bCHAPTER /bb75 /b

The light filtering through Saphira’s window was soft and golden, the kind of morning that arrived quietly rather than demanding attention. She bblinked /binto the warmth, the nket twisted around her legs, her body still heavy with sleep. But the knot in her chest–that hadn’t budged.

She sat up slowly, running a hand through her hair before slipping out of bed. Movement helped. Familiar steps: shower, fresh clothes, hair pulled bback /binto a loose braid. One breath at a time.

Niks was already awake, seated at the edge of their shared sofa with papers in one hand and a mug in the other. He looked bup /bwhen she entered bthe /b

broom/b.

“I’m going to speak with Finn,” she said quietly, grabbing a light jacket from the back of the chair. “It’s time.”

Niks nodded, his eyes holding hers for a moment. “You good?”

“I will be,” she replied. “I just… need to put it behind us. For both of bus/bb./bb” /b

He stood, closing the space between them to brush a hand lightly over her shoulder. “I’ll be here. Let me bknow /bbif /byou bneed /banything.”

She gave a small smile, grateful. Then turned, heading out.

The hallway was still quiet at this hour. She paused outside Finn’s door, heart skipping once before she lifted a hand and bknocked/b.

When he opened it, she offered a small, steady smile. “Hey. Are you free to talk?”

He studied her a second longer, then nodded. “Yeah. Of course.”

They ended up out back, where the garden behind the pack house opened into sun–drenched grass and low stone benches. A few butterflies driftedzily between thevender bushes, the kind of peace that almost didn’t feel real after everything.

They sat close but not too close. The silence between them wasn’t tense–it was careful. Respectful.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, voice low, as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Getting there,” she said. “It’s a lot.”

He nodded. “Yeah. I figured.”

They let the quiet settle again, until Saphira exhaled and turned slightly toward him, arms folded loosely.

“I don’t want things to be weird between usb,/bb” /bshe said softly. “I don’t me you. For what happened that night. Especially not with your memory gone.”

Finn dropped his gaze, jaw shifting. “I know. But… I still feel like I should’ve done more. I should’ve been there for you–before everything. Before Ruby.

Before the mess.b” /b

“You couldn’t have known,” she said gently. “None of us could. And even if you had–I don’t think the old Finn would’ve made ba /bdifference. Not if it meant we stayed stuck in the darkb./bb” /b

He looked at her then–really looked–and something in his posture softened.

“I don’t regret where bwe /bare,” she added, her voice more certain now. “Because it led us here. And it helped me find out the btruth/bb–/babout bme/bb. /bbAbout /beverything.”

The sunlight danced off the leaves behind him. Finn nodded slowlyb, /ba small smile breaking through atst.

The sun filteredzily through the btrees/b, dappling bthe /bgrass in moving gold. Saphira sat with one bleg /bpulled up bon /bbthe /bbbench/bb, /bchin bresting /bblightly /bbon /bbber /bbknee/b, her beyes /bbfixed /bsomewhere just bpast /bbthe /bvender hedge. Finn bwas /bbeside her, rxed bbut /balertb, /bfingers idly btracing /bbthe /bbgrain /bbof /bbthe /bbbench /bseat

He’d been watching her quietly for a few moments bnow/b.

“You seem… lighter,” he said eventually. “But also like you’re bcarrying /bsomething.”

Saphira blinked, turning to nce at him.

b“/bbI /bmean, not in ba /bbad way,” he added quickly. “Just… the way you’re talking. It’s like you’re only giving me the topyer.”

She hesitated, her breath catching in her chest. The truth was right there–on the edge of her tongue–but saying it still felt like bopening /bba /bdoor she bhadn’t /bquite stepped through..

After a beat, she exhaled slowly.

“I found her,” she said softly.

Finn’s brows drew in. “Who?”

Saphira looked at him fully now, eyes searching his face for any sign this would be too much. “My birth mother.”

Finn’s mouth parted slightly. “Wait–what?”

“And a brother,” she added. “Half–brother, technically.”

He stared at her, blinking like he hadn’t quite processed the words byet/b. “Who? How?”

She braced herself. “Anastasia,” she said. “And Asher.”

His reaction was immediate, eyes widening, shoulders tensing in shock. “Anastasia? The dragon Alpha?” he asked, voice lowb. /bb“/bbAnd /bbAsher/bb?/bb” /b

Saphira gave a small nod, her gaze falling to her hands in herpb. /b“Yeah.”

Finn was silent for a moment, too many thoughts shing across his expression to name. Finally, he asked gently, “How are you feeling about… all of that?b” /b

She let out a breath that felt years old. “It’s a lot. Obviously. But… knowing who she is? That she’s realb? /bThat she wanted me?” Her voice bwavered /ba little. “It’s like a knot I didn’t know I had finally unravelled.”

She paused, then looked back up. “But we also found out more. About my birth–how the Elders were involved in covering it up. How they told her I’d died. We think it ties back to the Silvermoon pack.”

Finn’s jaw tightened subtly. “That’s heavy.”

“Yeah.” She gave a tired smile. “It’s strange, though. Even with all the confusion and the weight of it… just knowing who she is? That I belong somewhereb?/bb” /bShe shrugged lightly. “It’s a start. But now I have to figure out how to move forward.”

Finn nodded slowly. “Not just who you areb, /bbut who byou /bwant to be, right?”

Saphira nced toward the sky, the sunlight warming her cheek.

“Exactly.”

The soft crunch of approaching footsteps broke through the quiet.

Niks appeared at the edge of the garden path, his eyes finding Saphira with that familiar steadiness. His expression was calm, bbut /bthere was bsomething /balert in the way his shoulders held–a gentle urgency.

b“/bSorry to interrupt,” he saidb, /bbvoice /blow. “But–Zafira basked /bto bsee /bbyou/bb./b”

bSaphira /bblinked, straightening slightly.

“She said it wasn’t urgentb,/bb” /bNiks added, ncing between bthe /bbtwo /bof bthem/bb. /b“bJust/bb… /bbthat /bbshe’d /blike to talk bwhen /bbyou’re /bbready- /b

12:00

A flutter of nerves flickered in her chestb, /bbut she nodded, already rising to her feet. “Okay. I’lle now.”

Niks bgave /ba small nod and stepped back, waiting for her to fall into step beside him.

As she nced back at Finn, he offered a quiet smile. “You’ve got this.b” /b