Chapter 258 Deep in the ashen lands 3

Chapter 258: Chapter 258 Deep in the ashen lands 3

Talia’s POV

I gripped the pendant, and I felt the warmth spread through my chest. "Yes. She is still alive, and she is waiting for me."

Kaelen reached over and took my hand, his fingers warm through the cloth. "Then we do not stop until we find her, Talia."

I looked at him, and I felt the tears prick at my eyes. "I do not know if I can do this, Kaelen. My magic is fading, you are sick, and we are surrounded by darkness."

He squeezed my hand, and his gray eyes were steady on mine. "Then we do it together."

Piper sat down on my other side, and her voice was soft. "We are all here, Talia. All of us."

I looked at her, and I felt the weight of everything pressing down on me. The fear, the exhaustion, and the doubt.

"I am scared, Piper," I admitted, with my voice cracking. "I have been scared this whole journey, but I kept pretending I was not. I kept pretending I was strong enough to carry all of this."

Piper’s eyes shinned with unshed tears. "You do not have to carry it alone, Talia. That is what we are here for."

Jax stood and walked closer, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "Piper is right, Luna. We came with you because we wanted to. Not because we had to."

Silas nodded from across the tower. "We knew the risks, Luna. We accepted them."

Cain did not speak, but he turned from the entrance and met my eyes. He gave a single nod.

I looked at each of them, and I felt the tears streaming down my face. "I do not know what I did to deserve all of you."

"You survived," Kaelen said simply. "That is enough."

The fire Piper had managed to start was small and weak, but it provided a little warmth in the cold tower. The flames cast flickering shadows across the stone walls, and I watched them dance, trying to find comfort in their light.

I sat beside Kaelen, with my shoulder pressed against his. He was tired, and I could see the exhaustion in his eyes, even though he tried to hide it. His breathing was still shallow, and the welts on his neck had not faded.

"Talia." Kaelen’s voice was soft.

I turned to him. "Yes?"

"Look at me." he said

I met his gray eyes. They were steady, even in the darkness.

"What if I am not strong enough to save her?" I asked, with my voice barely above a whisper. "What if we come all this way, and I cannot free her? What if I fail?"

Kaelen did not look away. "You are the strongest person I know, Talia."

"That is not what I asked." I shook my head, feeling the frustration building in my chest. "I asked what if I am not enough. What if I cannot do this?"

He reached for me, and I felt his fingers wrap around mine. They were warm through the cloth. "Then I will carry you both home."

I stared at him, my breath catching in my throat. "Both of us?"

"Your mother, and you." He squeezed my hand, with his eyes never leaving mine. "I will carry you out of this darkness if I have to, and I will not let you fall."

I felt the tears prick at my eyes. "Kaelen..."

"You asked me a question," he said. "And I am giving you my answer. You are not alone in this, Talia. You have never been alone."

I leaned into him, and his arm wrapped around me. I rested my head against his shoulder, and I let myself feel the warmth of his presence.

Piper watched us from across the fire, with a soft smile on her face. Jax was pretending not to notice, but I saw him glance our way. Silas was examining the walls, while Cain still stood at the entrance, with his back to us, giving us privacy.

"I do not know what I did to deserve you," I whispered.

"Neither do I," Kaelen said, his voice dry.

I laughed despite everything. "That is not what I meant."

"I know what you meant," he said. "And my answer is the same. You do not need to deserve anything, Talia. You just need to keep going."

I looked up at him. "My mother told me to keep going too. So I am going to keep going."

"I know you will," Kaelen said.

"Thank you," I said. "For being here, and for not giving up on me."

He pressed his lips to my forehead, with his voice low and fierce. "I will never give up on you, Talia. That is not who I am."

I closed my eyes, and I let myself feel the warmth of his words.

Somewhere out there, my mother was waiting.

I gripped my pendant, and I made a promise.

I am coming, Mother. I am coming.

The fire crackled softly, the wind howled outside the tower, and the darkness pressed against the walls.

But I was not afraid.

I had Kaelen beside me, I had Piper, Jax, Silas, and Cain. I had a family that had chosen me, and I would not let them down.

I opened my eyes and looked at the entrance. The gray sky was visible through the broken walls, and I knew that tomorrow, we would continue.

I would find my mother, I would bring her home, and nothing would stop me.