“Eyes up, Ronyn,” Therion growls, swinging his axe in a devastating arc that cleaves through a prowler lunging toward his flank. The beast doesn’t even hit the ground before he turns to the next, his movements swift despite the weapon’s weight. He plants his feet, the sheer force of his strikes leaving gouges in the earth as he fights with a relentless warrior’s precision. He turns before they move, as if their intent reaches him before their bodies do—Aetherstride in motion.
Kael moves like a shadow, silent and deadly, weaving between the advancing beasts. His sword and dagger flash in synchronized arcs, each strike precise and devastating. A duskprowler lunges for him, claws extended, but he ducks low, driving his swords upward into its chest and his dagger into the side of its neck in one fluid motion. He spins, using the momentum to slash at another beast, cutting it down before it can land a blow.
“Keep close!” Kael barks, his voice sharp and commanding as he throws his head toward me.
Seren, still lighting flares with trembling hands, shouts, “There’s a weak spot! The base of their skulls—just below where the shimmer fades!” Her voice rises above the chaos, her intelligence cutting through the panic like a beacon.
Kael nods, adjusting his strikes to aim for the weak point Seren identified. His next kill is swift, his blade finding the spot with pinpoint accuracy. He casts her a brief glance of approval before returning to the fray.
I grip Kael’s sword tightly, the weight no longer foreign in my hands. My small blades were perfect for the tight Virellin’s streets, but here, in the open chaos of the forest, they feel like toys. Kael’s sword feels different—alive, its weight pulling me into each movement, as though it’s guiding me.
A duskprowler lunges for Seren, its claws slashing through the air. “Seren, down!” I shout, lunging forward to intercept. The blade in my hands moves instinctively, slicing across the creature’s throat in a clean, upward arc. Blood sprays as it collapses, but there’s no time to celebrate.
Another beast is already upon me, and I spin, ducking beneath its claws as I drive the blade into its side. My movements are clumsy compared to Kael’s lethal grace or Therion’s brute strength, but they’re effective. I’m no warrior, but survival has always been my greatest skill, and I use every ounce of it now. Revryn’s training urges my strikes to land with precision and my feet to move with practised skill.
Ronyn’s voice rings out, cutting through the chaos. “El, left!”
I pivot just in time to see another cat-like beast with paws thesize of Kael’s boot lunging for me. Before I can react, Ronyn’s arrow strikes true, embedding into the creature’s neck. “You’re welcome,” he calls, his grin audible even in the chaos.
The flares Seren lit are starting to dim, their protective light fading. The duskprowlers press closer, their numbers overwhelming despite the kills we’ve racked up. My leg throbs, and I look down momentarily to see the left leg of my trousers ripped to shreds and crimson blood pooling in my boot. I’ve been clawed at some point in the fray, and the effects of the wound are slowing me down, but I force myself to keep moving.
Kael is suddenly there, his back pressed against mine as he cuts down another beast. “We need to finish this,” he says, his voice a low growl. “Dig deep, Lightborne.”
The words ignite something in me, a fire that burns through the pain and exhaustion. I tighten my grip on the sword and step forward, slashing at another prowler that dares to come close.
Therion’s voice booms above the noise. “Hold the line!” He plants his axe in the ground, yanking a dagger from his belt and hurling it into the eye of a prowler creeping toward Seren. The beast drops instantly, and he’s back to his axe in the blink of an eye, a feral growl escaping his throat as he swings.
The golden light beneath my ribs begins to flicker again, stronger this time, pulsing in time with my racing heart. My vision blurs, the world around me fading as the energy builds, demanding release.
Kael’s voice snaps me back. “Elyssara, stay with me!”
“I can’t—” The words catch in my throat as the light surges upward, searing through my veins.
“Everyone down!” Kael shouts, stepping aside and throwing himself to the ground just as the coiled magic bursts from me in a blinding wave.
The golden light surges from within me, rushing outward in waves. It’s warm—scorchingly warm but not painful. The air hums with energy, crackling like a storm. My skin tingles as the power courses through me, and the faint scent of something sweet, likestardust, lingers in the air. The world blurs, consumed by the light, and for a moment, I feel weightless, infinite, untethered.
The light radiates outward, engulfing the duskprowlers. Their screeches echo through the forest as their bodies convulse, choke, collapse, and disintegrate into ash, the golden glow swallowing them whole.
The light fades. The forest stills. For a heartbeat, nothing moves—not even the wind. The air feels lighter, cleaner—purified—as if the darkness has been purged.
I drop to my knees, the sword slipping from my grasp as I clutch my chest. The pain in my leg returns with a vengeance, but it’s drowned out by the sheer exhaustion weighing me down.
Kael kneels beside me, his strong arms scooping me up with a care that feels out of place in this brutal, bloodstained forest. His voice, so often commanding and sharp, softens to a murmur meant only for me. “Rest now, Elyssara,” he says, his lips barely brushing my temple as he speaks. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.” The words settle over me like a promise, and as darkness begins to claim me, it’s his warmth that lingers.
I begin to slip from consciousness, but I swear I hear Therion say, “You’re making a mistake, brother. You’re too close.” But before I can press further, the world goes dark.
PART II
CHOICE
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ELYSSARA
Awareness creeps in slowly,like dawn through fog. The brittle snap of twigs, the musky blend of leather and oakmoss, and the uneven rhythm of a horse’s gait pull me from the darkness. My eyelids feel like lead, my mouth as dry as sand, and my body aches as if I’ve been trampled by the beast beneath me. Then—Stars above—my leg.
I shift instinctively, trying to reach for my throbbing leg through the haze of my thoughts, but a strong arm wraps around me, steadying me. A low, gravelly voice rumbles near my ear, quiet but commanding.
