Page 63 of Bound In Stone, Claimed In Fire

I nod, tail flicking in agreement. “Snowfall Glen might still be our best chance for allies,” I say, recalling our original plan. “Or we can pursue Nerezza before she regroups, but that’s risky without reinforcements.”

She chews her lip, brand glimmering. “Snowfall Glen,” she decides after a moment. “If we can find the purnas, they might help us cast wards strong enough to face Nerezza’s illusions. If Drayveth tries to label me Nyxari, maybe the purnas can prove him wrong.”

My wings flex. “Then that’s our path.” Another pang of guilt surfaces. “I know I’ve put us behind schedule. Will you lead the way?”

She offers a small smile. “We lead each other,” she corrects, stepping closer to entwine her fingers with mine. The brand’s warmth seeps into my runes, forging a quiet unity. “No more apologies tonight. Let’s survive first.”

I swallow a surge of emotion, nodding. “Agreed.” My chest swells with a renewed sense of hope. The temple courtyard still smolders with the aftermath of our confrontation, but in the midst of ruin, we stand side by side, hearts aligned.Nothing can tear us apart so easily again.

We exchange one last glance at the shattered pillars where we first met, the place that once awakened me from stone. In a sense, it’s awakened me again—this time from illusions that nearly stole my future. With a silent vow, we turn from the ruins, stepping into the twilight hand in hand. Our steps echo across broken stones, leaving behind the ghosts of illusions and condemnation.

The wind greets us as we climb the slope away from the courtyard, battered but united. Sariah keeps her staff at the ready, brand flickering. My runes glow with a calm assurance. We may face Drayveth’s coven, Nerezza’s monstrous brood, or illusions yet unseen, but we hold a bond tested by heartbreak and redemption. Romance threads between us, unspoken yet fierce, promising that no matter what trials come, we face themtogether.

Yes, our journey continues—Snowfall Glen awaits, and Nerezza’s threat still looms. But here, beneath the starlit sky, hearts pounding with devotion, we make our stand. The memory of betrayal lingers, but forgiveness blossoms in its place. Love, tested in the crucible of illusions and regrets, emerges stronger than before.

As the night enfolds us, we press on, forging a path over craggy slopes, the mark on Sariah’s wrist shimmering in harmony with my runes. Every so often, she steals a glance at me, eyes brimming with warmth that stirs a quiet joy in my chest. I squeeze her hand in acknowledgment, letting the hush of the mountains cradle us.

In the distance, lightning flickers along a distant ridge—perhaps a wild storm or a residual burst of Nerezza’s chaos. We share a determined nod, silent resolution etched in our faces. Tomorrow might bring fresh battles, but for tonight, we cling to each other. No illusions or condemning coven can sever this bond again.

And as we vanish into the darkness, hearts beating in tandem, I know without question that we’re unstoppabletogether.

18

KAELITH

Aragged wind tears over the broken battlements, carrying the acrid tang of spent magic and burning stone. I stand on a ruined parapet that overlooks the shadowed valley where Nerezza’s final stronghold rises—an ancient fortress or a piece of her chaotic illusions, I can’t tell. Crumbling walls slope away into darkness, twisted gargoyles perched upon half-toppled spires. They watch with vacant, menacing eyes, like statues waiting for a signal to pounce. My body thrums with tension, each breath rasping through lungs scorched by battle.

At my side, Sariah grips her staff, brand on her wrist burning with a fierce glow that cuts through the gloom. She meets my gaze, stormy eyes reflecting worry and resolve. We’re battered—torn cloaks, bruises, sweat, and dried blood marking every inch of us—but we haven’t wavered. The synergy in my core hums each time our arms brush. Her lips quirk in a tight, fleeting smile, a silent reaffirmation that we’ll face whatever horror awaits in the fortress depths.

We came here after scouring the mountains for any final clue to Nerezza’s lair. With Drayveth’s forces scattered and the brood prowling, it took cunning and luck to arrive intact. Now, with the sky bruised by the last vestiges of dusk, we confront the bleak citadel at the heart of Nerezza’s domain. A swirl of black smoke wreathes its broken towers, illusions flickering across the collapsed gates. My runes prickle as if warning me that we stand at the threshold of a final confrontation.

