Page 107 of A Bond So Deadly

“Reinforce that we’ll get through this. It’s all you can do. Remember, mate, once the hope is gone the battle is already lost, no matter the size of the army,” he growls back.

“So, you want me to keep lying to them?” I reply. “Because we all saw the Xalgrith army. If Blake doesn’t get here in time…”

“Knowing our odds doesn’t help morale,” Thane says. “You have to believe we can get through this. Because if you don’t, then the students will sense it.”

“Right. Okay, then.” We are not doomed, Shade. We will totally get through this in one piece, I say, giving myself a little pep talk before I reply to Satine. I mean, it’s not like the vast Xalgrith army is going to break down our barrier and slaughter us in seconds…Ah crap. Yep, I still suck at pep talks.

“You did say Queen Blake is busy in the beast realm,” Kenzie points out, dusting dirt off her palms, and I suddenly wish I’d never shared that information with her. “If the Xalgrith break through, do you think we have a chance?”

I force a smile, gazing at the students around me. Students I’ve trained with since coming to Shadowbone. Many of them arrived at a similar time to Kenzie, and while their powers might not be as strong as the students Queen Krosia chose as the last batch of graduates, they all have their own talents. “I trust the demon queen with my life,” I say honestly. “She’ll come. I also think Queen Krosia will turn up when we really need the shadow army. She probably just wants to swoop in at the last moment so she looks like a hero.”

“That’s a big fucking assumption,” Lorn, the guy paired with Satine, says as he resumes his work, hefting another metal spike into the hole before him. “I say the demon queen won’t get here in time, and the shadow queen has left us here to die because we’re weak and dispensable. If we survive this, it’ll be a fucking miracle.”

“We’re not weak, and when we hold off the Xalgrith army, Queen Krosia will see that,” I counter. “This is just another chance for us to prove ourselves.”

Lorn scoffs. “Not weak? We’re humans able to perform some shadow tricks because of these academy rings.” He waves his hand, showing his ring that shines in the moonlight. “What the hell are we going to be able to do against Xalgrith warriors with mind control abilities? We’re not immortals.”

A few of the other students start murmuring to each other.

“Once the hope is gone the battle is already lost, no matter the size of the army,” I say softly, parroting Thane’s words. “We’re all in this together. We may be human, but we were all individually selected by Lady Fate to be shadow warriors. We’re all exactly where we are supposed to be and by fighting together, I believe we can get through this.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Lorn replies. “You’re bonded to four of the most powerful shadow warriors, and you know they’ll watch your back. The rest of us are just fodder. I say we create shadow pathways and hide elsewhere in the realm.” He furrows his brow in concentration. Shadows pool in front of him, but a pathway doesn’t form and he curses.”

“Queen Krosia’s barrier is blocking you. There’s no way out,” I tell him.

Lorn continues trying to create a pathway without success, and his face goes red.

“Stop it,” Satine says firmly, whirling on Lorn. “Shade is right. The only way we’ll get through this is if we work together. Besides, her bond with those four shadow warriors is probably the only reason the professors are willing to fight for us. You said it, we’re human. Just like Shade is. With the help of her mates, she could probably be hiding out and escape while the rest of us are getting killed. But she’s not. She’s out here, preparing for war like the rest of us. Let’s just keep our heads down. None of us know how this will play out.”

I close my mouth and give Satine a grateful look, but she avoids my gaze as she gets back to work.

Unfortunately, Lorn doesn’t listen. “Fuck this. There’s gotta be a way out of here.” He abandons the spike. His moose animali materializes beside him, and he jumps onto the creature’s back. “I’m not going to just sit here and wait for them to come and kill us. I’ve been near the barrier, and I reckon I can get through.”

By the time I realize what he’s saying, his moose is already in the air.

“Stop!” I shout.

“Lorn!” Satine calls, but he doesn’t turn around.

Thane roars a warning at him, but Lorn keeps going. His moose flies above the academy building, rising higher until they’re almost at the barrier.

“We need to stop him!” I say to my mates.

“Let him go,” Knox replies, and I spot my mate on the academy roof. “This will be a valuable lesson for the rest of them. They need to understand what we’re up against.”

“But we can’t just let him die.”

It’s too late. Lorn and his animali are at the barrier. He sends out his shadows, but they can’t penetrate the magical forcefield. Realizing his mistake, he tries to direct his moose away, but they don’t make it. The pair of them slam into the barrier, and shadows swallow them whole. We don’t see them again, but power ripples along the barrier, like the forcefield has eaten Lorn and his animali, consuming their magic.

Holy crap.

Kenzie, Satine, and I share a look, and the rest of the students look shaken as they go back to working on their spikes.

I shudder. I can only hope that I’m right about Blake and the demon army coming to our rescue, because if I’m wrong, then Lorn is right. And we’re all dead.

It’s morning when Raith comes and steals me away. With the professors taking on most of the preparations, we’ve fortified the academy grounds as much as we can, and Thane orders the students to get some rest.

I don’t protest, because while bonding with my mates has made me able to physically handle more, mentally, I need a break. Despite my earlier conversation with the students, it’s obvious most of them believe we’re not going to make it through this, and I can’t stop thinking about how this is all my fault.