Page 34

CHAPTER 34

SERENNA

S erenna stood as motionless as the frozen expanse, her breath a pale wisp dissolving into the frigid air. Eyes stinging in the wind, she blinked against glaring sunlight, its brightness offering no warmth.

Thirty paces ahead, a strange serpent glided through the snow, its sinuous body glinting with icy brilliance.

Fenn remained locked in wraith stillness, though he buzzed with anticipation as his question slid down their bond. Like this? he asked, raising a claw.

A shiver traced down Serenna’s spine, her skin pebbling as Fenn hauled her rending talent up from the shared depths of their Well. Her magic unwound like thread slipping from a spool as he coaxed out her power.

Focus on the head so you don’t disintegrate the whole thing, Serenna instructed as a veil of her magic glimmered around them. She shoved away the dreadful memory of her first rending “lesson” with the prince. And to kill it, you have to mean it. You don’t want to make it suffer.

That snow serpent doesn’t stand a chance against your magics, Fenn mused, shadows curling across his fingertips. A lip ring clicked against a fang as he grinned, a predatory glow flaring in his eyes. The Essence spiraling around his talons pulsed with darker energy, morphing into something more vicious.

From the moment he’d spotted the undulating trail etched into the powdery terrain, he’d been adamant about hunting it—dismissing Lykor’s explicit orders to scout only as far as the next horizon during their midday halt. Rather than warping, Fenn had wanted to practice with his portaling talent and had used it to leap across the valley in pursuit.

Though channeling rending had been Serenna’s idea, she couldn’t help but be amused by his excitement. They studied the creature—nearly as long as she was tall. Its crystalline scales shimmered like sheets of glass, chiming faintly.

I still think you’ll chip a fang trying to eat it, she said wryly.

Surely there’s meat under those frozen scales, Fenn insisted, his shadows hovering, poised to strike. The creature slithered lazily across the snow, periodically dipping its head into drifts. What’s in our packs won’t last forever. And Lykor doesn’t want to waste time returning to the jungle to resupply.

Serenna sighed, pulling her cloak tighter against the howling wind that sliced through even her thickest layers. Though the jungle offered comfort and protection, she couldn’t deny the brutal logic of Lykor’s decision.

Portaling back every night would drain their Essence twice over—once to return and once to retrace their steps. With newly discovered locations, bridging the distance without portal jumping was possible, but the magical cost remained steep. Pressing onward was the practical choice, but practicality offered no warmth against the nipping cold.

Serenna’s boots crunched against the snow as she leaned into Fenn, greedily seeking his radiating heat while he waited for the perfect moment to strike.

You know, he said, tracking the serpent as it dove into a snowdrift and vanished, I have other ways of warming you up.

Serenna’s blood lurched as he planted an image directly into her mind—a vivid, shameless scene of the two of them tangled together, cloaks spread over the snow.

Like he’d claimed, but not in the way he’d intended, a treacherous heat bloomed in her chest, unfurling in a spiraling wave that fanned lower with every heartbeat. Serenna huffed under her breath, attempting to smother her reaction before she betrayed her interest any further.

But Fenn was only encouraged, judging by the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. His voice continued to slide through her mind like silken smoke. I’m not opposed to taking our time out here and—

The creature suddenly burst from the snow in a shower of glittering frost. Sunlight struck the tips of its translucent scales, refracting into radiant halos that scattered across the ground.

Fenn’s focus snapped back to the hunt, his excitement combusting when the serpent lifted its head—offering its throat as a target. Shadows erupted from his outstretched fingers, colliding with the creature’s skull in a violent detonation of scales and bones. The headless body convulsed, thrashing and spraying blood across the snow.

Fenn twirled skittering shadows across his talons for another moment before releasing Essence. He bumped his shoulder into hers. “I killed it, so you get to clean it.”

Serenna wrinkled her nose as steaming blood pooled around the corpse. “I never agreed to that.”

“You watched me do the work.” Grin all fangs, Fenn reached through the front of her cloak to her belt, unsheathing one of the knives he’d gifted to her. “And I’m certainly not about to miss an opportunity to see you handle one of my weapons.” With a triumphant flourish, he grabbed her hand and slapped the hilt of the blade into her gloved palm.

Serenna scowled as she clenched the knife. “ You’re the one who wants to eat that scaly thing.” She swiped the blade at him half-heartedly.

Fenn cackled, warping out of reach. He reappeared next to the slain serpent and crouched to poke at its lifeless body. “Come on.” He beckoned to her. “This is your kill too.”

“I have a better idea,” Serenna muttered, resheathing the knife before striding over to him.

Kneeling in the snow, she summoned a fistful of rending, honing the darkness into a razor-sharp edge. With a flick of her wrist, she sliced cleanly through the serpent’s glass-like hide.

“Very innovative,” Fenn chuckled, leaning back on his heels to watch. The icy breeze swept loose strands of hair across his face as he cast a glance toward the horizon—where they’d left their companions after an awkward, silent meal. “I can see why Lykor is so fond of shadow magics.”

