Page 13 of Claimed By the Depths

Frigidity threatened to swallow me whole as he vanished once more, appearing in the center of the room to take his place beside Sorva. With a taunting glance in my direction, the corner of his lips curled upward, and his utterance came with an authority that seemed to surpass his mother's.

“Draw the sigil. We have portals to open.”

CHAPTER 7

Shadow Wielder

SYORAN

Where structured liveliness once clung to the streets of Serevelan, there was nothing but unnatural stillness.

The air carried an indecipherable buzz, one that encouraged residents to close their shutters and slip into the homes they believed provided security. But safety was a falsified sentiment on the continent of Wraelira. With King Marellan’s rule, and his alignment with entities far more evil than he was, a corruption so thick coated the once lively lands to the point I was uncertain if we’d taste freedom again.

“Two more blocks,” Leilani called over her shoulder. “Once we reach the docks⁠—”

A tremor strong enough to send us staggering rocked the earth. Barely catching myself on a nearby building, I grabbed Kael’s arm before he could hit the cobblestone. Tightening my hold, I ripped him toward me, and he hissed at the discomfort. Guilt bloomed in my chest at the sound, and I started to apologize, but another quake prevented me from doing so.

Nearby structures trembled beneath its wrath, wooden beams cracking as the threat of collapse loomed. The well-crafted masonry grated against itself, stones working to slip from the minerals that held them in place. Various windows bent, their glass exploding to coat the walkways with fragmented shards. As the surroundings morphed to accommodate a wave of unspeakable power, the atmosphere briefly shifted—rolling rivers of magma and jutting rock slipped through a tear in the fabric of reality before vanishing; everything returned to normal.

Not even realizing that Kael had fallen to rest against my chest amidst the chaos, I basked in the comfort his warmth brought. A breath passed, and he peered up at me, his seafoam irises shifting in conflict. Fighting the heat rising to my cheeks, I snapped my chin toward Leilani to avoid any extended awkwardness between us.

Unfazed, she held her ground in the center of the street, a gentle wind catching her tightly wound curls. Even caressing the woman who seemed to embody the definition of life, the breeze whispered an unspoken warning—something ancient yet familiar, capable of destroying or crafting realms. My essence stirred to life with the growing realization, a deep-seated knowing slithering up the back of my neck, followed by a wave of goosebumps.

They’ve arrived.

“Leilani, get the fuck out of⁠—”

Cobblestone parted, the growing crevice forcing her backward. What was once bottomless glowed with a sickening green hue, seeming to summon Serevalen’s residents. Doors creaked open, heads poking out of thresholds as that insurmountable energy grew tenfold. Mumbles slipped through structures and alleyways, onlookers tossing questions about the sudden manifestation of a portal and how the continent was still capable of producing magic when the lands lacked it.

A portal…

My eyes darted to Leilani; her stare was already awaiting mine with shared cognizance. Our voices merged with a crystal-clear demand, just as the maliciousness that clung to each light dust of wind bubbled over the edge of the gaping hole.

“Get back inside!”

No level of preparedness could have predicted the cavern’s sudden hunger. The force drew inward, threatening to swallow the neighboring structures and connecting streets. My hold loosened on Kael as the pit sucked every living creature toward its maw. With the sudden shift, up became down and down became up, and it wasn’t until the portal erupted with a power so nefarious that our surroundings renewed themselves.

Back colliding with a nearby structure, every ounce of oxygen occupying my lungs vanished. I gasped, agony quick to follow, but the inhuman shriek that sprouted from the hole in the earth served as a distraction. Lids fluttering to fight the daze that had blanketed my vision, an unspeakable horror flooded my system.

Two hoofed legs rose from the chasm, penetrating the cracked cobblestone. Appendages followed, their structure mirroring that of an insect—some ending in claw-like points and others resembling feelers. Crawling up the wall of the abyss, the creature's spiked shell followed. Lined with sharp ridges and protrusions, its casing appeared nearly impenetrable, and, as if wishing to prove me right, it scurried to the surface. Its paired back hoofs stomped against the ground as it rose to its full height. Easily three times my size, its shadow devoured me as its long tail curled outward like a whip. With a snap, my attention shot to its end, barbed with an unnatural gleam.

Poison.

“Syoran, move!”

The shout ripped me from my muddled examination right as the insectoid dashed in my direction. Its horse-like lower body aided in its speed, the gap that once existed between us shrinking to nothing.

I fumbled for my sword as it rapidly approached, but as my fingers curled around the hilt, its tail rose with an inescapable strike. Everything seemed to slow as its curled stinger aimed at me, the growing moonlight gleaming against its lethal point. With my sword secured in my grasp, I tugged it free, knowing damn well I didn’t stand a chance.

It struck with hunger, and I waited for the agony to follow—a burn in my chest, a seeping numbness in my gut—but there was nothing. Instead, a billowing darkness carved through the protected tail with an ease that spoke of natural wielding, for the weapon was not a blade.

Shelled flesh bounced across the ground, the poisoned end detached from the creature. A shrill howl followed, its frame convulsing in agony as it slithered back toward the hole it crawled out of. With its slow retreat, I dared a glance to the side, only to find someone familiar.

Blonde locks disheveled, Kael’s seafoam irises held mine. Shock flooded my senses, not because he bore a mark of injury, but because of the sword-shaped shadow he clutched between his hands.

“W-What the fuck?” I breathed, gaze shifting between him and the billowing darkness. “How did you⁠—?”

“I don’t know.” Shoulders heaving, the prince reached for me as the weapon vanished, tendrils coiling around his forearm with what appeared to be… protectiveness? “And as much as I’d like to fucking figure it out, we’ve got bigger problems.”