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Chapter Eighteen

R eign

After the grueling flight across the Stygian Gulf, the cool darkness of the unending night coated my skin, a temporary reprieve from the eternal sun, and a soothing balm to the turmoil within. My shadows whirred to life, skimming my skin, anxious to be loosed into the moonlit night. Tipping my head up, I met the velvety sky of Vesperis, a tapestry of unbroken darkness pierced only by faint, eerie stars that seemed more like watchful eyes than celestial bodies.

Ruhl marched beside me, his strides long and purposeful, resolute, despite the stench of unease roiling off his form. I’d never questioned his irrational fear of the Immortalis until today. What was it about the blood thirsty creatures that ruffled him so? Perhaps, one day I’d ask, but today, we had more important matters to focus on, and I simply couldn’t afford—Aelia couldn’t afford—any unnecessary distractions, including my half-brother’s irrational fears.

Shaking away the thoughts, I looked toward the land that stretched out like a haunted dream—sharp ridges of jagged obsidian rose in the distance, their edges glinting faintly under the crimson light of the blood moon, which seemed perpetually frozen in its full phase.

To my left, Rue, Symon and Liora rode atop their respective skyriders. Flying was no longer an option after crossing the Stygian Gulf that separated Aetheria from Vesperis. Now that we were deep within the isle of the Immortalis, we’d be forced to continue on foot to avoid unnecessary attention. We’d grounded Phantom and Mordrin as soon as we’d reached land, but I could still feel her presence nearby. She would keep to the shadows unless I needed her.

We moved along the outer edge of the Ashenwold Forest, a heavy silence having descended over our motley crew. The air was dense, almost tangible, as if the night itself had weight. The trees of the murky woods surrounding us were gnarled and skeletal, their twisted branches clawing at the void above, as if trying to drag the lightless sky closer. Thick, dark vines coiled around their trunks like serpents, pulsing faintly with crimson veins, as though the forest itself had a heartbeat.

“This place is so creepy,” Rue whispered.

“Agreed.” Symon’s gryphon inched closer to the lively Pegasus, and its equally lively rider. “Remind me again why you insisted we come?”

“Because Aelia is our best friend.”

“Right.” His jaw slammed closed, light eyes scanning the endless forest. Apparently, the reminder was all he needed.

I jerked the map from the inside of my cloak and traced our path for the umpteenth time. According to the diagram, the cursed mires of Wraithfen Hollow were just beyond the Ashenwold Forest. It seemed as if we should have come upon it miles ago.

Still, we trudged on in that heavy silence for what felt like an eternity. Fae lived extraordinarily long lives compared to mortals, but to live forever like the Immortalis? I wasn’t certain that was a curse I could bear. Although, with Aelia by my side, perhaps eternal life would be bearable—pleasurable even. I quickened my pace, anxious to retrieve this damned compass so I could have her back in my arms already.

Just ahead, I could finally make out pools of ink-black water dotting the darkened terrain, their surfaces so still they reflected the faint light like shards of a broken mirror. The cursed mires. Finally. I slowed, signaling to the others. “We’re almost there. It’s essential we remain on high alert. The mires are treacherous, filled with unseen depths that could easily swallow a careless step.”

“Can’t we simply fly over it?” Symon patted his gryphon on the shoulder.

“No flying,” I hissed. Unlike the Fae who were blessed with wings, the Immortalis had no such advantage. As a result, their lands were heavily warded above ground. “The last thing we need is to set off the wards and have the king’s guard on us.”

“We’ve got this, professor.” Rue offered a toothy smile, and a hint of the dread lessened, begrudgingly. The female’s indomitable spirit was contagious. She was the perfect match for my Aelia, and I was thankful the gods had brought them together.

A cold, biting wind whispered through the landscape, and I froze. Fragmented voices whirled in the air, murmurs that were neither wholly alive nor dead, raising the hairs on the back of my neck.

It had been over a decade since I’d last encountered the Immortalis. I remembered it vividly—an event that had etched itself into my memory like a scar. Ruhl and I had accompanied Father to a summit of all the continent’s rulers, a boy no older than my brother was now. Even then, I knew I was standing in the presence of something profoundly unnatural.

The ruler of the Immortalis, King Valtherion, had fixed me with his crimson stare, eyes like bottomless voids that seemed to strip me bare, dissecting me as though I were nothing more than prey. His icy hands, sallow cheeks, and the lifeless pallor of his skin exuded an unsettling aura. But it was the sensation—the crushing weight of being nothing more than sustenance—that haunted me most. That night was branded into my skull, a memory I could never forget.

Perhaps, the same was true for my younger brother who was little more than a child back then. But I wondered if there had been more to it.

We finally reached the edge of the forest, drawing my thoughts back to the present. The cursed mire stretched out before us, and I paused to scan the wicked terrain. At the far end, a ruined spire emerged from the gloom, its broken silhouette cutting jagged lines against the endless black. There. That was our destination. I was somehow certain of it.

