Page 97 of A Bond So Deadly

“And in her way, she believes that’s what she’s doing,” Thane growls. “At least, she has the other originals convinced.”

“But…the creatures? Surely, some of them would have tried to fight this?” I think of the foxrets and how organized they’d been. “Surely some of them would have tried to fight for their homes?”

“Yes,” Raith says, looking just as sickened as I am. Kazer lets out a low growl that rumbles in his throat. “We’ve rehomed many creatures over the years, but it has been difficult without the ability to truly communicate, especially with the more powerful zenali creatures. Some of the zenali have tried to fight Krosia, but they can’t resist that kind of power.”

“This is what Borshoz was talking about, isn’t it?” I say to Emorie and the shadows, and my stomach drops when I think of Professor Yevar’s words as well. The professor had hinted that the shadow queen was evil, but I hadn’t understood.

“The creatures want an end to this war,” Emorie says. “But what is the point if the cost is already the end of everything they hold dear?”

Tears well in my eyes, but I rapidly blink them back before they can spill over. Crying isn’t going to help the shadow realm and all the creatures within it.

“We need to do something,” I croak. “We need to stop her!”

The sun drops lower below the horizon, leaving only a stain of light across the sky.

“If the queen detects us and realizes you’re outside of the academy walls, that will give her the excuse she’s looking for to end you,” Knox reasons. “And if Elgen and Tarlaz do indeed hold some great power, we can’t risk the queen getting close to you. No, we must go. We will fight another day.”

I open my mouth to protest, but Raith speaks up. “Kazer, Arizak, Bonfang, Rinoc, and I can stay. We’ll help those we can, but my brother is right. You need to go.”

“But—”

“Look at what Krosia is doing just to get a fraction more power.” Thane gestures toward the burning forest. “You saw what she did to the oracle. What do you think she’s going to do to you if she finds out you have what she’s been searching for all these years? And once she has that power, what do you think will happen then?”

A tear slips down my face.

“He’s right, bonded. I too will stay,” Emorie tells me. “I will help lead the creatures to safety. For now, it’s best if you return to the academy.”

A flake of ash lands on my cheek, and I stare grimly out at the burning forest.

“Okay,” I say to my mates. “But we need to figure this out soon.” I peer at Raith and the animali, and even though I’m not sure how much help I’d be, I still wish I was joining them. “Promise me you’ll be safe.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

~ Shade ~

The moment we arrive back at Shadowbone Academy, I head straight for Galen’s secret library, and Thane, Knox, and Galen follow me. Leaning down, I grab one of the oracle’s ancient journals from the bookshelf, and I make my way to an armchair. It’s the same journal that contained the information to bind the shadows to me. I’m not sure exactly what I’m looking for. All I know is that I need to do something. I might not be able to help the creatures currently being tormented by the shadow queen, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to just sit here and do nothing. Seriously, why are there so many psychos around? King Malgur is bad enough, but the shadow queen…she says she’s helping everyone, and in a way, that makes her actions seem so much worse.

“There must be something in here that can help,” I murmur to Elgen and Tarlaz. “Are you sure you can’t remember anything else about being the oracle? I mean, if you had all that power, why didn’t you use it to help the shadow realm in the first place? Or you know, take Queen Krosia out when you had the chance?”

Elgen huffs. “When we helped you in the Xalgrith realm, it wasn’t like we simply tapped into our own power and used it on that girl. If anything, it was more like we could feel your power and added to it to help you break through to that student.”

I frown, because that is what it had felt like. As if they’d forced my power to become stronger.

“Yes, child,” Tarlaz adds. “We may not be able to remember our past, but from what we felt, I’m almost certain our power is the ability to amplify.”

“Amplify? So that’s why you couldn’t stop the shadow queen. Because on its own, the power isn’t strong. Its strength is determined by the power of the wielder.”

“I believe so,” Tarlaz says.

Hope sparks in my chest. “Okay, well then why don’t we give this power to one of my mates? With your ability to amplify their magic, they might be strong enough to take on the queen.”

Tarlaz peers at the journal on my lap. “A noble idea, but there’s no point transferring us unless we are connected and whole again. I suspect, only then will our full power be restored.”

With that in mind, I flip through the pages, hoping to find information on how to rejoin Elgen and Tarlaz. If I can make them whole again, and transfer them to one of my guys, then we might just have a way to survive this mess we’re in. We can help the shadow realm.

“What are you searching for?” Thane asks, leaning in to peer at the page.

My mates have been silent while I’ve been reading, but going by the look of concentration on their faces, I’m guessing they’ve been trying to come up with their own solutions.