Seraphina spent the night in the conservatory with Ember, unable to sleep. The phoenix lay on a nest of soft blankets her mother had conjured, its breathing shallow but steady. Every time Seraphina closed her eyes, she felt the bond pulse with pain, jolting her awake.
She was going to die in three weeks. The thought should have terrified her, but instead, she felt strangely calm. For the first time in her life, she had a purpose. A creature that needed her. A quest that mattered.
Even if that quest would probably kill her.
"You're being very brave about this," Lyra said from the doorway. Her white stag stood beside her, its silver antlers gleaming in the predawn light. "Or very stupid. I haven't decided which."
Seraphina didn't look up from Ember's sleeping form. "Does it matter?"
"I suppose not." Lyra came to sit beside her, something she hadn't done in years. They'd never been close. Lyra was everything Seraphina wasn't: beautiful, talented, confident. But now her sister's face held something that might have been respect. "Mother told me what you need to do. The Shadow Citadel."
"I know it's dangerous."
"Dangerous doesn't begin to cover it," Lyra said bluntly. "The Wraithwood is where keepers go to die. And the sorcerers in the Citadel, they eat souls, Sera. Literally consume them for power."
The nickname made Seraphina's throat tighten. Lyra hadn't called her that since they were children.
"Then I'll have to be careful not to let them eat mine," Seraphina said, trying for bravado.
Lyra was quiet for a moment. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small crystal vial filled with shimmering silver liquid. "Moonlight essence. From my stag's antlers. If you're ever in complete darkness, if the shadows close in, break this. It will give you light for an hour. Maybe enough time to escape."
Seraphina took the vial with trembling fingers. "Lyra, I..."
"Don't thank me. Just try not to die." Lyra stood, brushing off her skirts. "And Sera? When you meet the Raven Keeper, don't trust him. He's helped people before, yes, but he always wants something in return. Something costly."
"What kind of something?"
Lyra's expression turned grim. "That's what worries me. No one knows until it's too late."
After Lyra left, Seraphina tucked the vial into her pack, next to the supplies her mother had gathered. Dried food, medical supplies, a water flask that never ran dry, and a dagger that felt wrong in her hand. She'd never held a weapon before.
She'd need to learn quickly.
As dawn broke over the estate, painting the sky in shades of gold and rose, her father came to find her. His war bear wasn't with him, which meant this was personal.
"The Raven Keeper has replied," he said, holding out a letter. The paper was black as night, sealed with red wax stamped with a raven's skull. "He'll meet you at the Crossroads Inn, three days' ride north. From there, he'll guide you to the Wraithwood."
Seraphina took the letter, noting how her father's hand shook slightly as he released it. "You're afraid of him."
"Yes." Her father met her eyes. "Caspian Darkwood is the most powerful keeper I've ever met. He's survived things that would break other men. But power like that comes at a cost, Seraphina. It changes you."
"I don't have a choice."
"I know." Her father pulled her into a fierce embrace, and Seraphina realized he was trembling. "You've always been brave, even when we didn't see it. I'm sorry for that. Sorry for making you feel like you weren't enough."
Seraphina's eyes burned. "Father..."
"Come back to us," he whispered into her hair. "Promise me you'll come back."
She wanted to promise. Wanted to tell him everything would be fine. But the bond pulsed with shadow poison, and she could feel Ember's pain like a second heartbeat.
"I'll try," she said instead. "I promise I'll try."
By the time the sun was fully risen, Seraphina was ready to leave. Her mother had enchanted a travel cage for Ember, spelled to keep the phoenix comfortable and hidden. Seraphina wore her riding leathers, her pack on her back, and Lyra's vial tucked safely in her pocket.
Kieran brought her one of the estate's best horses, a dappled mare named Ash who'd carried him through countless adventures. "She's fast and she's smart," he said, handing over the reins. "And she doesn't spook easily. You'll need that where you're going."
"Thank you," Seraphina said quietly.
Kieran hesitated, then pulled his twin serpents from his arms. They hissed in protest, but he ignored them, wrapping them around Seraphina's wrists instead. "They're not bonded to you, so they won't be as strong. But they'll protect you if I command them. And I command them to keep you alive."
The serpents settled against her skin, cool and dry. Through them, she felt a faint echo of her brother's determination.
"I'll bring them back," she promised.
"Just bring yourself back," Kieran said roughly. "The serpents I can replace."
Seraphina mounted Ash, settling Ember's cage carefully in front of her. The phoenix was awake now, watching her with those ancient golden eyes.
"Ready?" she asked through their bond.
"No," Ember replied, but there was warmth in the mental voice. "But we go anyway."
"That's the spirit."
Seraphina urged Ash forward, past her family standing in the courtyard, past the gates of the only home she'd ever known. She didn't look back. If she looked back, she might not have the courage to leave.
The ride north was longer than she'd expected. Three days sounded simple, but the reality was hours in the saddle, sleeping rough under the stars, and the constant awareness of Ember's pain through their bond. By the second day, dark veins had begun to spread up Seraphina's arm from the brand on her palm. The shadow poison was taking her too.
