I twist, lunge, and push. All at once, the gold and shadow twist together, forming an unbreakable bond. Pain shreds me, but strength blooms. My magic flows into his, and his into mine. Together we push, strain, and fight.
Snap!
The chains shatter in a storm of sparks, falling away like shattered glass.
I collapse to the ground, knees shaking, chest heaving. Across from me, Koen stumbles as well, breath ragged, face streaked with sweat and dirt. He looks dangerous—raw and untamed. His dark hair clings to his forehead, his gold eyes burning through the grime. Even now, when we are both broken and gasping for air, he’s striking. And despite everything we’ve just been through, I can’t help but think how unbearably attractive he is.
Our eyes meet, and I think I finally understand. The chains were never just chains. They were our fear. Fear of losing each other, fear of failing, fear of not being enough. But together, we endured. Together, we survived.
We each take a hesitant step closer.
Without speaking, I hold out a hand, almost instinctively. He takes it, lacing our fingers. Strength passes between us, not just in magic, but trust and understanding.
The portal shimmers behind us, indicating the end of the trial. Though the chains are gone, the memory of every struggle,every agonizing second, every gasp for air, every pulse of fear, lingers.
We step toward it together, side by side, knowing that the next step awaits. And we will face it as one.
The second we step through into the courtyard, silence greets us. No cheering crowds, no council, only a few guards standing stiff and uncertain. My shadows writhe around me, uneasy, sensing something I cannot.
Koen’s confusion mirrors my own, edged with worry.
“I–I need to go.” My voice breaks with urgency. I don’t give him a chance to respond. “Shadows, take me.”
Darkness swallows me whole.
When it releases me, I’m standing in my parents’ chambers. My stomach sinks.
No.
I sprint into the bedroom. Several healers crowd the bed, their faces pale, their hands useless. My mother stands rigid at the head of the bed.
“Father.” My voice trembles.
I shove past the healers, and my knees nearly buckle. His skin is ashen, marred by black veins crawling up from his chest, creeping like roots toward his throat. His lips are tinged blue, his breathing shallow and broken.
“Serenya,” my mother whispers, pulling me into her arms. For once, she doesn’t care about blood and sweat clinging to my skin. When she releases me, I fall to the bed.
My hands tremble as I press them to his chest. Shadowlight pours from me, flooding into him. I push hard, willing my magic to work where it never has before. It resists,the sickness clawing back, greedy and relentless.
“Please,” I whisper to no one and everyone. “Phynnera. Any god listening.Please.”
The veins recede slowly. Color seeps faintly back to his lips, and his breathing steadies. Relief washes over me, but it’s still not enough, not nearly enough. I push harder. My vision blurs, black specks flickering. Sweat beads across my brow. My body screams in exhaustion after the final trial, but I can’t stop.
Hands grab me, pulling me away, shattering my magic’s connection to him.
“No!” I sob. “Mother, please—”
“You did well,” she murmurs, clutching me against her. “He is stable now, thanks to you. But if you don’t stop, you'll burn out, and I won’t risk your life, too, my sweet girl.”
Tears stream freely down my face. I want to argue. I want to fix him. But I sag into her hold, trembling.
“I’m staying here tonight,” I choke out.
She only nods. “Of course.”
Later, scrubbed clean and wrapped in one of her robes, I curl by the hearth as she sets tea and food between us. She coaxes me to talk, and I do. Everything that I had told my father about. Dimitri’s warnings, Ravelle’s advice, Torin’s distance, Koen. Especially Koen.
Her eyes soften as I speak of him, though a teasing smile plays at her lips. “You sound exactly like me when I met your father.Stars above, I hated him at first. He was cocky, insufferable, and so sure he’d win me before he even stepped into the trials.”
