I lower my eyes, but Raith crooks his index finger and lifts my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Of course I fucking care about you, Nessa. If that wasn't clear to you by now, I'm going to be worried about your observation skills. But we need to keep moving if we're going to get you back in time for classes."

I don't trust myself to speak, so I swallow my words and hope the way my heart flutters isn't as obvious as it feels.

We emerge from the tree line to find ourselves at the edge of a massive quarry—a vast bowl carved from the mountainside, its steep walls plunging to a relatively flat center. Ancient mining equipment lies abandoned around the perimeter, and at the quarry's deepest point, a dark pool of water glimmers in the sunlight.

"This is it?" I ask, momentarily distracted by the sheer scale of the place.

Raith nods, surveying the terrain with a critical eye. "Perfect for an elemental battleground. Earth affinities have raw material to work with, water has the pool, air has open space, and fire..." He gestures to the dry brush that dots the quarry floor. "Plenty of fuel."

I walk to the edge, peering down at the drop. At least sixty feet to the quarry floor, with few obvious paths for descent.

"All we can really do is guess, but I think this place is where it will happen," Raith continues, coming to stand beside me. "Could be that we'll start here in the quarry itself. Like a bloodbath. Or it could be that this is the final battleground. Maybe we'll be out in the woods and have to work our way here. I'm not sure yet..."

The wind shifts, carrying his scent. I find myself greedily breathing it in, drinking in the automatic comfort it brings.

We kneel at the top of the quarry's edge in silence for a few moments before I speak. I know my mind should be on the Crucible, but I find myself picking over every word he's said since we left campus. "Does Cade remind you of Gareth? I noticed the way you were with him. It reminded me of a big brother. I thought maybe…”

He meets my gaze, and pain flashes across his face, so raw and sudden it makes my chest ache. "I see some of Gareth in Cade. Yes," His voice drops. "The kind of person that's too good for such a shitty world. And Kiera would’ve liked you. A lot.”

I frown, surprised. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you’re strong. Compassionate. You find a way to live in the filth of a place like this without letting it touch who you are. It’s how she was. It’s one of the things I admired so much about her.”

I bite my lip. “Thank you.”