Page 38 of Celestial Shadows

Why would a vampire be welcome in a place like this? My instincts tell me to go after her, to be there when Eilish returns to herself, but I know the damned don’t dwell here. I must trust that the others will protect her as fiercely as I would.

And I know they will.

Theren slumps against a large crystal protruding from the ground. Cambion looks between his brother and Eilish. Theren shakes his head. “Go with her, Cambion. One of us should be there. I’ll only slow you down.”

The elf hurries after Silvanus as they trek up the mountain path. Pyre paces in a circle, marking the ground before gesturing me over. “We have to be ready in case Abedon still has demons or wraiths protecting the mountain. It’ll take all three of us, but we must do this for Eilish.”

“But Abedon is dead.”

“Yes, but there will be those who are still willing to fight for his cause as well as those who think they have no other choice but to fight.” He crouches down and draws symbols in the ash.

“Pyre, that’s…”

“I know,” he replies. “But if Silvanus fails and Abedon’s minions take the temple back, then we must be ready to destroy the mountain. Only Eilish will sit on that throne.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

VARIANT

The Tomb of The Gods

Eilish rests in the arms of the primordial god, eyes open and haunted by unseen foes. I feel helpless. I feel as though I’m once again that frightened boy chained within a concrete box, wondering if my mother is still alive. Only this time, it’s the woman to whom I’ve chosen to devote my life. And now I face losing her.

“How much time do we have?” I ask.

Silvanus leads me to the doorway of the temple. The ground is covered with bodies. Blood sticks to my boots as I follow him inside. “Seconds. Maybe minutes if luck shines on us.” He steps over corpses and forces his way inside the chamber. The Throne of The Gods rests at the far end of the room. Silvanus’s presence seems to awaken something. Stone cracks along the walls, allowing pale light to filter in. The shadows retreat, skittering into the corners.

Cambion uses a surge of magic to collapse one of the columns. “Place her there. We’ll need her lying flat to…”

“No,” Silvanus interrupts. “It was my magic that gave the Sacred Oath its power. It was my magic that saved the realms and locked Abedon away. Eilish isn’t only my lover, she was once my pupil. Everything in our lives has been leading us to this moment.”

I step in front of Cambion when he attempts to argue against Silvanus. “What do you need us to do?”

“Barricade the door. If any of Abedon or Elioth’s followers remain, they may come here. No matter what you hear, let no one inside.” Silvanus carries Eilish over to the throne. I grab Cambion by the arm and steer him out of the throne room and into the temple.

“You had no right to agree to this!” he shouts.

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong. Silvanus was the one who was there before any of us. He was the first to nurture her magic, to feel her love. If anyone can reach Eilish wherever she is and help her restore the balance... it’s him.”

“Eilish should have a choice.”

“Thisisher choice, Cambion,” I chuckle dryly. “She said to put the realms first, to set them free no matter the cost. Eilish would give her life to save innocent fae like Noni just as much as she would give her life to save a broken... undeserving false king like me.”

The fight leaves Cambion. Only sadness remains in his gaze. “I love her. And I blame myself for all of this.”

“There’s no use in blaming yourself anymore,” I answer on a sigh. “Or anyone else for that matter.” I inhale deeply. “Silvanus’s plan may still work.”

“Whatplan, Variant?” he asks, moving to stand just inches from my face. His brow pinches into a frown. “Do you know something the rest of us don’t?”

“I’m not certain. It’s just a theory…”

“Tell me.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat and seal the doors behind us. “Baron was able to save Pyre and Aima and prevent Morrigan’s plan to use a dark tantric ritual to break open The Veil.”

Cambion takes a step back, realization creeping into his expression. “Silvanus is going to use the power we gave Eilish to bind himself to her.”

“But he isn’t planning to split guardianship,” I explain. “He’s going to use it to make her his vessel, to give her his divine power.”

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