Page 59 of Veinblood
“If we fail, running won't save them. Better to end this threat now, and give us time to consider our options.”
We move to a quieter section of the main cave, where we can speak without being overheard. Mira joins us, along with several of Stonehaven’s leaders.
“We will hit them in the narrows. Force them into a bottleneck where their numbers mean less. Put archers on the high ground, fighters blocking the pass.”
“And if they split their forces?” Mira asks.
“Then we adapt. We can’t plan for every possibility, but we can use the advantages wedohave. Knowledge of the ground, defensive positions, and the fact we know they’re coming.”
As I give orders for the fighters to prepare, the connection with Ellie pulls at me again. Somewhere in that direction, she is making her own choices, facing her own trials. The thought both comforts and terrifies me. I want to reach out through the bond, attempt to let her know that I’m alive, that I’m thinking of her, that every choice I make is weighted against the need to see her again.
Come back to me, Mel'shira. Find your way back to me.
The thought goes out along our connection, carrying all my love and desperation. I have no way of knowing if she can sense it, but the act of sending it provides a moment of peace in the chaos of preparing for battle.
Then I push it aside. Right now, three hundred and fifty lives depend on how well we can hold this ground. My personal needs, no matter how vital they are to me, must wait.
It’s time to remind the Authority why they fear the Shadowvein Lord.
Chapter Seventeen
ELLIE
“Some chains are forged from duty. Others from love. Both can bind equally.”
Reflections on Captivity — Sacha Torran's Journals
The soundof footsteps outside the window jolts me awake. Sunlight filters through a crack in the shutters, casting a thin line of gold across the small bedroom. The bed beneath me is narrow but comfortable, the rough blanket warm against my skin.
It takes me a moment to remember where I am.
Masha’s house, in the middle of Ashenvale.
I stretch, and take a moment to enjoy the simple pleasure of waking up in a bed, without worrying about who might find me. For two nights, Masha has allowed me to stay here. She’s fed me, given me clean clothes, and opened her home to me. I’m not sure how I’ll ever repay her for it.
The memory of those desperate hours when I discovered I was in Ashenvale and not Thornspire still makes my skin crawl. Stumbling through unfamiliar streets, ducking into shadowswhenever I heard boots on cobblestones, pressing against the walls and holding my breath until patrols passed. The relief when I finally found someone who recognized the phrase Sacha gave me feels distant now, but no less real. Without Masha's willingness to take me in, I'd still be hiding in doorways and praying no one questioned me.
Even the connection to Sacha seems steadier this morning, a warm pulse deep inside my chest confirming he’s alive and moving around somewhere. Whatever he’s doing, I can sense his purpose driving him forward.
Through the door I can hear voices. Multiple people speaking in hushed tones, but the cadence is wrong for normal conversation. It’s too quick, too intense, punctuated by long pauses. It raises the fine hairs on the back of my neck.
Has she told the Authority I’m here? Am I going to walk out of the room and find soldiers waiting for me?
The possibility turns my blood to ice. Masha seemed genuine, but that doesn’t mean the people she introduced me to feel the same way. They might have changed their minds. Especially when the alternative could be their death.
I slip from the bed, and the floorboards creak beneath my feet. Holding my breath, I stay still, watching the door, but it doesn’t open. No one bursts in and drags me out. The voices continue their conversation beyond the walls, words too muffled to make out clearly but carrying enough tension to worry me.
My heart hammers against my ribs as I strain to listen.
Are they discussing me? Planning what to do with me?
The urgency in their tones suggestssomethingimportant is being discussed, but even when I press my ear to the door, I can’t make it out.
Grabbing the clothes Masha gave me, I dress quickly, pull my hair back into the common braid she showed me, and then bend to tie my boots. My fingers shake slightly as I work the laces. Every choice I make has the potential to either keep me free or put me in chains, or worse, kill me.
The voices are still talking in the other room once I’m done, and I hesitate for a second before taking a deep breath and pulling open the door to step through. Two of the Ashenvale Knot members are there with Masha—Jorana and Corwin. Both women are seated at the table, while Corwin paces near the small hearth. The women stand up when I enter.
“—posted all over the city. Sereven has?—”
