Page 237 of Emylia

The fire had revealed the truth:

I wasn’t broken. I was forged.

I was a damnphoenix.

Rising from the ashes.

I lowered my arms slowly, letting the flame spiral down in glowing embers that floated, soft and weightless, around me. They clung to my skin like stardust.

Like a promise of retribution.

I opened my eyes.

Sebastian took a step toward me, mouth parted in awe.

Maalikai didn’t move. He just stared—like he’d seen a vision. A Goddess, come to life.

But it was my mother’s face that undid me—wet, silent tears streaking her cheeks, shining with something fierce and proud.

And I?—

I breathed.

Steady. Certain.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t caught between two impossible choices. I wasn’t just Emylia.

I was fire.

I was destruction.

I was a force that couldn’t be tamed.

And the world would burn before it broke me again.

* * *

ChapterFifty-Two

Wisps of steam curled from my mouth as my warm breath clashed with the freezing air. Light streamed through the window, catching on drifting motes of dust and turning them iridescent—like flecks of starlight suspended in sun.

I watched the quiet spectacle from the comfort of my bed. As with most mornings, the sun had only just begun its climb, stretching golden fingers across a world still shackled by glacial wind. The cold didn’t bother me today.

Nothing could.

I was finally unbanished. Allowed back in Ophelia—and more importantly, into the Aelinthian Forrest.

Freedom had never felt so Gods-damn good.

I stretched, muscles stiff from sleep, as the chill chased away any lingering haze. Gods, it was freezing. I dressed quickly, tugging on layers before the cold settled into my bones.

At the mirror, I paused. My yellow dress caught the morning light and glowed like liquid sunshine. Tiny beads stitched along the hem refracted light, scattering golden stars across the walls as I spun once—twice—grinning like a banshee.

Outside, the sky was a shock of blue. The sun hadn’t yet warmed the earth, but it had begun painting it in hues of fire. Even with my cloak drawn tight, the wind found its way under the fabric—its icy kiss chasing me as I slipped out the door and jogged down the path toward the barn.

Inside, I shook off the cold and tied my hair in a loose bun. Then I crossed to Stormfire, her warm breath fanning my cheek like a sigh.

“Miss me?” I murmured, scratching behind her ears. A strand of hair slipped loose, drifting into the fog between us. I laughed, brushing it back just as Stormfire exhaled again, her breath curling around me like smoke. My fingers tangled in her mane—thick, coarse, familiar.

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