The Thirteenth Ember - Chapter 19: Chapter 19
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By dawn, the rain had stopped.
But something colder had settled into the sanctuary.
Aeryn felt it first — a tension in the air, like the pressure before lightning. As she rose and wrapped Kael’s cloak around her shoulders, a whisper stirred at the edges of her mind.
A voice she hadn’t heard in weeks.
Her mother’s.
“You can’t save what was made to burn.”
She blinked. The voice was gone.
Kael stirred beside her in the stone alcove, brow furrowed. He looked older in the morning light — not worn, but tempered. Like steel fresh from the forge.
“We’re not alone,” he said, before she could speak.
They dressed quickly and met Oryn in the heart of the sanctuary. He was already preparing.
“The outer seals have been breached,” he said without preamble. “Flameborn Order. They’re not scouting this time.”
Aeryn’s heart sank. “Full force?”
He nodded grimly. “They’ve brought Ashbinders.”
Kael cursed under his breath. “That’s a death squad.”
“No,” Oryn said. “That’s a silencing squad. They’re not here to fight. They’re here to erase.”
Aeryn gripped Kael’s arm. “We have to go.”
But Kael shook his head. “If we run, they’ll track us again. If we stay, we make our stand.”
“You’re not ready,” Oryn warned.
“I’ll never be ready if we keep running.”
Aeryn stepped between them. “There has to be
another way.”
Oryn looked between them and finally gave a sharp nod. “There is. But it’s dangerous.”
He turned to the far end of the sanctuary — to a section of wall that looked solid… until he pressed his palm against it.
A crack of light split the stone.
A hidden chamber opened, pulsing with emberlight.
Inside, rested an ancient circle of carved rings — overlapping, humming faintly. A weapon? A gate? A memory?
Oryn spoke in a hush. “This was the Flame’s original sanctum. It holds the truth the Order buried.”
Kael stepped forward. “What kind of truth?”
“Your kind. And hers,” he said, nodding at Aeryn. “What it really meant to be Chosen. But it takes both of you to awaken it.”
Aeryn hesitated. “Why now?”
“Because once you enter,” Oryn said, “you won’t come out the same.”
Outside, the Order gathered in the mist.
Dozens of cloaked figures. Ashbinders among them — faces covered in soot, blades etched with embersteel.
And in the center…
A woman in ivory robes.
Aeryn’s mother.
She raised a hand to the soldiers beside her.
“Find them. Bring back the boy.”
Her voice dropped, softer than the wind.Burn the girl.”
Inside the sanctum, Kael reached for Aeryn.
She took his hand without hesitation.
And together, they stepped into the circle of light.
But something colder had settled into the sanctuary.
Aeryn felt it first — a tension in the air, like the pressure before lightning. As she rose and wrapped Kael’s cloak around her shoulders, a whisper stirred at the edges of her mind.
A voice she hadn’t heard in weeks.
Her mother’s.
“You can’t save what was made to burn.”
She blinked. The voice was gone.
Kael stirred beside her in the stone alcove, brow furrowed. He looked older in the morning light — not worn, but tempered. Like steel fresh from the forge.
“We’re not alone,” he said, before she could speak.
They dressed quickly and met Oryn in the heart of the sanctuary. He was already preparing.
“The outer seals have been breached,” he said without preamble. “Flameborn Order. They’re not scouting this time.”
Aeryn’s heart sank. “Full force?”
He nodded grimly. “They’ve brought Ashbinders.”
Kael cursed under his breath. “That’s a death squad.”
“No,” Oryn said. “That’s a silencing squad. They’re not here to fight. They’re here to erase.”
Aeryn gripped Kael’s arm. “We have to go.”
But Kael shook his head. “If we run, they’ll track us again. If we stay, we make our stand.”
“You’re not ready,” Oryn warned.
“I’ll never be ready if we keep running.”
Aeryn stepped between them. “There has to be
another way.”
Oryn looked between them and finally gave a sharp nod. “There is. But it’s dangerous.”
He turned to the far end of the sanctuary — to a section of wall that looked solid… until he pressed his palm against it.
A crack of light split the stone.
A hidden chamber opened, pulsing with emberlight.
Inside, rested an ancient circle of carved rings — overlapping, humming faintly. A weapon? A gate? A memory?
Oryn spoke in a hush. “This was the Flame’s original sanctum. It holds the truth the Order buried.”
Kael stepped forward. “What kind of truth?”
“Your kind. And hers,” he said, nodding at Aeryn. “What it really meant to be Chosen. But it takes both of you to awaken it.”
Aeryn hesitated. “Why now?”
“Because once you enter,” Oryn said, “you won’t come out the same.”
Outside, the Order gathered in the mist.
Dozens of cloaked figures. Ashbinders among them — faces covered in soot, blades etched with embersteel.
And in the center…
A woman in ivory robes.
Aeryn’s mother.
She raised a hand to the soldiers beside her.
“Find them. Bring back the boy.”
Her voice dropped, softer than the wind.Burn the girl.”
Inside the sanctum, Kael reached for Aeryn.
She took his hand without hesitation.
And together, they stepped into the circle of light.
End of The Thirteenth Ember Chapter 19. Continue reading Chapter 20 or return to The Thirteenth Ember book page.