I gritted my teeth and pushed back against it, pouring my will into staying exactly where I was. My shadows responded, anchoring me to the mountain like roots digging deep into stone. The bond pulled harder, and I pulled back, caught in a tug-of-war with my own magic.
This was what my life would be now, wasn’t it? Fighting against something that was supposed to be natural and beautiful, all because the person on the other end had lied to me. All because I’d been stupid enough to trust someone again.
“Fuck you, Silver,” I said to the empty air, my voice cracking. “Fuck you for making me believe in this. Fuck you for making me think I could have something good for once in my miserable life.”
The words felt hollow even as I said them. Because underneath the anger and betrayal, I still loved him. Gods help me, I still loved him so much it physically hurt. And that made everything so much worse.
I don’t know how long I sat there, locked in battle with the mate bond, watching the sun arc across the unfamiliar sky. Hours, probably. Long enough that my stomach started to growland my throat felt dry. But I didn’t move. Couldn’t move. If I gave in even a little, if I let the bond pull me back, I’d end up right where I started—in love with someone I could never have.
The sun was starting to set, painting the mountains in shades of orange and pink, when I felt something shift. The bond suddenly yanked so hard I nearly toppled forward off the cliff. I scrambled backward, my shadows flaring defensively, and that’s when I felt it—Silver’s emotions bleeding through the connection.
Panic. Terror. Desperation. Then silence.
My anger faltered. Whatever was happening on his end of the bond, it was bad and then it was just…gone. Now it was my turn to panic. Feeling Silver’s presence had become my new normal. But feeling his absence… that sent a streak of terror through me that I’d never experienced before.
I tried to reach through the bond, to feel anything from Silver’s side, but there was nothing. It was like shouting into a void and hearing only my own echo bounce back. The absence was worse than any pain, worse than the anger or betrayal. At least when I could feel him, I knew he was alive and safe.
“No, no, no.” I pressed my hand against my chest, searching desperately for that familiar warmth of his presence. “Don’t do this. Don’t you dare do this to me.”
But there was nothing. The silver cord that had always connected us felt severed, cut clean through. My shadows went wild, erupting from my body in waves of pure darkness that cascaded down the mountainside. Trees bent and groaned under the weight of my magic, and somewhere far below, I heard rocks tumbling into the valley.
What if something had happened to him? What if the bond breaking had hurt him the way Confiance said it would? What if he was lying somewhere, alone and in pain, and I was too far away to help?
The thought sent a spike of terror through me that overrode every other emotion. I didn’t care that he’d lied. I didn’t care about the arranged marriage or the fact that he was a prince or any of it. All I cared about was that Silver might be hurt, and I’d abandoned him.
I stood on shaking legs, my shadows still churning around me like a storm. I needed to go back. Had to go back. Even if it meant facing him again, facing all the lies and the impossible situation we were in. I couldn’t just sit here while he might be in danger.
I reached for my shadows, preparing to step through them, when I felt something else—a presence behind me. I spun around, and my breath caught in my throat.
A woman stood at the edge of my shadow storm, completely unbothered by the darkness that would have sent anyone else running. She wore the same white cloak I’d seen on Confiance, her hood pushed back to reveal sharp features and piercing green eyes. But this wasn’t the Elder from before. This woman was taller, her presence somehow more commanding, more ancient.
“Ash Vale,” she said, her voice carrying easily over the wind. “I’ve been looking for you.”
My shadows immediately formed a defensive barrier between us. “Who are you?”
“My name is Confiance Eveninglight,” she replied, and my confusion must have shown on my face because she added, “TherealConfiance. The one you met at the academy was my apprentice, using my name for the examination. A necessary deception to avoid... complications.”
I didn’t lower my shadows. “What do you want?”
Her expression softened slightly. “To help you. And to tell you that Silver has been taken back to the Twilight Realm by his father.”
My heart plummeted. “Taken? What do you mean taken?”
“King Erestolal appeared at the academy moments after you left. He’s planning to sever the bond between you, no matter the cost.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but she held up a hand to silence me.
“He’s been made aware of the dangers of severing your connection. And, in an attempt to spare his son’s life, has given the Elder Council three days to find and bring you to the Twilight Realm.”
“Why?” I asked. “What does he need me for?”
“He believes,” she replied, her gaze faltering for just a moment. “That if you sever the bond willingly, it would spare his son and his kingdom.”
“Would it?”
She stared for a long moment, choosing her words carefully. “There is a chance it would work, albeit a small one. But there is a cost.”
I just stood there, waiting for her to continue.
