Page 36 of Shadows Rising

Mira and the other guardians move toward the door. Their silver-threaded ceremonial garments shimmer with subtle runes, fabric whispering against the stone floor as they exit. Revna and I hang back. I’ve known her long enough to recognize when she has something to say that the others shouldn’t hear.

“When were you going to tell me?” Revna asks quietly once they’re out of earshot. When I don’t answer immediately, she adds, “About your bond. To her.”

I exhale slowly. “I’ve always known.”

She studies me for a long moment, waiting. Her patience has always been her greatest weapon against my silence.

I drag a hand through my hair. “When I first met her, I felt it. The connection. But she was so young, and she didn’t understand. And then…” My throat tightens. “Then she was gone.”

“And now she’s back,” Revna says, voice steady.

I nod, jaw clenching. “And she’s forming bonds with them.”

Revna exhales sharply. “You thought it would just be you.”

I don’t answer. Because yes. That’s exactly what I thought.

“That’s not how it works,” Revna says, watching me carefully. “Not for Valkyries. Not for her.”

My fingers tighten into a fist at my side. “I know that now.”

And that’s the problem.

For centuries, I carried the certainty of our connection—the knowledge that we were meant to find each other again. It was supposed to be me and her. A reunion of souls. A return to what was stolen from us.

But now?

Now she looks at me and sees a stranger.

Now she’s bonding with others.

And I can feel it.

The connections growing one by one, tightening around her like threads of fate. Each bond reinforcing something different. The strength of the berserkers. The shadows of Malrik. The chaos of Finn.

And me.

Still here. Still bound. But no longer the only one.

Revna studies me in silence, her eyes as sharp as the truth she’s been waiting for me to admit. Finally, she says, “You’re afraid you’ll lose her.”

A bitter laugh escapes me. “I already have.”

She frowns. “She’s still yours, Kieran.”

I shake my head. “Not like I thought. Not like before.”

Revna sighs. “You thought she would come back, and the bond would be exactly as it was before. Just the two of you.”

I nod, throat tight.

“But that’s not how the bond works for Valkyries,” she reminds me gently. “It was never meant to be just one. Each connection strengthens different aspects of her power. It’s balance, not competition.”

Balance.

The word grates against something deep inside me.

“It’s not just about fate choosing companions,” Revna continues. “It’s about what she needs. And Kaia?” She meets my eyes squarely. “She’s not just a Valkyrie. She’s the last Valkyrie.”