Chapter 1

For decades, we lived as Sarah and Ashley, blending into the Ascendant Pathfinders.

I was Sarah, and Ashlyn was Ashley.

We walked among them, laughed with them, helped them.

The Whispering Peaks, my true home, felt distant then.

It was a choice, to feel ordinary, to love.

Beau Harrison was that love for me.

His ambition burned bright, and I, Scarlett, Guardian Spirit, fanned those flames secretly.

Ashlyn, my Cinderheart sister, found her own fire in Clay, Beau' s younger brother.

She saw a good man in him, or tried to.

We used our gifts, subtly, to lift the Harrison brothers.

They became leaders, the Pathfinders respected them.

Now, their Ascension Trial was close, the gateway to the Haven of the Ancients.

My Haven.

I spent weeks crafting a Woven Ward for Beau.

Nature magic, woven tight, a piece of my spirit to protect him.

He held it, his eyes shining with gratitude, or so I thought.

"This will ensure our success, Sarah," he said, his voice full of confidence.

"I know it will," I replied, my heart full.

Ashlyn watched us, a small smile on her face.

She held Clay' s hand, their bond seemingly strong.

Whisper, our Shadowfox, napped at our feet, a small, comforting presence.

He was family, a creature of twilight we' d found and cherished.

The Pathfinders buzzed with excitement, their goal almost within reach.

We were part of that buzz, our true natures hidden deep.

The Haven awaited, and I, its Guardian, was helping them reach it, blind to the coming storm.

I believed in Beau' s dream, in his words of a shared future.

That belief was my greatest vulnerability.