Page 23

Chapter nineteen

Claiming the Shadow

Zayne

Far above me, the earth shook, a rattling sound that caused my breath to catch. The vault surrounding me didn’t stir, untouched by whatever happened above, but the tether…

Ayla is in trouble.

I stared at Inarus, the spirit of my mentor haunting me even after his death. Guardian acknowledged the elder necromancer with a nod before returning to stillness.

Whatever my old mentor was doing here, I had no time for games. “How do I get the shard?” I asked.

“Not even a thank you?” Inarus taunted. “Despite everything you did to me, I left you an entire army, one hidden away from your noble refusal to draw upon the gifts you were given. I gave you my second shard.”

I scowled. It was a pity necromancers were so adept at climbing back out of final death because I had no time for this. Above, something was wrong with Ayla. Maybe I could safely leave this shard behind since no one except a necromancer should be able to reach it…

Inarus crossed his arms. “Claim the army. Accept my gift, and like everything within the vault, the shard will become yours.”

“It’s that simple?” That simple and that terrible. I had no interest in possessing a shade army.

“That’s it.”

Already, the bright light of Ayla’s magic had turned radiant and destructive. Her emotions were riot with adrenaline and… defeat.

Lips tightening, I decided. There was no choice, not when Ayla needed me. No choice when I truly couldn’t risk an unknown entity claiming the shard instead.

It has to be done.

“Fine.”

I reached out for the threads of necromancy binding the army, starting with the Gray Generals and using their hierarchy to claim thousands of shades in moments. With Inarus dead, his bindings to the shades were thin, and dismissing them was as simple as clearing an old cobweb.

In little more than a heartbeat, everything changed as the undead army became mine.

Never had my magic felt more natural, more necessary, and if I hated myself for what I had done, at least I would have the power to keep Ayla safe.

I opened my eyes as the new bonds snapped into place, my consciousness filled by the army now bound to me. The entire vault listened to my whim, the structure itself ready to serve me. Quickly, I singled out the strand of magic that trapped the shard in the crystal orb.

Under my instruction, the orb dissolved, and I reached inside to retrieve the shard, snagging it before I could second-guess what I had done. Quickly, I shoved it into the pocket with the other shards, cringing as they clanked ominously.

“Thank you,” I gritted to Inarus. “Not for the army, but for explaining quickly.”

My deceased mentor smirked. “Zayne, I once said you would become the same as me, and that still hasn’t changed, even if you don’t understand.”

I let his words roll off me like water on oil.

Rising, I nodded to Guardian, feeling my connection to the skeleton, like everything in this vault, had shifted.

“To the surface, Adept Zayne?”

I hesitated at the sound of the new title.

“When should I expect your return?” Guardian asked.

I shook my head. “I’ve got to go.”

In a rush, I shadow-stepped from the room and was halfway across the length of the vault. In another moment, I reached the landing halfway up the stairs where Guardian had once stood. I rushed through the dark hallways that were now mine, worried what I’d find at the surface.

Ayla’s emotions had shifted again. Devastation and…

I jumped again, this time reaching the top platform. With a final step through both shadows and the Underworld, I passed through the death gate, finding myself standing before a broken beach.

A whirlwind of grainy dust whipped against my face, and I squinted, struggling to recognize my surroundings. Not far away, the ground was split. Nearby, a rock smoldered, giving off an acrid smell.

And Ayla...

The tether pulsed in my chest. My heart raced.

There.

Ayla was sprawled across Ninti’s belly. The firewolf was ashen gray with not even a flicker of her tail.

“Z-Zayne?” Ayla croaked, looking up at me.

Relieved, I collapsed to the ground, searching her body with my hands, prodding gently as I asked, “Are you hurt?”

“No, I…” She looked like she’d been crying.

Panicked, I looked her over once more.

“But Ninti...” Her face paled. “I screwed up. I took too much power from her, drained her. I think.”

“Let’s get back to the boat.”

“I’m fine.” She stood up, making her point even if she did wobble slightly. She squeezed her eyes tight. “Can you carry Ninti?”

With a grunt, I heaved Ninti over my shoulder, hiding from Ayla how heavily the unconscious firewolf slumped against me. Her eyes were closed, breath shallow.

The firewolf was strong enough to help us take down a shade army. Ayla couldn’t really drain a deity… could she?

“Grab my arm, and I’ll shadow-step all of us,” I instructed Ayla.

It took me a single step to reach the shore. Landing, I blinked at the horizon, surprised by the second form that now bobbed beside the Umbral Star.

Ayla stumbled, barely catching herself. “Leo,” she gulped. “She already knows.”

The giant turtle paddled next to the Umbral Star . Side by side, they bobbed in the waves, the turtle dwarfing the ship.

“Vanessa!” Ayla shouted across the waves to our nearest interpreter. “Can you ask Leo if we can shadow-step onto her shell?”

“Let me ask!”

We waited, Vanessa speaking with Leo on our behalf. I turned to Ayla. “What happened?”

“I could ask you the same.”

“I have the shard, that’s what counts.” I did what I had to do.

Still, had I been to slow?

Ayla was fine, shaken but…

I held Ninti close, her gray fur filling my arms. The firewolf would be fine. She had to be…

“Leo’s waiting for you!” Vanessa finally answered.

Nervously, I swallowed. Presumably, the giant turtle wouldn’t be happy with Ayla. Leo may be on our side, but she was deeply possessive of her sister.

“Go,” Ayla insisted, squeezing my arm. “Ninti needs her.”

She was right. Leo might be ancient, her powers unknown, but we needed every ally we had. Even those we didn’t understand.

Our quest had garnered the attention of deities. If we were to have any chance at succeeding, we had to accept our strange new allies.

Just as we had to embrace every aspect of our powers.

Ayla, the starlight. And me, the shadows.