Page 19

CHAPTER 19

SERENNA

A live?

The unspoken word crashed through Serenna’s mind, Fenn’s thoughts bleeding into hers. His shock scalded her through the bond, a blistering wave of disbelief as he stared at his sister.

Before either of them could react—or fully process Taryn’s transformation into an elven wraith—she struck like a serpent. Her hands lashed out, seizing both of them and wrenching them into a warp.

The violent pull yanked Serenna sideways, wringing her stomach inside out when the world dissolved into a spinning vortex of weightless shadows.

She stumbled as they reappeared, boots crunching on frozen ground as she gasped. Icy air knifed down her throat, vision swimming before it snapped back into focus.

Magus in white leathers surrounded them. Serenna’s heart slammed against her ribs as she searched for an ally—even an acquaintance—but there were none.

“Taryn,” Fenn snarled beside her, pivoting to face his sister. His eyes ignited. “ How? ”

Taryn tilted her head, her satisfied smile all fangs as she twisted a sun-colored braid around a finger. Instead of answering, she nodded in deference to someone behind them. “Here they are, Your Majesty,” she purred, presenting them as a prize.

Serenna turned as the magus peeled back like petals revealing the heart of a bloom. That lone figure in red she’d noticed before glided forward, measured steps radiating authority. Globes of illumination hovered around her, highlighting the chilling gleam in her sapphire eyes.

Not a magus—just a disturbing family reunion of her own.

Ayla.

The voice of Serenna’s half-sister chimed around the circle, a command directed at no one in particular. “A shield, so he can’t vanish.”

A burst of energy crackled around them, violet ribbons of magic unfurling. The threads webbed through the air, weaving into a crystalline prison that thrummed with power. Vibrations pulsed against Serenna’s ribs, the threat pressing down like the weight of the frozen sky.

The hood of Ayla’s cloak rippled around her face, painted lips curling into a triumphant smirk. “So,” she mused, eyes sweeping over Serenna before landing on the volcano behind them. “Our new friends were right. This is where you disappeared to.” She stepped closer, her gaze sharper than the icy wind. “Our sire scoured campus for you, you know. But he assumed you’d run off, cavorting with our exiled prince.” Savage delight deepened her grin. “I cannot wait to be the one to return you.”

Serenna’s nails bit into her palms, the sting a tenuous anchor. She couldn’t let Ayla drag her back to Centarya—not with what she knew of Lykor’s plans. The reavers might’ve been oblivious, but the king’s coercion would tear the truth from her, crushing their rebellion before it began.

Caged by the ring of magus, summoning any power would be inviting a storm—a reckless act of defiance that would only provoke retribution. But escape wasn’t just necessary—it was the only option. Lykor had made it brutally clear that he wouldn’t rescue them if they failed to return.

Desperation clawed at Serenna as she yanked on the bond with Vesryn, her thoughts frantic. Where are you?

Fenn bared his fangs at his sister. “What twisted bargain did you strike with the elves?”

Ayla answered before Taryn could, a tinkling laugh spilling from her lips. “An unusual opportunity presented itself—one that you might say fell directly at the king’s feet.”

Ayla’s calculating gaze raked over them, lingering long enough to feel invasive. “After my sire’s legion subdued these reavers, the king devised an inventive use for those who surrendered—an alliance.” She gestured to Taryn. “The king does have a way of turning the tides to his favor.”

Ayla’s icy eyes snapped back to Fenn. “We’re here for your leader. This ‘Lykor,’ or whatever Prince Aesar is calling himself these days.”

Serenna folded her arms, steadying her trembling hands. “ We? You mean humans and half-breeds led by a recruit? That hardly sounds like a group sent to handle a mission so critical.”

Ayla’s mask of composure cracked, indignation brimming as she drew herself up. “ I was entrusted with the importance of this,” she hissed, adjusting her cowl. “And unlike you , I don’t disappoint.”

Serenna ignored Ayla’s self-importance and pressed on. “Have you not questioned how the wraith came to be? How those with you have power now?”

Taryn had obviously been given stolen talents. Of course Ayla knew. And if she’d been unaware a few weeks ago, she surely knew now—perhaps even played a part.

“The king has been meticulous, exclusively extracting power from half-breeds this past century.” Ayla sneered and waved dismissively. “Pure-bloods are far too valuable for such crude harvesting now that he has a source.”

Serenna clenched her teeth and swallowed the retort that human blood also tainted her sister’s veins. The truth didn’t matter to someone like her, drenched in arrogance, privilege, and denial.

