-Jasper-
"Holy shit… holy shit!" My voice echoed off the broken walls, raw and shaking. "Why the hell would she just hand herself over to him—a man who means nothing to her and probably just wants to hurt her?"
The courtyard was a ruin of smoke, ash, and shattered stone, but the emptiness where Alexia had stood screamed louder than any fire. Finn slammed his fist into the ground, flames lashing outward in a wave of fury that scorched the nearby stone. His voice cracked. "Because she's too damn selfless! Saving us means sacrificing herself!"
Soren's shadow pulsed, curling and twisting at his sides like living smoke. He didn't move, didn't yell—he just watched the space with narrowed eyes. "She did it for Kaia. For all of us," he said quietly, voice tight.
Kaia knelt beside Rowan, who lay unconscious but free of Gideon's control. Her hands trembled as she brushed ash and debris from his face, tears streaking through the soot on her cheeks. "She shouldn't have had to do that," she whispered.
Zeus pressed closer, muscles coiled, growling low. Even the german shepard seemed smaller somehow, weighed down by the heaviness of what had just happened. His eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, scanning every shadow as if expecting another strike.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "We have to get her back. Now," I said, and the words felt metallic, sharp, almost too heavy to carry.
Finn paced, flames dimming to a faint, flickering glow. "And how the hell do you propose we do that?" he demanded. "Walk into Gideon's lair and ask nicely?"
Soren's jaw tightened. "There's always a way," he said, calm but dangerous.
I clenched my fists, thinking of Alexia's last look—her silver and gold magic flaring, the shimmer of the barrier holding Finn at bay, her whispered goodbye. "We need Asher," I said, voice low, carrying the weight of the decision.
The words hit the group like a shockwave. Kaia's head snapped toward me, eyes wide. "Asher? You can't be serious. He handed her over once. What makes you think he won't do it again?"
Finn's glare could have burned stone. "Because he still loves her. Even after everything."
I shivered at the memory of the day Alexia learned of Asher's betrayal—the quiet heartbreak, the disbelief, the tremor in her hands when she said his name like it still meant something. "He doesn't deserve to help her," I muttered.
Finn didn't flinch. "None of us do. But if he's the only one who can track across a shadow bind, then we don't have a choice."
Soren's shadow flicked along the broken stones like a living blade. "He's dangerous," he said.
"So are we," Finn replied flatly. "And if we sit here doing nothing, Alexia's at Gideon's mercy."
I forced a breath, steadying my racing heart. "Then we go. We find Asher. We make him help."
Kaia wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her chin lifting despite the fear. "I'm coming. She'd do the same for me."
I nodded. "Then it's settled. No hesitation. Every second counts."
We moved out of the courtyard, silent except for the crunch of leaves under Zeus's massive paws. The forest was alive with uneasy shadows, every branch and rustle sounding like a threat. Smoke still hung in the air, heavy and acrid, carrying the scent of scorched stone and magic. Even the wind seemed to hesitate, as if holding its breath.
Finn led, moving fast but carefully, as the flames dimmed to a soft glow that lit the path just enough for us to see the roots and rocks. Soren followed close, shadows wrapping protectively around us like a second skin. Kaia rode behind me, pressing close to Zeus, who shifted constantly, muscles coiled, hackles faintly raised, sensing every movement in the underbrush.
I couldn't stop thinking about what waited ahead: Asher. I'd known what he was going to do, and I hadn't stopped him—not because I didn't care, but because there hadn't been another way. Asher believed handing Alexia over was the only way to keep her safe. He'd met my eyes when he said it, steady and certain. Now, whether I trusted him or not didn't matter. We were already living with the consequences.
"I still can't believe this is happening," Kaia whispered, voice trembling.
Soren didn't answer at first. Then he said quietly, "The Council's attack—it was perfect cover. Gideon engineered this. Every moment, every distraction—it was meant to force her hand."
Finn's fists clenched. Small pulses of heat radiated from his hands, leaving faint burn marks on the stones where he touched. "Then we'll outsmart him," he said. "We'll undo his plan."
I scanned the faint glow on the horizon, visible between the darkened trees. Somewhere there, Asher waited. And beyond him… Alexia.
Every beat of my heart was a countdown. The forest seemed to close in, leaves brushing against our faces like ghosts of the fallen. Shadows twisted unnaturally in the corner of my vision. Zeus growled low, ears flat, sensing movement we couldn't see.
A branch snapped. Finn flared his hand, flames bright enough to illuminate the clearing. A shadow darted just out of reach. "Damn it," he muttered. "We're not alone."
Soren's shadow surged, sharp and coiling like a blade. "Stay close. Whoever's here won't be friendly."
I felt a flicker of fear, but it was buried under anger and determination. We weren't going to wait. Not while Alexia was out there, in Gideon's hands. Not while every second she was alone could break her, twist her, destroy her light.
Zeus pressed close to Kaia, brushing against her back, a steady, grounding presence. Kaia's hands clenched around his fur, nails digging in. She whispered, almost to herself, "Hold on, Lex. Please…"
The forest stretched ahead, dark and merciless, but we pushed forward. Every step, every sound, every flicker of shadow brought us closer to Asher. And after that… closer to Alexia.
I swallowed hard. I could feel the tension coiling in the air, the pulse of magic lingering like a heartbeat. And I knew—when we finally found her, whatever waited beyond Asher's shadow would be worse than anything we'd faced.
But we had to try.
We had no choice.
And we would fight.