The Thirteenth Ember - Chapter 53: Chapter 53
You are reading The Thirteenth Ember, Chapter 53: Chapter 53. Read more chapters of The Thirteenth Ember.
Night The Rebellion’s Camp
Kael moved like smoke.
The moment Aeryn whispered his name, he was already out of the eastern tree line, shadow-walking between tents, his blade humming softly at his back.
He didn’t need to ask what had happened.
He had felt her tension across the camp.
And more than that he had seen it, flickering across the web of magic that now danced in his vision. Since the fight with Varenth, something in Kael had shifted. The shadows no longer waited for command. They anticipated.
They followed fear. Deceit.
And someone was steeped in both.
Elsewhere in the Camp “Drevan”
Thaevis moved quickly now.
The moment her hand touched him, he had known the cover was blown. Aeryn’s flame had tasted the magic beneath his skin not enough to expose him openly, but enough to turn suspicion into certainty.
Still, he had one last chance.
The Court had given him more than a cover identity. They had given him a failsafe.
Buried beneath the camp’s wellspring, a single rune-stone etched in blood awaited his signal. If triggered, it would send a shockwave directly toward Aeryn’s embermark enough to disrupt her connection to the child for days.
Enough to snatch her mind.
Just long enough to make her vulnerable.
He ducked into the shadows behind the medic tent.
Didn’t notice the one that followed him.
Kael
Kael had closed his eyes the moment he reached the center of camp.
He no longer needed sight.
The shadow-magic threaded itself through the very air. A web of intention.
Most people’s auras flickered in hues of memory—soft, warm, focused on food, fatigue, laught
But one trail glimmered cold. It curved, paused, then vanished beneath the camp’s stone heart.
Kael opened his eyes.
“Found you.”
Inside Aeryn’s Tent Later That Night
Aeryn sat on the edge of her cot, breath short, hands on her belly.
Something was happening.
Not pain. Not panic.
Pull.
She leaned back, her heart fluttering. The air grew thick almost syrup-like and her embermark pulsed once, then twice.
Then everything stopped.
Sound vanished.
Light dimmed.
And she was no longer in her tent.
The Mind-Link
Aeryn stood barefoot on black sand beneath a starless sky.
But this wasn’t a dream.
It felt more real than the waking world.
“Where…”
A soft laugh echoed behind her.
She turned and saw a child.
No older than four. Flame-red curls. Golden eyes too deep for any mortal face. Her small hands were outstretched toward the sky, which shimmered faintly at her touch.
“You found me,” the girl whispered.
Aeryn stared, frozen.
“Are you…?”
The child tilted her head. “Not yet. But soon.”
Aeryn took a shaky step forward. “Is this a vision?”
“No,” the girl said. “It’s you. It’s me. It’s what will be.”
Aeryn swallowed. “You pulled me here.”
The child nodded, then touched Aeryn’s wrist gently.
Immediately, images flooded her mind:
A tower of flame.
A sea of people kneeling.
Kael screaming her name from a battlefield of ash.
A blade pressed to the girl’s tiny throat.
Aeryn gasped.
“What is this?”
“Choices,” the child said simply. “Paths. Some end with you. Others… end with me.”
Tears sprang to Aeryn’s eyes. “Who would hurt you?”
The girl looked up, eyes glimmering. “Someone near. Someone who smells like trust. But tastes like chains.”
Aeryn’s voice was a whisper. “Do I stop them?”
The child looked away. “You try.”
Then everything went white.
Back in the real world Beneath the Camp
Thaevis reached the stone chamber.
The rune pulsed beneath his fingers, waiting.
He began the incantation.
“Eri’an valen da’koth”
A shadow wrapped around his throat.
He barely had time to scream.
Kael’s hand slammed him against the wall, shadows binding each limb. His blade didn’t leave its sheath.
He didn’t need it.
Kael’s eyes did the cutting now.
“Who sent you?”
Thaevis gasped. “You can’t stop it. She’s not yours to protect. Not anymore.”
Kael leaned in.
“You’re wrong.”
He pressed his hand against the man’s chest. Shadow magic surged.
Thaevis cried out then fell silent.
The rune shattered.
And above them, Aeryn woke with a jolt.
Moments Later Aeryn and Kael Reunited
She met him at the edge of the woods.
Her eyes were wide. Pale. Flickering.
Kael ran to her. “You felt it?”
Aeryn nodded, tears in her eyes. “She spoke to me.”
He touched her face gently. “What did she say?”
“That someone close… will betray us. That she’s seen it.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. “It’s not just visions anymore. This is prophecy. The Order and the Court will come for her.”
Aeryn whispered, “Not just them.”
He pulled her close.
