Page 7 of Shattered Crown

“Time to go,” he whispered. “Now.”

They rode hard, pushing their mounts to dangerous speeds. The forest blurred around them, branches whipping past their faces. Silas kept expecting to hear pursuit, but the only sounds were hoofbeats and their own labored breathing.

“This doesn't make sense,” Silas said as they rode. “The Crown has spent generations denying magic exists. Why suddenly deploy mages openly?”

“Maybe they're not planning on leaving witnesses,” Kai suggested darkly. “Or maybe whatever's happening is too big to keep hidden anymore.”

Thornhaven's gates appeared through the trees like a promise of safety. Before they even dismounted, Thorne materialized, his form solidifying from shadow and starlight.

The look on his face stopped Silas's heart.

“What happened?” Thorne demanded, already reaching for him. “I felt your fear?—”

Silas slid from his horse directly into Thorne's arms. The embrace was fierce, almost painful. Thorne's hands moved over him, checking for injuries while burying his face in Silas's hair, inhaling deeply as if to confirm his reality.

“I’m fine,” Silas assured him, though he clung just as tightly. “But we need to talk. Now.”

The manor's war room had always felt like a relic, its strategic maps and weapon racks gathering dust from disuse. Now it hummed with terrible purpose as Silas related what they'd seen.

With each word, Thorne's form shifted. His usually ethereal appearance hardened, edges sharpening like a blade being honed. When Silas described the mages' preparations, Thorne's crown of branches darkened, delicate leaves transforming into wicked thorns.

The temperature plummeted. Frost crept across the windows.

“They plan to break the barriers,” Thorne said, his voice carrying harmonics that made the crystal glasses vibrate. “To force their way into the Eldergrove.”

“But they're using mages,” Silas protested. “The Crown doesn't even admit magic exists. This goes against everything they've claimed for centuries.”

“Then they've decided the truth is worth less than whatever they hope to gain,” Thorne replied coldly.

Kai unrolled a letter, the seal broken but still recognizable as belonging to one of his court informants. “The Crown Alliance has been pushing for this for months. Lord Sebastian leads them now, arguing that the 'untapped resources' of magical territories could fund expansion eastward.”

“Crown Alliance?” Silas frowned. “My father disbanded that faction years ago.”

“They've reformed under Sebastian's leadership,” Kai explained. “He's united three noble houses that traditionally opposed each other—all suddenly speaking with one voice about 'containing magical threats.'”

“They've always wanted the Eldergrove,” Thorne said grimly, ice forming where his fingers touched the table. “But this feels more organized, more deliberate.”

“Because it is,” Silas replied, pointing to the markings on the map showing the reported border disturbances. “These aren't random incursions—they're testing our defenses systematically.”

“Just what?” Thorne whirled on him, eyes blazing with ancient fury. “Camping peacefully at our border with mages they claim don't exist?”

“I need to understand what's happening. Try diplomacy before?—”

“Diplomacy?” Thorne's laugh was bitter, sharp enough to cut. “With the man who sent you here as punishment? Who now masses armies at our doorstep and openly wields magic after centuries of denial?”

“He's still my father!”

“And what am I?” The words cracked like thunder.

Silas stepped forward, reaching for him. “You're everything. You know that. But if there's a chance to prevent bloodshed?—”

“The only blood I care about is yours.” Thorne caught his hands, grip almost bruising. “You will not leave these walls. Not while they're out there. Not while they've abandoned all pretense of normalcy.”

“You can't keep me prisoner!”

“I can keep you alive!”

Magic crackled between them, responding to their heightened emotions. Books rattled on shelves. The windows groaned in their frames.

---