Torric growls low in his throat, the sound more animal than human. "Let him try. I'll rip his head off before he touches her."
"Easy, big guy," Seren says, raising a hand. "This isn't just about Kaia anymore. Alekir's moving fast, and Lira wants answers. She's asked for all of you to meet her first thing."
Malrik frowns, his silver-gray eyes narrowing. "First thing?"
"As in now," Seren replies, already turning toward the door. "So get dressed, get yourselves together, and meet me downstairs. And maybe try to look like you didn't just roll out of bed with the Academy's most-wanted."
"What are we supposed to do against an army?" I ask, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
Finn snickers.
I turn to snap at him but freeze at the sight before me. Every single shadow in the room—from Bob's imposing form to thetiniest wisp—has arranged itself in perfect military formation. Even Finnick, who was doing aerial somersaults moments ago, stands at rigid attention.
Mouse, perched on his chair like a tiny general, looks entirely too pleased with himself.
"Oh," I say faintly. "Right."
I should feel relieved. Powerful. Instead, a cold weight settles behind my ribs.
Because I don't know how to command an army. I don't know how to be what they need. I don't know if I want to be.
But the shadows wait, patient and expectant, and four pairs of eyes watch me like I hold answers instead of questions.
And Mouse just stares at me with those violet eyes that see too much, like he's waiting for me to catch up to what he already knows.
Chapter 2
Kieran
Kieran
The ripple hits before I see it—a pulse of chaos splitting the stillness like thunder through a starless night. My shadows recoil, curling closer, their instinctive reaction making my scales itch beneath my human skin. The Heart of Eternity stirs, its power reaching even here, in the depths of my sanctuary.
"Stay back," I warn as a young griffin shifter stumbles through my wards, corruption eating at his wings. The others who've found refuge here press against the crystalline walls, their magic flaring in response to the newcomer's tainted power.
I move forward, shadows coiling around my hands. The griffin's eyes are wild with pain and fear, the same look I've seen too many times since Absentia fell. As I reach for him, anothercall from the Heart hits, stronger this time, and the memory crashes over me like a wave.
I was young, barely able to hold my dragon form for more than a few hours, when my father brought me to the Valkyrie sanctuary. We flew together, two shadows against the twilight sky, my smaller wings struggling to match his powerful beats. Dragon shifters offering protection to the Valkyries in exchange for their aid against the growing corruption.
The griffin's wing bleeds corruption under my touch—acrid, like burning metal and blood. I catch him before he falls, channeling my power through our contact. The magic buzzes with rot and heat beneath my hands while my mind races back through centuries.
She couldn't have been more than six, a tiny figure darting between the Valkyries' legs, wisps of shadow and light playing around her feet like mischievous pets. When she saw me, her eyes lit up with curiosity that mirrored my own. While the adults traded alliances, we slipped away—two children chasing wonder into the meadow.
"Hold still," I mutter, dragging myself out of memory as I focus on the griffin. The scent of meadow grass lingers in the back of my mind.
"Can you really turn into a dragon?" she'd asked, bouncing on her toes. Her excitement had been contagious, my own magic stirring in response. My little star, that's what I called her. The words just slipping out.
The corruption fights back, black veins spreading across the griffin's feathers. I push harder, letting my power flow through him. Behind me, I sense Revna moving closer, her phoenix fire ready if I need it.
I shifted for her that day, scales rippling across my skin until I stood before her in my dragon form, smaller than my father's, my obsidian scales still carrying hints of purple in the light.Where others might have feared me, Kaia laughed in delight. Her tiny hands reached out to touch my snout, fearless and gentle.
The moment her fingers brushed my scales, something sparked between us. The connection left a mark I still feel in my bones. The shadow magic inside her surged forward, wrapping around my wings like it found a piece of itself it didn't know was missing.
The griffin screams as my power burns through the corruption. I hold him steady, remembering another touch, another connection.
We spent hours in that meadow—me showing off aerial acrobatics while she clapped and created shadow shapes to chase me through the air. Her shadow magic never once shied away from my form, instead seeming to dance with my own magic in perfect harmony.
"Commander." Revna's voice slices through the memory fog like fire through smoke. The corruption finally breaks. The griffin collapses against me, his wings whole but scarred. Another survivor. Another soul saved too late.
