Page 38 of Shattered Crown

“We don't have a day.” A new voice joined the conversation as Eliar materialized from the garden shadows. “I bring word from the Eldergrove. Agnes and the Elder Willow lead the defense, but the shadow entities presses hard. They can hold perhaps two more nights before the heart groves fall.”

Thorne tried to stand and immediately regretted it. The world tilted sideways, and only Silas's quick reflexes kept him from falling face-first into the herb garden.

“You see?” Silas said, voice tight with frustration. “You can barely stay corporeal. How do you expect to fight?”

“I must,” Thorne insisted, though the words cost him. “The forest is part of me. If it dies...”

He didn't need to finish. They all knew what would happen if the Eldergrove fell. Thorne would cease to exist, not just die but unravel completely, his essence scattered to the winds.

Kai burst through the garden gate then, disheveled and breathless. “Sorry I'm late. Had to dodge Sebastian's patrols.” He took in Thorne's condition with widening eyes. “Holy shit, you look terrible.”

“Always the charmer,” Eliar murmured, though his hand found Kai's briefly in greeting.

“What did you learn?” Silas asked, still supporting most of Thorne's weight.

Kai's expression darkened. “Sebastian's not just after the throne. He's made a deal with something old and hungry. The shadow entity promised him power beyond imagining if he helps break the barriers between realms.”

Thorne felt the last of his strength drain away as the implications sank in. The shadow entity wasn't just attacking the Eldergrove, it was orchestrating events on multiple fronts, using Sebastian's ambition and the political chaos to achieve its goals.

“We have to split up,” Diana said what they were all thinking. “We can't abandon the capital to Sebastian, but Thorne needs to return to his forest.”

“No.” Silas's arm tightened around Thorne. “We stay together. We're stronger that way.”

“And we'll lose everything,” Diana countered. “The realm will fall to Sebastian while the Eldergrove burns. Is that what you want?”

The argument escalated, voices rising as exhaustion and fear frayed everyone's nerves. Thorne felt his control slipping, magic leaking from him in unpredictable bursts. Plants grew wild around his feet, twisting into unnatural shapes. Shadows deepened and moved independently, reaching for light sources with hungry intent.

“Enough!” he tried to shout, but it came out as a roar that shook the windows. A wave of uncontrolled power burst from him, sending potted plants flying and cracking the garden wall. Kai barely dodged a thorny vine that erupted from the ground, its movements aggressive and unnatural.

Silence fell, broken only by Thorne's ragged breathing. He'd lost what little color he had, his form translucent in the lamplight.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered, horrified by his loss of control. “I didn't mean...”

“It's okay,” Silas soothed, though Thorne could feel his shock through their bond. “No one was hurt.”

But the damage was done. They all looked at him differently now, seeing not just their injured ally but a potential threat. Even Briar kept her distance, wings trembling slightly.

The shadow entity chose that moment to strike at his mind, slipping through cracks in his defenses like oil through water.

They fear you now.As they should. You're more monster than man, more nightmare than guardian. How long before Silas sees it too?It whispered.

Thorne squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the insidious voice. But in his weakened state, the entity's words found purchase, planting seeds of doubt that threatened to take root.

A raven’s harsh cry pierced the heavy stillness. It landed on the crumbling wall, far larger than any natural bird, its feathers ink-dark and eyes gleaming with unnatural intelligence. When it spoke, its voice carried the weight of roots and stone.

The Elder Willow fades. The heart groves darken. Return, guardian, or all is lost.

Thorne went rigid. Silas felt it immediately. Even from this distance, the call of the forest tugged at him.

Fraying, desperate, dying.

“No,” Silas said at once, sharp with instinct. “You’re still healing. You can’t go running into decay and rot just because a bird croaked a warning.”

“It’s not just a bird,” Thorne said quietly. “You felt it too.”

Silas looked away, jaw clenched.

“But what if it’s a trap?” he pushed. “What if the corruption is drawing you out, separating us on purpose? You barely survived the last fight, Thorne. You nearly—” His voice cracked. “I can’t lose you again.”

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