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“I’ve spent my entire life trying to protect this kingdom, trying to live up to the legacy you left behind. And all along, you’d already sown the seeds of our destruction.” I toss the journal at her and it slices right through her shimmering form. “You could have told me. If you’d told me.”
“Eldrion, please,” she begs, reaching out a ghostly hand. “We can still fix this. Together, we can?—”
“No!” I roar. “You’ve done enough. More than enough. You no longer have any place here, Mother. Not in this castle, not in this world, and certainly not in my life. You are not welcome. You never have been?—”
The room falls silent. I stand there, chest heaving. She is gone.
If she was ever here to begin with.
Alone once more, I turn back to the window. The sun is setting now, and it would be beautiful, if I didn’t know the darkness that’s coming.
ELEVEN
Finn
The salty sea breeze whips through my hair as I lead our group along the shoreline. Yarrow walks beside me, his eyes constantly scanning the horizon for any sign of danger. Behind us, a long line of Shadowkind fae trudge through the sand. They do not know whether they want to be here or not, but soon they will understand what it is I am offering them.
“You sure about this, Finn?” Yarrow mutters, his voice barely audible over the crashing waves.
I nod, keeping my eyes fixed on the cliffs ahead. “I have never been so sure of anything in my life.” I turn to him and grin. “And you, my friend, will be the first to experience the power and the joy that is to come.”
As we approach the towering cliffs, I spot the white, broken-away section of the cliff.
I don’t know why I felt that this was the fitting place for our transformation. It is not a Shadowkind haunt; it belonged to the elves for centuries until they abandoned their care of it and decided to become keepers of secrets and lies in a very different way.
Perhaps it is because this is where I found the answers I had been looking for. Perhaps it is because it holds an ancient energy in its walls. Perhaps I just like old books.
“There.” I point out the cave entrance to Yarrow. He nods, then turns to relay instructions to the others.
I pause at the mouth of the cave, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness within. The air feels heavy, charged with that familiar elvish energy. “Everyone stay close,” I call out.
We move deeper into the cave, the sound of our footsteps echoing off the damp walls. The farther we go, the more the darkness seems to press in around us. I can hear the nervous whispers of the Shadowkind behind me, their fear palpable in the enclosed space.
Finally, we reach the underground pool. Its surface is like black glass, reflecting nothing but more darkness.
“What now?” Yarrow asks, eyeing the water suspiciously.
I take a deep breath and turn to him, my red eyes glowing in the darkness. “We swim.” I gesture to the pool. “You first, my friend.”
For the first time since I returned to the camp, Yarrow hesitates. But then he steels himself, sets his jaw in a determined line, and dives in without a second thought.
“Who is next?” I turn to the others.
No one speaks. No one wants to be the next to volunteer.
“You think I would bring you all the way here to end your lives in a dark, dank cave? I would have killed you in the forest if that was my intention.” I jerk the arm of the fae closest to me and, without hesitating, throw her into the pool.
Then I unleash the shadows. They form a solid wall behind the group and start to gently nudge them forward.
They move with slow, petrified feet. And as each one reaches me, I am forced to hurl them in.
When the last one is gone, disappearing with a gasp and a splash, I inhale deeply. The scent of the damp cave fills my nostrils. Sea air, and freedom.
Then, I dive into the pool after them.
The cold hits me like a physical blow, driving the air from my lungs. I kick downwards, pushing through the inky blackness. Just when I think my lungs might burst, I feel it – a strange current, pulling me forward.
I’m engulfed in a blinding purple light. I squeeze my eyes shut, disoriented. When I open them again, I find myself standing in the same circular room that gave me what I never thought was possible.
