Page 94 of A Bond So Deadly

Queen Krosia scoffs, and shadows twist around her arms. “Yes, well see I don’t accept that. I was the first to be chosen to come here. The first to take the oath and accept your little prophecy, and I am the most powerful warrior. I deserve the power you’re withholding from me. I deserve to be the shadow queen.” She narrows her eyes. “And yet, you flee into the forest like some kind of thief, trying to take what’s mine.”

The oracle doesn’t flinch. Not even when the queen’s shadows begin slithering across the ground, circling them.

“You were selected, yes,” the oracle agrees. “As were the other originals, but power can affect people in different ways. It is unfortunate Lady Fate did not foresee how it would change you. To give you what I have would not serve the realms. The power would consume you, and you would destroy this land. Your role was never to be queen. You’re here to help to protect this land like the others, and when the time is right, the goddess will come to save us all.”

Fury burns in Queen Krosia’s eyes. “I won’t wait for another to claim this power and take what’s mine,” she seethes. “With the power you hold added to my own magic, I could easily rid us of the Xalgrith. I could rule all.”

“With this power you would rule nothing but ashes,” the oracle replies. “Understand your place, child. There is a delicate balance in Kiru that must be respected. This realm is tied to all others. You must not⁠—”

The oracle doesn’t finish. I gasp in surprise, gaping at the blade now protruding from the oracle’s chest. It’s a familiar shadow blade that my bestie, Blake, now has in her possession.

Blood stains the oracle’s black cloak, and the oracle staggers backward a step.

Queen Krosia’s lips curve into a sinister smile. “Oh, you didn’t think you’d hidden that from me, did you? A blade capable of killing immortals with ease.” She tsks. “I wonder what the other originals would think if they knew you were concealing such a weapon? I imagine you were quite concerned when you discovered it was missing from your cave.”

The oracle’s voice is strained when they answer, “This blade was never supposed to be used.”

Queen Krosia sighs. “Yes well, like I said, I’m not interested in waiting for another to take what’s rightfully mine. I’m the only one strong enough to absorb your magic. Bestow it upon me, and I might even let you live.”

Blood continues to soak the oracle’s robes. “My task was to call for help from Lady Fate. So that we may have warriors to protect this realm until a shadow goddess is revealed. We will not be the reason the realms fall, and our death will not change that which is prophesied.”

The queen’s face reddens. “Give. Me. The. Power!” she screams. Her shadows reach for the blade in the oracle’s chest, but the oracle grabs it first.

The oracle turns their head, facing my direction, and a chill runs down my spine. Even though I know it’s impossible because this is a memory, I could swear the oracle is looking straight at me.

“Stand as one, our forgotten, lost warriors,” the oracle whispers. “For without you, there will be no times at all.” In one quick movement, the oracle wrenches out the dagger and slices the blade across their throat.

The queen screams in a rage, but the oracle falls to the ground, the blade slipping from their clawed hand and dropping to the grass.

I stop breathing as the oracle’s body begins to glow.

The queen stops cursing, and she smiles, stretching her arms over the body. “It’s not how I expected it to happen, but no matter if the result is the same,” she mutters to herself.

The glow moves from the oracle, forming a ball of power that rises above the oracle’s body. It lifts higher into the air, but just before it touches Queen Krosia’s palms, it splits into two. The glowing light dims, the two shapes turning black, and they fly into the trees faster than Queen Krosia can catch them.

“No!” the queen screams, but it’s too late.

The power is gone and all that’s left of the oracle is a pile of bloody robes.

Krosia’s anguished cry is the last thing I hear as the memory fades.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

~ Shade ~

Igasp as color returns to the forest around me and the present world comes back into focus.

Thane’s large hands are gripping my shoulders, and he peers at me with concern. “Shade, are you all right?”

Reaching up, I rub my head, still dazed. “I just saw a memory of the oracle.” As the truth of what I’ve seen hits me, I twist my head to where Elgen and Tarlaz are standing on the grass, right where the oracle died.

“It was you,” I say to them, still struggling to believe it. “You’re the oracle.”

Elgen pivots to face me. “Yes, I suppose you’re correct. The pair of us must have been connected and shared a singular body. And it’s clear we believed our power should not pass to Queen Krosia, so we took measures to stop that from happening. How we ended up at the academy, however, remains a mystery.”

“You still don’t remember?” I prompt.

“No,” she answers simply.