Nyra
I didn't scream.
I refused to give them the satisfaction.
But that didn't stop the rage from burning beneath my skin as they shackled my wrists in bands of enchanted ice, Glacium's favourite party trick. Cold enough to make a fire wielder weep. Not that I'd give them the pleasure.
The magic hissed and bit into me, dulling my flame until it was no more than an ember, sulking in the corners of my chest.
Traitors. All of them.
And Kael stood among them.
He didn't give the order. I noted that. But he didn't stop it either.
His soldiers had poured into the clearing like wolves, blades drawn, magic humming. I'd spun, ready to run—but Kael had stepped between me and the trees.
Not with a sword.
With a look. A plea.
And for one incredibly stupid moment, I hesitated.
Now here we were.
"Don't touch me," I snapped, jerking against the guard's grip as they tried to lead me forward through the snow-covered trail. "I bite."
Kael walked ahead in silence.
Coward.
The fire trembled behind my ribs, caged but not broken. I could still feel the flicker in my veins, whispering of freedom. Of vengeance.
I just had to bide my time.
"You said you didn't want to catch me," I hissed. "That you wanted to understand me. Was this your idea of understanding? Shackles and silence? Very poetic."
Kael stopped walking.
He turned, eyes hard but not cruel. "I didn't call them."
"Then why didn't you stop them?" I asked, voice like flint. "Why did you stand there while they bound me like some feral beast?"
A pause. Then, quieter: "Because if I hadn't… they would've killed you."
I stared at him, daring him to flinch. It would've been easier if he lied.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"No," he said, stepping closer. "But it's the truth."
I looked away. My jaw ached from how hard I clenched it. I was still in chains. Still being dragged back to a kingdom that helped turn mine to ash.
The ride was long. Snow crusted the branches, silence weighed heavier than any frost. My hands stung from cold and magic both.
Glacium crept into view, tall ice-blasted peaks, silver skies that never smiled. It was breathtaking.
I hated that.
I hated that it reminded me of him.
When we reached the outpost, Kael offered me his hand.
I arched a brow. "Do I look like I need help falling on my face?"
He didn't argue.
Inside, the hearth mocked me. They called it a guest room, but it had locks. Chains. High windows.
I stared into the flames.
You are fire, not ash. You are wrath, not ruin. You are Nyra.
A knock.
Kael entered.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"Back?" I echoed after he tried to explain. "I'm not yours to bring anywhere. I'm not a souvenir."
"The Council demanded it. I wanted to speak to you first, to explain. But they were watching. I couldn't delay them longer."
"You still could've let me go."
"If I had, they'd have hunted you with blood magic. You think chains are cruel? Try mind-rending."
His voice was quiet. Raw.
"I didn't know you were alive. Not until they told me."
"And your solution is to parade me around like a trophy bride?"
"That's not what I want."
"Then what do you want, Kael?"
He stepped closer, his heat a contradiction to everything Glacium stood for.
"I want the truth. I want justice. I want peace."
His eyes flicked to my lips.
He wanted more than peace.
So did I.
But not yet. Not while the world still saw me as a weapon.
I stepped away.
"Then you've chosen the wrong bride."
"No," he said. "I think I've chosen the only one who can burn the old world down… and build something better."
He turned to leave.
"Kael," I called, softer than I meant to.
He paused.
"If you ever lie to me again," I said, "I won't just burn bridges. I'll burn you too."
His mouth twitched.
"Understood."
The door shut.
And I was alone with the fire.
But not, I realized, for long.