Three people strode across the forest floor towards the unconscious elf. Or rather, two people and a wolf. Goldeyes padded silently beside Jack, the wolf’s golden eyes locked onto the unconscious form of Celia. Lyla followed, her expression carefully composed, though Jack knew she didn’t relish what was about to happen.

  Celia lay where they had left her, bound at the wrists with sturdy vines, her silver hair fanned out against the ground . The bruise on her forehead stood out against her pale skin, an ugly reminder of the battle that had led to her capture. Her breathing was steady, but she remained motionless.

  Jack halted beside her, glancing at Lyla. “Let’s wake her.”

  Lyla nodded, kneeling beside Celia. She stretched out her hands, her fingertips glowing with a soft, golden light. Jack watched as the warmth of her magic spread over Celia’s forehead, the bruise shrinking and fading until only unblemished skin remained. It was fascinating, watching Lyla work—an ability that could mend wounds, yet in this instance, it was only serving to bring Celia back to consciousness, to ensure she could feel everything that was about to happen.

  Celia stirred. A faint groan escaped her lips before her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first. Then, realization struck. Her muscles tensed, and her gaze snapped to Jack, burning with defiance even before she had fully grasped her situation.

  “Welcome back,” Jack said flatly, standing over her.

  Celia’s lips curled into something between a smirk and a grimace. “Should I be flattered? That my enemies saw fit to keep me alive. Going to kill me now?”

  She seemed unbothered by the idea.

  Jack didn’t respond immediately. He crouched down so they were at eye level. “That depends entirely on you.”

  Celia laughed, though there was no real amusement in it. “Oh, I see. This is where you pretend I have a choice, isn’t it?”

  Jack didn’t rise to the bait. “You don’t. But you do have a chance to make this easier.”

  She yanked at her restraints, testing them. When they held firm, she exhaled sharply through her nose. “If you’re expecting me to beg, you’re going to be disappointed.”

  Jack exhaled slowly, glancing at Lyla before refocusing on Celia. “I should kill you.Like I killed your friend Irivan.” The words were simple, matter-of-fact.

  The elf flinched at the revelation that her friend was dead but then something in her face hardened. She jutted her chin forward defiantly.

  “Then do it.”

  Silence stretched between them. Goldeyes let out a low growl, his hackles rising. Celia turned her attention to the wolf, her smirk returning. “Your pet doesn’t seem to like me.”

  Jack’s hand twitched toward the hilt of his dagger. “No, he doesn’t.”

  “Smart beast.”

  Jack clenched his jaw at her snark. He reminded himself that Celia was just putting on a brave face. He had been inside her mind and seen her memories. He could tell she was far more frightened than she let on.

  “Give me one good reason to let you live.”

  Celia rolled her shoulders as much as her bindings allowed. “I’m more useful to you alive. That much should be obvious, even to you.”

  Jack studied her. She was right, although she didn’t know it. They were going to need all the help they could get against the Ramkin and once they reached Stonetree, they might need someone of her status to free Tanners sister.

  He continued watching her for a long moment. Then, without a word, he reached into his satchel and pulled out a small, crystalline shard. It shimmered faintly in the dim light, pulsing with a soft radiance.

  Celia gazed at the item, presumably using the Identify Skill or something similar because after a moment her breath hitched.

  Jack saw it immediately—the way her pupils dilated slightly, the way her fingers twitched against the bindings as if she wanted to reach for it. She schooled her expression quickly, but he had already seen what he needed to.

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  “You want this, don’t you?” Jack said, rolling the crystal between his fingers.

  Celia’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Jack let out a quiet chuckle. “Don’t insult my intelligence. A guaranteed Light attunement, the power that many would kill for. This crystal can give it to you.”

  She remained still, her expression carefully neutral. “And what? You’ll just hand it over out of the kindness of your heart?”

  Jack leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to something quieter, more dangerous. “No. But I’m willing to bargain.”

  The woman scoffed. “Bargain? With my life?”

  “With your cooperation,” Jack corrected. “You work with me, and this crystal is yours. Keep being stubborn, and I have no use for you.”

  She stared at him, her fingers twitching again. She wanted it. She wanted it desperately. But Jack could also see the war waging inside her. Accepting his offer meant acknowledging that he had power over her. That he controlled something she longed for. And Celia was nothing if not prideful. Furthermore, he had killed her friend. That wasn’t something she could just forget.

