Chapter 28: Chapter twenty-six

Fallon

I could feel the pulse of tension in my bones, each step I took toward the border sending a ripple of unease through my chest. We were close now. Too close. The cold air cut through me like a blade, but it wasn't the chill that had my heart racing—it was the weight of everything that was coming.

I had always thought I could handle anything. Growing up in Ithrador, fighting for every inch of respect, of space, I had learned to depend on myself. I wasn't used to needing anyone. Certainly not Kane.

But the problem was, I didn't want to need anyone. I didn't want to need him. I'd spent years hating the way he made me feel—like I wasn't good enough, like I couldn't be strong unless I met some impossible standard that only he could define. But now... now I wasn't so sure. There was something in his eyes when he spoke to me. Something raw, something I couldn't ignore.

I cursed under my breath as I adjusted the strap of my pack, my thoughts whirling. Focus. Focus on the mission.

"I don't like this."

Aela's voice snapped me back to the present, her tone sharp as she scanned the dark woods surrounding us. Her eyes were narrowed, her senses on high alert. I didn't need to ask her why she was worried. We were too close to the Brotherhood's territory. Too close to the mess we were about to walk into. And yet, it didn't seem like anyone was prepared to stop it.

I could feel Kane's presence at my back, his footsteps so quiet that they were almost undetectable. He was always like that—calculated, like a shadow stalking behind me, waiting for the moment when he could take control. I hated that I was more aware of him now than I'd ever been before. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled whenever he was near, my pulse picking up in a way I couldn't explain.

I stole a glance at him. He was focused, eyes fixed ahead, but there was something different in his posture—an edge that hadn't been there before. He was as on edge as I was. The closer we got to the border, the tighter his jaw became, the more his hand gripped the hilt of his sword. He looked like he was ready to burst, like the pressure of everything was about to snap him in half.

"You don't need to protect me," I muttered under my breath, more to myself than to him, but I knew he'd hear. He always did. He was always listening.

I saw his jaw twitch. I could feel his eyes on me even though he didn't turn. "I'm not trying to protect you," he said, his voice low, rough. "I'm trying to keep us alive."

I felt the bite of his words more than I wanted to admit. He didn't get it. He never got it. I didn't need him. Not in the way he thought. I didn't need his control or his guidance. I just needed him to trust that I could handle myself.

But what if I couldn't? What if all of this—this mess with the Brotherhood, this mission—was too much, even for me?

I swallowed hard, trying to push down the doubt creeping up my throat. I had spent so long convincing myself that I was strong enough, that I was tougher than all of this. But here, now, standing on the edge of an impossible mission, I was starting to wonder if I was fooling myself.

"You don't trust me, do you?" I asked before I could stop myself, the words slipping out like a challenge.

Kane didn't flinch, didn't even seem surprised. Instead, he exhaled slowly, as though he was considering how to answer me. "I trust you to do what's necessary. I trust you to keep your head in the game."

I scoffed. "That's not what I asked."

For the briefest moment, I saw his eyes flicker to mine. It was just a glance, but it held something—something I couldn't quite place. Guilt? Regret? Maybe even something more. "I don't trust you to do this alone."

The words hung in the air between us, thick and heavy, like a promise I didn't want to hear. I swallowed again, trying to push the tightness in my throat away.

Aela's voice cut through the quiet tension. "We need to move."

I nodded sharply, grateful for the distraction. I didn't want to confront whatever was happening between me and Kane. Not now. I needed my focus, and that had to come first.

I tightened my grip on my sword as we pushed forward. The border was just ahead, and I could see the dark silhouette of the checkpoint in the distance. My heart was pounding now, each beat a reminder of the danger we were walking into.

Aela was the first to slip into the shadows, her movements like a ghost as she disappeared into the dark. Kane was next, moving silently, with a controlled precision that only he possessed. And then there was me. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves, and followed them into the shadows.

We reached the border without incident, but something felt off. The air was still, unnervingly quiet. The kind of quiet that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

I looked around, eyes darting from one side of the clearing to the other. There was no movement, no sign of life, but I could feel the presence of something. Someone.

"I don't like this," Aela whispered, crouching low beside me.

Kane's hand brushed against mine as he moved to stand beside me, his body so close that I could feel the heat of him through the layers of clothing. "Keep your wits about you."

"I always do," I muttered under my breath, but I wasn't sure I believed it.

Then, just as quickly as the stillness had descended upon us, the silence shattered.

There was a loud crack, the unmistakable sound of a twig snapping underfoot, and I froze. The world around me seemed to slow as I spun around, my sword drawn, every muscle in my body coiled and ready.

"Ambush," Kane growled, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surroundings.

I didn't need him to say it out loud. I already knew.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, but it was different now. It wasn't just fear—it was something else. Something that flickered beneath the surface, something familiar.

I wasn't alone anymore.