Page 24 of Chains of Nightshade

24

VERA

I lie awake in the cave, watching the moonlight filter through the entrance. Aurel's massive form is curled protectively around me, his steady breathing a comforting rhythm in the quiet night. My fingers trace absently over the scales of his arm, my mind wandering to questions that have plagued me since my powers awakened.

"Who am I really?" I whisper to myself, careful not to wake him.

The magic still tingles beneath my skin, a constant reminder of what I've become—or perhaps what I've always been. I close my eyes, trying to remember anything from before the dark elves. Nothing. Just fragments of fear and darkness.

My hand rises before my face, and I let a small orb of light dance between my fingers. The power feels natural, like breathing. But why? All my life, I was weak, sickly—a defect, they called me. Was that a lie? Or was something keeping my true nature dormant?

Were my parents Purnas too? I've never known them, never even heard whispers of where I came from. The dark elves must have known something. They must have sensed this power in me, even if I couldn't.

The magic pulses stronger, responding to my emotions. I think of how easily it came to me when I fell from that cliff, how natural it felt to wield such devastating power. No human could do that. So what am I?

Aurel's tail shifts, coiling closer around me. "Your thoughts are loud tonight."

I turn my head to meet his gaze. "You can hear them?"

"Not exactly." His fingers trace along my arm, leaving a trail of warmth. "But I can sense your turmoil. It's part of our bond."

I prop myself up on my elbow. "Then tell me what you know. What am I?"

He's quiet for a moment, his ancient eyes studying my face. "I've encountered beings like you before, centuries ago. The Purnas."

"What are they?"

"A sisterhood of powerful human women. They keep to themselves, hidden from the world." His hand cups my cheek. "Their magic is... different. Pure. Like yours."

My heart skips. "Are they still out there?"

"Somewhere. They're notoriously difficult to find unless they want to be found." His thumb brushes my lower lip. "But they exist. I've seen their power firsthand. The way they can heal, destroy, create—it's unlike anything else in this realm."

"Is that why I was always sick? Was something suppressing my power?"

"It's possible. The dark elves might have known what you were, tried to keep you weak." His jaw tightens. "Those bastards are skilled at binding magic."

I let this sink in, my mind racing with possibilities. "How do I find them?"

"We'll figure it out together." He pulls me closer, his chest warm against my back.

I rest my head against Aurel's chest, letting the steady rhythm of his heartbeat ground me. The moonlight casts long shadows through the cave entrance, and my mind races with possibilities. Sisters. A whole sisterhood of women like me.

"What else do you know about them?" I trace patterns on his scales. "The Purnas, I mean."

"They're secretive," he says, his fingers combing through my hair. "But powerful. Some say they can bend reality itself."

A shiver runs through me. "Like what I did at the cliff?"

"That was just a taste." His chest rumbles with a low laugh. "I've seen them create storms from clear skies, heal wounds that should have been fatal."

"Could they..." I hesitate, biting my lip. "Could they teach me?"

"If we find them." His tail shifts, pulling me closer. "Though I've heard whispers of their temples hidden in the mountains to the north."

I prop myself up on my elbow, magic tingling beneath my skin. "Then that's where we should go."

"You want to seek them out?"

"Don't you see? This could be why I survived all those years with the dark elves. Why I was always sick but never died." The magic pulses stronger, responding to my excitement. "Maybe they can help me understand what I really am."

Aurel's eyes glint in the darkness. "Your power is already formidable."

"But incomplete." I create another orb of light, watching it dance between my fingers. "I can feel it. There's more, just out of reach."

"Then we'll find them." His hand cups my cheek. "Together."

I lean into his touch, my mind already mapping out the journey ahead. Somewhere out there, my sisters are waiting. And I'm finally strong enough to find them.

The magic inside me pulses with an unfamiliar rhythm, drawing me from our makeshift bed. Something's different. The air itself feels charged, like the moment before lightning strikes.