Serenna’s power flickered as the memory of Lykor obliterating the harbor flashed through her mind. Rattled and desperate from the escalating rampage, Vesryn had rushed back to the jungle to retrieve Jassyn, believing his cousin’s talents were the only option to stop Lykor.

And if Jassyn’s presence hadn’t broken through his frenzy… Serenna swallowed hard against the knot tightening in her throat. She might’ve been among the wraith he’d left scattered on the shore.

The gentle weight of Fenn’s claw landing on her shoulder towed Serenna out of her somber thoughts.

“Last night still troubles you?” he asked softly, reading her unease through the bond. When he’d sensed her distress upon returning to the jungle, he’d dragged Koln away from the lake with him, determined to uncover what had happened.

Serenna sighed, her frosty breath vanishing in the air as she reclaimed command of her shadows. She sliced through another row of jagged scales before meeting the concern in Fenn’s waiting stare.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Lykor like that,” she said quietly, the image of Lykor ruthlessly siphoning power still raw in her mind. Cold dread seeped through her bones—her brother had barely been spared. “I think he almost lost control.”

Fenn’s brows pulled together, jewelry clinking faintly as his expression fell. “The sooner we find these dragons…” Claw tightening against her, he trailed off, his certainty about Lykor faltering for the first time.

“It’s not just about the dragons anymore,” Serenna admitted. “My family… I wish Saundyl and my mother were far from Elashor’s reach.”

Hands shaking, a fog of uncontrolled shadows rose around her. Saundyl’s final words still haunted her—their mother was expecting another child by the Winter Solstice.

I abandoned them. The thought struck hard, a sharp pang Serenna forced herself to suppress. Her departure had been necessary—she knew that—but it had come at a cost. It meant leaving Saundyl to bear the full weight of Elashor’s schemes and… She wasn’t sure what would happen if she crossed paths with her brother again.

“If I ever come face-to-face with that excuse for a male who sired you…” Fenn’s growl reverberated through the air, his grip on her tensing with barely restrained fury. “He was never clan to you.”

Serenna released a breath as something deep in her chest loosened and broke free. Despite her former efforts to earn his approval, Elashor had never been family in the way that mattered. And he never would be.

Fenn’s anger and her sorrow churned together, a turbulent storm of shared emotions. She didn’t want to shut him out, but if she let her feelings spiral further, they wouldn’t be hers alone.

Refocusing on the serpent, Serenna pressed her lips together. “There’s more at stake now than I realized. I just hope we’re not wandering endlessly to find the dragons. Time isn’t on our side.”

Flicking her wrist, she cut deep into the creature’s belly with her magic, spilling its steaming entrails onto the snow.

“It’s only been a day and we’ve traveled farther than I’ve ever been from the fortress on foot,” Fenn said, nodding approvingly as Serenna peeled away the remaining layer of scales. “It’s…peculiar,” he remarked, gaze sweeping the endless expanse of white before settling back on her. “With your portaling magics, I feel like I could return to anywhere I’ve ever been.”

“How far do you think you could open one rift?” Serenna asked, welcoming the shift to a lighter topic.

Finished with her task, she rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around herself, warding off the persistent chill.

Fenn stood with her, idly spinning a ring in his ear as he pondered the question. “Without portal jumping? Maybe the span of twenty sky brims.” He stared off into the distance, where their companions were specks against the snow. “Certainly not all the way back to the jungle like Lykor and your princeling.” Fenn cast her a sideways glance, lips tilting in a way that made the frigid air seem less cold. “But if we jump one more, we might find ourselves alone—if you want to delay our return.”

Serenna’s pulse quickened, his desire obviously fueling her own. “Don’t tempt me,” she said, half-considering Fenn’s offer of rebellion.

The thought of postponing their return to an abrasive Lykor and a brooding prince carried a fleeting appeal. But even that temptation couldn’t outweigh her unease.

Lykor’s temper—already volatile after last night’s confrontation—had simmered dangerously throughout the morning, erupting into a heated quarrel with Vesryn by midday. She and Fenn had left the two locked in argument, their clashing opinions descending into relentless bickering over the best way to navigate the Wastes.

Serenna’s shoulders sagged. They couldn’t leave Jassyn caught in the middle any longer than they already had.

Sighing dramatically the same time she did, Fenn said, “I’ll take that as an unfortunate no.” He jutted his chin toward the skinned serpent and smirked. “In any case, you’d better rinse off the meats before we head back.”

“Yes, Lieutenant ,” Serenna said dryly, rolling her eyes.

Still, she humored him, extending her awareness toward the snow. Drawing on the flakes, she hauled them into a spinning whorl, scraping the steaming body clean until only glistening muscle remained.

Fenn’s grin widened as he watched her work, satisfied with her compliance. A whip of force snapped from his palm, reeling the cleaned carcass into his waiting claw.

“We should probably save our magics and warp back,” he said, draping an arm over her.

As if they hadn’t just spent Essence on this entirely frivolous excursion.

Serenna closed her eyes and clutched his leathers to brace herself. A rush of weightlessness swept through her, the frosty air evaporating into a muted void. Stomach flipping, lungs seizing on an inhale, the world shifted beneath her feet as Fenn folded them into shadows.