The forge had never felt this quiet.
Even with the steam hissing from vents and the occasional clang of metal, Ember heard only her breath—too loud, too fast.
She paced beside the infirmary door, wringing her hands. Inside, Kael was being treated for his wounds. Mira had shoved her out the second they arrived.
"You pacing won't sew his side together any faster," came a voice.
Ember turned sharply.
A tall young man leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, a faint smile on his face. He had olive-toned skin, silver-touched dark hair, and wore healer's robes that looked too clean for a rebel camp.
His eyes—striking and steady—met hers with a calm that instantly unsettled her.
"Who are you?" she asked, wary.
"Rowan. I'm the healer they called in to keep your hotheaded rebel from bleeding out."
Ember narrowed her eyes. "You talk like you don't like him."
"I like him just fine," Rowan said, pushing off the wall. "But Kael has a habit of throwing himself into fire for people he barely knows. That's admirable. And stupid."
Ember swallowed. "I didn't ask him to—"
"No," Rowan said gently, "but you would've done the same for him. That's what scares me more."
He opened the door to the infirmary.
"You can see him now. But only for a minute."
Kael looked pale beneath the bandages, his shirt half-open and soaked through with medicinal paste that smelled like burnt herbs. But he was alive—and grinning faintly.
"Did I miss the celebration?"
Ember crossed her arms. "You're lucky you're not missing organs."
"Not that lucky. Pretty sure Rowan yelled at me louder than the Seeker did."
She sat beside him. Her fingers twitched, wanting to reach out—then hesitated.
"You could've died."
Kael's grin faded. "So could you."
Silence. Then—
"I saw what you did back there," he said softly. "That flame… that wasn't beginner's luck. You tapped into something deep."
"I didn't mean to."
"You needed to. That's what mattered."
She looked down. "What if I can't control it next time?"
Kael met her eyes, serious now. "Then we'll keep training. Together."
A strange warmth settled in her chest. Trust. Hope. Maybe even something more.
But before she could speak, Rowan's voice interrupted from the door. "Time's up, princess. The patient needs rest—and so do you."
Kael groaned. "Tyrant."
Rowan winked at Ember. "Only when it's necessary."
Later, Ember wandered to the forge's underground spring. She sat by the water's edge, toes dipped in its warmth, trying to calm the fire still simmering under her skin.
Rowan joined her, two cups of honey-brewed tea in hand.
"I figured you'd be here," he said, sitting beside her and handing one over. "Most firebloods gravitate toward heat after a surge. Instinct."
She took the cup. "How do you know so much?"
Rowan took a slow sip. "Because I've healed them. And I used to be one."
Ember turned, startled. "Used to?"
Rowan smiled faintly. "The Flame King doesn't tolerate second chances. I was marked as defective. Lost control once… and they tried to burn me for it."
Ember was silent. She felt that too well.
"Kael saved me," Rowan added. "Broke me out. Gave me a purpose."
She watched him as he spoke. His calmness wasn't just wisdom—it was restraint. A fire turned inward, coiled but not gone.
"You'll learn to control it, Ember," he said quietly. "But control isn't about killing your fire. It's about choosing when to burn."
That night, Ember lay awake, Kael's words and Rowan's advice echoing in her mind.
Together, Kael had said.
But Ember wasn't sure who she was yet—princess, fugitive, flamebearer. She wasn't sure if she was meant to trust… or to fight.
But as her hand warmed with quiet fire, and her heartbeat slowed, she whispered one promise into the dark:
"I will not be hunted anymore."
Elsewhere – The Flame Court
King Tharos stood before the broken remains of the Seeker's mask.
His fingers hovered over a map—scorched, marked with rebel hideouts, each one crossed out except one.
"She grows stronger," said his advisor.
"Then we send someone stronger," Tharos said coldly.
He turned to the shadow behind the throne.
"Bring me the Oathbound. If Kael bleeds for her, we'll make her bleed for him."