LOGINCelesteConfusion bought seconds.Nothing more.“Left,” I said.We shifted as one, cutting across the line before they could close around us. A man lunged from the dark—too slow. Mara dropped him without breaking stride.“Don’t stop,” she muttered.“I wasn’t planning to.”Shouts rose behind us now. Not panicked—controlled, but sharp. Orders passed fast. Faster than before.“They’re recovering,” Tomas said.“Good,” I replied. “Keep them doing it.”Another platform came into view ahead, partially manned. One operator turned, eyes widening just a fraction too late.“Take it,” I said.Lysa’s arrow hit first—close, efficient. The second man didn’t get the shot off. Tomas drove forward, knocking the frame sideways. Wood cracked under its own weight, tilting, then collapsing into the slope.“Move.”No hesitation.We passed through the gap before it settled.Behind us, their line tightened. Not chasing wildly. Adjusting. Containing.“They’re trying to box us,” Mara said.“Yes.”“Do we let the
CelesteNight fell hard, wiping the valley from sight.“Now?” Mara asked.I nodded.Torches lit behind the ridge, low and uneven. They threw shadows forward, making us look scattered.“They’ll think we’re loose,” Tomas said.“Let them.”The west moved first. Slow, careful steps. No signals.“Hold,” I said.They hit fast, expecting a weak line.“Lock.”Our shields closed. No panic. No gaps.They pushed. We didn’t meet it head-on. We shifted, turning their force sideways. Their line lost shape and pulled back.A whistle cut through the dark.South.“They’re climbing,” Lysa said.Slower this time. Controlled.I stepped forward just enough to be seen.The first man reached the top and paused. Then moved.Two more followed, spreading out.“Now?” Mara asked.I waited, then gave it.We stepped back a single pace, opening space.They took it.“Close.”The gap vanished. We pressed inward, trapping them tight. No room to move.“Pressure.”We leaned, steady and coordinated. The ground shifted un
CelesteEvening didn’t fall so much as settle—slow, deliberate, like a hand pressing down over the ridge.The light thinned into a pale blue wash, flattening depth and shadow until distance became guesswork again. Not fog. Not quite darkness. Something in between.Uncertain ground.Perfect for mistakes.“Torches?” Tomas asked.I shook my head. “Not yet.”Light gave clarity, but it also gave position. Right now, ambiguity was still ours.Below, the enemy platforms had multiplied. What began as scattered frames had become a staggered line, each one slightly offset from the next. Not enough to overlap. Just enough to cover.Efficient.“They’ll keep firing through dusk,” Mara said. “Test how we react in low light.”“Yes.”“And if we don’t?”“They’ll escalate.”She exhaled slowly. “Of course they will.”A soft crunch of boots behind us signaled Lysa’s approach. “Western scouts report movement,” she said. “Not forward. Lateral.”“Flanking?” Tomas asked.“Not exactly,” I replied before Lysa
CelesteBy midday, the mountain gave us back our sight but not our certainty.The fog didn’t vanish all at once. It peeled away in reluctant layers, revealing the valley like something waking from a long sleep. Shapes sharpened. Distances returned. The illusion of control came with it.I didn’t trust it.“Too clean,” Mara muttered beside me, echoing the same thought.The enemy had withdrawn just far enough to be seen, not engaged. Lines reforming. Movements deliberate. No wounded left scattered. No panic in their retreat.They were resetting.So were we.“Water first,” I said. “Then rotation. I want fresh eyes on every edge.”The men didn’t argue. They never did anymore. Orders weren’t interruptions now—they were structure. Something to hold onto between impacts.I walked the ridge slowly, not because I needed to inspect it, but because they needed to see me do it.Presence mattered.The southern edge bore the marks of the morning—scuffed ice, shallow gouges, a snapped arrow half-buri
Chapter CelesteBy the third day, the mountain stopped pretending this was temporary.Snow had packed into ice along the ridge, boots carving familiar grooves that no longer filled in between skirmishes. The air tasted metallic, thin enough to scrape the throat. Even the men moved differently now—economical, conserving motion without being told.That was how you knew a fight had settled in. When survival stopped being dramatic and became routine.I woke before dawn again, not from fear this time, but calculation. The enemy had probed west, then center. They’d tested our patience, our traps, our timing. They would not repeat themselves. Not exactly.I stepped out into the dim light and found Mara already awake, crouched beside a map weighted with stones.“Fog’s coming,” she said without looking up.I followed her gaze. The valley was swallowed in a low gray swell, thick and slow-moving.“How long?” I asked.“Hard to say. Could burn off by noon. Could sit all day.”I nodded. Fog favore
CelesteNight did not arrive cleanly.It slid in under the snow, diluted and cautious, like it knew better than to announce itself. The sky dimmed by degrees, light thinning until shapes mattered more than color. Torches were kept low. Fires stayed banked. Nothing that could be read from below.I walked the line again as evening settled, slower this time. Not inspection—presence. Men straightened when they saw me, not out of fear, but habit. They wanted to be seen. To be counted. I let my eyes meet theirs, one by one. Names surfaced without effort. So did the small things: who favored their left leg, who’d stopped rubbing their hands because the broth had done its job, who was wound tight enough to snap if left alone too long.I paused beside Lysa near the southern brace. She had a clean bandage wrapped around her forearm, blood already seeping through the cloth in faint blooms.“You should’ve been pulled back,” I said.She shrugged with her uninjured shoulder. “It’s shallow.”“It’s
CELESTE The way my body had reacted to Edgar last night was the ultimate betrayal, but I was glad I had been able to step away from him without showing any signs on my face.Now, as Selene tightened the lace of my corset, my mind was already somewhere else- on Candor. He wasn't as imposing as Edga
CELESTE I entered the dining hall the next day with a game plan. One: To not react to any of Edgar's games. it was mostly what got me on trouble. Two: remain perfectly calm and ignore my attraction for him and do everything possible to get information from him. Three: get him to release my
Chapter 23 real CELESTE I left my chambers with dread slithering down my spine like ice water. In this age, how could public executions still exist? And yet, in the Northern Kingdom, ruled by Edgar of all men, I supposed cruelty was as natural as breathing. Sylvester led me through the palace but
CELESTE “Your majesty?” Lyra blinked, her voice going up a few octaves. “You heard me, Lyra. Did you steal from that Merchant?” “No.” She shook her head. “I would never steal. Well, I have stolen before but I was five and hungry, but I have never stolen before, after that time at least.” she







