Page 37 of Stone Sentinels

“Enough of your complaining! Theren has entered The Veil,” I snap. He whirls around to face me and I see a light mark peeking out from beneath the hair near his ear. I'm not close enough to see it properly, but it looks like some sort of rune.

“And?”

“If Theren is successful in claiming the power of this world, then you're no longer useful to me.” My threats rarely have an impact on Variant because I’ve trained him to think I’m powerless, that I serve him and that his actions are his own. But I see the anger rise within him.

“Do you think Theren has the guts to do what I've done for you?” Variant insists. “All the blood on my hands... Never mind. Don’t trust Theren to do this. He'll keep that power for himself, Morrigan…”

Variant's knees buckle.

He collapses against his desk, face pale and sweat-dampened. I run over to him, unable to touch him, but I try to siphon my power into him. What little power I still have left. My corporeal form flickers. “You should have told me the spell was wearing off,” I whisper. “I'm giving you some of my strength for now, but you must hurry. Get to Oronrel unseen and make sure you can make it through the portal before it closes. They have something big planned and we don’t need to run into trouble before we get my power back.”

“I will do as you ask…”

“Good. What news do you have of Silvanus?”

“His magic triggered our alarms near the temple where the sacrifice is to be made. If he figures out our plans, then we may end up fighting him before we're ready.” Variant stands up straighter as my magic reinforces the spells within him. That kingly arrogance returns in the blink of an eye.

“The talisman is complete, Morrigan. You must find a way to escape. And once you do, go to the Threst and see the artificer.”

“I am pleased to hear this, Variant. I will do my best to find a way out of this place. We shall meet again soon.”

I return to my body, where the sounds of battle echo through the small cottage. Blood trickles through the floorboards. Fluff flies over to the corner and crawls out of the cellar, squeezing his little body between the wooden slats. I am alone at last, able to think without worry of being watched. Variant’s spell is weakening, so there’s no telling how lucid Theren is at the moment.

Back when I first came to Variant and Theren in search of allies, they turned me away, refusing to disturb the balance in favor of chaos. And I did not take that rejection kindly. A spell that seemed so simple at the time had nearly drained the last of my power, depleting the reserves left after Silvanus’ betrayal. It was a spell that separated good and evil within an individual, forcing the goodness to retreat to the back of the mind while darkness prevailed.

What I wouldn’t give to cast such a spell again…

But I should soon be able to.

If the talisman works as the artificer promised, then I will have nearly enough power to destroy the one who holds my power captive and to take back what’s mine. My hands brush along the seams of the floor, looking for a way out that won’t alert the Unseelie soldiers to my presence. If Theren’s spell has worn thin, he may demand my capture.

A few boards are loose beneath the apothecary closet near the kitchens.

I search the cellar for a way to pry the wood free and find a few dull blades that appear to have once been used for cooking. My fingers tremble as I wedge the knife between the boards and attempt to force them open. A slab nearly hits me in the head, but I catch it in time, causing the knife to rattle to the floor. An Unseelie soldier stops nearby. I hold my breath and wait for him to attack Dragan with the others, using the noise to cover my progress.

I pry away three more planks and set them aside. Then I pull myself up through the gap, feeling my arms struggle against the weight of my own body. Muscles that have not been used in quite some time burn and strain to lift me. Sitting on the floor, I breathe deeply through my nose and watch shadows move beyond the door. Once the kitchen sounds empty, I push open the apothecary closet door and watch as the large gargoyle wars against the great Unseelie army.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

EILISH

The Veil

“Theren…” The words leave my mouth as a familiar screech pierces the air. I reach for my dagger and throw Aima to the ground, just as a harpy swoops down to snatch her. She rolls across the dirt and comes to a stop beside a tree. Soldiers hold their formation as archers shoot towards the sky. Aima and I hold our backs against the trunk of an old oak. She twirls her sword and glares at Theren, who stands tall in the center of the clearing.

“I don’t know what has happened to him, but that’snotthe man I love.”

“Aima, we can’t focus on Theren now,” I say as I grab her face and force her to look at me. “Those harpies won’t care if we’re Unseelie or not. They’ll attack any and everything in their path,” I say through tightly clenched teeth. “We move as one, just like we practiced. I’ll use my spells to defend you while you attack, and we’ll switch off when the other tires. Keep our heads in the fight and we both might walk away from this.”

Aima pauses. “You sound more and more like a leader every day.”

“I still have a lot to learn.”

“Even so, I’m impressed, Eilish.” She leaps out from behind our cover and I’m on her heels in an instant. Bursts of white light deflect shields, swords, and arrows as Aima fights her way to the center of the clearing. We come back to back. Theren catches sight of us and bellows his rage to the sky. My body quivers as he barrels toward me, the promise of death in his beautiful eyes, while Cambion hurries to take cover from the harpies.

“You did this!” Theren attacks.

I blast him with my power, but he absorbs it within himself before hurling it back at me. “You’re not the first angel I’ve fought!” he screams and his power is impressive, intimidating. “Don’t toy with me, girl. I’ve been winning wars against your kind since the dawn of man.” I barely have time to evade the spell. “Your father knew better than to trifle with things he didn’t understand.”

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