Arguing was a waste of precious time. Even Ayla’s gloating wouldn’t last forever and their chance to escape would be forfeit when she finished. Serenna’s gaze darted to Fenn.

His silence smoldered, fury darkening the glare he aimed at Taryn. They needed a way out—now—before Ayla delivered them back to the elves.

Taryn studied her nails—her talons now gone—and said, “Those of us who refused the terms…” Her attention flicked to the tunnel where the humans had entered the fortress. “They were sent in first, minds broken—fodder even lower than the mortals.” She flicked her fingers, conjuring an orb of light. “But a few of us were granted the blessings of the stars. Half the talents now, the rest after Lykor’s capture.”

A slow smile curled her lips as she studied the illumination dancing above her fingertips. “Quite the generous arrangement, really. Few can claim the honor of portaling an army to this ‘untouchable’ stronghold—but I can.”

Taryn stepped closer to Fenn, a feverish light glowing in her eyes. “We’re pure-bloods, brother. We’ll stand high in the realms— next to the elves. The king has promised us lands—a place to rule over half-breeds and humans.”

Fenn scoffed. “And what happens after your usefulness expires? You think the elves won’t simply snatch your magics back?”

Serenna read the defiance in Fenn’s tone and tensed, dread flooding her veins as Essence flared around him.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Ayla clipped, snapping her fingers. The magus responded instantly, magic sparking to life around their circle. “A portal.” Her gaze slid away, as though her captives no longer warranted her attention. “Take them to the top of the Spire. Tethered and under guard. They’ll make an amusing trophy for the general when he returns.”

A gateway ripped open, its darkness yawning wide to devour them and seal their fate. Serenna’s pulse drummed in her ears, each beat a countdown. Ayla’s words landed like lead in her chest, pressing heavier with every breath.

The top of the Spire. That was Vesryn’s office—the commander’s office. Ayla couldn’t have been put in charge of Centarya. It defied all logic. Had Elashor cast aside the magisters and magus for her ? An unthinkable possibility, but here the magus were, obeying her every word.

Likely sensing Serenna’s rising panic, Fenn wrapped his fingers around hers, the chill from his chain mail gloves seeping into her skin.

“What’s the matter?” Ayla lilted, voice spun like silk. “You look pale. Have you finally pieced it together?”

Serenna swallowed hard. She had no other plan but to keep Ayla talking—anything to delay the surrounding magus from shoving them through the rift.

“No, I suppose even you couldn’t have anticipated this,” Ayla continued, saving her the trouble of speaking. “As you know, the king provides the realms with exactly what they need—stability, order, a future.” Her tone sharpened, mockery crystallizing into triumph. “A unified royal family, forged from the purest bloodlines. The strongest bloodlines. And since the prince failed to perform his duty, the king took matters into his own hands.”

Pausing, Ayla’s eyes gleamed as she lowered the hood of her cloak. “Which means you now have a queen.”

A sleek, triangular jewel on Ayla’s forehead drew Serenna’s attention. The crystal glinted from the center of a silver circlet, previously hidden by her cowl. Its edges shimmered like fractured starlight, core pulsing faintly. Serenna’s breath hitched. The material was hauntingly familiar—like the Heart of Stars, but a smaller fragment.

Heartbeats stretched as Serenna pulled her focus away from the strange gem, grappling with Ayla’s words. Her eyes widened at the terrifying shift in power. Ayla wasn’t just Centarya’s commander—she carried the mantle of the elven queen.

Ayla tapped her painted lips, the gesture dripping with cruel amusement. “I see you’re catching on.” She took a step closer, peering into Serenna’s eyes and squinting at the reddish halo. “You might recall my gracious offer—to step in as my surrogate.”

Fenn tensed beside her, a low rumble wrestling free from his chest as Ayla leaned down.

She wrinkled her nose at Fenn’s flashing fangs before dismissing him. Her whisper curled against Serenna’s ear. “I’ll make sure you have a special place. A broodmare deserves a barn, after all.” Straightening, she pointed at the portal. “Off you go, then. Return to campus so I can finish here without indulging in any further distractions.”

Fenn’s thoughts sailed down the bond, his claw tightening against Serenna’s palm. We need to take to the skies. He cast a quick glance upward, the heavy cloak of night draped over the valley.

What? Serenna’s heart thundered as panic tangled with disbelief. A dozen plans raced through her mind, each disregarded as quickly as it formed. The grim-faced magus closed in, the pressure of Essence pulsing around the ring, ready to force them through the dark void.

Warping up, Fenn clarified, calm and certain.

Up? You can’t get through the shield, Serenna pushed back, her desperation rising.

