The scent of cinnamon wafted in Dyna’s nose. “What time is it?”
“Late. I’ve been reading.” Lucenna held up the book to an opened page with an illustration of red eyes staring out from a cloud of darkness, the same red eyes from Dyna’s memories.
A chill skittered across her skin.
“It’s a history book on demons. After what you told me about the Shadow, I couldn’t sleep. My nursemaid used to tell me that if I didn’t behave, the Shadow demon would come to my bed and swallow me in one bite.”
What a horrid thing to say to a child.
“It’s intangible, born from hellfire smoke. It’s impossible to capture and beyond a mortal’s ability to kill.” Dyna forced herself to look away from the pages. “I researched it as well.”
Lucenna turned to another page. “It says here demons once roamed the Mortal Realm during the First Age. It was a time of ash and blood. Humans were nearly extinct until the Seraphim appeared. They led a thousand-year campaign against the demons, dedicating themselves to hunting them until the last demon was vanquished. The Seraphim then locked the Netherworld Gate so no more demons could enter this realm. How did a Shadow demon arrive in your village?”
Dyna rolled onto her back and rested her arm over her clammy forehead. “Before Essence waned in North Star, many were eager to learn magic. A young man inherited a grimoire on portals. On the first day of winter, he attempted to open one but inadvertently opened the Netherworld Gate. The Shadow came through and possessed him. It consumed so many children before my grandfather could cast it back to the Netherworld. But he didn’t have enough power to seal the Gate. Now every ten years, it reopens and the Shadow returns.”
Lucenna was quiet for a moment. “Why do you think it only eats children?”
“Because innocence is delicious,” Dyna quoted, her stomach churning. She read that excerpt in a demon glossary.
The sorceress shuddered again. “God of Urn.”
“The only thing to extinguish the dark is light. The Sol Medallion contains the power of the sun. With it, I can destroy the Shadow and close the Netherworld Gate permanently.”
Lucenna searched her face over the rim of her cup. “You’re quite brave to take this on yourself.”
“No, I’m simply doing what I must to save my sister and the other children of my village.”
The sorceress gave her a calculative look. “Is that truly the only reason?”
A coldness came over her when she remembered the dream on the snowy hill. “What other reason would I have?”
Lucenna continued to eye her with a cold sort of sternness Dyna didn’t expect. “What was your nightmare about?”
She toed the ground. It was always more of the same. Dreams of terror and shadows lurking within the confines of her mind. A void of ice, screams, and blood waiting to devour her.
“The darkness and all it contains,” she said.
Lucenna closed the book. “Nightmares are often a reflection of what is burdening us. But like all burdens, it serves no purpose other than to hold us back. You must face it for what it is.”
Dyna shook her head. Her past had ingrained itself in her. It was part of every step and thought. The Shadow left a mark on her life, and it wasn’t something she could take away.
“I think this is something I’ll always carry with me, Lucenna.”
A faint glow sparked in Lucenna’s eyes as they narrowed. “That type of mentality will only hinder you.”
Dyna sighed as she looked at the beautiful sorceress, seeing the fierceness in her, and the strength. Lucenna’s power was a soft hum in the air, palpable and always ready to answer her call. It didn’t matter how much Dyna trained. They weren’t the same, even if she wished to be.
“Have you thought about joining us?” she asked, changing the subject.
Lucenna sat back in the chair, watching her oddly. “The others are right, you know. You have taken a significant risk in telling me about this. What led you to trust me?”
“Should I not trust you?”
“I survive by being cautious. Azeran trusted his brother and we know where that brought him.”
Dyna laughed sleepily and closed her heavy eyes. “Our situation is hardly the same. It’s not people I fear.”
Maybe it was because they were distantly related, but she was at peace around the sorceress. Lucenna was a good person, fighting for what she believed in. That was enough.
