Hazel tilts her head, thoughtful. “And if we get this page in front of the Board... with the runes active again...”
“It proves sacred designation,” I finish.
She nods. “And if they still push for rezoning after that, they’re officially the bad guys.”
I close the folio gently.
My hands are shaking.
But for the first time since Thorn vanished, something sharp and certain roots itself in my chest.
We’re not done yet.
We ride the bus back to camp in silence.
Hazel hums some haunting tune under her breath, probably enchanted to keep the page from smudging in her bag. I stare out the window, the trees whipping past in a blur of late summer green.
But my mind won’t sit still.
It’s starting to click together now, like puzzle pieces reshuffling in my brain.
Thorn’s origin tree.
The runes we haven’t yet reactivated.
The Grove’s heartbeat going quiet without him.
They’re all threads, and I’m finally seeing the weave.
“We need more than proof,” I say softly.
Hazel glances up. “Yeah?”
“We need ademonstration. Something no one can ignore.”
She perks up. “Like a ritual flare?”
I nod. “Something strong enough to register with the Board’s detection charms. Something undeniable. Something… alive.”
Hazel smirks. “You’ve got that ‘girl with a mission’ energy. I approve.”
I tighten my grip on my satchel.
“We find the runes. We wake them. We bring Thorn back—notin secret this time.”
Hazel leans back smugly. “Told you you had it in you.”
I don’t smile.
But inside me, something begins to bloom again.
A root system of hope—delicate, but deep.
This time, I’m not going to fail.
CHAPTER 18
THORN
