The Thirteenth Ember - Chapter 3: Chapter 3
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By dawn, the forest was too quiet.
Aeryn stood outside the cave, her boots planted on damp earth, cloak wrapped tight against the cold. The air carried no birdsong. No wind. Just
The kind of stillness that came before something terrible.
Behind her, Kael slept — or pretended to. She hadn’t decided which yet. He hadn’t spoken again after naming himself. But she had heard him whisper something in his sleep. A word she didn’t recognize.
“Vaelith.”
It echoed in her head now like an itch beneath her skin.
She crouched by the stream, splashing water on her face to wake herself. The weight of the emberstone beneath her dress felt heavier thismorning, warmer — as if it, too, had questions.
A rustle behind her.
She turned sharply, hand on the dagger at her waist.
But it was just Kael. Leaning against the edge of the cave mouth, wrapped in her spare cloak, looking like a man carved from loss.
“You shouldn’t be standing,” she said.
“I’m tired of lying down,” he said hoarsely. “And I needed air.”
“You’ll bleed again.”
“Let me.”
His eyes scanned the trees. “There’s movement.”
She followed his gaze. “I know.”
He was quiet for a long moment. Then: “They’re tracking me.”
“I figured.”“You don’t seem surprised.”
“I’m not.”
Kael exhaled. “You should’ve left me.”
“I still might.”
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “Fair.”
But the truth — the one Aeryn wouldn’t admit — was that she had tried. Twice in the night, she had told herself to walk away. To vanish into the trees like she always had before. But her feet wouldn’t move.
Not with the emberstone glowing the way it was now — hot, almost fevered.
“You’re not just a soldier,” she said softly.
He didn’t answer.
“And you’re not just being hunted. You’re being hunted by someone who knows exactly what you are.”Still no reply.
She looked at him. “Tell me what you did.”
Kael looked out over the trees. “I survived.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one I have.”
Something howled in the distance — not animal. Not human. A call wrapped in magic and malice. Her blood ran cold.
Kael turned sharply. “They’ve found me.”
Aeryn’s hand tightened on her dagger. “Then we run.”
Aeryn stood outside the cave, her boots planted on damp earth, cloak wrapped tight against the cold. The air carried no birdsong. No wind. Just
The kind of stillness that came before something terrible.
Behind her, Kael slept — or pretended to. She hadn’t decided which yet. He hadn’t spoken again after naming himself. But she had heard him whisper something in his sleep. A word she didn’t recognize.
“Vaelith.”
It echoed in her head now like an itch beneath her skin.
She crouched by the stream, splashing water on her face to wake herself. The weight of the emberstone beneath her dress felt heavier thismorning, warmer — as if it, too, had questions.
A rustle behind her.
She turned sharply, hand on the dagger at her waist.
But it was just Kael. Leaning against the edge of the cave mouth, wrapped in her spare cloak, looking like a man carved from loss.
“You shouldn’t be standing,” she said.
“I’m tired of lying down,” he said hoarsely. “And I needed air.”
“You’ll bleed again.”
“Let me.”
His eyes scanned the trees. “There’s movement.”
She followed his gaze. “I know.”
He was quiet for a long moment. Then: “They’re tracking me.”
“I figured.”“You don’t seem surprised.”
“I’m not.”
Kael exhaled. “You should’ve left me.”
“I still might.”
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “Fair.”
But the truth — the one Aeryn wouldn’t admit — was that she had tried. Twice in the night, she had told herself to walk away. To vanish into the trees like she always had before. But her feet wouldn’t move.
Not with the emberstone glowing the way it was now — hot, almost fevered.
“You’re not just a soldier,” she said softly.
He didn’t answer.
“And you’re not just being hunted. You’re being hunted by someone who knows exactly what you are.”Still no reply.
She looked at him. “Tell me what you did.”
Kael looked out over the trees. “I survived.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one I have.”
Something howled in the distance — not animal. Not human. A call wrapped in magic and malice. Her blood ran cold.
Kael turned sharply. “They’ve found me.”
Aeryn’s hand tightened on her dagger. “Then we run.”
End of The Thirteenth Ember Chapter 3. Continue reading Chapter 4 or return to The Thirteenth Ember book page.