Page 56 of Shattered Crown

The journeyback became a blur of exhaustion and determination. He pushed his horse to the limit, changing mounts at hidden stables marked on Lyra's map. He commandeered boats for river crossings, using his noble authority when gold wasn't enough.

Through it all, Silas maintained constant contact with Thorne through their bond, sending reassurance and love. The responses grew weaker, more fragmented, but they remained. Thorne was still fighting, still holding on.

He reached the Eldergrove's border as sunset painted the sky in shades of blood and fire. The devastation struck him hard. Where proud trees had once stood, only blackened stumps remained. The ground itself looked diseased, corruption spreading like gangrene through once-healthy soil.

The air tasted wrong, metallic and bitter. Shadow creatures patrolled the ruined border while human mages worked ritual circles, binding captured spirits into crystalline prisons. The sight filled him with rage that burned away his exhaustion.

Using techniques Lyra had taught him, combined with his connection to Thorne, Silas led himself along hidden paths that even the forest's enemies didn't know. The living bracelet guided him, its connection to the guardian proving stronger than any interference.

He moved through corrupted groves and past fallen sacred trees, each step bringing him closer to the heart of the forest. The devastation grew worse the deeper he went, until he wondered if anything could be saved.

Finally, he crested a rise overlooking the heart grove. What he saw stopped him cold.

Thorne hung suspended in chains of dark magic, his form flickering between solid and shadow. Sebastian himself stood before him, directing mages who wove increasingly complex binding spells. Guards surrounded the grove, alert for any rescue attempt.

A familiar voice called out from behind him. “Kai said you might need backup.”

Elena emerged from the tree line, her bow at the ready and arrows flashing with enchantments. “Diana sends word—she's holding the court together, but barely. The noble houses are demanding answers.”

“How did you?—”

“Tracked your path. Wasn't hard to follow.” She studied the scene below. “That's suicide, you know.”

“I have a plan,” Silas called back. “It's called 'save Thorne now, figure out the rest later.'”

“That's not a plan!” Elena protested, even as she followed. “That's suicide!”

“Sometimes that's all we have,” Silas replied, drawing the sword Diana had given him.

As they approached the grove's edge, Silas felt the crystal Nathaniel had given him grow warm. Power flowed through him, not his own but something older, purer. The essence of the original pact recognized its counterpart in Thorne and yearned for reunion.

“Wait,” Elena grabbed his arm. “Look at the binding pattern. It's designed to trap anyone who enters. We need to disrupt it first.”

She was right. The mages had woven a complex web of spells, each feeding into the others. Silas scattered some of Nathaniel's herbs, watching as they burned with purple flame where they touched the magical lines.

The disruption was small but enough. Guards shouted warnings as sections of the binding web flickered and failed.

“Now!” Silas charged into the grove, Elena at his side.

The battle erupted instantly. Sebastian's guards moved to intercept while mages scrambled to maintain their spells. Silas fought with desperate strength, the crystal's power enhancing his movements. Each strike of his sword carried traces of guardian magic, disrupting the corrupted spells it touched.

Elena proved equally formidable, her arrows finding gaps in armor and striking spell components from mages' hands. Together, they carved a path toward Thorne, driven by love and determination.

“Silas,” Thorne's voice was barely a whisper. “You shouldn't have come. The trap?—”

“Is exactly where I need to be,” Silas finished, reaching for the chains that bound his guardian. The crystal flared, its light beginning to dissolve the dark magic.

13

CHAINS OF SHADOWS

The chains burned like acid against Thorne's essence as Silas reached for them. Each link was crafted from corrupted iron and shadow magic designed specifically to torture guardian spirits. Thorne's form flickered between solid flesh and translucent spirit, unable to maintain coherence under the binding's relentless assault. Though Silas's arrival had renewed his hope, the pain remained excruciating—but worse was the sensation of being severed from his forest. He could feel the Eldergrove suffering, its ancient trees crying out for their guardian.

Sebastian's boots crunched on scorched earth as he turned to face the intruders, abandoning his slow circling of his captive. His face contorted with fury at the sight of Silas and Elena.

“You're too late,” he snarled, gesturing to the chains. “Magnificent, aren't they? Took years to perfect the formula. Every link contains the essence of a guardian who resisted human rule. Their pain amplifies the binding exponentially.”

Thorne tried to warn Silas, but the chains constricted around his throat, reducing his words to a strangled gasp. Sebastian laughed, the sound echoing unnaturally in the corrupted grove.

---