Fenn radiated assurance, steady as the surrounding mountains. My talons can.

Had they not been teetering on the precipice of disaster, Serenna might’ve quipped about whether he could also draw water from stone. Instead, his bold assertion made her pause, eyes flicking down to their entwined palms.

Clarity struck like lightning, slicing through her turmoil. The wicked points of Fenn’s armored gloves glinted gold in the faint illumination.

He must’ve sensed her next question. I can warp as far as I can see, but we’ll be free falling until I can reach a safe landing. A flicker of uncertainty wove down the bond. I haven’t attempted this great of a distance before. We might not make—

“Enough stalling,” Ayla snapped, shoving Serenna hard enough to make her stumble.

Ayla’s crystal flared like a beacon as it emitted a sharp metallic whine. But there was no time to dwell on the strange noise slicing through the air.

Do it! Serenna urged, ramming into Fenn’s side, gripping him like a lifeline.

A hook snagged Serenna’s insides. The world darkened, tilted, and shifted wildly out of control.

Through the chaotic maelstrom of Fenn’s warp, Serenna wrestled to summon her power. A gasp escaped her as they materialized near the peak of the shield, suspended twenty paces off the ground. Fenn’s golden talons struck the shimmering ward, ripping it open in jagged lines.

Below, shouts rose and Essence surged, the magus scrambling to refortify the shield. Hairs lifting, Serenna sensed ripples of magic clawing upward, fingers of power reaching to drag them down.

Shadows erupted from her, a writhing tomb that devoured the magical assault below. Essence crashed against her darkness in furious waves, but her rending consumed it greedily, tearing the power apart.

Fenn didn’t falter. Like a moth shedding its cocoon, he hurtled them upward through the gap cleaved in the shield.

The world spun as they ascended, Serenna’s stomach yanked up her throat with every jarring warp. The rapid shifts slammed her heart into her spine, her control over Essence slipping free.

Eyes squeezed shut, she forced a thought out. Won’t Taryn be able to follow?

Let her try. Fenn’s disgusted growl rumbled through her mind. We’ll see how well she manages, being only half wraith.

The rush of altitude stung Serenna’s cheeks, every fleeting reappearance in midair sending a jolt through her middle before Fenn flung them forward again. His fatigue bled through the bond, the intervals between jumps stretching longer as his strength waned.

When Fenn’s boots slammed into solid ground, Serenna’s hope flared—if they could warp faster than the magus could portal after them, they might actually escape. But before she could orient herself or check for pursuers, he slung them into another jump.

The world blurred as Fenn propelled them up the volcano’s treacherous slopes. Rocks crumbled beneath his claws as he scrabbled for purchase. Each jarring reappearance left Serenna yelping and tightening her grip around him, her mind too scattered to track how many times they nearly tumbled down.

Every leap felt like it could be their last until Fenn finally stumbled to a halt, chest heaving in rapid bursts, each breath fogging the icy air. Serenna let go of him, loose gravel shifting beneath her boots as she staggered, head spinning like a top. Frigid wind howled across the summit of the volcano, sweeping flurries of snow into the frosty night.

Having only been so high while soaring through the skies on Naru, Serenna stared at the breathtaking expanse—an endless sea of white. Scattered pinpricks of Essence flickered like distant stars, portals tearing open along the slopes. Cold dread sluiced through her veins—they had to keep moving.

Serenna swayed to the rim of the volcano’s crater, the vast chasm opening to the fortress far below. She glanced at Fenn, then back to the sheer drop. “We have to jump to the bottom, don’t we?”

Fenn’s expression was grim as he shed his chain mail gloves, tucking them behind his belt. “My father relayed that most of the lifts inside have been dismantled, but I haven’t heard from him since…” Trailing off, he peered over the edge, studying the gaping pit. He worriedly picked at his talons. “Lykor began the evacuation, at least. But I don’t know what waits for us below.”

Serenna hugged herself against the biting wind, voice trembling as she spoke. “We have to go,” she whispered, the words catching in her throat. If the wraith were still fleeing through Lykor’s portals, there might yet be time. But if they had been left behind… She swallowed hard, unwilling to entertain that thought.

Without warning, Fenn gripped her hips and hoisted her up. Serenna squeaked, arms snapping around his neck, legs locking around his waist.

His mouth claimed hers—fierce but fleeting, stealing her breath in a molten heartbeat. For luck, he growled into her mind.

Devoured by the flare of his desire, heat rushed through Serenna’s chest as Fenn broke the kiss. A feral grin hooked the corners of his mouth. To whatever end.

Then he jumped.