As I stared across the mire, an occasional faint glimmer of red or silver would flicker in the distance—a lure, a warning, or a predator, I couldn’t tell. But there was definitely something out there…

The cursed mire was an endless expanse of dark pools, blackened earth and gnarled trees, limbs like skeletal fingers clawing at the perpetually dark sky. The air was thick, clinging to my lungs like tar, and the faint stench of rot burned my nostrils. Vesperis was a land that reeked of death and decay, and the cursed mire was its foulest heart. Crossing it was madness, but we had no other choice.

The Ebonshard Compass lay somewhere within its vile depths, and I wouldn’t leave until I found it. Ruhl moved ahead of me, his shadow-cloaked form nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding darkness. Despite his steady footsteps, I could feel his trepidation thickening the air between us.

“Are you all right?” I whispered.

“Of course, I am.” Still, a slight tremble betrayed his assertion.

The last thing I wanted to do right now was coddle my half-brother, and yet, I found myself compelled to ease his discomfort—just further evidence of Aelia’s impact on my life. “Do you remember the time we attended the summit in Vesperis with Father?”

“I doubt I’ll ever forget, despite my best efforts.” His mouth twisted, complexion pallid despite the glow of the ruddy moon.

“I feel the same.”

His gaze drifted to mine, a hint of disbelief in his dark eyes, as if he couldn’t believe that something could ever unnerve me in the same way it had him. He said nothing to that affect, instead asking, “Have you heard the rumors as of late? That the kingdoms of Vesperis are crumbling beneath some unknown foe?”

I shook my head slowly, surprised that he would share such things with me. Matters of the surrounding realms of Crescentia were not of my concern. But as heir and future king, it made sense that Ruhl would be privy to that sort of information.

“What sort of foe?” I murmured.

“That’s the problem, no one really knows. The royals are attempting to keep the threat within their borders and have been leery to share any sort of information.”

Well, that sounded ominous.

“What are you two talking about?” Rue had been a few yards behind us mounted atop her ambling Pegasus, but she encouraged her skyrider to quicken his stride and rode up beside me.

“Nothing,” I grumbled. There was no need to frighten everyone—well, any more than they already were.

As we marched on, a sudden wave of power pummeled me in the chest. I staggered back, heaving in a breath. A twist of energy, a fiery burst of rais tangled with the cool night of nox, along with something else, flooded into my side of the cuorem. It bloated my chest, constricting all my organs until I could barely draw in a breath.

The seconds dragged on, every moment an eternity as I battled the unexpected intruders rattling my insides.

“Reign? Are you all right?” Ruhl’s wary gaze filled my vision as I blinked quickly to chase away the fury of sensations overwhelming my body.

I forced in air to fill my lungs and channeled my own nox to combat the invasive energies. Gods, was that zar ? Was that Aelia on the other side of the bond? Memories of the day with Melisara sprang to the surface, to the sweeping energies housed within Aelia’s skeletal confines. Had Helroth succeeded in unbinding her powers? Perhaps that had been his intent all along. And were those newly liberated abilities the reason I’d been able to hear Aelia’s thoughts in the library?

Strong hands closed around my shoulders, shaking me. “Reign! What has gotten into you?”

“I’m fine,” I hissed as the torrent of power began to subside, and I was finally able to draw in a full breath.

“You don’t seem fine. Your nox appears more out of control than mine…”

“Simply side effects of the bond, brother. Nothing more.” I kept my gaze straight ahead as I blatantly lied, and I couldn’t even explain why I’d done it. Selfishly, I needed to keep this connection with Aelia private, one thing I wasn’t forced to share with my sibling.

Shaking his head, he lengthened his stride to walk beside Rue and her skyrider. The light from her blade flickered like a stubborn flame refusing to be extinguished, her glow casting eerie shadows across the muck. Symon nudged his mount close to hers, his ethereal sword already drawn, eyes scanning the horizon, while Liora brought up the rear, her Lightweaver’s blade shimmering faintly in her hand. Despite the tension thrumming between us, we marched on, all unified in our efforts to find Aelia.

The faintest sound reached my ears, a whisper of movement, a rustle of something unnatural slithering through the mire. I froze, every muscle taut as my shadows surged to the surface.

"Did you hear that?" Rue whispered, her voice strained.

"Something’s watching us." Ruhl’s shadows curled tighter around him like living armor.

A creature lunged out of the darkness, crimson eyes glowing like twin embers in its skeletal face. Its claws gleamed wetly, and its snarling maw revealed jagged, bloodstained teeth. The thing was upon us before I could shout a warning, its speed blinding as it lunged for Rue.

I moved without thinking, my shadows shifting to form an umbral blade, which I slashed upward to intercept the attack. Shadow steel met flesh with a sickening squelch, and the creature howled as ichor sprayed across the mire. The sound was a guttural, unnatural screech that set my teeth on edge.

