He stares at me, his lips slightly trembling. "If we all turn our backs, he will strike, potentially hitting us all. I must stay here to keep the wall up for as long as possible. My entire being pushes me to protect you. I can hold him off for you to get to the ship, for you to be safe." His teeth grind against one another. The power quickly becomes overwhelming for him to handle. "If you don’t leave now, he will kill us all, and this will all be for nothing. I’ll make it back to you. I promise."
Tears form in my eyes as I know we only have seconds more.
Maines grabs my arm, pulling me backward away from Silas.
"Briar, listen to him." The words sting as they leave her mouth. "We can’t do what needs to be done if we don’t leave now."
Silas’s strong shadows pulsate as lightning from over the wall crashes against them. Light explodes into blinding bolts desperate to break through.
"Dammit, Briar!" Maines screams. "Please!"
I don’t blink, and my stare remains intense and unwavering on Silas’s calm face. "Don’t break your promise to me, Nastronde. You make it back to me."
Tears stream down my face as I turn. We begin to sprint down the wooden pier, creating distance between me and Silas with each pounding step. My heart shatters into pieces the further we bound down the dock, closer to our escape.
"Shift. Now! Aim for the ship," Oak screams through the thunderous claps of magic, growing louder by the second.
I close my eyes and allow the shadows to envelop me, guiding me through the air, weightless despite the heaviness in my chest. Time seems to slow as the transition drains most of my magic, from the distance between us and the boat. Push after push, we glide through the shadows, and even though I’m just mist, tears continue to fall like rain. I’ll never forgive myself for leaving him.
The ship rocks against the waves, and the impact of us landing together. Tall masts surround us on the deck, and the storm on the shore whips the sails around like a white hurricane. Crew members shuffle around, noticing our arrival, in a panic to get the ship moving quickly.
I immediately land, ignoring the pain in my muscles, and sprint to the boat edge as close as I can get back to Silas. The shadow wall remains intact but fades against the light shooting from Carobon. "He’s not going to hold much longer. I’ve never seen that much power," I sob.
"I have, Briar. From you," Oak responds.
An older man approaches Oak, his perfectly tailored clothing hinting that he is the ship's captain and most likely traveled here with Silas.
"Where is Mr. Nastronde?" the captain’s stern voice booms in Oak’s direction.
Oak doesn’t respond; he only points toward the shore, where the wall of shadows remains tall and strong.
“Very well,” the captain says blandly, “I’ll prepare for departure immediately.”
I remain quiet, stunned at the sight before me. A black tidal wave of shadows before us fights against a Great Wiitch of our time—Silas Nastronde holds with all his might, stronger than anything I’ve ever seen. "He’s not going to have any magic left to shift this far," I mumble, knowing his fate is growing grim.
Maines begins to cry, grabbing my hand. "No. He won’t."
The ship begins to move, the sails expanding with the wind as the distance grows between us and Silas, who is left on the shore like my abandoned kingdom. The shadow wall becomes dimmer as the sun peaks over the horizon, gracing us with small bouts of light during the darkest night of our lives. I turn, unable to watch anymore. My breathing becomes a chore, and I feel the ground spin under my feet.
"I can’t leave him." I turn, facing the shore once more.
What the hell am I doing?
I shout toward Maines and Oak, resting on the steps leading to the flybridge, "This isn’t Silas’s fight! It’s mine. I won’t leave him." The shadow walls vanish before us.
Sprinting to the ledge of the boat, I leap, diving into the black water, waves ripping my body around, and for a moment, I’m not sure which way is up.
"Gods! She’s going after him." I hear Maines scream from the deck.
I power forward, not allowing myself to think of the creatures that lurk below. The only relief I feel is knowing that it will be worse for them if they challenge me right now. My arms slap the waves before me. I gasp for a breath but don’t stop moving.
I burrow deep, whispering for the darkness to propel me forward, promising anything if she allows me to find him. I continue to say silent prayers that are going unanswered and begin to make promises to Kalix herself. Panic rises in my chest as the crashing waves blind me to what’s ahead. I freeze when a black figure slowly bobs into the water before me. I tread forward, all my senses screaming to keep moving when I see him.
Silas floats in the water unconscious, his head barely above the water.
"Your prayer is answered, my child," a cold, evil voice floats through my mind.
My fate is sealed.
