The Threads of Time must have been used. He frowned. “I don’t have the time threads anymore. There’s no way I can find it.”
“You, perhaps, are the only one who can,” she said.
With that, she disappeared.
ISLA
Grim was chasing her. She could feel his power spilling through this world like a river of impending night.
The labyrinth of Cronan’s mind was in the shape of a skyre.Hisskyre. After she had carved it into her palm with Lark’s feather, her power rushed back into her, as she became immune to his poison.
She had broken right through her cell’s shademade bars, then through the entire castle, punching hole after hole until she was free. And as she rose higher into the sky and looked behind her, she saw that Cronan had not been leveling indiscriminate parts of this land.
The scars of this world formed the same symbol.
She wrapped herself in energy until she was a star, shooting toward the heavens. She became a beacon. And it didn’t take long to attract a storm.
She had known for a while now that the storms were portals. But she hadn’t truly thought about them as an extension of Cronan’s power—just like her starstick was an extension of Grim’s.
Lightning barreled toward her from the center of the tempest, and when it reached her, she closed her eyes—and focused. Just as she had learned so many years before, when she had first discovered the relic beneath her floorboards, she thought of exactly where she wanted to go...
Just like Grim had taught her. And she had taught Oro.
The lightning’s energy met hers, and her body jolted. Together, they produced a loud peal of thunder. But her concentration did notbreak, and she was sucked through the portal, crashing to the ground a moment later, tearing it up in spurts of dirt and roots.
When she finally came to a stop, she opened her eyes—and saw that it had worked.
She was back in the Forgotten Forest. She remembered what the silver-haired woman had said. This was a place that you had to be invited into to find. It was the perfect place to hide from Cronan.
Grim was already coming after her. Last time, it had taken over a day to find her. Now, she would make it easy for him.
She reached up to the necklace around her throat. And pulled.
Not a moment later, she heard a step sound behind her.
She swallowed. This had to work. If it didn’t...then he would truly be lost to her forever. And she couldn’t bear that possibility.
Their world was dying. Oro was barely keeping it safe. Eventually, he would fall. He needed help. He needed them both. Cronan was going to invade. They needed to find a way to stop him.
“Stood me up for our duel?” Grim said. His words were light, but his tone was anything but. He was angry. Of course he was.
“No. I just chose a different arena.” Slowly, she turned to him.
Grim was wrapped in shadows that were sharpened into claws. Againsther.
Still, she took a step forward. This was her husband. Just because he didn’t remember making that vow didn’t make it less true.
Now that she had her powers back, she could feel the energy of this forest, buried deep in its roots and bark and leaves.
She couldcontrolit.
His shadows lurched, turning into chains to tie her down. Before they could, she shot toward him, breaking right through those shadows with her own. He frowned, like her shadows were a reminder that she was also Nightshade, and they were not so different. Before he could rally his power once more, she pressed her hand to his heart—
And the forest fell away.
They watched as Grim’s castle on Nightshade bloomed around them. There was a line of women in identical clothing. Isla recognized herself as one of them. The scene before them was edged in shadows, blurred. The women’s whispers were slightly muted, as if they were underwater.
Grim from the past walked inside a moment later, and all the sounds quieted.
