The night threatened to swallow me whole.
Like the great maw of the gorge under the mountain, the void yawned wide, waiting to consume me. Each step felt like a gamble, like I was back on that stone staircase, the weight of unseen eyes pressing down on me, waiting for me to fall.
But it wasn’t the darkness that frightened me.
No, it was the stillness.
Not even the whisper of wind stirred the branches. No rustling leaves. No distant hoot of an owl or chirp of a night insect. Just silence—thick, absolute, and wrong.
I forced my breath to stay steady, each inhale sharp and thin in the winter air. My lungs burned, raw from running too hard, too fast, for too long. The ache in my ribs was a constant reminder that my body had limits, but I ignored it. I had to.
My cloak snagged on the jagged branches, the brittle twigs clawing at the fabric like fingers of the dead. I jerked it free, not stopping. Not looking back.
I’d really done it.
I’d left.
I’d left them.
A sharp ache lanced through my chest, but I shoved it down. Kian. Xavier. Idris. They didn’t need me anymore. They had gotten exactly what they’d always wanted—the return of magic, the unbinding of their King.
Idris was whole. His dragon was no longer caged. The balance had been restored. And I’d had to betray them to do it.
I still felt the pulse of Rune’s hot blood flowing over my fingers, his resonate voice in my head begging me to help, pleading with me to save Idris. I swallowed hard, rubbing at the empty space over my heart as I forced my tears down.
Rune was gone now—dead. Everything he was now lie inside Idris, and even though we’d won, I still felt like I’d been the one to lose.
Rune.
My mates.
In every way I could fail, I’d managed it.
The bonds with my mates weren’t gone exactly, but they were—damaged. Fractured. I could still feel them if I let myself.
Kian’s warmth—golden and steady, but distant.
Xavier’s presence—cooler, coiled tight, unreadable.
Idris—silent. A wall of steel between us.
I didn’t reach for them. I couldn’t. Instead, I focused on putting one foot in front of the other. One more step. And another. And another—until I reached Nyrah.
I’d failed them, but I couldn’t fail her.
The castle was behind me, hidden beyond the towering trees of the forest—its spires, and fragile wards nothing but a memory now. I hadn’t let myself wallow. Hadn’t let myself feel the pull of the bond, the sharp edges of guilt clawing at my heart.
If I thought too long, I’d hesitate.
And hesitation meant death.
That was just as true here as it was underneath the mountain.
My steps faltered as exhaustion gnawed at my bones. I had been walking for hours—maybe longer. My legs ached, and a deep, burning throb settled in my chest from running too hard, too fast. I didn’t know when I had last stopped to breathe. When I had last drunk water.
I was dry to the bone, my throat a raw ache, but I didn’t dare stop. I couldn’t. The moment I slowed, I felt it. A pressure against the edges of my mind. A weight pressing at my skin.
No.
I clenched my jaw, pushing forward. If I stopped, I would hear them. The whispers. The laughter. The soft, lilting voice of a thing I could not see—but felt.
Zamarra.
She was waiting. Lurking just beyond my reach, her presence curling through the dark like a patient spider spinning its web.
Dream, little Luxa.
My breath hitched. The voice wasn’t real.
Come to me.
I squeezed my eyes shut. It wasn’t real.
She wanted me to sleep. She wanted me to step into her world.
Clenching my jaw, I tried to shake the unease slithering down my spine. I would not dream—not tonight—not until I had no other choice. Because she was there, lurking in the shadows of my mind, waiting to strike.
Ahead, a flicker of light cut through the trees. I froze, my breath stalling in my throat.
Lanterns.
Not the cold, unnatural glow of mage light. Not the eerie glint of grave magic. Actual lanterns—the kind carried by people. My heart picked up speed as I swallowed down the urge to run the other way.
It was a village—small, tucked away at the edge of the forest. I forced my feet forward, suppressing the instinct to turn back. The Girovian mages had attacked the castle, but had they reached the town? Had they burned it to the ground like so many other places left in the wake of their destruction?
I stepped closer, my heart hammering.
The lights glimmered, warm and steady. The buildings stood, untouched. Relief flooded my chest so fast it almost knocked me to my knees. They hadn’t destroyed the town. They hadn’t burned it, hadn’t slaughtered its people. The Girovian mages had only come for us.
Only for Idris.
Only for me.
I clenched my fists.
Good.
At least that meant the people here were safe. At least this wasn’t another ruin in the wreckage of our war. At least it wasn’t another failure. But that didn’t mean I was safe here. Lirael’s words drifted through my mind, as soft as the golden light she’d pressed into my chest.
You are more than you realize.
I swallowed hard, adjusting the strap of the satchel over my shoulder. The book inside pressed against my torso—a weight both comforting and damning.
You must go back to the book.
I hadn’t understood what she meant. Not then, and not now. But I would.
I pulled my hood lower over my face and moved toward the stables. I needed a horse. I needed to keep moving. And I needed to do it before they noticed me.
The stables smelled of damp hay, warm leather, and sweat, the earthy scent of animals settling thick in the air. I moved cautiously, keeping my steps light, my breath shallow as I scanned the rows of stalls.
I’d stolen a lot over the years, but nothing bigger than a brick or two of rations. Stealing a horse was more than a little outside my wheelhouse. Hell, I had barely ridden one, and even then, Kian and Xavier were leading the way.
But this isn’t the first time you’ve stolen a horse.
The bite of grief gnawed at my insides as I remembered Rune’s voice in my head when he guided me to the castle—to Idris.
Now? I was all alone.