She pushed harder, riding Ash until the mare's sides heaved. They had to reach the Crossroads Inn. Had to find the Raven Keeper.
On the third evening, as the sun set in a blaze of crimson, Seraphina finally saw it. The Crossroads Inn stood at the junction of four roads, a sprawling building of dark wood and darker stone. Smoke rose from its chimneys, and warm light spilled from its windows.
It should have looked welcoming. Instead, it looked like a trap.
Seraphina dismounted on shaking legs and led Ash to the stables. Inside the inn, the common room was crowded with travelers, all of them looking worn and wary. No one spoke above a murmur.
She approached the bar, where a woman with steel gray hair was polishing glasses. "I'm looking for someone," Seraphina said quietly. "The Raven Keeper."
The woman's eyes flicked to the brand on Seraphina's palm, then to the travel cage she carried. "Upper floor. Last door on the left. He's been expecting you."
Seraphina's heart hammered as she climbed the stairs. The hallway was dark, lit only by guttering candles. The last door on the left was slightly ajar.
She pushed it open.
The room beyond was darker than the hall, shadows pooling in the corners like living things. A single candle burned on a table in the center, illuminating a figure seated there.
He was younger than she'd expected. Maybe ten years older than her, with sharp features and black hair that fell to his shoulders. But his eyes, those were ancient. Storm gray and cold as winter sky, they held the kind of knowledge that came from surviving hell.
A raven perched on his shoulder, its feathers so black they seemed to absorb light. It fixed Seraphina with an unblinking stare.
"Seraphina Ashford," the man said, his voice like smoke. "The phoenix keeper with no magic. I wondered what you'd look like."
"You're Caspian Darkwood," Seraphina said, proud that her voice didn't shake.
"Guilty." He gestured to the chair across from him. "Sit. We have much to discuss."
Seraphina hesitated, every instinct screaming danger. But Ember stirred in the cage, and the bond pulsed with urgent need. She sat.
Caspian studied her for a long moment. "Your father said you need to reach the Shadow Citadel. Break a curse. Save your phoenix."
"Yes."
"That's suicide."
"I know."
"And you're doing it anyway."
"I don't have a choice."
Caspian leaned back, and his raven ruffled its feathers. "Everyone has a choice. You could stay here. Let the phoenix die. Live out your remaining days in comfort."
Seraphina's hand went to the brand on her palm. "That's not living. That's just waiting to die."
"Fair enough." Caspian's lips quirked in what might have been approval. "I'll take you to the Wraithwood. Guide you through the forest. Get you to the Citadel's gates."
"What's your price?" Seraphina asked, remembering Lyra's warning.
Caspian's smile turned sharp. "Smart girl. My price is this: when you break the curse, when you face whoever poisoned your phoenix, you'll do me a favor."
"What kind of favor?"
"I don't know yet. But when I ask, you'll say yes. No questions, no hesitation."
Seraphina's stomach dropped. A blank favor. A debt with no limits.
"And if I refuse?" she asked.
"Then you die here. Your phoenix dies. And whoever wanted it dead wins." Caspian's eyes glittered. "But you won't refuse. You're too desperate, and I'm your only chance."
He was right. Seraphina hated that he was right.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "I accept."
"Excellent." Caspian stood in one fluid motion, his raven taking flight to circle the room. "We leave at dawn. The Wraithwood is a week's journey, and we'll need to move fast. The shadow poison is spreading faster than your family thinks."
Seraphina's blood ran cold. "How do you know that?"
"Because I can see it." Caspian crossed to her, taking her arm and pushing up her sleeve. The dark veins had spread past her elbow now, creeping toward her shoulder. "You have two weeks. Maybe less."
"But my mother said three."
"Your mother was trying to give you hope." Caspian released her arm. "I'm giving you truth. Two weeks, Seraphina. And the Wraithwood alone will take one."
Seraphina stood on shaking legs, clutching Ember's cage. "Then we'd better not waste time."
Caspian watched her with those cold, ancient eyes. Then, slowly, he smiled. "You might actually survive this. Or you'll die screaming. Either way, it will be interesting to watch."
"You're not very comforting."
"Comfort is for people who have time to waste. You don't." Caspian moved to the door. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow, your real test begins."
After he left, Seraphina sank onto the bed, exhaustion crashing over her. She opened Ember's cage, and the phoenix crawled out onto the blanket beside her.
"He's dangerous," Ember murmured through their bond.
"I know," Seraphina replied. "But he's our best chance."
"Or our doom."
"Maybe both."
Ember pressed its head against her hand, and Seraphina felt a wave of affection through the bond. Despite everything, despite the poison and the fear, she wasn't alone.
She had Ember. She had Caspian's grudging help. And she had two weeks to do the impossible.
As she drifted into uneasy sleep, Seraphina's last thought was of those ancient gray eyes, and the price she'd promised to pay.