Page 6

She nods, rising to stand, albeit unsteadily. The exhaustion lines her face, but a determined flicker remains in her gaze. “We could head further downhill, see if there’s a cave or an overhang to block the wind. Maybe start a fire.”

A grudging respect stirs in me. She’s clearly not the type to wilt in adversity.

Without another word, I begin moving again, following the faint ridges in the mountainside.

She keeps pace, occasionally stumbling but catching herself.

Beneath us, Prazh’s wide plains spread out, stark in the silver glow of moonlight.

The faint shapes of distant encampments lie beyond, though at this distance, I can’t be certain.

We descend deeper, the air marginally warmer. After a time, we come across a rocky depression half-shielded by an outcropping. My gargoyle senses detect the faint trickle of water nearby. “That should suffice,” I say, pointing to the hollow.

She nods, relief evident in her posture. We slip into the depression, ground littered with broken stones. The wind rages overhead, but only a few gusts cut in at angles. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than being fully exposed.

I examine the ground carefully, mindful of any sign of beasts or burrowing creatures that might inhabit this nook.

Finding nothing, I huff in satisfaction and clear away some smaller rocks.

Sariah sets her cloak aside, shaking out the dust, then tries to gather scraps of wood or brush from the area.

There isn’t much. These slopes are largely barren, but she manages a small pile of brittle twigs from the twisted shrubs outside.

She kneels and arranges them. Her brows knit in concentration, and I feel a flicker of her magic flare, a gentle swirl of purna energy coaxing a tiny spark.

Flames lick at the sticks, blossoming into modest firelight.

The glow illuminates our stony shelter, painting flickering shadows on the walls.

The tension in her shoulders eases as the warmth caresses her.

I stand near the entrance, wings half-flexed as I monitor the night. My hearing is sharper than any human’s. If Drayveth or other pursuers are close, I might detect them. So far, only the mountain wind and distant calls of nocturnal creatures greet my ears.

Her voice breaks the quiet. “Kaelith.”

I turn, noticing how the firelight catches the silver in her hair, reflecting off her storm-gray eyes.

Her face is open, though lines of worry furrow her brow.

She gestures for me to come closer, away from the biting draft.

I hesitate, then relent, settling on my haunches a few feet from her.

My wings fold behind me, tail curling across the ground.

For a long moment, we watch the flames dance, neither of us speaking.

The tether hums like a subtle heartbeat between us.

Finally, she musters the courage to meet my gaze.

“I don’t know what I’ll do about Drayveth,” she admits quietly.

“He wants me dead. My old coven… they think I’m corrupt. But you?—”

“You have bigger problems than one coven,” I say, the corners of my mouth tugging into a grim line. “If Nerezza has awakened, she will spare no one.”

She grimaces, burying her face in her hands for a moment. “Then maybe… maybe we’ll have to face her together.”

I tense. Together. The word grates, yet the bond surges as if in agreement. “We’ll see,” I mutter, unwilling to commit. My entire being rebels at the thought of trusting another purna, no matter how capable or contrite she seems.

She lifts her head, eyes reflecting the fire’s glow. “You can blame me all you want, but if your sacrifice bound her away, and now I share that tether with you… maybe I can help keep her sealed. Or if we have to fight, I can back you up.”

A sardonic chuckle rumbles from my chest. “Fight Nerezza with me, hmm? Are you so eager to go toe-to-toe with a being who twisted entire armies with a single spell?”

Her lips set in a firm line. “I’m not eager. But it sounds like we don’t have much choice.” She gestures to the runes on my chest, then lightly touches the brand on her wrist. “Neither of us is free to walk away unscathed.”

I inhale, considering her words. The truth is, I despise that we’re tethered, but short of discovering a powerful ritual or an ancient relic that can sever this bond, we might remain stuck.

My final vow was to keep Nerezza from unleashing her corruption on Protheka again.

Perhaps my path now includes this new purna—like it or not.

A low growl escapes my throat, more resignation than anger. “Very well,” I say, flicking my gaze to meet hers. “We survive this night, find a way to break the tether, and if needed… we deal with Nerezza.”

Her nod is solemn, a whisper of determination flitting across her features.

The fire crackles between us, but the tension remains thick.

I glance toward the mouth of our rocky alcove, scanning the star-peppered sky.

With the immediate threat of collapsing ruins behind us, a heavier burden looms on the horizon.

