Chapter 6
“Luxterra will not withstand another assault. The wraiths do not weaken, though we exhaust our forces. The Bears and Wolves have joined from the south, but the Phoenix has abandoned us. You must advance. Send your best Drengr with their Drakari. Look for my falcon.”
Celestial War Correspondence of King Illias, Ruler of the Celestial Court, King of Astradeon to Lord Fafnir of the SkyForge Peaks, Steward of Rage
“NOT A CHANCE, BOUNTY HUNTER.” Astraia shook her head, crossing her arms for extra emphasis.
“We only have one horse, Starborne. And although your charm rivals that of a bear, I do not trust you. So, you can either put them on yourself, or I will force them on you,” Draven replied, his hand holding the same iron manacles that had bound the baker’s son in Tenebris. An ancient language from before the Shattering was etched on the metal cuffs.
She stared at them. “You want to bind me?”
“Your bonds flare when you're emotional. I’m not risking your powers turning me into ash because you get a jump scare.”
“How about I just stab you, take your horse, and leave you for the Starfell Woods to claim?” Astraia quipped, absently feeling for her dagger, still not completely convinced it had returned.
“Very funny. We don’t have all day. I would rather not be in these woods come nightfall. Would you?” His hand remained outstretched, waiting for her answer.
Astraia weighed her options, none of them inviting. Slowly, she stepped closer to Draven, raising her hands in submission.
Draven closed the distance between them, opening the manacles and holding them in both hands.
Before she could rethink her decision, Astraia grabbed the outside of his forearms and drove her knee upward with enough force that it threatened to give out.
“Stars!” he shouted, letting go of the manacles and falling to his knees, grasping his pants.
She wasted no time. In one fluid motion, she slapped the horse’s flank hard. The beast reared in shock, then bolted down the Starfell Woods road. Without a second glance, Astraia broke into a run off the main path, directly into the black abyss of the cursed woods.
She could hear Draven shouting her name behind her, but she did not stop running. Her breath evened out as she maintained a steady cadence, avoiding rocks and logs obscured by dead leaves.
Astraia was not sure of anything right now, but one thing she did know was that she would not trust a single soul again. She made plans of her own.
She spared a glance upward at the canopy to see the sun was already beginning to leave the Astradeon sky. A starless night was closing in, and she was running through the Starfell Woods alone.
She was headed the same direction those betrayers had come from when they attacked her. If she could just keep runningnorth, there had to be another side path that they had used to cut through the forest.
It was her only chance.
She kept running, never looking back to see if Draven pursued her. The only sound was that of her boots crunching leaves as she ran. The glimpses of light that flickered through the forest canopy were dwindling.
Astraia took a deeper breath and dove into her bond. It awaited her, always ready to answer her call. She pulled back the lid to her tether, and Elion’s face flooded her memory. Warmth, immeasurable and calming, blanketed her in an instant. It filled every sinew, every vein, every bone of her body. It took only a few seconds and suddenly, her strength was renewed, her stamina refilled.
She peered down at her body, and her skin glowed a faint soft light, a beacon in the onslaught of darkness encompassing her.
Her pace quickened tenfold, her feet a blur as she bounded through the forest. Breathing came easy now. Euphoria enveloped her. She had not felt this free in so long. Had not let her other bond freely flow in over five years.
Astraia kept her eyes focused ahead as she flew with unnatural speed, leaping over boulders and fallen pine. Until she spotted it.
Just ahead, another trail cut through the forest maze.
She stumbled once, her boot catching on a gnarled root hidden beneath the bracken. Pain bloomed up her shin, but she pushed onward, lungs searing, the woods swallowing her footsteps. When she dared to look up again, he was there—a shadow rising from the mist, ears perked and waiting. Orion.
Orion’s eyes met Astraia’s in recognition. He lifted his head and walked over to her as she placed a hand on his head.
“Hi, boy, I missed you,” she said, stroking his head. “Let’s get out of here.”
Astraia patted Orion’s neck and walked to his side, mounting her horse in one smooth motion.
Orion had found her, by whatever odds. The only true companion she had left in the world.
