Page 81 of Veil of Ashes

Enzo hasn’t moved from the entrance.

He doesn’t wave.

Doesn’t speak.

Just watches her leave.

He never watches me.

Good.

Back in the car, Sylvara stares out the window. Her fingers trace patterns on her thigh, restless but grounded.

I start the engine. She doesn’t look at me when she speaks.

“You meant it,” she says softly.

I don’t pretend not to understand.

“Yeah,” I reply.

She exhales. “I didn’t expect you to.”

I grip the steering wheel tighter. “Neither did I.”

We don’t speak after that. We don’t need to.

The engine hums low beneath us as we turn away from the bunker. Its shadow disappears behind the dunes as we drive, dust swirling in our wake.

She leans her head against the window. I rest my hand between us, palm open.

After a moment, she slips her fingers into mine.

That’s the real escape.

Not the IDs. Not the drive.

Her choice. My promise.

The rest can rot underground with the past.

Chapter 28 – Sylvara

The paintbrush feels heavier than it should.

I dip it again in the tray, wiping the excess against the rim, then drag it across the wood in a smooth arc. Pale gold on slate blue. The bristles whisper across the surface. The letters come together slowly—slower than I expected. Not because I’m uncertain. But because this part, this piece of it, I don’t want to rush.

Second Chances Garage.

I pause after the final stroke. The sun is strong enough to dry it before I set the brush down. The wood will need sealing later, and maybe sanding around the edges, but the lines are clean. The name stands proud on the front wall above the roll-up bay door. Simple serif lettering. No flare. Just truth.

We picked it together—me and the man currently cursing under the hood of a blue ‘68 Mustang.

“You stubborn son of a—” Kieran mutters from across the lot. “That’s not even connected to your battery line, what are you doing?”

The hood rattles as he shifts. A wrench clinks against the concrete. He growls, but there’s no venom in it.

The Mustang’s a local’s car. Belongs to the retired librarian who lives two blocks over. She doesn’t drive it anymore, just likes to hear it run once a week. She calls it her “gentleman companion.” Kieran calls it a demon in chrome.

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