The safehouse smelled of damp stone and rebellion.
Elira followed Kaelan through a labyrinth of crumbling sewers, her fingers trailing along moss-slick walls. The air grew heavier with each step, thick with the scent of unwashed bodies and burning tallow. Finally, he stopped before an iron-bound door, its surface etched with faded runes.
"Welcome to the Hollow," he said, knocking in a strange pattern. "Where the kingdom's unwanted things fester."
The door creaked open, revealing a cavernous chamber lit by flickering lanterns. Dozens of faces turned toward them—hollow-cheeked, sharp-eyed, hands hovering near weapons. A murmur rippled through the crowd:
"Ashen witch."
"King's bait."
"She'll burn us all."
Elira's palms itched.
A woman with a scarred lip stepped forward, her gaze raking over Elira like a blade testing flesh. "You brought fire into our home, Kaelan?"
"I brought a weapon," Kaelan corrected, though his voice lacked its usual arrogance.
The woman snorted. "Fire doesn't discriminate. It'll eat friend and foe alike."She leaned in, her breath sour with cheap wine. "One spark where it shouldn't be, and I'll slit your throat before the Inquisitors can."
Elira met her stare. "If I wanted you dead, you'd already be cinders."
Silence.
Then—laughter. Not from the woman, but from the shadows behind her. A figure uncoiled from a makeshift throne of broken furniture, his black armor drinking in the lamplight.
**Commander Seris.**
Elira's fire surged—but the Shadowblade didn't reach for his sword. Instead, he tossed a rolled parchment at her feet. It unfurled to reveal a map, marked with crimson circles.
"The Obsidian King's pyre sites,"he said. "Where he burns magic-born alive."
His silver gaze pinned her. "You're not the only one he hunts, witch. But you might be the only one who can stop him."
Kaelan stiffened. "Seris—"
"She deserves to know what she's running toward.Seris stepped closer, until Elira felt the cold radiance of his armor against her skin. "Your fire could save lives. Or it could make you a monster. Which will it be?"
The safehouse held its breath.
Elira looked down at her hands—hands that had known only silk and surrender—and curled them into fists.
"Teach me," she said.
### **Next Chapter Teaser:**
- **Blood and Embers** – Seris's brutal training begins. Not all flames obey.