CHAPTER 34
SERENNA
Serenna stood as motionless as the frozen expanse, her breath a pale wisp dissolving into the frigid air. Eyes stinging in the wind, she blinked against glaring sunlight, its brightness offering no warmth.
Thirty paces ahead, a strange serpent glided through the snow, its sinuous body glinting with icy brilliance.
Fenn remained locked in wraith stillness, though he buzzed with anticipation as his question slid down their bond.Like this?he asked, raising a claw.
A shiver traced down Serenna’s spine, her skin pebbling as Fenn hauled her rending talent up from the shared depths of their Well. Her magic unwound like thread slipping from a spool as he coaxed out her power.
Focus on the head so you don’t disintegrate the whole thing,Serenna instructed as a veil of her magic glimmered around them. She shoved away the dreadful memory of her first rending “lesson” with the prince.And to kill it, you have to mean it. You don’t want to make it suffer.
That snow serpent doesn’t stand a chance against your magics,Fenn mused, shadows curling across his fingertips. A lip ring clicked against a fang as he grinned, a predatory glowflaring in his eyes. The Essence spiraling around his talons pulsed with darker energy, morphing into something more vicious.
From the moment he’d spotted the undulating trail etched into the powdery terrain, he’d been adamant about hunting it—dismissing Lykor’sexplicitorders to scout only as far as the next horizon during their midday halt. Rather than warping, Fenn had wanted to practice with his portaling talent and had used it to leap across the valley in pursuit.
Though channeling rending had been Serenna’s idea, she couldn’t help but be amused by his excitement. They studied the creature—nearly as long as she was tall. Its crystalline scales shimmered like sheets of glass, chiming faintly.
I still think you’ll chip a fang trying to eat it,she said wryly.
Surely there’s meat under those frozen scales,Fenn insisted, his shadows hovering, poised to strike. The creature slithered lazily across the snow, periodically dipping its head into drifts.What’s in our packs won’t last forever. And Lykor doesn’t want to waste time returning to the jungle to resupply.
Serenna sighed, pulling her cloak tighter against the howling wind that sliced through even her thickest layers. Though the jungle offered comfort and protection, she couldn’t deny the brutal logic of Lykor’s decision.
Portaling back every night would drain their Essence twice over—once to return and once to retrace their steps. With newly discovered locations, bridging the distance without portal jumping was possible, but the magical cost remained steep. Pressing onwardwasthe practical choice, but practicality offered no warmth against the nipping cold.
Serenna’s boots crunched against the snow as she leaned into Fenn, greedily seeking his radiating heat while he waited for the perfect moment to strike.
You know,he said, tracking the serpent as it dove into a snowdrift and vanished,I have other ways of warming you up.
Serenna’s blood lurched as he planted an image directly into her mind—a vivid, shameless scene of the two of them tangled together, cloaks spread over the snow.
Like he’d claimed, but not in the way he’d intended, a treacherous heat bloomed in her chest, unfurling in a spiraling wave that fanned lower with every heartbeat. Serenna huffed under her breath, attempting to smother her reaction before she betrayed her interest any further.
But Fenn was only encouraged, judging by the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. His voice continued to slide through her mind like silken smoke.I’m not opposed to taking our time out here and—
The creature suddenly burst from the snow in a shower of glittering frost. Sunlight struck the tips of its translucent scales, refracting into radiant halos that scattered across the ground.
Fenn’s focus snapped back to the hunt, his excitement combusting when the serpent lifted its head—offering its throat as a target. Shadows erupted from his outstretched fingers, colliding with the creature’s skull in a violent detonation of scales and bones. The headless body convulsed, thrashing and spraying blood across the snow.
Fenn twirled skittering shadows across his talons for another moment before releasing Essence. He bumped his shoulder into hers. “I killed it, so you get to clean it.”
Serenna wrinkled her nose as steaming blood pooled around the corpse. “I never agreed to that.”
“You watched me do the work.” Grin all fangs, Fenn reached through the front of her cloak to her belt, unsheathing one of the knives he’d gifted to her. “And I’m certainly not about to miss an opportunity to see you handle one of my weapons.” With atriumphant flourish, he grabbed her hand and slapped the hilt of the blade into her gloved palm.
Serenna scowled as she clenched the knife. “You’rethe one who wants to eat that scaly thing.” She swiped the blade at him half-heartedly.
Fenn cackled, warping out of reach. He reappeared next to the slain serpent and crouched to poke at its lifeless body. “Come on.” He beckoned to her. “This is your kill too.”
“I have a better idea,” Serenna muttered, resheathing the knife before striding over to him.
Kneeling in the snow, she summoned a fistful of rending, honing the darkness into a razor-sharp edge. With a flick of her wrist, she sliced cleanly through the serpent’s glass-like hide.
“Very innovative,” Fenn chuckled, leaning back on his heels to watch. The icy breeze swept loose strands of hair across his face as he cast a glance toward the horizon—where they’d left their companions after an awkward, silent meal. “I can see why Lykor is so fond of shadow magics.”
Serenna’s power flickered as the memory of Lykor obliterating the harbor flashed through her mind. Rattled and desperate from the escalating rampage, Vesryn had rushed back to the jungle to retrieve Jassyn, believing his cousin’s talents were the only option to stop Lykor.