Sariah’s brand pulses, arcs of silver radiating around her staff. “She’s here,” she murmurs, voice tight. “I can feel her presence… it’s suffocating.” Her eyes dart over the cracked stones beneath our feet, tension rippling through her. “I hate that it has to end here, but we’ve no choice. If we don’t stop her now, she’ll unleash more atrocities on Protheka.”

I nod, runes flaring in agreement. “This time, we seal her for good,” I say, voice echoing in the hollow courtyard. My claws scrape the ground, remembering centuries I spent entombed with her illusions.I refused to repeat that trap,yet ironically, a new sealing might be the only solution. My chest aches at the memory of that ancient choice, but I feel Sariah’s synergy stirring, reminding me we’re not alone.

We pass through the fractured gate, stepping into a courtyard strewn with debris and scorched remnants of older wards. The stench of rot mingles with the faint tang of Nerezza’s chaos magic. Above, twisted gargoyles lurk on broken parapets, hissing softly as we pass. Sariah’s brand glows brighter, the synergy between us crackling with each footstep. My runes respond, fueling a shield of energy that keeps the lesser creatures at bay. They hiss, uncertain whether to attack. I sense Nerezza’s invisible command holding them in thrall, not yet unleashing them.

Crumpled columns line a grand entry hall, walls shifting like illusions in my eyes. A pulse of nausea hits me.She’s warping reality again.But Sariah’s presence grounds me. I grip her hand, letting her brand’s warmth flow into my runes. The illusions blur, revealing a corridor that likely leads to a central chamber.

We move forward, hearts pounding. Our synergy leaves a faint trail of shimmering dust in our wake. Each time illusions scrape at the edge of my mind, I recall the vow I made:I won’t yield to guilt or illusions.Sariah stands unwavering by my side, brand shimmering in rhythmic pulses that match my runes.We face this together.

A faint laugh drifts through the corridor. My blood runs cold at the haunting familiarity of that sound.Nerezza.It echoes with a teasing malice, reverberating off the cracked walls. I sense Sariah’s grip tighten on her staff, her brand flaring. We round a corner, emerging into a cavernous hall whose vaulted ceiling is partly collapsed, letting in a shaft of pale moonlight. Pillars lean precariously. Broken flagstones litter the floor, forming a rough mosaic of devastation.

At the far end stands Nerezza, regal in black robes shot through with swirling illusions of starlight. Her hair floats around her shoulders, a voidlike aura shimmering with each breath she takes. Her eyes shine red with triumph, lips curving in a cruel smile. Behind her, gargoyle thralls crouch in the shadows, eyes vacant and hungry. My runes blaze, recalling how she twisted my kin into these abominations.It ends now.

“Sariah. Kaelith,” Nerezza calls, voice laced with mocking warmth. “You come unannounced. No matter—I prepared a welcome.” She snaps her fingers. The thralls stir, hissing. Sariah tenses, but the brood doesn’t leap. They wait, as if Nerezza wants to savor this.

I step forward, runes spitting sparks. “We’ve come to end your reign,” I say, forcing my voice to resonate. “No illusions, no half-measures. You’ve bled this world enough.”

She laughs, illusions rippling around her. “Bled this world? I offer it salvation. If they kneel, I spare them. Didn’t you once want that same unity for gargoyles?” She glances at me with feigned tenderness. “We can still rule, you and I, if you cast aside this purna’s illusions. She’s no match for my true power.”

Sariah stiffens, brand glowing fiercely. “Your illusions can’t fool us anymore,” she declares, voice crisp. “We know the truth. You’re a shell of the woman you once were, feeding on chaos to mask your hollow core.”

Nerezza’s lips peel back in a snarl, illusions twisting into ephemeral serpents around her ankles. “You dare. I am the first Nyxari. I am power incarnate.” She flings a hand outward. A wave of black-laced lightning arcs across the hall, sizzling with chaotic force.

I roar, wings snapping open to shield Sariah as we form a synergy barrier. The bolt crashes against our joined power, sending shards of energy skittering over the flagstones. Dust showers us, but we remain steady.She’s strong,I realize with dread,perhaps stronger than she was centuries ago.

Sariah’s gaze meets mine, brand pulsing a question.We must seal her.I clench my fists, nodding. She chants under her breath, weaving a swirl of purna magic. My runes flicker, responding with earthen might. “Now,” I say through gritted teeth, “we form the seal.”

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