them to a third and final braid. It was heavy, and the weight felt like an important reminder. She swept aside the rest of the hair, along with the other adornments. It was time to let go of the past and look to the future. To the real fight that was still to come.
Veronyka’s magic was less hampered now that she’d stopped wasting energy on blocking her bonds and shrinking away from her abilities, but as she reached for Tristan across the vast distance that separated them, their connection was fragile and uncertain. Like when she and Xephyra had been parted for an extended period after her phoenix had resurrected, Veronyka and Tristan would have to rebuild their bond once they were together again. And they would be together again.
For now, she could tell he was alive, and that would have to be enough.
* * *
Veronyka called a meeting the day after their return. She knew it was presumptuous and that the commander had likely intended to do the same, but she couldn’t bear to waste another second. The old her would be hanging her head as she awaited Commander Cassian’s punishment after abandoning her responsibilities and running off with Val. But the new her? The one who had put Tristan’s life in danger? The one whose own life hung in the balance, her past weighing her down while her future was, if possible, even more bleak? That Veronyka didn’t have the energy to focus on things that no longer mattered. Lord Rolan and the empire were coming for them; Val was out there somewhere too. And like a wounded animal, she’d be all the more dangerous in the wake of her defeat. Val’s mind had been silent as a crypt on the other side of their bond, and Veronyka might have thought her dead except for the scent of smoke that occasionally filled her nostrils, and the taste of metal that sometimes coated her tongue.
Veronyka found herself wishing that Val had a true bondmate, one that could have protected her from such a savage attack, as Xephyra had done for Veronyka. But after all she’d been through, Val still didn’t understand the power of love. It was love that had saved Veronyka—and it was love that motivated her now. Love made Veronyka powerful, not weak. Val could probably live a thousand lives and never truly understand that.
When Veronyka arrived at the meeting chamber, the commander gestured for her to sit next to him, where his other patrol leaders sat. Veronyka didn’t know if he’d already told them of her promotion or if they simply accepted the change after everything that had happened over the previous day, but no one reacted as she took her seat and the meeting began.
She’d summoned every single Phoenix Rider at the Eyrie—except for the young apprentices with new hatchlings—along with Morra and Ersken. She’d invited Elliot and Riella—though Riella had been too exhausted to come and Elliot hadn’t left her side since her return—and of course, Kade. He would have crucial information about Rolan’s estate, the people in the governor’s employ, and Sev, their spy in the field. Kade had needed to be helped into his chair, his stomach thickly bandaged, but he’d come all the same.
It had taken some time, but she’d finally connected Kade’s face with the memory of him outside her cabin from months previous. He’d been the bondservant traveling with Sev and the rest of the soldiers. It was because of him that she’d trusted Sev in the first place, and hidden from the other soldiers just in time. Seeing him here was like being reunited with some long-lost friend, and she was glad of it. She was also glad that Sev was with Tristan, that neither of them were truly alone.
* * *
The talking went late.
They discussed Rolan’s terms, the upcoming Grand Council meeting, and preparations that had to be made. There would be many more meetings to come, but knowing that they were actively doing something, not sitting and waiting, caused an immense weight to lift from Veronyka’s shoulders.
As she walked out into the courtyard, Alexiya joined her. “May I have a word?” she asked, and Veronyka slowed her pace. They stood next to the empty training area, the courtyard silent and silver in the moonlight.
“You were surprised,” Veronyka guessed. “When you found out who I am. I saw you staring at me, looking for her….”
Alexiya shook her head. “No. I was looking for him.”