I clenched my jaw, my fingers twitching as I peered into the stalls. Most of the horses were too large, too muscled—built for work, not speed. My best bet was something leaner, something fast.
A sleek, black mare caught my eye at the far end of the stable. She was restless, shifting in her stall, her ears flicking as she sensed my presence. She was perfect. I just had to figure out how to get on her without breaking my neck.
You must go back to the book.
Lirael’s words whispered through my thoughts again, her presence lingering in the depths of my mind like a fading ember. I didn’t have time to decode riddles or question prophecies. Nyrah was out there, and I was wasting time worrying about my stupid heart and my stupid guilt.
Zamarra was hunting.
Unlatching the stall with more confidence than I felt, my fingers fumbled slightly as I reached for the saddle hanging nearby. After two tries, I managed to pull it from the hook. Body drained from the trek and lack of sleep, I staggered under the weight as I tried to toss it over the horse’s back.
Finally, I draped the saddle over the mare’s back, muttering curses under my breath as the stirrups clanked awkwardly against her side. I didn’t even know if I was doing this right—what straps went where, what needed to be tightened. The mare huffed and stomped her hoof, shifting uneasily.
I flinched, yanking back my boot before one of those hooves crushed me.
“I get it. You don’t like this any more than I do,” I muttered, fumbling with the strap around her middle. I’d watched Kian and Xavier do this before—loosely remembering what pieces went where—but my hands were clumsy. The buckles were stiff, and my breath came too fast, my hands shaking.
Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.
The mare snorted and shifted again, tossing her head as she made her displeasure known. My heart slammed into my ribs. She was going to make noise. She was going to give me away.
I grabbed the bridle, hesitating for a split second before forcing it over her head. The leather straps dug into my hands as I struggled to fit the bit into her mouth. She tossed her head again, resisting.
“Please,” I murmured. “I know you’re tired, but I need you to work with me.”
The mare snapped her teeth, and I yanked my hand back, narrowly avoiding a bite. My pulse pounded in my skull, frustration burning at my edges. I didn’t have time for this—I needed to get on her and go.
Finally, the bit settled into place, and I tightened the last strap, praying I had done it correctly.
I reached for the stirrup, only to realize I couldn’t get on. The only time I’d ever been on a horse, Kian or Xavier had helped me, and I had no idea how to mount her. I tried to remember how Xavier or Kian had done it.
My foot in the stirrup, I latched onto the saddle and hauled myself up, but the moment I tried to kick my leg over, my boot caught the edge of the saddle, my balance tipping dangerously.
The mare jolted sideways, and I let out a strangled curse, nearly face-planting into the stable wall.
My heart hammered. I could hear my own breath, ragged and too loud in the empty space. I would get caught if I didn’t get my shit together.
Then, I heard the sound of footfalls. “That’s not your horse.”
Fuck.
On instinct, I spun, reaching for a weapon I didn’t have and magic that refused to come. A stable hand stood blocking the exit, his silhouette barely visible in the flickering lantern glow. He was young—maybe eighteen or nineteen—and all too aware of the situation.
His eyes shifted from me to the horse, to the awkward mess I had made of the tack. His brow furrowed, his lips parting.
And then his gaze landed on my face before darting down to the ring I still wore, the pulsing onyx stone a dead giveaway. Recognition dawned as his breath hitched.
“Y-you’re the queen.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Panic surged through me—a wild, electric spike of fear. I didn’t think. I moved.
My hand flicked up, the magic that had refused to come earlier, now sparking at my fingertips before fanning out in small bolts of light. The lanterns hanging along the beams exploded, plunging the stable into complete darkness. The stable hand stumbled back, cursing as the horse jolted in alarm.
I used the moment to scramble onto the mare’s back, gripping the saddle for dear life. She reared slightly, startled by the explosion, her muscles coiling as I dug my heels in.
“Stop! Thief,” he yelled, his voice lifting in alarm, calling for help.
I had maybe seconds before my escape flew away like a puff of smoke. Without another moment to think about it, I kicked, and the mare lunged forward, nearly throwing me as she bolted into the night. I had no reins, no real control. I gripped anything I could—mane, saddle, whatever kept me upright.
The wind tore at my cloak as we sprung from the stable, racing down the cobbled lane as the village behind me stirred, voices rising.
I didn’t look back. I just held on and rode.
And deep inside my chest, the bond pulsed.
Kian.
Xavier.
They were stirring. They would notice my absence soon if they hadn’t already.
Would they come for me? Would Idris? Did I want them to?
My heart pounded as pain lanced through me, the memory of Idris’ stoney expression—his disgust—tearing at my insides like a wild animal.
What had he said? Chasing ghosts won’t help anyone.
No, they wouldn’t come for me—he wouldn’t—and that was just fine. I’d survived without them before, and I’d do it again.
I just had to keep riding.
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About Broken Fates
Queen. Savior. Sacrifice.
The realms are fracturing—and Vale Tenebris stands at the center of the storm. With chaos spreading across the continent, Vale must harness the magic she barely understands to protect her kingdom and the ones she loves. The bonds with her mates have been tested, and the forces threatening to tear their world apart grow stronger by the day.
As ancient powers stir and secrets come to light, Vale is thrust into a race against time to stop a war that could consume the realms. But with enemies in every shadow and betrayal waiting at every turn, survival will demand more than magic—it will demand everything she has.
The fate of the realms lies in her hands, but at what cost?
Broken Fates is the final book in the fiery dragon romantasy set in the Severed Flames universe. Expect three dangerously seductive, fiercely protective dragon shifters who will stop at nothing to keep their mate safe. This book contains mature themes. Reader discretion is advised.