Chapter 67: Fires Between Us

The night air was alive with tension.

Back at their hidden encampment, Serena sat beside the fire, legs folded beneath her, the ancient book resting on her knees. Shadows danced across her face as flames flickered and cracked. Though the forest around them whispered with wind and unseen creatures, the only thing she truly heard was the echo of Elias’s warning.

One week.

Theron was pacing a short distance away, arms crossed, every so often glancing at her as though trying to measure how close she was to breaking.

She wasn’t sure herself.

Her fingers traced the strange glyphs on the book’s cover. For all her training, her battles, and her defiance, nothing had prepared her for this kind of decision. Not the palace. Not her past. Not even Elias.

Especially not Elias.

Theron finally stopped pacing. “You haven’t said a word in over an hour.”

“I’m thinking.”

He walked to her and knelt, his gaze searching hers. “You don’t have to carry this alone.”

Serena blinked. “But I do. Don’t you see? This isn’t just about prophecy anymore. It’s about choice, and Elias is right in one way—I have to make one.”

Theron shook his head. “No, Elias doesn’t want you to choose. He wants to corner you. You’re not obligated to him. Or to the prophecy. You’re more than what they’ve told you.”

She looked at him, voice barely above a whisper. “You really believe that?”

“I do.” His eyes softened. “Because I’ve seen you fight for others when you didn’t have to. I’ve seen you risk everything for the truth. I’ve seen the fire in you, Serena. And I—” He paused, swallowing whatever came next.

She leaned forward. “Say it.”

He hesitated only a breath before continuing, “I feel things for you I haven’t let myself feel for anyone in a long time.”

Her chest tightened. She felt it too—that tension that came alive every time he was near. That pull, dangerous and undeniable, like gravity had decided to bend just for them.

“I don’t want to make you choose between duty and…” she trailed off, but he finished it.

“Desire?”

She nodded, her cheeks warming.

“I’m not asking for forever,” Theron said, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I am asking for now. For a chance.”

She looked into his eyes, searching, but all she saw was sincerity. Raw. Honest.

Serena leaned closer, slowly, deliberately—and when their lips met, it was soft and electric, a confession without words. His hand cradled the back of her head as she deepened the kiss, the weight of fear and expectation briefly forgotten.

When they finally broke apart, breathless, Theron rested his forehead against hers. “Whatever happens next, we face it together.”

She exhaled shakily. “Together.”

Just then, footsteps rustled in the leaves nearby. Theron spun to his feet, blade drawn, but a familiar voice called out.

“I see I missed the dramatic part.”

Elias stepped into the firelight, alone this time, arms raised in mock surrender. His cloak was dusted with ash, eyes glinting like a predator stalking his prey.

“You’re not welcome here,” Theron growled.

“I wasn’t invited,” Elias replied, smirking. “But I thought I’d give Serena a gift before her big decision.”

Serena stood, spine straightening. “What do you want now?”

He stepped closer, gaze flicking between her and Theron with amusement. “You think kissing him makes this easier? That it makes your path clearer? You think that book holds all the answers?”

“You have no idea what I think.”

Elias’s smile faded. “I know exactly what you think. Because I know you, Serena. I’ve known you since the palace days. Since before the prophecy tore your life apart.”

Her breath caught. “Don’t bring the past into this.”

“Why not? It’s all connected.” His voice dropped. “You were never just a chosen one. You were mine. You still are, if you’d let yourself remember.”

Theron moved between them, every muscle tense. “Back off.”

But Elias’s eyes never left Serena’s. “I’ll be at the Oracle’s Ruins at moonrise in three days. Bring the book. Bring your answer. And maybe, if your knight lets you breathe, bring your heart.”

With that, he vanished again into shadow, leaving the fire to crackle and the tension to thicken like fog.

Serena stared at the dark woods long after he disappeared.

Theron’s voice broke the silence. “He’s playing a dangerous game.”

She nodded, heart pounding. “And I’m the prize.”