Page 23 of Realms of Shadow and Sun

As his words and their meaning hit Renya's brain, she started to shake. Violent tremors coursed through her body and fear, unlike anything she had felt before, overtook her. The very foundation of her world seemed to tremble beneath her feet.

Suddenly, clearer than she had ever heard it, came Grayden's voice in her head.

Renya? Renya, what's wrong?

It only lasted a split second, and she tried to feel for him, to respond back, but he was gone, leaving her feeling more alone than ever. She choked through a sob, relieved to have heard Grayden but terrified about what Cressida was threatening. Surely her own father wouldn't do that? What would happen to her and Grayden if their bond was broken? Would she still love him? Would he love her? Would they never be able to love again? The questions swirled in her mind, each more terrifying than the last.

“You'll do it,” Cressida commanded. “That blasted bond is the only thing keeping her from fully submitting to me. If you don't break it, I will kill her. She's no use to me if she's constantly plotting to get back to her pathetic prince.”

Renya began hyperventilating as she saw her father's face fall, the light of hope dimming in his eyes.

“If I do this,” Cyrus said, his voice heavy with defeat, “you must free me and Sion. Allow us to go to the human realm in peace.”

Cressida laughed shrilly, the sound dispersing through the cool air of the open room. “That won't be happening. You are in no place to negotiate. It's simple. Break her bond, or everyone she loves, including you, dies.”

Cyrus looked at Renya, his eyes pleading, filled with a lifetime of regret and love. “My daughter, please forgive me for this. I have no choice. This isn't the destiny I would have chosen for you. I tried my hardest to protect you, I even watched you from afar. When you were attacked, I was there. I couldn't stop the gossip, but I could ensure you remained untouched by evil. I watched over you the best I could, my Sunshine...I love you.”

Renya thought she was going to collapse. Her head swirled and for a moment, her entire mind went blank. These revelations, combined with the fear of being severed from Grayden, was too much. The world seemed to tilt and spin around her, reality blurring at the edges.

Before she could say anything, she was tightly bound by Cressida's magic. She fought as hard as she could against the misty bonds, but her mind was so blocked that she couldn't even bring her magic forth. It was like trying to grasp smoke, her power slipping through her fingers.

She looked at Cyrus, her eyes pleading. Sadness, mixed with resolve, was evident in his expression. Hot tears trailed down her cheeks, and the fury welled up within her, a hurricane of emotion threatening to tear her apart.

“Do it, and do it now,” Cressida commanded, her voice sharp. “If you hesitate, I'll fling her off the cliff this second.”

Cyrus approached Renya, his arms outreached. Renya watched him approach, and it was like everything was happening in slow motion. He put his hands on her shoulders, and then looked into her eyes. She could see the emotion there, raw and unfiltered, and she knew, with intense clarity, that he loved her. For just a few seconds, with his hands surrounding her, she felt safe and protected, a feeling she had never known from a parent.

Then pain, unlike any she had experienced, coursed through her as she felt her father's magic enter her. Red hot and radiating, it was more painful than falling through the portal or having her magic unlocked back on the beach in the Tidal Kingdom. It felt like liquid fire coursing through her veins, threatening to consume her from the inside out.

“I'm so sorry, my dear Renya,” Cyrus said, his voice breaking. Renya closed her eyes against the burning sensation. It felt like all of her blood was boiling in her body, cooking her from the inside out. She cried out loudly, the pain overwhelming her senses.

Cyrus moved his hands from her shoulders and placed them on the sides of her head. The pain instantly stopped, leaving her gasping for breath. He leaned in and whispered gently to her, pushing her braid over her shoulder like Grayden had done so many times before.

“Trust me, my dove. All will be right.”

Then, a blinding light flashed through the room, so bright that Renya had to squeeze her eyes shut against its intensity. When it faded, she found herself unbound, swaying on her feet.

“Is it done?” Cressida asked gleefully, her eyes alight with triumph.

“Yes,” Cyrus replied, his voice hollow. “Our daughter will never know love again. Are you happy?” He glared at Cressida, his eyes filled with a mixture of hatred and despair. “I've broken her bond, desecrated something sacred for the second time in my life. Because of you.”

Cressida's eyes gleamed and she looked giddy, like a child who had just received a long-awaited gift. Cyrus backed away from Renya slowly, his eyes downcast and full of regret. He wiped his hands on his suit pants, as if disgusted with himself.

“I suggest you let her rest before you put her through anything else,” Cyrus said, motioning towards Renya. His voice was weary, drained of all emotion. “That magic comes with a cost, and she'll be weak for the rest of the day.”

“Fine, whatever,” Cressida waved her hand dismissively. “Go to your room, girl. We'll start a new chapter tomorrow. Now that you are no longer fated, you'll have no choice but to fully commit to me.”

Chapter Fourteen

Grayden had felt her, he was sure of it. One minute, he was riding, trying to gauge how much farther until they left the protective canopy of the Twilight Kingdom forest, when a blast of deep emotional pain surged through him. He felt dizzy, and he actually thought he might pass out from the intensity of feeling that overcame him. He swayed on top of Damion before he caught himself and readjusted his balance, his heart racing with concern.

Selenia's sharp eyes missed nothing. “Grayden, what's wrong?” Her voice was tinged with worry.

“I think–actually, I'm positive–I felt Renya.” The words came out in a rush, a mixture of relief and fear.

“That's wonderful. You haven't been feeling her much, have you?” She spurred Honor on to catch up with him.

“She's hurting.” He couldn't keep the grief and apprehension out of his tone. The pain he had felt from Renya was unlike anything he had experienced before, and it terrified him.

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