Semua Bab Shattered by three, claimed by none: Bab 21 - Bab 30

Vex's POVI felt my face go pale when I heard the woman's words. A truth detector test. Each of us had to state a hidden truth from our hearts. This was not what I had signed up for. I did not want to accept it, and my mind immediately began searching for a way out.There had to be a way to leave this fog without playing this woman's game.I reached out with my abilities, extending my senses through the mist, searching for any form of technology that could be causing this phenomenon. Electromagnetic fields. Communication signals. Power sources. Anything. I pushed harder, stretching my awareness as far as it could go.Nothing. There was nothing. No artificial interference of any kind. The fog was not being generated by machines. The vehicles had not been disabled by any device I could detect. This was something else entirely. Something beyond my expertise.Kael's voice broke through my thoughts. "This woman is crazy. We are not playing her games. We are leaving this place without deal

Sage's POVMy heart felt heavier than it had in years when I heard my daughter's words. She wanted to know her father. She wanted to ask him why. She was carrying this weight inside her, this quiet longing, and I had not known how deep it ran.She did not realize that the three sons of bitches she was standing in front of were the very men she was asking about. They were right here, breathing the same air, walking the same ground, and they had no idea that the child looking up at the mist was their own blood.The woman's voice returned, warm and almost kind. "You have all spoken your hidden truths. You may pass. Welcome to the Caverns of Ash."The mist parted in front of us, creating a clear path through the fog. I could see the rocky terrain ahead. I grabbed Milo's hand and walked back to the vehicle without looking at any of the men. I did not care about their truths. I did not care about their insecurities or their burdens or their pathetic attempts at vulnerability. None of it gav

Sage's POVThe morning light came through the floor to ceiling window, and I woke up feeling more rested than I had in months. The bed had been comfortable, the room had been quiet, and for a few hours, I had forgotten where I was and who I was with. But the memories came back quickly, and I got up and moved through my morning routine with practiced efficiency.After I was dressed and ready, I went straight to check on Milo. The young man from the day before had told me where the children's quarters were, and I found the place easily. It was a large enclosed playground at the back of the building, filled with swings and slides and climbing structures. Children of various ages ran around laughing, their voices carrying through the morning air.And there was Milo. She was sitting on a swing, pushing herself back and forth, talking animatedly to a girl her age on the swing next to hers. Her face was lit up with a smile I had not seen in a long time. A real smile. Not the brave one she wo

Sage's POVSilence fell between us. Kael kept quiet, but I could feel him behind me, and I wished he would just disappear."I do not care about how you felt," I said, my voice echoing off the walls. "Do not stand there and try to make me understand the reasons why you made my life feel like shit. I do not want to hear any of that. Not now. Not ever."I turned to face him. The torchlight cast deep shadows across his face, and I saw him flinch slightly at the anger in my voice."That pain you gave me made me strong," I said. "It made me survive. It made me into the woman who is standing here today, the woman who does not need you or anyone else to protect her. And if you think, for even one second, that those seven years of suffering can be forgotten just because you want me to tolerate you a little bit more, then you are the biggest circus clown I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. The only thing missing is the red nose and the squeaky shoes."I was heaving by the time I finished

Sage's POVKael's eyes focused on me more sharply. Some of the glassiness faded, replaced by something that looked like surprise. "You are agreeing with me?""Do not let it go to your head. I am simply stating a fact. Your family is terrible. They always have been. And they would have done everything in their power to destroy any happiness we might have found together."Kael was quiet for a moment. The glow of his thermokinesis pulsed softly, and I could see him processing my words."It does not excuse what I did," he said finally. "I should have been stronger. I should have fought for you. I should have at least tried.""Yes," I said. "You should have. But you did not. And now we are here. In a hole. Freezing. Waiting to be rescued."Kael let out a sound that might have been a laugh if he had any strength left. "When you put it that way, it sounds almost romantic."I glared at him. "Do not push it."Kael was quiet for a moment, his breathing shallow but steady. Then he turned his hea