She crested the final hill, the warm light of her house barely flickering through the treetops, and saw him.

Hassian was pacing. Back and forth in front of the front steps like a caged predator. Kaja lay curled near the door, her ears up. Tau was nowhere to be seen—probably still searching.

Lyra stepped into the clearing.

Hassian looked up. Froze. Then he was moving fast, boots heavy across the dirt, eyes wild.
"Lyra."

She managed a step forward before he closed the gap, pulling her into his arms so fiercely it nearly knocked the breath from her.

“Stars—” His voice cracked, low and rough and not at all like his usual calm. He buried his face in her hair. “I thought—”

Her arms slid around him. “I’m okay.”

He pulled back just far enough to look at her. “You’re not. Don’t lie to me. I was about to wake the whole Elderwood—”

“I’m here now,” she whispered.

“I should’ve said it,” he burst out. “Before you left—I should’ve said I love you. Because I do. I should’ve said it every damn day since you gave me that lily. I just—” He swallowed hard. “I didn’t think I’d have to wonder if I’d ever get the chance.”

“Hassian…”

“I was scared, Lyra. Really scared.”

“I know,” she whispered. “Me too.”

He looked her over like he still couldn’t believe she was real. Dirt-smudged, hair tangled, eyes dim with exhaustion—but alive. Safe. His.

“I’m exhausted,” she said softly, swaying on her feet.

That was all it took. Hassian didn’t hesitate—just scooped her up in his arms like it was instinct. “Then you’re going to bed. No arguments.”

She didn’t have the strength to argue even if she wanted to. He carried her through the house, out the back door, and into the conservatory. Their Nest.

He set her gently on the bed, knelt down, and unlaced her boots with careful fingers. “What do you need, baby? Food? Water? I’ll get it.”

She shook her head, lying back with a sigh. “Just you.”

He sat beside her. “Then that’s what you get.”

There was a long pause. Just the sound of wind through glass and the thrum of his heartbeat beside hers.

Finally, Lyra opened her eyes. “Hassian… I want to tell you what happened.”

He turned toward her immediately. “Okay.”

“I can’t.”

He blinked. “Order business? I get it. Let’s not worry about it right now, baby.”

“No. It’s not the Order.” Her voice was trembling now. “I can’t. I physically can’t. Something’s wrong. You have to talk to Subira. She can explain.”

Hassian stared at her, frowning. “What do you mean, you can’t?”

“I mean when I try, it’s like my voice is gone.”

His jaw tensed. She could see it in his eyes—the protective rage beginning to burn—but he didn’t push.

Instead, he stroked her hair once and said, “Okay, baby. Okay. We’ll figure it out. You’re safe now.”

And finally, she let herself believe it.

The Dawn Approaches

The conservatory was still cloaked in soft pre-dawn blue. Stars clung faintly to the sky above the glass ceiling, fading one by one like embers burning out. Lyra shifted beneath the blanket, her chest tight with things she hadn’t said.

The moment she moved, Hassian stirred behind her. He hadn’t really been asleep.

“You okay?” he murmured, his voice scratchy with exhaustion but immediately alert.

She sat up slowly, drawing her knees up to her chest.

“I need to tell you something,” she said softly. “I did something I knew you wouldn’t like. I had a reason—but I’m not going to try and make excuses.”

There was a pause. He was sitting up now too, already bracing.

“Okay,” he said carefully. “What did you do?”

She swallowed. “I followed Tamala. Subira thinks she might be the one who opened the tap in the Elderwood… and shut down the protocols. She thinks Tamala’s trying to stop more humans from emerging—or send us back.”

His breath hitched, just slightly.

“I agreed to tail her. Just to watch. I thought I could do it without being noticed. But… she caught me. I followed her into a cave, I thought I could stay hidden. I failed. I can’t tell you the next part. Subira had given me a tracking device, but I was too deep for it to work. Eventually, I found another way around. The device finally worked, and Subira was able to find me. Get me out.”

Lyra hesitated, then finished, “And now… I’m physically unable to speak against Tamala.”

There was silence. Not the angry kind—the processing kind.