  After a moment, she smirked again, though it was weaker than before. “Tempting. But how do I know you won’t just kill me once I’ve outlived my usefulness?”

  Jack turned the crystal in his hand, watching the way the light refracted through it. “You don’t. But you also don’t have many options, do you?”

  Celia’s gaze flickered between him and the crystal. Her breath was steady, but Jack could tell how tightly wound she was, how her mind was racing behind her calm exterior

  He rose to his feet. “Think about it. I will be back later for your answer”.

  Jack stood, brushing dirt from his hands as he turned away from Celia. He had seen the flicker of longing in her eyes, the way her fingers had twitched ever so slightly at the sight of the crystal. She could pretend all she wanted, but he knew the truth—she wanted it more than she wanted to keep up her facade.

  Good. That meant he had leverage.

  Without another word to Celia, Jack walked over to Goldeyes, who sat a short distance away, his golden eyes locked onto the elf. The wolf’s ears perked up as he approached, sensing something was about to be asked of him.

  Jack extended his hand with the crystal in. It shimmered faintly in his palm, pulsing with energy.

  Goldeyes sniffed at it, his nose wrinkling slightly at the foreign magic.

  Jack knelt beside him, speaking mentally. “I need you to take this and hide it. Near the roots of Elyra’s Bondtree.”

  He had discussed it with Lyla’s aunt before leaving the Psychic Plane and she had assured him that as long as he buried it near her trees roots, she could protect the crystal even if Celia somehow figured out where it was.

  The wolf let out a quiet huff, his eyes flicking between Jack and the crystal.

  “I understand“

  “This is important,” he continued. “She wants it badly. If she tries anything, I don’t want it within her reach.”

  Goldeyes exhaled through his nose before gently taking the crystal between his teeth. He hesitated only for a moment, then turned and padded silently into the trees, disappearing into the forest with practiced ease.

  Jack turned to where Lyla and Monsoon stood nearby, awaiting instructions. Monsoon’s ears twitched, his sleek blue fur ruffled slightly from the morning breeze, while Lyla remained composed, though Jack could tell she was still uneasy about their captive.

  “We can’t just stand around watching her all day,” Lyla finally spoke, her arms folded. “We still need to train, to advance. We can’t afford to let this slow us down.”

  Jack nodded, already anticipating the concern. “We won’t. We’ll take shifts.”

  She raised a brow at that. “Shifts?”

  Jack glanced between her and Monsoon. “One of us always keeps an eye on her while the others focus on training or gathering supplies. We rotate, so no one loses too much time. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than leaving her unsupervised or neglecting our own progress.”

  Lyla exhaled, rubbing her temples. “It’s still going to slow us down.”

  “Maybe,” Jack admitted. “But it’s better than the alternative. And besides, once we reach Stonetree, we may have to rely on her to get to Tanner’s sister. If we can convince her to cooperate, it’ll be worth it.”

  Monsoon let out a small huff, tilting his head toward Celia as if questioning whether she was even worth the trouble. The elf in question remained silent but was clearly listening. Jack didn’t expect her to acknowledge it, but he saw the slight tension in her shoulders. She knew she was being discussed, even if she didn’t interrupt.

  Lyla sighed, nodding reluctantly. “Fine. But I don’t trust her.”

  “Neither do I,” Jack said simply. “That’s why I need you and then Monsoon to watch her for now. I can take a shift after that, then Cael, Tanner and then Monsoon again.”

  Monsoon gave a low growl, though it wasn’t one of hostility—more of begrudging acceptance. Lyla scratched his head absentmindedly, her expression thoughtful. “And what are you going to do?”

  Jack rolled his shoulders, stretching slightly. “We need food. I’m going to hunt.”

  She frowned. “Alone?”

  He gave a short nod. “I’ll be fine. We don’t want to leave her unguarded, and I can move faster on my own. It won’t take long.”

  Lyla still seemed hesitant, but she didn’t argue. “Just be careful.”

  “I always am.” Jack smiled before turning to grab his spear. He was famished and looking forward to seeing what he could make into his breakfast.

  The forest stretched ahead, quiet but brimming with life beneath the surface. Jack took a deep breath, attuning himself to the natural sounds around him. With a final glance at his companions, he set off into the wilderness, disappearing into the shadows of the trees, ready to begin his hunt.