Selene's hand lingered against Jade's cheek until her strength gave out. Her lids fluttered, the warmth in her gaze dimming under the weight of exhaustion.
Kael noticed first. His hand moved to steady her shoulders as he murmured, firm but gentle, "Enough. You've given all you can for this morning, Selene. Rest now. You've only just returned to me—I won't have you squander your strength so soon."
Selene tried to protest, her lips forming words that faltered into a soft sigh. "Just a little longer… I want—"
"Hush," Kael soothed, pressing a kiss to her temple. "He won't vanish. You'll see him again, when you've slept."
Her lashes trembled, then lowered at last. "Promise?" she breathed, barely audible.
Kael's gaze cut to Jade as though binding him to the vow. "He'll be here."
Jade felt no pressure even under the weight of that look, but he dipped his head in silence.
Satisfied, Selene's smile softened into the edge of slumber. Her breathing steadied, even and unstrained, her frail frame easing back into Kael's arm as sleep reclaimed her. For the first time in years, she looked at peace.
Kael lowered her carefully against the pillows, arranging the coverlet with surprising tenderness for hands so known for their iron grip. He lingered a long moment, his stern profile unreadable as he studied the woman he'd nearly lost.
Then, slowly, his eyes turned to Jade.
"You saved my wife," he said at last, his voice low, measured. "For that, my gratitude is boundless. But do not mistake gratitude for blindness." His gaze sharpened, as if stripping away the boy's carefully crafted composure. "I know you are more than you pretend. I won't press for answers now, but I'll learn what you are, sooner or later."
The words were not cruel, but they carried the weight of inevitability.
Before Jade could reply, the door opened with a soft creak. Lio tumbled in first, eyes alight, with Niamh and Amara close behind.
"Is she—?!" Lio skidded to a halt, his voice catching when he saw Selene resting peacefully against the pillows, color warm upon her cheeks. "She is! She really is!" He spun toward Jade.
Niamh's hand shot out, grabbing Lio's shoulder before he could rush further inside. Her sharp gaze swept the room, softening only when it landed on Jade. Relief flickered briefly in her eyes, but her jaw remained tight.
Amara, quieter, folded her hands against her chest, lips parting in a silent prayer of thanks.
Kael straightened to his full height, the mask of governor sliding effortlessly back over his features. "She sleeps," he intoned, his voice calm yet commanding. "Do not disturb her. Your mistress has need of silence."
Lio clamped his mouth shut mid-gush, shifting sheepishly behind Jade.
Niamh inclined her head respectfully, though her sharp eyes lingered on Kael for a fraction too long. She was no fool—she had seen that calculating look in his gaze, even if she did not know what words had passed between him and Jade.
Kael's focus shifted back to the boy, his expression unreadable. "Take him," he said at last. "Let him rest as well. His work is done."
And with that, the governor turned back to his wife, his hand resettling over hers as if to anchor her while she slept.
The attendants bowed low and motioned the small group out of the chamber.
But Jade walked in silence, his expression carefully composed, though the echo of Selene's voice and Kael's gaze lingered in his chest.
-----------------------------------------------------------
The corridors of the governor's manor hushed as the doors shut behind them. For a heartbeat, silence hung — heavy, expectant.
Then Niamh seized Jade by the shoulders, pulling him aside so swiftly Lio nearly tripped over his own feet. Her sharp eyes raked over him, not missing the faint color still lingering in his cheeks. "What happened in there?" she demanded in a hushed tone. "Kael's eyes never left you."
Jade tried for calm, but his voice betrayed him. "She… praised me."
Lio burst out laughing. "Praised? She nearly worshipped you! You were red as a garnet, Jade, don't even deny it. If I had a sketch crystal, I'd have captured your face forever."
Jade turned a glacial stare on him, but Niamh ignored the banter. Her palm cupped Jade's cheek, forcing him to look at her. "Listen, baby. A governor's gratitude isn't safety. Don't let his wife's warmth blind you. Kael measures everything — even you. Especially you."
Amara folded her hands, her quiet voice threading in like silk. "Word will spread by sundown. People will twist it. A miracle boy who cured the Lady? That makes you hope to some, a threat to others."
Jade said nothing, though the truth of it pressed cold in his chest.
Niamh drew him into her arms, fiercely protective. "They'll not take you from me. Not Kael, not the Guild, not anyone."
Lio puffed out his chest beside them. "They'll have to fight me too!"
Niamh snorted, tugging his ear without loosening her hold on Jade. "Hush before I toss you to them myself."
For a moment, their laughter softened the edge of fear — but only for a moment. Beneath it, the storm gathered.
....
....
Governor's Wing
Kael stood at the tall window of his private hall, the suns burning gold over the sprawling city. Behind him, ministers and captains waited in tense silence. His wife's recovery had already lit Nexus aflame — whispers of miracle, divine favor, and the Governor's unshakable might spreading like wildfire through the streets.
He turned at last, voice like stone. "Send word to every house. The Lady of Nexus lives. There will be a gathering — no faction absent. Let them look upon her with their own eyes, and remember where true power rests."
The ministers bowed. One ventured cautiously, "And the boy, my Lord?"
Kael's eyes narrowed, unreadable. "For now, he remains beneath my protection. Speak his name without my leave, and you answer to me."
The man paled and lowered his head.
Kael's gaze lingered on the horizon beyond the glass, mind sharpening like a blade. Selene had returned to him — and with her, the strength to cut down those who dared encircle like vultures. Draven. The Guild. All of them would kneel.
.....
.....
Alchemy Guild
Draven's hand trailed along the iron bars of the lower vault, each cage groaning with the sound of labored breathing. Within, shapes stirred — once men, now twisted things. Their muscles bulged unnaturally, veins darkened, skin marred with cracks where alchemical toxins burned through. Their eyes were empty, yet burning with hunger.
Karren stood nearby, wringing her hands nervously. "They're unstable," she whispered. "Half die before the elixirs settle. If Kael finds out—"
"Kael won't find out," Draven cut her off, his voice smooth as venom. His smile never touched his eyes. "The Guild is under fire, yes. He parades his wife's recovery as though it were his own triumph. The nobles whisper of divine blessing." He leaned closer to the bars, and one of the creatures hurled itself against the iron with a guttural snarl. "But blessings fade. Fear… lasts longer."
Karren shivered.
Draven straightened, cloak whispering behind him as he turned toward the stairs. "Kael thinks he's won. He forgets the city does not belong to miracles. It belongs to those who control the streets, the supply, the fear. And when the time comes, these will be my answer."
Behind him, the cages rattled, the sound of beasts born not of nature but of greed and desperation.
And above, Nexus City glittered, unknowing of the storm building beneath its foundations.
....