Above all, I sense my own wards continuing to erode.

Each moment awake reminds me of how close I stand to a power I once fought so desperately to contain.

That power could devour everything I hold dear if left unchecked.

If this purna—Sariah—can help, I’ll use her.

But I must remain vigilant. A single misstep could tip her down the same dark path that consumed Nerezza.

I fight the urge to close my eyes and slip into the shallow stone doze that gargoyles use for rejuvenation. However, caution keeps my senses sharp. “Sleep if you want,” I grumble, almost an afterthought. “I’ll take first watch.”

She slumps, relief washing over her features as she realizes I’m not about to snap her neck the moment she closes her eyes.

In a way, the tether has forced a fragile trust. “Thank you,” she murmurs.

Then she shifts nearer the fire, pressing her back against the rocky wall, cloak bundled tight around her shoulders.

I remain where I am, posture rigid. My hair stirs in the stray breeze, and I clench my jaw.

My body aches from centuries of immobility, yet my mind churns.

Every rustle of the wind, every scuffle of loose pebbles triggers my protective instincts, especially with the bond prickling whenever Sariah stirs.

As the minutes pass, the night’s hush envelops us.

I can hear her breathing slow, though she never truly sinks into deep rest—her worry is too fresh, the mountain’s cold too biting, and the threat of Drayveth or other pursuers looms large.

Occasionally, I glance at her, half-hoping to see some sign that she’s just another power-hungry purna waiting to break me.

But I see only exhaustion, wariness, and an undeniable determination that belies her slender build.

Briefly, I wonder what Nerezza would make of this.

Jealousy? Rage? She once swore no other purna would share my presence in any capacity.

The memory chills my blood. My wings shift restlessly.

If Nerezza wakes, she’ll sense me. She’ll know that I’ve formed a bond—albeit accidental—with another purna.

She’ll hate Sariah for it, might even try to corrupt her the way she corrupted herself long ago.

I clamp my teeth, a growl simmering in my throat. This is exactly what I sacrificed everything to avoid. And yet here I sit, next to a mortal woman, forced by magic into an alliance. Fate’s twisted sense of humor would almost be amusing if the stakes weren’t so dire.

The minutes stretch into an hour or more, the wind carrying faint howls of some distant beast. Sariah’s breathing steadies a bit, her eyes closed though not fully asleep.

I let my gaze drift to the horizon. The shape of the world outside the temple is new to me, a changed land from the days when gargoyles roamed more freely.

Humans and purna have scattered across Protheka, forging enclaves, building their own meager existences.

Meanwhile, the dark elves continue their cruel dominion, though that was never my war to fight—until it threatened me and my own.

Shaking my head, I focus on the immediate.

Survive tonight. Keep watch for Drayveth.

Then find a way to sever this tether and ensure Nerezza doesn’t annihilate us all.

It’s more than enough to occupy whatever hours of darkness remain.

My limbs throb with reawakened life, my heart pounding with a mixture of fury and adrenaline.

I can’t deny a strange thrill, though— to be awake again, to feel the wind on my face, to sense the stirring of magic in my veins.

Yes, I’ve lost so much, but perhaps there is a chance to right old wrongs. My eyes flick to the purna’s resting form. If she can keep from following Nerezza’s path, maybe there’s hope for a new way forward. My tail coils in agitation, refusing to let me succumb to any illusions of safety.

Eventually, the fire dwindles to embers. Pale moonlight washes over the rocky crags, and the hush of the mountain night weighs heavily on us both. I remain alert, ears pricked for any sign of an approach. None comes, save the ceaseless wind.

When Sariah shifts, opening her eyes to meet mine, neither of us speaks.

There’s no need. The tether thrums in the cold silence, a living bond forging us together in the face of impending doom.

Far from the temple, from the seal she shattered, from the ghost of a monstrous love I once cherished, we brace ourselves for the unknown.

I clench my claws into the stone beneath me.

She huddles closer to the last vestiges of warmth.

Above us, the stars blaze, heedless of our turmoil.

I am Kaelith, I reaffirm silently, and I will not let the darkness consume me again.

Even if that means trusting one last purna—one who awoke me from eternal sleep.

Outside, the mountains stand stoic. The night marches on, indifferent to gargoyles, purna, or ancient nightmares. But within me, an ember of defiance smolders. Though the price of waking might be steep, I will face it—and I will see this through, no matter how fate twists the path ahead.