“They’re everywhere!” Symon shouted, his sword swinging to cleave another attacker I hadn’t even seen in two.

Ruhl elbowed me in the side, terror widening his eyes. “Are they?—”

“Immortalis? I’m not sure.” They appeared to be twisted versions of the regal king I’d met all those years ago. Except none of the civility, none of the humanity remained. But how was it possible?

More creatures surged from the shadows, their wiry forms moving with inhuman speed, claws flashing and fangs bared.

“Form a circle!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos. “Back-to-back!”

The others complied, Light and Shadow converging in a desperate attempt to hold the line. Rue’s light flared brilliantly atop Winddancer, momentarily driving back the encroaching darkness and revealing the full extent of the horde. Dozens of what I was now certain were Immortalis surrounded us, their emaciated forms writhing and twisting as they clawed their way closer.

“I told you coming here was a cursed idea,” Ruhl growled, his shadows lashing out like serpents to entangle one of the creatures, dragging it to the ground.

“Oh, just shut up and fight!” I snarled back, slicing through another attacker. My umbral sword moved almost of its own accord, instinct and training taking over as I hacked and slashed.

Beside me, Liora leapt off her phoenix, dancing with deadly precision, her Lightweaver’s blade cutting through the Immortalis like a beacon of retribution. She moved like a tempest, her strikes clean and efficient, but even she was beginning to falter under the relentless assault.

“They just keep coming!” Rue gasped, her light dimming as her rais waned without the gift of Raysa’s sunlight to bolster her.

“Hold the line!” I shouted. Though I wasn’t sure how much longer we could last. My nox surged, shadows spilling from my hands to coil around the legs of two advancing creatures, dragging them down into the muck. It wasn’t enough, though. For every Immortalis we cut down, two more seemed to take its place.

A feral screech tore through the mire, louder and more menacing than the rest. My gaze snapped toward the source, and my stomach sank. A larger Immortalis, easily twice the size of all the others, was barreling toward us, its eyes glowing like twin infernos.

“That’s a king’s guard…” Ruhl’s voice was a grim whisper, his shadows bristling with dark energy.

“I don’t care what it is,” I growled, stepping forward. “It dies tonight.”

But before I could charge, the creature leapt, its massive claws aimed directly for Liora. Without thinking, I surged forward, my shadows coiling around my back, forming wings to propel me faster. My blade arced upward, catching the beast midair, but the impact nearly drove me to my knees.

It shrieked, its claws raking across my arm, and searing pain lanced through me. I gritted my teeth and pushed back, my shadows swarming over the creature like a living tide. Beside me, Ruhl joined the fray, his nox merging with mine as we drove the beast back.

Liora’s light flared brighter, and Rue unleashed a pulse of radiant energy that sent several Immortalis scuttling back into the shadows. The three Light Fae joined forces summoning blazing, fiery orbs and launching them rapid fire at our attackers. For a moment, the tide seemed to turn, and I dared to hope we might survive this.

“We need to move!” Symon shouted, re-summoning his ethereal sword just in time to slice through another attacker. “We can’t stay here; we’re surrounded.”

He was right. The Immortalis were relentless, and the cursed mire seemed to amplify their numbers. If we didn’t escape now, we’d be overwhelmed. I would have to risk alerting the king’s guard of our presence. I only hoped we’d have enough time to find the compass before they found us.

Clearing my thoughts through the chaos, I focused on the other shimmering bond that tied me to my skyrider better half. Phantom, I need you .

I’ll be there in five minutes at most. And I have a friend with me .

Make it two. We don’t have much time, old girl .

“This way,” Ruhl barked, his shadows carving a narrow path through the horde. We followed, cutting and slashing our way forward, every step a battle.

“We must reach that spire.” I pointed across the treacherous marsh to the decrepit fortress.

“How do you know?” my brother snapped.

“Where else would we find an ancient altar of obsidian ?” I quoted the passage we’d found in the Arcanum archives.

As we broke free of the worst of the horde, I cast one last glance over my shoulder. The Immortalis still swarmed, their crimson eyes blazing in the darkness, but they didn’t pursue. Their gazes tipped upward an instant before Phantom’s roar pierced the night, filling the sky with a torrent of dragonfire. Behind her, a gilded beast illuminated the darkness like a beacon upon the shore.

Solanthus.

My heart ached at the sight of Aelia’s beloved skyrider. I’d barely seen him since she’d been captured. He opened his gaping maw, showcasing row upon row of jagged fangs, and a smoldering inferno descended across the mire.

A cacophony of shrieks and screams ripped through the cursed land as the dragons decimated everything in their path in a blazing firestorm. Even Immortalis were not strong enough to withstand the fury of dragonfire. One by one they crumpled, blanketing the mire in scorched bones, flesh and ash.

“This isn’t over,” I muttered before whirling toward the decaying spire now only a few dozen yards away. Now, all we had to do was find the compass…