Chapter Text
Shadows of Loss and Resolve
Rowena barely had time to process what had happened before she saw the flash of green on the dagger. Poison. The air thickened around her, her muscles tensed instinctively as she pressed forward, pushing through the bodies of cadets who were still reacting to the chaos.
“Violet.” The name fell from her lips as she knelt beside her. Xaden was already there, his hands applying pressure to the wound, his expression a mask of rage and desperation. But Rowena knew enough to recognize the signs—Violet wasn’t just bleeding. She was barely conscious, her magic severed from her like a rope cut mid-air.
Ebony crouched opposite her, her sharp eyes scanning the injury, her fingers skimming the edge of the wound but not touching it. “That color,” she muttered. “It’s unnatural. It’s not just poison—it’s laced with something else.”
Sawyer moved in behind them, his gaze flicking between them and the rest of the battlefield. He took position just behind Rowena, his hand on the hilt of his dagger. “Then we need to move. Now.”
“We don’t know what it is yet,” Rowena countered, her voice tight. “If we move her too quickly—”
“If we don’t move her, she’s dead.” Sawyer cut her off, and for once, his usual teasing lilt was gone. “We can’t let her slip away here.”
Ebony pulled a small vial from her belt, uncorked it, and let the sharp scent of bitter herbs flood the air. She poured a drop onto the edge of the wound, watching as the liquid darkened against Violet’s skin. Her jaw tightened. “That confirms it. It’s enchanted poison.”
Rowena’s stomach twisted. Enchanted poisons weren’t just deadly; they were crafted to sever connections to magic, to cripple riders, to ensure death wasn’t just painful—it was certain.
Xaden’s hold on Violet tightened. “We’re going. Now.” His tone was final, absolute.
Rowena exchanged a quick glance with Ebony and Sawyer. No more time to argue.
“I’ll clear the way,” Sawyer muttered, pushing to his feet.
Rowena grabbed his wrist before he could step away. “No unnecessary risks.” Her voice was quiet, but firm.
Sawyer gave her a tight smirk, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Define unnecessary.”
She narrowed her eyes but let him go. Sawyer turned, disappearing into the chaos ahead of them.
Ebony placed her hands on either side of Violet’s wound, muttering under her breath. The air around her shimmered faintly. “This won’t cure it, but it should slow the spread.” She exhaled sharply as the spell set, then looked to Xaden. “She has hours. Maybe.”
Xaden stood, his grip never loosening on Violet. “Then let’s move.”
Rowena took a deep breath, drawing her own dagger as she and Ebony flanked them, clearing the path ahead. The battle raged on around them, but none of it mattered. Only one thing did.
Keeping Violet alive.
A sharp, intrusive voice rang through Rowena’s mind, unbidden but familiar. "You hesitated." It was Garrick, his mental connection forceful but controlled. "You knew the moment you saw the wound. That delay could have cost her."
Rowena clenched her jaw, her steps steady but her mind buzzing. "And yet, she’s still breathing, isn’t she? I don’t see you here, Garrick."
A pause. Then, "You need to trust your instincts. If you had reached for your blade first instead of your doubt, she wouldn’t have lost those seconds."
Rowena’s grip on her weapon tightened. "You think I don’t know that?" But the words felt hollow. He wasn’t wrong, and that infuriated her.
Another voice, sharper, slipped into the mental exchange. Sawyer. "Ease off, Garrick. You’re not the one covered in blood, hauling an unconscious rider through a battlefield."
"And you’re not the one who has to ensure this mission doesn’t end in disaster," Garrick shot back. "Do you even have a plan, or are you just improvising?"
Rowena forced her breathing to steady, blocking out the weight of Violet’s fragile pulse beneath Xaden’s grip. "We don’t have time for this. If you want to help, do something useful. Find us a safer route."
Garrick hesitated, then relented. "There’s a clearing just west of your position. It’ll be easier to get airborne from there."
"Good. Keep your mind open, in case I need more than just your opinions." Rowena severed the connection with a forceful shove, shaking off the tension coiled in her muscles.
Beside her, Sawyer gave a quick glance in her direction, a hint of amusement breaking through the tension. "You two really should just fight it out already. I’d pay to see it."
Rowena exhaled sharply, but a ghost of a smirk played on her lips. "Maybe after we save her life."
Sawyer chuckled. "Fair enough. Let’s get moving."
As they maneuvered through the carnage, Garrick moved alongside Rowena, his real voice now low and edged with something unfamiliar—grief. “Liam would’ve been the one to get her out of here faster.”
Rowena’s throat tightened, but she didn’t look at him. “Liam’s not here,” she said, barely above a whisper.
“No,” Garrick murmured, his jaw clenching. “And he should be.”
Sawyer’s pace faltered for half a step before he pushed forward again. “We can’t think about that right now.”
But they were all thinking about it. The empty space Liam should have filled was a gaping wound among them, and now, they were barely holding Violet above death’s grasp. And for Rowena, it was too much.
Her voice was sharper than she intended. “Then let’s make sure we don’t lose anyone else.”
Garrick didn’t respond immediately. When he did, his voice was quiet but certain. “We won’t.”
The battlefield pressed in around them, but they moved as one—grief and purpose forging their resolve.
And this time, none of them hesitated.