Chapter 26

Camped in mountain caves after heading north off the main road, Aris and Raker share food and a tenuous peace. They discuss gods hoarding power and restricting travel, and Aris studies Raker’s impressive godsword, provoking his barbed pride. When Aris trains, Raker quietly corrects her footwork, signaling reluctant mentorship.

At dawn, the ground shakes with approaching riders. Raker leads Aris deeper into the mountain and drops through a hidden hole. Paralyzed by trauma and fear of darkness, Aris hesitates until Raker promises to catch her; she jumps, and he pulls her into hiding as the riders pass overhead.

In pitch black, Aris steadies herself with memories while Raker, who trained in tunnels, guides her decisively. Their clipped exchange reveals his vast kill count and disdain for weakness, while Aris asserts her own endurance. Exhausted, she pushes on under his firm assurance that she will not die in the caves.

After a full day underground, a glare ahead feels like sunlight but carries the same predatory magic felt in the Storm Woods. Aris shoves Raker against the wall and orders him not to look. A fiery, tempting presence presses at their backs, whispering to their deepest desires. Fighting the lure, they cling to each other, their restraint tipping into a breathless, near-intimate moment as they resist together.