Page 12

"Once a Duskbound learns to forge them..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes met the ground, almost looking as if she was wrestling with something. "They can share their shadows with others."

A lump formed in my throat at her openness.

Esprithe, is that what they want with me?

Suddenly, the metal door swung open, and a tall, slender man with tawny, muted skin began his way toward the dark Vördr, clad in leathers similar to ours.

“Rethlyn,” Aether’s voice boomed, trailing close behind him on the gravel path. “What are you doing? This area is closed right now.” It was only then that the man—Rethlyn—halted, shooting his eyes across the lawn until they fell on me and went wide with horror. The shadows beneath his eyes were deep, tapering into sharp points that cut across his cheeks. A thin bar pierced the center of his nose. The Kalfar seemed to have a penchant for such jewelry, not just lining their pointed ears but also embellishing their features.

“Oh, fuck. I didn’t realize—” he began before Aether slammed a hand down on his shoulder, pulling him back a few feet. “I forgot to remove the saddle from Raskr before the conference. I just came out to?—”

“Rethlyn, Esprithe sake, pull your head out of your ass. I had to take it off her just a few days ago,” Vexa cut in, irritation lacing her tone.

“Sorry, I was running late,” Rethlyn responded, pulling free from Aether’s grasp.

“He’s just asking to get trampled.” Vexa sighed.

“Make it quick,” Aether commanded, urging Rethlyn to continue.

“How’s it going with…” Rethlyn’s eyes cut towards me again, flaring up once they locked with mine. He chewed his lip.

“Later,” Aether hissed, grabbing his shoulder once more and ushering him down the path to the stables.

“Imbecile.” Vexa shook her head, letting out a breath that sounded half irritated, half amused.

“So that’s the one who kept me under on the journey here,” I spoke, then added, “Rethlyn.”

Vexa's gaze flicked toward me, her brow furrowing just slightly in concern.

“No one’s supposed to be here right now. Rethlyn knows that—if only he paid attention.” She blinked away a thought, almost dismissively.

I hesitated before asking, “Is his focus—affecting consciousness?”

A strained grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. I instantly regretted asking, but I needed to understand. To figure out how things worked here, what we were dealing with. The more information I gathered on the Umbra, the better.

“Focus,” she repeated, almost with a laugh. “Strange way to frame it. Like it's something to be manipulated or forged. Like it’s not inherent. Not born into our blood the moment we exist.”

I mulled over her words. I'd never questioned the name given to our powers—the way essence manifested within us, shaping the realm.

“What do you call them?” I asked, genuine curiosity slipping past my walls.

“Tethers,” she murmured softly, her gaze drifting toward the ashen landscape beyond the fortress. “Our gifts bind us to the land. To the essence that flows through it.”

I sensed a shift in her—a quiet heaviness in the way she held herself. But I couldn’t quite place it.

Our two realms seemed more alike than different. Vexa was clearly the enemy, but she didn’t seem like a monster. She didn’t seem like the Wraiths I’d learned about at the Compound. I thought back to when they had been simply shadows wreaking havoc on the West—beings of darkness spilling from another world, hungry for power.

“Our tethers define us in every way. They are what make us Kalfar.” Vexa’s voice broke the silence, raw with emotion. “And it’s disappearing.”

I opened my mouth, but was unnerved to silence by her expression. Just as soon as I let my fear get the best of me, pretending to be focused on something on the lawn, Rethlyn’s voice broke through the tension.

“We’ll be at the keep for the rest of the night,lucky us,” he said to Aether, their footsteps crunching against the broken ground. “Valkan and his men have overrun the place, insisting they need urgent Council.” He shook his head, irritated. “He wants to change the date—to do it sooner—” Rethlyn continued, but Aether muffled his words with a hush.

“Not here,” he scolded, and suddenly his gaze shot to me, melting into a liquid bronze as we locked eyes.

“Vexa. You’ve been summoned,” Aether called out, turning quickly on his heel, pulling Rethlyn in the opposite direction as their voices quieted, lowering into something indiscernible. I watched as Rethlyn pulled open a gate leading into the city street, waiting. Vexa let out a loud sigh before standing.

“Guess you’re stuck with Aether. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she groaned, and sauntered off towards the Umbra men. As the two disappeared beyond the wall, Aether appeared once more, trudging back towards me with a creased brow.