-Soren-
My arms lock around Finn like iron bands, every muscle straining as he thrashes against me. His rage is alive, a wildfire barely contained, and if I let go for even a second, Asher hits the floor. Not that I'd blame him.
Alexia's gone. She slipped away while we were still pretending we had control. Finn knows why. Asher. He's the one who turned her in to the council, the one who bound her powers. That knowledge paints Finn's world on fire.
"Asher," I growl, voice low and sharp, "don't. Say. A word."
Jasper slumps against the wall, pale and trembling. He can't meet Finn's eyes. Guilt eats at him like acid.
Finn lunges again, dragging me half a step forward. "Let me go, Soren! He deserves it!"
I tighten my grip, forcing him to meet my gaze. "Not here. Not now. If you kill him, Alexia will never forgive you. And you won't get the chance to find her."
Finn falters only slightly, chest heaving, fists trembling with the need to strike. I feel the storm inside him, but for now, he's still.
The silence stretches, thick and heavy. Finally, Jasper whispers, almost too quiet to hear: "We need to find her. We can't just… wait. There has to be a way."
Finn snaps at him. "Oh, now you care?"
Jasper flinches but holds his ground. "I always cared. But we need a plan. Where would she go? Anywhere she could be alone."
"She's not easy to find," I say flatly. "She wouldn't make it obvious."
Finn's frustration bubbles over. "Then what? Sit here until she decides to come back?"
Jasper pitches more ideas. "We can check transport hubs, nearby towns, her favorite spots… she'd need supplies. She couldn't vanish completely."
"Too slow," Finn snaps. "That's weeks of searching. We don't have that kind of time."
I shake my head. "We don't have the luxury of brute force. She's smart. She'll cover her tracks. And if we move recklessly, we'll make it worse."
Asher shrinks back under Finn's glare. He knows Finn will hold him personally responsible.
Finn whirls toward me, eyes blazing. "Then what the hell do we do? We can't just stand here!"
I press a hand against his chest. "We think. We plan. Calmly. You're not going to kill him, Finn. Not today. Not ever."
Finn's jaw tightens. "Then what are we supposed to do?"
Jasper leans forward again. "We split up. Check everywhere she might go. But we stay in contact. No solo chases."
Finn scoffs. "That's not a plan. That's waiting."
The tension is unbearable. I feel Finn's desperation radiate like fire.
Kaia finally steps in, cutting through the noise. Her tone is careful and precise, yet carries a sense of authority. "There is one method."
All of us turn toward her. I ask, "What?"
"The bond."
Finn freezes, eyes blazing. "The bond?"
"Yes," Kaia continues, glancing at Jasper and me. "Finn's already cemented his with Alexia. You could attempt to sense her through it—but her magic is bound. She won't feel it. It's one-sided. Dangerous."
I exchange a look with Jasper. He knows the risk as well as I do. Finn only sees hope.
Kaia shakes her head slightly. "If she senses that you're hunting her, even indirectly, she'll run farther. She left for a reason. Think carefully before you touch the bond."
The room holds its breath as Finn mutters, "I don't care. I just want her back."
I tighten my grip on his shoulder. "Then we do this carefully. No reckless chasing. We'll find her—but together."
His answer is silence, but it's enough.
A month later
Weeks blur into nothing—searches that go nowhere, sleepless nights, and leads that crumble before they start. But today, something changed.
Jasper slams a folded parchment onto the table. "I found a pattern." His finger drags across a set of travel records. "One trader reported selling supplies to the same girl three weeks in a row—rope, seed packs, oil, dried meat. Paid in coin, no questions asked. The description… it could be her."
Finn's head snaps up. "Where?"
"Near Greystone Hollow. Out on the old border road."
Kaia frowns. "That's not a place you pass through. Whoever bought those supplies meant to stay put."
The silence sharpens, heavy with possibility. For the first time in weeks, it isn't despair pressing in—it's direction.
Finn pushes back his chair, fire burning in his eyes. "Then we know where to start."
Alexia's out there. And finally, the trail isn't cold anymore.