Chapter 37 · Embers on the Throne

"You’re actually considering it, aren’t you?" Kael’s voice was low, cutting through the ringing silence of the ruins. He didn't move, but I could feel his gaze pinning me to the spot, heavy and judging.

I didn't look back. I kept my eyes on the skyline of the city, or what was left of it. Smoke curled into a bruised purple sky, and the smell of ozone and burnt concrete clung to my skin like a second layer of filth. "What’s the alternative, Kael?" I spat, my voice sounding like I’d swallowed glass. "Walk away and let Silas turn this place into his personal playground?"

"You could just leave," he said. He stepped closer, the crunch of rubble under his boots sounding like a countdown. "Take what’s left of your pride and vanish. You don't owe these people a damn thing. They’d cheer while you burned if it meant their electricity stayed on."

I finally turned, a sharp, jagged laugh escaping me. "Oh, I know. Trust me, I remember every single stone they threw." I stepped toward him, my boots sliding on a piece of shattered glass. I stopped inches from his chest. The height difference was irritating—