Page 9 of Crowned by the Shadow (Bound by the Veil #5)
“How?” Thorn demanded, eyes never leaving the approaching threat.
“Old magic. From before the courts divided.” Sebastian’s hands glowed with golden light, tinged with the silver of moonlight at the edges. “Magic they tried to make us forget.”
The corrupted fae slowed their approach, seemingly wary of the light emanating from Sebastian’s palms. He chanted in a language I’d never heard, one that was fluid and musical, yet sharp with power.
The hedge wall behind us trembled, then parted like a curtain, revealing a tunnel of swirling light. Not a rift to the Void, but something else, a passage between points in our own realm.
“Go,” Sebastian ordered, the strain clear in his voice as he maintained the spell. “This will take you to the edge of the capital. From there, you can make your way to the Shadow Lands.”
“What about you?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
The corrupted fae had recovered from their momentary hesitation and were advancing again, their movements jerky but determined.
“I’ll hold them off,” Sebastian said simply.
“No.” The word tore from my throat. “We just found each other. I’m not leaving you behind.”
Sebastian’s laugh was bitter. “Daughter, I’ve been a prisoner for decades. My mind has been broken and remade more times than I can count. But finding you, knowing you survived, that was worth every moment of suffering.”
A corrupted fae lunged forward. Sebastian deflected it with a blast of golden energy, but the effort made him stagger.
“Go!” he shouted again. “The passage won’t hold for long.”
Thorn gripped my arm. “Senara, we have to leave.”
I pulled away from him, stepping toward Sebastian. “The artifacts, the mirror, the pendant. We can use them against the Empress, yes, but I need your guidance!”
Sebastian shook his head, maintaining the passage with visible effort.
“None of the artifacts will be of any use until you’re within the cosmic prison itself, face-to-face with the Void Dragon Empress.
Their power is tied to her—they were created to bind her, not to fight her from a distance.
And I won’t be able to follow you there. ” Grief tinged his eyes.
Another wave of corrupted fae surged forward. Sebastian erected a barrier of light that held them at bay, but cracks appeared in the golden shield almost immediately.
“We need a mage who understands dark magic,” I insisted, repeating his earlier words.
“No.” Sebastian’s eyes met mine, suddenly clear and focused. “You need to understand that some sacrifices are necessary. The courts forgot that lesson long ago.”
The barrier shattered. Sebastian blasted the nearest attackers back with a pulse of energy, but more kept coming.
“Thorn!” Sebastian called over his shoulder. “Get her out of here!”
Before I could protest, Sebastian closed the distance between us and pulled me into a fierce embrace. For a moment, I felt the strength that must have been his before captivity broke him, the power of a king, a warrior, a father.
“I’m proud of you,” he whispered against my hair. “You have your mother’s heart and her strength. Remember that.”
Then he pushed me away, toward the passage where Thorn waited. I stumbled backward, reaching out to him.
“Father—”
“Live,” Sebastian said, his smile both sad and fierce. “Live and end this.”
With a sudden movement, he shoved me the rest of the way into the passage. I fell against Thorn, who caught me as we were both pulled into the swirling tunnel of light.
The last thing I saw was Sebastian turning to face the horde, his hands blazing with golden fire as he began another incantation. The passage entrance constricted, closing off my view.
“No!” I screamed, lunging toward the rapidly shrinking opening. Thorn held me back, his arms like iron bands around my waist.
The tunnel of light carried us forward, away from the maze, away from Sebastian. I fought against Thorn’s grip, but it was useless. We were already too far.
A massive surge of power rippled through the passage, making the walls of light shudder and flicker. I felt it in my bones, the release of life energy, of magic bound to a soul.
“He’s collapsing the portal,” Thorn said quietly. “Severing the connection completely.”
The passage walls stabilized, then sped up around us. We were moving faster now, hurtling toward the exit.
I stopped struggling and went limp in Thorn’s arms. The pendant against my chest gave a single, faint pulse, as if acknowledging a kindred power extinguished.
“He sacrificed himself,” I whispered. “I just found him, and now he’s gone.”
Thorn’s voice was gentle but firm. “He bought us time. Don’t waste it.”
The tunnel of light faded, revealing glimpses of the world beyond, trees, rocks, open sky. We were approaching the exit.
I straightened, wiping away tears I hadn’t realized were falling. Sebastian was right. Some sacrifices were necessary. And I would make damn sure his wasn’t in vain.
The passage spat us out onto damp earth. We tumbled across grass and came to rest at the base of a large oak tree. The portal collapsed behind us with a sound like distant thunder.
We were alone at the edge of a forest. In the distance, I could see the spires of the capital silhouetted against the darkening sky.
I got to my feet, the pendant a cold weight against my heart. “We need to find Wyn,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “And then we’re going to finish this.”