Page 27 of Crowned by the Shadow (Bound by the Veil #5)

Chapter

Seventeen

Senara

The river lapped gently against the mossy bank as I helped Volker settle onto a fallen log. His face was ashen, but relief shone in his eyes as he looked at each of us.

“You came back for us,” he said, his voice hoarse.

“Of course we did,” I replied, checking the makeshift bandage on his arm. The wound beneath had festered, angry red lines spreading outward from the gash. “We wouldn’t leave you there.”

Van sank down beside Volker, exhaustion clear in every line of his body. Still, a shadow of his usual irreverent smile played across his lips. “I told you they would come,” he said to Volker. “The Eclipse Child is nothing if not stubborn.”

Thorn knelt beside me, passing a water skin to Van. “How long were you imprisoned? How did you get into the Keep to begin with?”

“Three days, maybe four,” Van replied after taking a long drink.

“Time blurs in that place. They separated us at first, but then decided we were less trouble together. We got in exactly the way I said we would, only they saw through my charade almost immediately.” His eyes flickered to Wyn, widening slightly at her transformed appearance. “I see we’ve missed quite a lot.”

Wyn smiled, the starlight in her eyes shimmering in the darkness. “It’s a long story.”

“One we’ll tell,” I promised, “but first, we need to tend to your wounds and make sure we’re not being followed.”

Ronan had already taken up a position at the edge of our small clearing, his sharp eyes scanning the trees. “No sign of pursuit yet, but Eldric won’t give up easily.”

“No, he won’t,” Volker agreed grimly, wincing as I gently unwrapped the filthy bandage from his arm.

“He’s obsessed with the convergence, with what he calls the ‘awakening.’ He questioned us endlessly about you, Senara, and about the artifacts.

I think the corruption in him has addled his brain slightly, though, at least based on some of his ramblings. ”

“What did you tell him?” Thorn asked, his voice carefully neutral.

“Nothing of value,” Van answered. “Though he seemed to know much already.” He glanced at Wyn again. “Your transformation was part of his plan all along, though I suspect the outcome wasn’t what he intended.”

Wyn nodded, shadows dancing across her skin as she moved closer. “He wanted to make me a vessel for the Empress, a conduit between worlds. Instead...”

“Instead, you found balance,” I finished for her, smiling at my friend despite the gravity of our situation.

“The convergence,” Volker said suddenly, his scholarly demeanor reasserting itself despite his pain. “Did Eldric mention when exactly it would occur?”

I shook my head. “Only that it was approaching. Why?”

Volker’s expression grew troubled. “During our captivity, I overheard the guards talking. The celestial alignment that weakens the cosmic prison happens only once every thousand years.”

“And?” Ronan prompted, still watching the treeline.

“And according to their calculations, it begins within the next day.”

A heavy silence fell over our group. The news stole the breath from my lungs.

One day.

We had one day to prepare for the Empress’s return, figure out how to use the artifacts, and somehow stop a cosmic entity from consuming all realms.

“Are you certain?” Thorn asked, his voice tight as his own shock and fear echoed mine through our bond.

Volker nodded wearily. “The shadow dragons are precise in their astronomical calculations. If they say tomorrow, then tomorrow it is.”

“Then we have no time to waste,” I said, forcing strength into my voice despite the fear gnawing at my insides. “We need to?—”

My words cut off as Wyn suddenly stiffened, her twilight eyes going wide. She stood perfectly still, her body rigid, as if listening to something none of us could hear.

“Wyn?” I reached for her, alarmed by the vacant expression that had overtaken her face.

She didn’t respond, didn’t even seem to notice my touch. Her eyes had gone completely black, the starlight within them extinguished. For a terrifying moment, I thought the corruption had returned, that Eldric had somehow reclaimed his hold on her.

“What’s happening to her?” Van asked, rising to his feet despite his exhaustion.

Before anyone could answer, Wyn gasped, her eyes returning to their twilight state. She swayed slightly, and I caught her arm to steady her.

“Wyn! Are you alright?”

She blinked rapidly, focusing on my face with effort. “I... I saw it,” she whispered. “The convergence. It’s not tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?” Volker asked, leaning forward despite his injury.

Wyn’s eyes met mine. Fear and certainty mingled in their depths. “It’s happening now. The celestial bodies are already beginning to align. Soon the prison will be at its weakest.”

