Chapter 197- The Balance of Smoke
Lexy
The council had left hours ago, leaving only the echoes of maps and strategies and voices thick with determination. Even in victory, the work didn’t end. Adrian’s shadow had scattered, but shadows had a way of crawling back if you didn’t burn them out entirely.
I sat on the edge of my bed, the faint flicker of my flame dancing across my palm. It didn’t roar the way it had on the battlefield. It pulsed softly, almost like a heartbeat. Every time I looked at it now, I thought of the life growing inside me—three flames, bright and restless. Faster than expected.
The door to my room opened. CJ stepped inside, his presence filling the space the way it always did—steady, grounding, but carrying a weight only I could see. His eyes softened when they landed on me, though the lines of exhaustion around them didn’t fade.
“Still awake,” he said quietly.
“As if you’re one to talk,” I answered, letting the fire snuff out as he came closer. “I can feel you pacing outside half the night.”
He smirked faintly, but there was no denial. He lowered himself beside me, his hand brushing against mine. For a moment we just sat there, breathing in sync, leaning against each other’s warmth.
“We need to bring them back,” I said finally.
CJ turned to me, brows lifting slightly.
“The triplets,” I clarified, my voice steady even as my chest tightened. “And our moms. They shouldn’t be out there anymore, not when Adrian’s forces are scattered and desperate. The alliance is strong enough now to shield them here. They’ll be safer at home.”
He was silent for a moment, his green eyes searching for mine. “You’ve already made up your mind.”
I nodded. “They’re our future. Ours, and the alliance’s. Every moment they’re away feels like a part of me is missing.”
CJ leaned back, considering. “You’re right. But it won’t be simple. The journey back will be a bit long.”
“I know,” I said softly. “But keeping them hidden apart from us is no longer an option. We took care of the biggest threat and only our tribe knows about them. Besides we did leave them with their protectors and best warrior.”
His hand closed around mine, squeezing. “Then it’s decided. I’ll start the arrangements in the morning. They come home.”
The words settled over me like a weight lifted. I hadn’t realized just how much tension I’d been carrying until that moment. My throat tightened, but I blinked back the tears. “Thank you.”
CJ turned toward me fully, pressing his forehead to mine. “We do this together. Always.”
Always. The word hummed through me like fire through kindling, reminding me that no matter how heavy the crown, I never bore it alone.
I pulled him in and kissed him passionately.
Later that evening, after CJ had gone to coordinate with the generals, I found Tarria waiting outside the training grounds. The moonlight painted her in silver, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. Smoke curled faintly around her hand, restless and twitching as if it didn’t know whether to cling to her or escape.
Her eyes lifted when she saw me. There was a rawness there, an openness I didn’t often see from her.
“You came,” she said quietly.
“I told you I would.”
I stepped onto the training field, the air cool and still. No audience this time, no generals, no alliance leaders. Just us. That was how it needed to be.
She hesitated, glancing at her hand. “I don’t know if I can… control it. Every time I think I’ve got a grip, it slips. And then I feel it pulling, like it wants more.”
I nodded. “That’s because it does want more. Power always does. But it doesn’t decide—you do. The smoke is part of you, Tarria, but it isn’t all of you.”
Her brow furrowed. “What if I can’t tell the difference?”
“Then we’ll learn together.”
I raised my hand, summoning a gentle flame to life. It flickered between my fingers, soft but steady. “My fire once felt the same. Unruly. Hungry. I thought it would burn me alive if I let it. But fire listens when you stop fighting it. Smoke will, too.”
She stared at the flame, then at her own hand. Slowly, hesitantly, she exhaled, and smoke spilled from her palm. It twisted and writhed, thicker than mist, darker than shadow. Her shoulders tense as it expanded, curling dangerously close to her arms.
“Stop thinking about what it wants,” I said calmly. “Think about what you want.”
Her jaw clenched. “I want it gone.”
“Do you?” I asked softly. “Or do you want it to serve you?”
Her gaze snapped to mine, sharp and uncertain. I held it, steady as flame. “You survived because of this power. You saved me. You ended Kael. Smoke is your weapon, but it’s also your shield. You don’t destroy it, Tarria. You claim it.”
She closed her eyes, her breathing shaky but deliberate. The smoke flared, then pulled tighter, condensing around her instead of lashing outward. Beads of sweat lined her forehead, but slowly, the wild tendrils drew inward until only a thin veil remained, coiled close like a second skin.
Her eyes opened again, wide and startled. “I… I did it.”
“You did,” I said, a smile tugging at my lips.
The smoke trembled, then dissipated entirely, leaving only her. She sagged with the effort, but her face lit with something I hadn’t seen since before the battle—hope.
I stepped closer, laying a hand on her shoulder. “It will take time. You’ll stumble. But every time you do, I’ll be here to remind you that you’re stronger than your fear.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed, eyes glistening in the moonlight. “Thank you, Lexy.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” I said softly. “We’re family now. And family doesn’t let each other drown.”
The smoke lingered faintly in the air, but it no longer felt suffocating. For the first time, it felt like possibility.
And standing there, with the fire in my chest and the smoke at Tarria’s fingertips, I realized just how much stronger we would all become together.
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