Novels by rachelcoyle23

Stepping through the flame like it was nothing more than irritating mist. Dain Castros, looking exactly as he had in the fragments of memory that had been haunting my dreams. Tall and commanding, with features that might have been handsome if not for the corruption that shadowed his eyes and traced black veins beneath his skin. He wore armor similar to the hunters but more refined, more personal, a general among foot soldiers."Ember," he said, and his voice sent a chill through me despite the fire dancing across my skin. "At last."Beside me, Hail went rigid, his knuckles white around the hilt of his knife. "Dain.""Brother," Dain replied, but the word held no warmth. "Still playing the reluctant servant, I see. How's that working out for you?"Memories hit me like physical blows—Dain's face, younger, uncorrupted, smiling at me across a council table. His hand in mine as we watched a sunset. His back as he walked away. His eyes, cold and empty, as he handed me over to Malagar in exch

As if summoned by my words, the chamber's far wall exploded inward. Three figures stepped through the debris, moving with an unnatural coordination that made my skin crawl. They wore black tactical gear with no insignia, their faces concealed behind sleek masks that reflected the room like dark mirrors. But I didn't need to see their faces to know what they were: corrupted souls bound to Malagar's service, just like Hail had been once. Just like he still was."Well, shit," Kade muttered, his men immediately taking defensive positions. "Looks like negotiation time is over."Everything happened at once. Kade's forces opened fire on the hunters. The hunters, unnaturally fast, closed the distance with terrifying speed. Hail shoved me behind him and loosed a bolt from his crossbow, catching the nearest hunter in the shoulder, a shot that should have been lethal but merely made the creature stumble.Lena fired precise shots from her position, each bullet finding its mark but doing minimal d

Lena tactfully busied herself with packing up the texts, moving to the far side of the small chamber. The moment felt strangely private, charged with things neither of us was saying.My hand moved of its own accord, reaching up to touch the scar that ran along Hail's jaw. His skin was warm beneath my fingertips, and he went very still, like prey caught in a predator's gaze, though which of us was which, I couldn't have said."I think I trusted you once," I whispered. "In another life. I think maybe I even…”The rest of the sentence died on my lips as memories flashed behind my eyes—flames, a battlefield, Hail's face younger and unmarked by scars, his hand reaching for mine as the world burned around us.I gasped and stumbled backward, the force of the memory making me dizzy. Hail caught my elbow, steadying me."What did you see?" he asked urgently."Us," I said simply. "I saw us."The look that passed between us then was worth a thousand words neither of us knew how to say. A promise,

The ancient murals watched us from the walls, phoenix figures trapped in eternal cycles of burning and rebirth. Just like me. I traced my fingers over the faded paint, and my skin hummed with recognition, a ghost of memory that belonged to someone I used to be. The cuff around my wrist felt heavier than usual, its cold metal pressing into my flesh like a reminder of everything I'd lost. But something was different today. As I stood in this cramped, hidden chamber beneath the library, my hands wouldn't stop shaking, and the cuff, the fucking thing that had locked away my power had developed the tiniest of cracks."You feel it too, don't you?" Hail's voice slid through the dusty air. He leaned against a wall covered in symbols I almost recognized, his shoulders a rigid line beneath his worn jacket. His eyes never left me, that piercing blue tracking my every movement like I might combust at any second. Maybe I would."It's like..." I struggled to find words for the electricity racing th

Embers back to me, leaning over the table. The chemical lantern sat at her elbow, casting harsh blue-white light that made her red hair look like liquid copper flowing down her back. She wore the same practical clothes as always—faded black pants, boots with mismatched laces, a jacket too large for her frame that she refused to replace despite Lena's offers of alternatives.I stayed perfectly still, watching. This wasn't the first time I'd observed her without her knowledge. The curse compelled me to track her, to learn her habits, and to find the perfect moment to complete my assignment. But over time, observation had become something else: a need to understand what made her different, what made her important enough for Malagar to send his best after her.She moved items around on the table, her movements deliberate and controlled. I could see part of the collection now—a dagger with intricate engravings along its blade, a cracked hand mirror with a tarnished silver backing, and what

The curse mark pulsed again, angry and insistent. Each beat sent fire through my veins, a reminder of chains I couldn't break, failures I couldn't undo. The face of every person I'd let down or couldn't save flashed through my mind: Dain before the corruption took him, the settlers at Riverview, my own family from a life that seemed like someone else's memory now.I pressed my back against the cool stone of the collapsed wall, feeling the rough texture catch on my coat. The hunters were closing in, their footsteps finally audible as they abandoned stealth for speed. The figure on the roof had disappeared, repositioning, not retreating.My options were limited and shrinking by the second. I could make a stand here, try to take down as many as possible before they overwhelmed me. I could run and try to lead them away from the library, away from Ember. Or I could do what the curse wanted, what it had always pushed me toward: capture her and bring her to Malagar.I flexed my fingers, feel