Page 266 of Elemental Becoming

Kieran doesn’t rush to fill the quiet. He lets it breathe.

When he finally speaks, it’s as though he’s choosing every word carefully.

“You know what I see when I look at you?”

I roll my eyes, already bracing for the joke. Some playful jab. A flirtation wrapped in mischief, the way he always does. But when I glance at him again, his expression is different. More earnest than I’m used to seeing from him.

He smiles faintly, just a shadow of the grin I know so well. “I see someone who was thrown into the fire and didn’t burn. Someone who’s still standing, even when the whole world keeps asking for more.”

His gaze drops for a moment before lifting back to mine.

“You’re strong, Amara. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever known. And gods, I wish you could see that.”

The quiet murmur of conversations drift around us as the pyre continues to burn softly.

“And I know it’s not my place,” he adds quietly. “But if you ever need someone to remind you who you are, outside of the prophecies, outside of the court, just say the word.”

I stare at him.

“Kieran, I—”

He cuts me off with a small shake of his head.

“You don’t have to say anything. I know tonight has been a lot.”

He looks back toward the fire, the shadows catching in his lashes. “Just know I meant it. That’s all.”

Then he falls silent.

He sits beside me, shoulder to shoulder, as though he’s willing to hold the weight of my silence if that’s all I have to give. And somehow, that’s the kindest thing anyone has done for me all night.

ONLY HERS

THIRTY-SIX

The demons within us are often more dangerous than the enemies before us.

—VALEN’S JOURNAL

AMARA

After the Ashen Ring, Thane and I lie in bed, the room dim and still. His arms are wrapped around me, his body curved against mine like a shield.

His breath brushes the back of my neck, and a few strands of hair stir as he speaks.

“What happened earlier?”

I know what he’s referring to. Not the Ashen Ring itself. But what came after—when Ardyn’s words sank their claws in. Whenshe looked me in the eye and told me the memorial was my fault.

Her voice still echoes in my head, sharp and venomous.

I don’t answer right away. I just lie there, my back against his chest, letting the silence stretch between us. His arms don’t loosen. If anything, they tighten slightly, as though he can feel the spiral beginning even without the bond.

He doesn’t push at first. He simply holds me a little closer.

After a moment, he speaks again.

“Talk to me.”