"Aurel," I whisper, touching his arm. "Do you feel that?"

His eyes snap open, muscles tensing. Before he can respond, I sense her—a presence that makes my own magic surge and dance beneath my skin.

I rush to the cave entrance, my bare feet silent on the cool stone. There, bathed in morning light, stands a woman unlike any I've ever seen. Her red hair flows like liquid fire, half caught in an ornate broach that gleams with ancient power. Her emerald robes ripple in a wind I can't feel, and when her piercing blue eyes meet mine, my breath catches.

My magic responds to her presence, pushing me forward like an eager child. Each step closer makes the power within me sing louder, reaching for her like a flower stretching toward the sun.

"Well," she says, her voice carrying the weight of ages, "it seems our lost sister has finally awakened."

Behind me, I hear Aurel's tail rasp against stone as he moves closer, protective. The woman's gaze flicks to him, one eyebrow arching.

"And found interesting company, I see."

"Who are you?" I ask, though something deep inside me already knows the answer.

She smiles, and it's like watching the dawn break. "Someone who's been looking for you for a very long time, little sister."

My magic surges again, stronger this time, drawing me another step closer. Everything about her feels right, feels familiar in a way I can't explain. Like finding a piece of myself I never knew was missing.

Czana steps closer, her magic brushing against mine like silk against steel. "Your power calls to us, sister. The coven has felt your awakening." Her eyes flick to Aurel, and her lips thin. "Though your... choice of companion is concerning."

Behind me, Aurel's tail scrapes against the ground, his muscles tensing. The cave suddenly feels too small for both of them.

"The naga cannot come with you," Czana says, her voice firm but not unkind. "Our sanctuary is for sisters only. Men—especially creatures like him—are forbidden."

"Creatures?" Aurel's voice drops dangerously low. The temperature seems to plummet. "Watch your tongue, witch."

I step between them, my heart hammering. "There must be another way?—"

"There isn't." Czana's eyes soften as she looks at me. "You have great potential, sister. But you must choose. The coven or the naga."

I turn to Aurel, and my breath catches. His face has drained of color, his usual confident demeanor cracking. His hands clench at his sides, and for the first time since I've known him, I see fear in his eyes.

"Vera," he whispers, and the raw emotion in his voice makes my chest ache.

"The choice is yours," Czana says. "But choose wisely. Power like yours needs proper guidance."

I stand frozen between them, my magic swirling anxiously beneath my skin. Aurel's fear and Czana's certainty pull me in opposite directions, threatening to tear me apart.

Watching Aurel, Czana says, "Perhaps we can talk about this in priavte."

I follow Czana deeper into the forest, away from the cave where Aurel waits. We reach the summit of the cliff, overlooking the cave and the forrest sprawling before us.

My heart aches at leaving him, even temporarily, but I need answers. The morning dew clings to my skin as we walk in silence, the forest oddly still around us.

Finally, Czana stops in a small clearing. "You have questions."

"Who am I? What am I?" The words tumble out before I can stop them. "All my life, I've been told I was weak, defective?—"

"You are Purna." She turns to face me, her eyes gleaming with ancient wisdom. "We are daughters of the first magic, keepers of balance and power. Our sisterhood has existed since the dawn of time."

My fingers tingle with magic. "Where do you live?"

"High in the northern mountains, in a sanctuary hidden from the world. No man has ever found it." She waves her hand, and an image appears in the air—a magnificent temple carved into a mountainside, surrounded by mist and magic. "We live apart from the world, dedicated to our craft and each other."

"And what exactly do Purnas do?"

"We maintain balance. Some heal, others destroy. Some command the elements, others see into minds and hearts." Her lips curve. "Your power seems particularly strong in both creation and destruction. Rare, that combination."

I think of how easily I obliterated those dark elves, yet also healed Aurel. "Can you teach me to control it?"

