Page 118 of Unveiled

“And if they take both of us,” Adrian said evenly, “they can control the bond.”

Xiathen nodded sadly. “They will twist it, use it to tear the valley open, and use you to open the Veil permanently.”

Connor snarled, low and dangerous. “Over my dead body.”

Adrian nodded. “And over mine.”

Xiathen spread the rest of the scrolls across the table. “These chronicles,” he said, “show the First Two’s journey, their powers, their mistakes, and their death.”

Adrian swallowed. “Why show them now?”

Xiathen looked at them with ancient weight. “Because you will walk the same path.”

Connor stiffened. “Like hell we will.”

“You will,” Xiathen said gently. “Because the valley has begun choosing. The anchors respond to you. The fault lines soften when you are together. The mark shares its pain between you both. But it doesn’t mean the ending will be the same.”

Adrian lifted his fingers to his chest. “We’re repeating history.”

“Yes,” Xiathen whispered. “But with one vital difference.”

Connor leaned forward. “What?”

“The First Two walked toward death.” Xiathen met their eyes. “You two walk toward the possibility of survival, armed with all you have learned and the power that has formed between you.”

A chill raced down Adrian’s spine. Connor’s eyes gleamed with a sharp, lethal light.

“Then let the Council come,” he growled. “We’ll end what they started.”

Adrian reached out, brushing Connor’s knuckles with his own. Connor stilled, then turned his hand, threading their fingers together.

Xiathen watched the gesture, emotion softening his features. “The Chronicle was lost for centuries,” he murmured. “But it resurfaced because the Veil wanted it found.”

Adrian frowned. “Why us?”

“Because the Veil remembers the First Two,” Xiathen whispered. “And it believes you may succeed where they failed, thereby restoring the balance of power.”

Connor stood, pulling Adrian up with him. “Then we won’t die,” he said. “We won’t break. And we sure as hell aren’t giving the Council what it wants.”

Xiathen rolled the scrolls slowly. “You must learn one last thing.” He held up the stone tablet. “The vow that sealed the original rend.”

“The vow?” Adrian questioned.

Xiathen placed the stone in their hands. “It’s written in an ancient script.” He intoned:

We stand together. Bound in life and death. Bound in soul. Bound against the darkness.

Adrian stared. “This is—”

“The Valour vow,” Xiathen said softly. “The original one. Spoken by the First Two.”

Connor closed his fingers over Adrian’s. “We’ll write our own,” he whispered.

Xiathen inclined his head. “Be wise. For whatever vow you speak together will shape the valley. Shape the bond. Shape the war.”

Adrian swallowed. “And shape our fate.”

“Yes,” Xiathen said. “Because love saved the world once.” He looked at Connor, then at Adrian. “And it might need to save it again.”