Then said quietly, “We need to leave this camp.”
Kael moved like smoke.
The moment Aeryn whispered his name, he was already out of the eastern tree line, shadow-walking between tents, his blade humming softly at his back.
He didn’t need to ask what had happened.
He had felt her tension across the camp.
And more than that he had seen it, flickering across the web of magic that now danced in his vision. Since the fight with Varenth, something in Kael had shifted. The shadows no longer waited for command. They anticipated.
They followed fear. Deceit.
And someone was steeped in both.
Elsewhere in the Camp “Drevan”
Thaevis moved quickly now.
The moment her hand touched him, he had known the cover was blown. Aeryn’s flame had tasted the magic beneath his skin not enough to expose him openly, but enough to turn suspicion into certainty.
Still, he had one last chance.
The Court had given him more than a cover identity. They had given him a failsafe.
Buried beneath the camp’s wellspring, a single rune-stone etched in blood awaited his signal. If triggered, it would send a shockwave directly toward Aeryn’s embermark enough to disrupt her connection to the child for days.
Enough to snatch her mind.
Just long enough to make her vulnerable.
He ducked into the shadows behind the medic tent.
Didn’t notice the one that followed him.
Kael
Kael had closed his eyes the moment he reached the center of camp.
He no longer needed sight.
The shadow-magic threaded itself through the very air. A web of intention.
Most people’s auras flickered in hues of memory—soft, warm, focused on food, fatigue, laught
But one trail glimmered cold. It curved, paused, then vanished beneath the camp’s stone heart.
Kael opened his eyes.
“Found you.”
Inside Aeryn’s Tent Later That Night
Aeryn sat on the edge of her cot, breath short, hands on her belly.
Something was happening.
Not pain. Not panic.
Pull.
She leaned back, her heart fluttering. The air grew thick almost syrup-like and her embermark pulsed once, then twice.
Then everything stopped.
Sound vanished.
Light dimmed.
And she was no longer in her tent.
The Mind-Link
Aeryn stood barefoot on black sand beneath a starless sky.
But this wasn’t a dream.
It felt more real than the waking world.
“Where…”
A soft laugh echoed behind her.
She turned and saw a child.
No older than four. Flame-red curls. Golden eyes too deep for any mortal face. Her small hands were outstretched toward the sky, which shimmered faintly at her touch.
“You found me,” the girl whispered.
Aeryn stared, frozen.
“Are you…?”
The child tilted her head. “Not yet. But soon.”
Aeryn took a shaky step forward. “Is this a vision?”
“No,” the girl said. “It’s you. It’s me. It’s what will be.”
Aeryn swallowed. “You pulled me here.”
The child nodded, then touched Aeryn’s wrist gently.
Immediately, images flooded her mind:
A tower of flame.
A sea of people kneeling.
Kael screaming her name from a battlefield of ash.
A blade pressed to the girl’s tiny throat.
Aeryn gasped.
“What is this?”
“Choices,” the child said simply. “Paths. Some end with you. Others… end with me.”
Tears sprang to Aeryn’s eyes. “Who would hurt you?”
The girl looked up, eyes glimmering. “Someone near. Someone who smells like trust. But tastes like chains.”
Aeryn’s voice was a whisper. “Do I stop them?”
The child looked away. “You try.”
Then everything went white.
Back in the real world Beneath the Camp
Thaevis reached the stone chamber.
The rune pulsed beneath his fingers, waiting.
He began the incantation.
“Eri’an valen da’koth”
A shadow wrapped around his throat.
He barely had time to scream.
Kael’s hand slammed him against the wall, shadows binding each limb. His blade didn’t leave its sheath.
He didn’t need it.
Kael’s eyes did the cutting now.
“Who sent you?”
Thaevis gasped. “You can’t stop it. She’s not yours to protect. Not anymore.”
Kael leaned in.
“You’re wrong.”
He pressed his hand against the man’s chest. Shadow magic surged.
Thaevis cried out then fell silent.
The rune shattered.
And above them, Aeryn woke with a jolt.
Moments Later Aeryn and Kael Reunited
She met him at the edge of the woods.
Her eyes were wide. Pale. Flickering.
Kael ran to her. “You felt it?”
Aeryn nodded, tears in her eyes. “She spoke to me.”
He touched her face gently. “What did she say?”
“That someone close… will betray us. That she’s seen it.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. “It’s not just visions anymore. This is prophecy. The Order and the Court will come for her.”
Aeryn whispered, “Not just them.”
He pulled her close.
Then said quietly, “We need to leave this camp.”
End of The Thirteenth Ember Chapter 53. Continue reading Chapter 54 or return to The Thirteenth Ember book page.