“That’s impossible,” Volker protested. “The calculations?—”

“Were wrong,” Wyn cut him off. “Or deliberately falsified. The Empress... I can feel her pressing against the edges of our world. Her power grows with each passing moment.”

I exchanged a look with Thorn, seeing my dread reflected in his eyes. “How long do we have?”

“Hours,” Wyn replied, her voice steadying as she regained her composure. “By sunrise, the veil between worlds will be thin enough for her to break through completely.”

“Then we’re out of time,” Van said quietly. “We’ve lost.”

“No.” The word came out sharper than I intended. I looked around at my companions. We were battered and exhausted, but still standing. “We haven’t lost until we give up. And I refuse to give up.”

Thorn moved to my side, his presence steady and reassuring. “What’s your plan?”

I took a deep breath, centering myself. “The artifacts. They were created to bind the Empress, to maintain the balance between realms. Together, they might be enough to reinforce her prison, or at least to fight her if she breaks free.”

“And if they’re not?” Ronan asked, joining our circle.

“Then we improvise,” I replied with more confidence than I felt. “We’ve faced impossible odds before. This is just... more impossible.”

A weak laugh escaped Van. “Well, when you put it that way, how can we refuse?”

“I can’t fight like this,” Volker said, gesturing to his wounded arm. “Besides, we’re exhausted, injured. We need time to recover.”

“Time is the one thing we don’t have,” I reminded him gently. “But you’re right about one thing. We need to be at our strongest.” I turned to Wyn. “Your new powers... can they help heal Volker?”

She considered for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“I think so. The balance between light and shadow... it might work.” I knew I could try to use my own magic for the same thing, but something within me told me I needed to hold on to every ounce of power I had from now until we faced off with the Empress.

Wyn knelt beside Volker, placing her hands over his infected wound. Shadows and light intertwined around her fingers, flowing into the injury. Volker gasped, his body tensing, then gradually relaxing as the angry red lines faded.

“How did you do that?” he asked when she withdrew her hands, revealing healthy pink skin where the festering gash had been.

“Balance,” she replied simply. “Light heals, shadow transforms. Together, they can restore.”

I looked at each of my companions, Thorn with his unwavering loyalty, Wyn with her newfound power, Ronan with his quiet strength, Van and Volker with their ancient knowledge. Together, we were more than the sum of our parts. Together, we might have a chance.

“Rest,” I said. “Eat. Gather your strength because we need to prepare for the fight of our lives.”

As they dispersed to their tasks, I walked to the edge of the river, staring at my reflection in the moonlit water. The Moon Mark on my skin, now threaded with gold, seemed to pulse in rhythm with my heartbeat. I touched the pendant at my throat, feeling its familiar weight.

Thorn came and found me by the river’s edge after a few moments, his warm presence comforting against the chill of the night. The pendant pulsed gently against my chest as I turned to face him, my heart heavy with the weight of all we had learned.

“We’ll find a way,” he said softly, reading the worry in my eyes. “We always do.”

I leaned into him, letting his strength steady me. “I know. But this time feels different. The stakes are so high, and time is running out.”

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. “No matter what happens, I’m with you. I’ll fight by your side until the very end.”

I looked up at him, seeing the love and determination burning in his gaze. “I couldn’t do this without you,” I whispered. “Any of it. You’re my anchor, Thorn. My north star.”

He smiled, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “And you’re mine. My heart, my soul. My everything.”

The words settled deep in my chest, warming me from the inside out. I rose onto my toes, pressing my lips to his in a kiss that said everything I couldn’t put into words: my love, my gratitude, my fear of losing him.

He responded instantly, his mouth moving against mine with a passion that stole my breath. His hands slid into my hair, tilting my head to deepen the kiss. I clung to him, pouring every ounce of my love into the connection between us.

When we finally parted, both breathing hard, he rested his forehead against mine. “I love you, Senara,” he murmured. “More than life itself. No matter what the future holds, that will never change.”

“I love you too,” I whispered back. “Always and forever.”

We stayed like that for a long moment, just holding each other, drawing strength from our bond. Then, with a soft sigh, Thorn pulled back slightly.

“We should get some rest,” he said, though reluctance threaded through his voice. “Dawn will come all too soon.”

I nodded, but tightened my grip on him. “Not yet. I... I need you, Thorn. I need to feel alive, just for a little while. To forget about the danger and the darkness and just be with you.”

Understanding flashed in his eyes, followed by a heat that sent shivers down my spine. “Are you sure? Here?”