Page 181 of Elemental Becoming

“Get some rest, Amara,” she says, her voice softer now. “I’ll check on you in the morning.”

I nod, but my legs already feel dangerously feeble as the adrenaline drains from my system. Garrick notices.

“Come on, Little Storm,” Garrick murmurs, tugging gently at my arm to steer me away. “I have strict orders from our mighty Warlord to make sure you actually get some sleep.”

I scowl. “I can walk by myself.”

“For gods’ sake, Garrick, carry the idiot,” Lyra snaps.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Before I can protest, Garrick slides an arm beneath my kneesand another around my back, lifting me clean off the ground.

“By all the gods, Garrick!” I complain.

Lyra points a finger at me. “No. You will let him carry you. You look like shit, by the way.”

I glare at her.

“Enjoy babysitting her, Garrick,” Lyra says before reaching up to cup his face. She presses a kiss to his lips, then leans over to brush one against my forehead.

“I’m grateful you’re both okay.”

Their eyes lock, and suddenly I feel unbelievably awkward wedged between the two of them.

I wait a moment.

And another.

When neither of them moves, I clear my throat loudly. “Ahem.”

Garrick glances down at me and chuckles. “Okay, off to bed with you.” He looks back at Lyra, his expression softening. “I’ll be with Thane for the rest of the night. But will you please stay in my chambers? I’ll get there when I can.”

Lyra’s smile turns gentler as she nods. “Of course.”

The moment Garrick steps away from Lyra, the air seems to change.

The castle is eerily silent now. The halls stretch around us, dim and hollow, carrying the lingering weight of the battle long after the fighting has ended. With every step, exhaustion drags heavier through me, pulling at my limbs until even holding my head upright feels difficult.

“I’m sorry I can’t walk,” I admit quietly, embarrassment warming my face.

Despite my earlier protests, part of me is relieved he’s carrying me. My nerves are still frayed from the chaos of the night, and I’m no longer certain my legs would hold me if he set me down.

“It’s no trouble,” Garrick replies, glancing back at me. His voice stays deliberately light, and I can’t help wondering if he’s trying to distract me from how badly I’m fading. “And Thane asked me to. Besides . . . ” His expression sharpens as he scans the corridor ahead. “We still don’t know if the castle is fully secure.”

The memory of the ballroom crashes back into me. Shadows pouring through the hall. Screams echoing beneath shattered chandeliers. Magics roaring beneath my skin hard enough to tear me apart from the inside.

A chill slides down my spine.

The threat is still real.

The farther we move from the ballroom, the quieter the castle becomes. The distant sounds of soldiers clearing wreckage and tending the wounded fade behind us, swallowed by the oppressive stillness stretching through these halls.

Crimson and gold banners hang from the stone walls, stirring faintly in the draft. Massive columns rise along either side of the corridor, carved with ancient battle scenes frozen in triumph and ruin alike. The carved faces seem almost alive in the dim light, their stone eyes following our movement down the hall.

I manage a nod, though even that feels exhausting. The battle still churns through my mind, my body struggling beneath the aftermath of everything I unleashed.

Garrick glances down at me, his usual smirk fading.