OPERATION WINTERSPINE (Strings Between Us Book 2)

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN: OF WHITE CAGES, JEALOUS FLAMES, AND FRAGILE FREEDOM

"I was so worried, love," he murmured, voice soft and low, laced with relief I could feel in every word.

"She wakes up from hell itself, and you're already flirting? Bold move, Frost Monarch," my cousin Lyle's voice teased from the doorway—light, but threaded with relief that slipped through even his Crown composure.

KD didn't let go of me. He just turned his head toward Lyle, eyes narrowing in a glare that could freeze fire.

"How sure are you that we're flirting? Her first word is Xythe. I might be strangling your cousin because of that," he muttered, voice low but deadly.

I got annoyed at what he said, so I pinched him on the side. He jerked away, letting out a sharp grunt. "Riyee! Damn it, that actually hurts!"

I stuck my tongue out to KD. "Deserve!"

Lyle shook his head at me, a mix of exasperation and relief in his expression. He walked closer and gently put his right hand on my head. was worried.

"I'm glad you and Tita Dana are safe now," Lyle said. His tone was steady, Crown-like, but his eyes—just for a flicker—betrayed how close it had been. That fleeting shadow of fear in him scared me more than anything the Abyss could show

And then it hit me—Mom. I hadn't thought about her, not fully, because of everything that happened in the Abyss.

"Is Mom... safe too?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, afraid of hearing the wrong answer. She was the first and original Court Tactician. She was strong. Maybe... maybe she was okay.

Lyle's gaze softened. "Seb, Thres, and Tofer rescued her. Tita was amazing. She guided them straight to her. And right now, she's back in Casiana City with your Dad. The kids and the staff were moved to Celestine Ardent Academy. Your Dad's making sure they're all safe and hidden."

I didn't say anything, just nodded, letting the relief settle like a weight lifting off my shoulders.

Lyle turned to KD, his expression shifting to the usual playful seriousness. "Take care of my cousin. I'll head off now. I just sneaked out from Keryn—she's probably looking for me. And you know how mad she gets when I go off like this."

I couldn't help but smile. Lyle was always intimidating. The other Ardent Court members were wary of him—I was too, sometimes, especially when he was in Crown mode. But with Keryn? It was different. He never raised his voice to her, never lost his temper. It was clear... he really loved her.

KD gave me that infuriatingly playful smile. "I told Mom not to discharge you, yet. Told her to discharge you after a week."

I raised an eyebrow. "What?!"

He just shrugged, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You need rest. You went through a lot when you were held captive."

"I can rest at the dorms," I said.

"No, you won't," he said, voice firm, leaving no room for argument. "You're probably going to hole up in the war room, or your tactician deck, or whatever the hell you call that second floor. Plotting revenge against the people who abducted you."

I could hear the edge of exasperation in his tone, but underneath it all... it was worry.

My brows furrowed in shock. "How did you even know about the second floor? That was a restricted floor."

Of course. They brought him not just to keep him informed—they brought him so they could watch him. So they could prevent Echo-9 Lucem from slipping. Because what happened to me would set off his rage, and that anger... that would be the trigger.

"Keryn and Lyle brought me there," he said, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Because I'd go crazy if I didn't know what's happening to you. That's why they brought me there—so I could hear and see the rescue mission."

He leaned back in the chair, and for the first time I noticed the small details of the room. Two guards outside. Nurses bowing. Even here, KD's presence turned this ward into a fortress. Safe, yes. But after the Abyss, I couldn't tell if this white cage was comfort... or another kind of prison

"I wasn't trained like you or the rest of the Court. I'm just... a mundane, studying in a normal school," he added, a small shrug brushing off the seriousness.

Mundane. That's what he called himself. But nothing about carrying an Echo-9 Lucem inside was mundane—and of course, he didn't know that.

That, after all, was the heart of Operation Winterspine: protect him at all costs, without him ever realizing the danger circling him—especially the one inside him. Even if it cost us everything. Even if one of us had to be captured. We protect him. Always.

I folded my arms, narrowing my eyes, letting a sly smile creep across my face despite the lingering unease. "And what exactly does that make me? A witch? A shadowhunter? Or something you can't quite categorize as mundane?"

"I'm just saying... I can't do what your Ardent Court can do. And it's killing me." He groaned, running a hand through his hair. "And you know what I hated the most?" His voice dropped lower, almost breaking. "It's always someone else who gets to save you... never me."

I grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief. "So we're back to you being jealous?"

He shrugged, all Ice President cool, but the faint twitch at his lips betrayed him. "Told you, I'm not." he said, clipped but undeniable.

And again, of course, he is.

I tilted my head, batting my eyes. "Can you at least make the 'one-week confinement'... just three or two more days? I hate hospitals."

He rolled his eyes, but I caught that little twitch at the corner of his mouth—the hint of amusement he couldn't hide.

"Okay, fine. Three days, not one week."

Three days in a cage of white walls. Better than eternity in the Abyss. At least this prison came with him.