars that I’m convinced are identical to the constellations in my world.
My dad would have known. For all his grumpy ways and his inability to stop and rest, the night sky had always shown me a different side to him. He’d regularly sat under the floating patterns of glistening stars, staring up and describing what he saw, the mythology and the mystery. The names had never sunk in, something I now regretted, but that thought doesn’t stop me settling down with a smile for my second night under the stars.
“What is it about the stars that causes this?” Solan strokes his fingertips gently over my cheek, finishing with a slow stroke of my lips.
With his arm as my pillow, I feel safe and surprisingly comfortable. It’s the first time I’ve been able to relax all day, too wary of our surrounds, too concerned for Jamie. Only now, with his soft, sleepy breaths floating in the air a few metres away, am I able to truly catch my breath. “They remind me of home, my dad.” I keep peering at the inky-black sky.
