Page 33 of Celestial Shadows

Gargoyles tear into the dark riders and the Knights of Umbra unleash the wrath of darkness on the stone guardians. Hunks of rock fall from the sky, scattering the obscene number of orcs and ghouls still standing.

I pull myself from behind the boulder. My boots crunch lightly on the small pebbles that pepper the ground. Pain nags at my back as I sneak closer to Elioth and Theren, crouched down like a thief in the night. My father lifts a dark curse in the palm of his hand. And that’s when I make my move. I run as fast as I can, as fast as my wounded body will carry me, and I tackle him to the ground. Elioth shakes me off easily and sends me flying into a large boulder. It breaks with a loud crack.

Theren races over to me, but I raise my hand to keep him from getting too close. I stumble to my feet and stand tall against Elioth with defiance written on my face. “Let’s see who walks away from this fight, Father.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THEREN

Plains of Reckoning

“Ah anidakrivas!”Elioth thrusts his spell towards Cambion, but I push my brother out of the line of fire. The magic grazes my arm, searing nearly to the bone. I can’t use my power to heal myself if I want any chance of beating my father. I don’t have the time. Elioth paces. He wipes blood from a cut on his cheek and snarls. The words of the ancient elves heal him quickly and I breathe a curse to my ancestors quietly.

Cambion splits himself in two, using the illusion to distract the dark sorcerer while we come up with a plan. “The mages can’t help us for much longer. They’re needed elsewhere and I don’t want them to drain their power before they assist Eilish,” he says.

“I have an idea,” I answer.

My brother turns to me with a skeptical expression. “Is this like that time you talked me into sneaking out of the temple and we nearly got set on fire by the wards protecting the mountain?” Cambion digs his fingers into the mucky ground and pries up an old sword. Though there’s a considerable amount of dirt on the weapon, I can tell from the narrow blade and curved hilt that it’s elven in origin.

“No, this is far more likely to end in death rather than just a few burns,” I reply. My hands work swiftly to remove layers of my armor until I wear nothing more than a thin tunic and trousers. I unlace my boots and toss them aside, feeling the ground beneath my bare feet as Cambion watches closely. “I need to get in close. When I’m in position, I’ll…”

“You aren’t using blood magic on Elioth, Theren. He told me about the day you sent him to the Chasm.”

“What of it?”

Cambion breathes in deeply. “Killing him will kill you, as well. Maybe we can just find a way to send him back.”

I flinch, remembering the day I set in motion events that are still haunting me to this day. “You heard what Eilish said, we have to destroy them. Elioth came back from the Chasm stronger than before and I’m to blame. If we send him back, he’ll only return with even more power. Perhaps more than Abedon has now.”

“Then come up with a better idea.”

“We talked about this. Everyone knew fighting this war meant some of us may not return. I have to set this right, Cambion.”

Cambion grips the front of my tunic and pulls me closer, glaring into my eyes with a whirlwind of emotions in his eyes. “I know what we said, but I just got my brother back. I’m not ready to lose you, Theren. Not now. And not because of him.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat and step out of Cambion’s reach. Elioth roars, sending a shockwave of blue energy hurling toward the mages. They shield themselves, but I can see them growing weaker. “The mirror,” I say suddenly. “Pyre said when the time comes that I must face our father, I’ll have to choose between the power of our bloodline and saving Eilish. I use blood magic by choice, but the gift I inherited from Elioth is catoptromancy.”

“It sounds like you’re onto something.”

“The world beyond the mirror isn’t a place of life or death, darkness nor light. It’s an entity of its own and it consumes whoever lingers too long,” I explain. “If we can get Elioth inside the shadow mirror and then break it, he won’t be able to get out. Once consumed by that world, he will be no more.”

“And you will no longer be bound by the spell you used to send him into the Chasm.” There’s hope in my brother’s eyes once again. “Get close. I’ll distract him. When the mirroris ready, give me the signal and we can end this. Be careful, Theren.” Cambion runs over to the mages. He casts a shield of his own and blocks Elioth’s next attack.

I prop my gear against the cracked boulder and move quickly across the field. My steps are soft on the soil, leaving behind no trace of my presence in the area. The gear is nothing more than a diversion meant to make Elioth believe I’m hurt or cowering behind cover. I adjust my vision as I creep through throngs of soldiers and hellish monsters. I blink and the colors dim, washing the world in hues of gray.

Elioth’s aura stands out like an ink stain on parchment.

I call on the shadows, power not unlike the darkness that Dragan has mastered. It flows through me as real and vital as blood. The shadows swell, churning in a way that matches the clouds above our heads. I move them, shaping them into illusions of reflective surfaces before summoning my mirror. Elioth’s back is to me as I step into a small clearing. Cambion meets my gaze from over our father’s shoulder. The dark sorcerer catches Cambion watching and smiles as his eyes land on me.

The reflective illusions circle Elioth. His spells falter as his concentration is split between Cambion and the floating object around him. “Stop these childish games and face me, Theren! Trickery won’t save you from the darkness you fear so much,” he slurs. “I can sense it. You pretend to be a master of your craft, but deep inside you’re still just a frightened boy playing with power beyond his understanding.”

“You’re wrong. I’ve been shown the way, Father. Cambion and I both have. Eilish has already taught us what it means to be a true leader.”

“She is an abomination!”

Unbridled rage rises within me. I clench my jaw and pour my energy into opening the mirror. Elioth’s eyes widen. He glancesaround, searching for the mirror among the illusions twirling around him. The ground begins to tremble and the ghouls nearby scatter. Wind kicks up dust, blowing it around like a desert storm.

I call out to Cambion in my mind.Now!

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