Then he exhaled slowly and ran a hand through his hair. “Every time we part, I say just stay safe…” He shook his head. “And you go and do something completely unsafe.”

“I know.”

“Stars, Lyra.” He looked at her, not with anger—but with the kind of fear that had edges. “What I’m hearing is she put a spell on you and trapped you in a cave. Am I close?”

“Accurate,” Lyra managed to say.

“I’m sure she had some lovely things to say as well and now you can't even talk about it?”

She nodded.

He dragged his palm down his face, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I’m not mad. Not at you,” he said after a moment. “I want to be—but I’m too grateful right now… That low-life witch needs to be dealt with.”

She reached for his hand. “I thought I could handle it.”

“I know you did,” he said, threading his fingers through hers. “But you can’t do everything by yourself. You shouldn’t have to.”

She nodded again, quieter now. “Subira can tell you more.”

“I’ll talk to her,” he said firmly. “Today. Before the hunt.”

She gave a tired little smile. “That’s still happening?”

He snorted. “Yeah. Unless you want to reschedule—or I can go, you stay home and rest.”

She shook her head. “No. We’ll do it.”

“Baby, no one would blame you for sitting this one out.”

“I can do it, I’m fine. I wasn’t physically hurt. Just tired.”

Hassian let out a loud huff. He tugged her hand gently, drawing her closer. She leaned into him, forehead resting against his shoulder.

“I love you,” he murmured. “Even when you scare the stars out of me.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“I’m just glad you told me,” he said. “Even if it’s not everything. We’ll figure the rest out. Together.”

Elderwood Central Stables

The group was already gathering when Hassian and Lyra arrived—bows being strung, boots laced tight, tension in the air like an arrow nocked and waiting. Saraya tossed her hair up into a braid. Lexi cracked her knuckles. Simon and Rex were comparing quivers, still pretending the vibes weren’t weird.”

Subira stood apart, adjusting her satchel of crystal vials.

“Alright, listen up,” Hassian called, loud enough to carry but calm enough to cut the nerves. “We’ll make our hunting stand near the De Mer Docks. We’ll have the best view lines from there through Mauvais Way, the wind won’t carry our scent too far.”

He gestured to the large canvas pack beside him. “Sixty arrows per hunter. Teams of two—shoot together. Infected blue ogopuu only. They take fewer shots to bring down. We're not thinning the healthy herds today, only cleaning up the infected. Subira’s collecting essence samples, so leave the kills intact.”

He handed out the bundles of arrows one by one, slinging the final pack over his own shoulder. “Stay in sightlines but don’t crowd. Move clean and call your shots.”

Then, he turned to Subira. “Can I talk to you a moment?”

They stepped just beyond the edge of the stables, where the trees thinned and the morning light caught in pale ribbons through the branches.

Subira spoke quietly. “I owe you both an apology. I miscalculated. Tamala caught Lyra and bound her with a silencing spell. She cannot speak against her. It’s precise. Cruel.”

Hassian nodded once. “That’s what I thought.” His jaw tightened, rage flashing through him. He already despised Tamala but this--took it to another level.

Lyra’s shoulders folded in on themselves. “I really am sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

Hassian did his best to compose himself for Lyra's sake and the sake of the hunt. There would be time for anger later but she needed him now.

“Stop,” he said gently, turning back to her. His hand found her arm, grounding, solid, warm. “You made a risky call trying to protect people. That doesn’t make you reckless. It makes you you.”

She swallowed hard.

He stepped closer, uncaring of the audience now — of Subira, of anything but the look in Lyra’s eyes. Yesterday he'd allowed Subira's presence stop him from answering as he should have, today he was determined to rectify it. For her.

“You’ve got to let it go, baby. I need my hunting partner right now.” He brushed his hand down her arm, grounding her with the smallest touch. “Get your head in it, alright?”p> He tipped her chin up, just enough to meet her eyes.

“I love you,” he said, plain and steady, and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Now…” He gave her that familiar, teasing half-smirk, “this is where you shine.”

Lyra inhaled deeply and squared her shoulders. The weight in her chest didn’t disappear—but it shifted. Sharpened. Became something useful.

She nodded once, fierce and clear. “Let’s hunt.”