The Thirteenth Ember - Chapter 11: Chapter 11
You are reading The Thirteenth Ember, Chapter 11: Chapter 11. Read more chapters of The Thirteenth Ember.
She hadn’t seen her mother in seven years.
But there she stood, untouched by time, wrapped in the blackened robes of a fallen Flameborn, her hair pulled back in a silver clasp Aeryn remembered from childhood.
The woman’s face was calm. Too calm.
“Lower your weapons,” the cloaked guards beside her barked, closing in.
Kael stepped in front of Aeryn, breath ragged. “You know her?”
Aeryn couldn’t speak.
“Answer me, girl,” her mother said coldly. “Is this the boy you’ve been hiding?”
Her voice was softer than Aeryn remembered — but sharper. More dangerous.
Kael’s grip on his dagger tightened. “We’re not going with you.”
“I wasn’t asking you,” she replied, eyes never leaving Aeryn.
Aeryn finally found her voice. “I thought you were dead.”
Her mother smiled faintly. “You wished I was.”
She stepped forward, the guards holding back like trained dogs.
“You fled the Order. Stole sacred knowledge. Refused your final binding. And for what?” She tilted her head. “To save him?”
Kael started to speak, but Aeryn held up a hand. “Why are you here?”
“To bring you home,” her mother said.
“You mean to use me.”
The smile vanished. “You don’t know what you’re carrying, Aeryn.”
Kael stepped closer. “Neither do they.”
Her mother looked at him then — truly looked.And for the first time, her confidence cracked.
“You,” she whispered. “You were supposed to be ash.”
Aeryn’s stomach dropped. “You knew?”
Her mother’s voice was suddenly steel. “I warned the Order what the Thirteenth would become. They wouldn’t listen. So I did what had to be done.”
“You abandoned me,” Aeryn said. Her voice was trembling now. “You left me behind.”
“To protect you.”
“No,” Aeryn said. “To protect yourself.”
Flame sparked along her fingers — not summoned, not controlled, just there. Kael felt it too. The emberglass at his side responded in kind — glowing faintly orange.
The guards raised their weapons.Kael looked at Aeryn. “We can’t fight all of them.”
“I don’t intend to.”
She stepped forward. “You said you came to bring me home,” she said to her mother. “But you never asked if I wanted to go.”
Her mother opened her mouth to reply, but Aeryn was already moving — grabbing Kael’s arm, whispering a word only the ember could hear.
“Vaelith.”
The world shuddered.
A column of fire erupted between them and the guards, searing through the stones. People screamed. Chaos.
Kael and Aeryn ran.
Down the alley. Through the smoke. Into the unknown.
Behind them, the fire raged — but not wild.It burned with purpose.
But there she stood, untouched by time, wrapped in the blackened robes of a fallen Flameborn, her hair pulled back in a silver clasp Aeryn remembered from childhood.
The woman’s face was calm. Too calm.
“Lower your weapons,” the cloaked guards beside her barked, closing in.
Kael stepped in front of Aeryn, breath ragged. “You know her?”
Aeryn couldn’t speak.
“Answer me, girl,” her mother said coldly. “Is this the boy you’ve been hiding?”
Her voice was softer than Aeryn remembered — but sharper. More dangerous.
Kael’s grip on his dagger tightened. “We’re not going with you.”
“I wasn’t asking you,” she replied, eyes never leaving Aeryn.
Aeryn finally found her voice. “I thought you were dead.”
Her mother smiled faintly. “You wished I was.”
She stepped forward, the guards holding back like trained dogs.
“You fled the Order. Stole sacred knowledge. Refused your final binding. And for what?” She tilted her head. “To save him?”
Kael started to speak, but Aeryn held up a hand. “Why are you here?”
“To bring you home,” her mother said.
“You mean to use me.”
The smile vanished. “You don’t know what you’re carrying, Aeryn.”
Kael stepped closer. “Neither do they.”
Her mother looked at him then — truly looked.And for the first time, her confidence cracked.
“You,” she whispered. “You were supposed to be ash.”
Aeryn’s stomach dropped. “You knew?”
Her mother’s voice was suddenly steel. “I warned the Order what the Thirteenth would become. They wouldn’t listen. So I did what had to be done.”
“You abandoned me,” Aeryn said. Her voice was trembling now. “You left me behind.”
“To protect you.”
“No,” Aeryn said. “To protect yourself.”
Flame sparked along her fingers — not summoned, not controlled, just there. Kael felt it too. The emberglass at his side responded in kind — glowing faintly orange.
The guards raised their weapons.Kael looked at Aeryn. “We can’t fight all of them.”
“I don’t intend to.”
She stepped forward. “You said you came to bring me home,” she said to her mother. “But you never asked if I wanted to go.”
Her mother opened her mouth to reply, but Aeryn was already moving — grabbing Kael’s arm, whispering a word only the ember could hear.
“Vaelith.”
The world shuddered.
A column of fire erupted between them and the guards, searing through the stones. People screamed. Chaos.
Kael and Aeryn ran.
Down the alley. Through the smoke. Into the unknown.
Behind them, the fire raged — but not wild.It burned with purpose.
End of The Thirteenth Ember Chapter 11. Continue reading Chapter 12 or return to The Thirteenth Ember book page.