CHAPTER <b>123 </b>


    We climbed the rough, twisting path up to the Ash Queen’s castle. The sky was streaked with purple and red as the sun dipped behind the jagged peaks. Elias walked right beside me, quiet but tense, gripping my hand like he was holding himself back from acting. Between us, the Ash Queen sat with her usual calm, her dark eyes scanning thend like a predator guarding


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    The castle rose out of the mountain like a shard of ck ss, its towers sharp and crooked, casting long shadows over the valley. Guards stood everywhere as we got closer, their ckened armor carved with runes that glimmered faintly in the fading light. The closer we came, the tighter my chest felt. The whole ce felt alive and waiting–like it was daring us


    to enter.


    The carriage stopped at the main gates. The Ash Queen flicked her fingers, and the guards saluted at once, their armor nking like a drumbeat. I stepped down, my boots hitting the stone with a firmness I hadn’t felt in days. I was done hiding. I was done running. The sorcerer who had haunted us–who had destroyed so much–would finally face me. And I was ready.


    Inside, the castle smelled of ash and metal. Torches lined the walls, flickering and casting everything in a molten glow. Servants moved quickly and quietly, tending to fires and preparing rooms. Despite the warmth, the air felt heavy with tension. Guards were everywhere–hallways, towers, even staircases. The Ash Queen clearly expected trouble. Or maybe she just never took chances.


    “I want this over.” I muttered to Elias as we walked down one of the endless corridors. My voice was low but sharp enough to make him flinch. “I’m done dealing with him. I want to take the fight to him.”


    Elias shook his head. “I know, but-”


    “I’m serious. No more waiting, no more running. He’s gotten away with too much. I can already control his minions. I don’t need practice.” My words came out harsher than I meant, but they were true.


    The Ash Queen’s footsteps echoed behind us. “You are confident.” She said, her voice smooth but firm. “Perhaps too confident.”


    I didn’t look back. “I’ve seen them. I’ve controlled them. I can do this. I just… I want him to feel it.”


    She sighed softly, almost human in her weariness. “You underestimate him. Commanding


    < CHAPTER 123


    $<b>25 </b>Points


    his minions is not enough. The sorcerer is no ordinary foe. He bends shadows, warps minds, and draws power from fear itself. One wrong move, and even your control will break.”


    I clenched my fists. “I don’t care. I’m done running. I’m ready.”


    She gave me a long, searching look–half assessing, half sad. “Very well. But listen, if not to me, then to reason. He is patient. He studies weakness and exploits it. He appears invincible because he twists the very essence of what he fights. Your power over his minions is a weapon, yes, but not enough. You must understand the full scope of what he can do.”


    I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I’d heard warnings before. But as she spoke, I realized she wasn’t exaggerating.


    “He can twist time in small areas.” She said quietly. “Moments can stretch into hours, or hours copse into seconds. He can weave probability, bending chance to his favor. Worst of all–he can enter the minds of those he studies. He learns your fears, your regrets, your hidden desires, and uses them against you.”


    I swallowed hard. I’d always assumed I could face him head–on. But the idea of him knowing my every thought, every hesitation, every fleeting fear sent a cold shiver crawling down my spine, making my stomach twist in uneasy anticipation.


    “And yet.” She went on, “he has weaknesses. He feeds on arrogance and distraction. He cannot resist testing his enemies, and in doing so, he reveals cracks in his own armor. Your challenge is to stay focused while giving him no chance to see inside your mind.”


    I nodded slowly, letting her words sink in. She was right–he’d expect me to be reckless, to act without thinking, to be predictable. And I wouldn’t give him that advantage, not now, not ever.


    We reached the rooms she had prepared. They wererge but somber, with dark tapestries on the walls and a fire roaring in the stone hearth. Elias dropped into a chair, rubbing his face. I stood by the window, staring out at the sharp peaks. The sky darkened, and the first stars pricked through the ck.


    “Rest.” the Ash Queen said. “Tomorrow, we n. The sorcerer is clever, but even he can be outmaneuvered. You’ll need more than power; you’ll need cunning.”


    “I don’t need practice.” I said again, though the firelight caught the strain in my face. “I already know how to control his minions. We just need a n to corner him.”


    She studied me with sharp eyes. “You underestimate the cost. Controlling his minions isn’t just willpower–it’s a connection, a tether. It makes you vulnerable in ways you can’t yet understand. Do you know how to endure their rage if they break free? Or protect yourself from his power when hees for you personally?<b>” </b>


    < CHAPTER 123


    425 Points


    I clenched my jaw. I’d heard all this before. Warnings. Lessons. But I could feel the hunger inside me. I was ready. More than ready.


    I knew she was trying to help me. Trying to warn me. But I didn’t want to hear it. Even though I probably needed to.


    She let the silence stretch, then spoke again, softer this time. “There’s one more thing. He has allies. Creatures who have given up their willpletely. They’re shadows in daylight, whispers that be screams. You may control his lesser minions, yes, but these others… they don’t obey. And they wille for you, without mercy.”


    Elias groaned from his chair, leaning back as if her words were a weight. “Why tell us all this now?” He muttered.


    “Because you must understand the battlefield before stepping onto it.” the Ash Queen replied. “Step forward blindly, and your victory may be hollow–or worse, you may not return at all.”


    I turned from the window, letting the fire warm my face. “I’m done with warnings.” I said firmly. “I’ve survived everything he’s thrown at me so far. I’ve learned more than I ever wanted about his methods. I’m not afraid anymore.”


    The Ash Queen’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. “Good. Courage without wisdom is foolish. Wisdom without courage is meaningless. You have courage. That may be enough… if you temper it with awareness.”


    I nodded and let her words sink in, not saying how much I already knew–or how I’d learned some of it the hard way. Elias rubbed his temples and muttered something about needing more coffee. I didn’t care. nning and practice were almost over. Action wasing, and I was ready for it.


    We spent the rest of the evening walking the halls, looking over maps and talking through ns. The Ash Queen showed us weak spots in the sorcerer’s defenses, warned us about traps he’d set in distant ces, and told us about dangers we hadn’t faced yet. Every detail she gave only made me more determined and impatient.


    By the time night fell, the castle felt tense and expectant. Guards patrolled the corridors, alert and watchful. Servants moved quietly so they wouldn’t break the silence. And in my chest one steady thought burned brighter than fear or doubt: I was ready.


    I was ready <i>to </i>go after him.


    No more waiting. No more hiding. No more excuses.


    The sorcerer would soon find out what I could do–and I would make sure he never forgot it.