"Yes, but..." She pauses, her expression softening. "You must understand, Vera. The coven accepts no outsiders. No men, no attachments. To join us means leaving everything behind."

"Everything?" My voice cracks. "Even?—"

"Especially him." Her words cut like ice. "The naga cannot follow where we go. Our magic requires complete dedication, complete separation from the outside world."

The weight of her words settles over me like a shroud. To learn who I am, I would have to leave who I've become.

I look down at the cave where Aurel waits, his massive form visible even from this distance. My heart clenches as I watch him pace, his tail lashing with anxiety. He thinks I'm going to leave him.

"Your decision?" Czana asks, her voice gentle but firm.

The image of the temple still shimmers in the air between us, beautiful and mysterious. Everything I've ever wanted to know about myself lies within those walls. But...

"I can't," I whisper, my voice stronger than I expected. "I won't leave him."

"You would choose a naga over your heritage? Over true power?"

I turn to face her fully, squaring my shoulders. "I choose love. He's not perfect - neither am I. But he's mine, and I'm his."

"The coven could teach you things he never could."

"Maybe." My magic pulses beneath my skin, and I think of how Aurel looked when he took that fatal blow for me, how he offered himself as my slave, how he's changed because of our love. "But he taught me the most important thing - that I'm worth loving."

"Sister-"

"I'm not your sister." The words come out firm, final. "I'm his mate. And that means more to me than any sanctuary or power you could offer."

I glance back at the cave, at Aurel, and my heart swells. "He's my home now. That's all I need to know about who I am."

Czana sighs, but there's a hint of respect in her eyes. "Very well. The choice is made."

We make our way back down to the cave, my heart lighter despite Czana's disapproval. Aurel's tail is still lashing anxiously when we approach, his muscles coiled tight with tension.

"You're staying?" The hope in his voice makes my chest ache.

I reach for his hand, twining our fingers together. "Always."

Czana watches our interaction with a mix of resignation and something that might be understanding. "You'll regret this choice, sister. The power within you needs proper guidance."

"Maybe." I squeeze Aurel's hand. "But I'd regret leaving him more."

She steps forward, and I feel her magic brush against mine one last time. "When that day comes, seek the northern mountains. We'll be waiting."

To my surprise, she pulls me into an embrace. Her arms are warm, and for a moment, I feel what could have been—a sisterhood, a belonging I've never known.

"Thank you," I whisper against her shoulder. "For showing me I'm not alone in this world."

She pulls back, her eyes soft. "You never were." Her gaze flicks to Aurel. "Take care of her, naga. She's more precious than you know."

"I know exactly how precious she is," Aurel growls, but there's no real heat in it.

Czana's lips quirk into a small smile. She touches my cheek one last time, then steps back. In a swirl of magic and morning mist, she vanishes, leaving only the lingering warmth of her embrace and the knowledge that somewhere out there, I have sisters waiting for me.

I turn to face Aurel, my heart full and steady. His eyes meet mine, a mix of hope and lingering fear swimming in their depths. The mighty naga who once manipulated me, who later took a fatal blow for me, now looks at me like I'm his entire world.

I step closer, placing my hand on his chest. "I'm exactly where I want to be."

The tension drains from his shoulders, his tail uncurling from its tight coil. "But the power they offered?—"

"Means nothing without you." I trace the scar on his chest where he took that blow for me. "You've proven your loyalty, your love. That's worth more than all the magic in the world."

His face lights up with such raw joy that it takes my breath away. He pulls me closer, his arms wrapping around me with a possessive tenderness that makes my heart race.

"My fierce little witch," he murmurs against my hair.

I tilt my head up, meeting his gaze. "Your mate."

When our lips meet, it feels like coming home. His kiss is both gentle and demanding, filled with relief and love and promise. My magic hums beneath my skin, reaching for him, and I know I've made the right choice.

I might not have a sisterhood of Purnas, but I have something better – a partner who would die for me, who chose love over power. And really, what better magic is there than that?