Chapter 3

I didn' t have to wait long.

Soon after Ashlyn' s fiery departure, Beau arrived.

Crystal was still with him, clinging to his arm, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

Beau' s face was hard, a stranger' s face.

"Sarah," he said, his voice flat.

No warmth, no love, just cold calculation.

"Crystal told me about Ashley. A pity she was so... dramatic."

I said nothing, my grief a burning stone in my chest.

"We need your Spirit-Spark now, Sarah," he continued, as if discussing the weather.

"Crystal requires it for her Ascension. Your own lack of ambition, your contentment with a simple life, it makes you unsuitable for the Haven."

His words struck me, each one a hammer blow.

Lack of ambition? I, who held the keys to the very place he craved?

"You were always too... gentle, Sarah. Too soft. The Haven demands strength, connections. Crystal has those."

He gestured to her, and she preened.

"Her ancestors have ties to the Haven. She' s better suited to be by my side there."

I looked at him, the man I had loved, the man I had helped rise.

He was a viper I had warmed in my own embrace.

"And what of us, Beau? What of everything we shared?" My voice was quiet, dangerously so.

He scoffed. "That was then. This is now. The Pathfinders need strong leadership in the Haven. I need a partner who can match my vision, not hold me back."

Crystal smirked. "He needs someone with real power, not just... pleasantries."

The audacity. The cruelty.

They stood there, expecting me to crumble, to beg.

They saw Sarah, the quiet, helpful woman.

They had no idea of Scarlett, the Guardian.

But my plan was already in motion, sparked by Ashlyn' s sacrifice.

Revenge. Cold and absolute.

I held out the Woven Ward, the one I' d made for him.

"Take it, Beau," I said, my voice carefully laced with a feigned, heartbroken resignation. "A final gift. May it help you pass the trial."

He took it, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, quickly replaced by greed.

"You see, Crystal? She understands. She always did love me."

He handed the Ward to Crystal. "Here. This will ensure your passage."

She snatched it, her eyes alight.

"Thank you, Sarah," she said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "It' s a shame you won' t be joining us."

I smiled, a terrible, knowing smile they couldn' t comprehend.

"Oh, I' ll be there," I whispered, too low for them to catch the true meaning.

They turned to leave, eager to prepare for their stolen glory.

My own ritual was next.

My return.