Varek’s presence beside me is solid, grounding as I grab my shirt and we make our way across the training grounds. The early haze of adrenaline is gone now, leaving only the sting in my ribs and a weird hollow ache I can’t shake. Probably because the one person I want nearby isn’t.
“Any word on Dawson?” I ask, breath still a little ragged.
Varek sighs. “Still unconscious. Iris has been running tests and keeping him stable. It doesn’t look great, but he hasn’t got worse.”
I slow slightly. “So… we’re in limbo.”
He nods grimly. “Exactly that.”
I chew my cheek, trying not to let the disappointment sink too deep. “He’s strong,” I offer, even though I barely know him. “He’s got that whole golden retriever optimism thing going for him.”
“Let’s hope it’s enough,” Varek mutters, voice low as he steers me towards the path leading around the main square. “I told Kael to take a walk.”
My head snaps towards him. “Why?”
He gives me a sideways glance, one brow raised. “Because he was about to follow Zeyv out the gates.”
Oh.
“Ah,” I say, wiping my face with my shirt and feeling the stickiness of blood and sweat. A quick glance down tells me exactly what Kael saw before he left—my split lip, the smear on my jaw, a developing bruise at my ribs. No wonder he nearly combusted.
“I thought you’d want to avoid any extra explosions in the middle of training,” Varek adds drily.
“Good call,” I mutter, finally pulling the shirt all the way over my head with a grimace. “I must look like shit.”
“You look like someone who fought and won.” His tone is even, but he slows his pace. “Still, next time, maybe don’t antagonize a guy who outweighs you by a hundred kilos and hates authority.”
“I didn’t antagonize him,” I say, but Varek just lifts a brow. “Okay, I may have poked the bear. Lightly. With sarcasm.”
He snorts. “You and your sarcasm are going to get us all killed.”
We walk in silence for a few moments. The distant clang of metal on metal rings out again behind us, other Riftborn continuing their drills. The air smells of sweat, scorched rock, and the earthy scent of something unidentifiable cooking from the main cave system.
“You knew there’d be unrest when Kael and the prince came,” I say quietly. “No shit people are twitchy.”
Varek hums, not denying it.
“But you want them here,” I continue. “You want to see if there’s any way to… change things. The system. The repression of Riftborn, the control the queen has over everyone.”
His lack of response is all the confirmation I need.
I shrug. “Can’t say I blame you. If there’s a chance to end this shit, even if it’s a long shot, it’s worth exploring.”
Varek finally sighs. “It is. But if Dawson doesn’t make it….” He trails off, tension creeping into his shoulders. “If the princeloses him before the bond fully forms, there’ll be no incentive for him to stay. No connection. No reason for Kael to stay either.”
I stop, my stomach twisting. “And without them….”
He nods once. “We’ll lose more than an ally. We’ll lose hope.”
The word hits hard. Hope feels in short supply these days.
We round the edge of a building, the wind picking up slightly, fluttering the hem of my sweat-damp shirt. Varek stops.
Kael stands at the edge of the clearing, his massive form half in shadow, half lit by the afternoon light filtering through the canopy. His shoulders are squared, but there’s tension in the slope of them. His arms are crossed tight over his chest, and he stares off towards the outer boundary wall like he’s considering sprinting right through it.
Varek nods towards him. “Go to him.”
He doesn’t need to tell me twice.
