Page 27 of Crowned By the Shadow
Senara mirrored my stance beside me; together we formed a barrier between our friends and impending doom. The firstwave of feral fae lunged toward us, claws extended and mouths snarling with hunger.
I unleashed a beam of light that cut through their ranks like a hot knife through butter, scattering ash into the air.
“Thorn!” Senara called urgently as another wave approached.
I shot another blast toward them just in time, but felt exhaustion creeping in, a familiar sensation during intense fights that threatened to weaken my resolve.
“Keep moving!” I shouted. My words were directed at Ronan and the villagers as they made their escape into the safety of the trees beyond our battle zone, but also served as a lure for the feral fae, distracting them from the helpless villagers and making them focus on us instead.
Finally, the last of the feral fae fell beneath our combined might, disintegrating into shadows and ash. I took a moment to catch my breath, my heart still racing from the battle. The woods behind us were eerily quiet now, the tension replaced by an unsettling stillness.
“Let’s move,” Senara urged, her voice a mixture of urgency and determination.
We pressed deeper into the Whispering Woods, following the fading trail left by Ronan and the villagers. I could feel the weight of Senara’s anxiety as we navigated through tangled branches and low-hanging vines.
When we finally spotted Ronan standing at the edge of a clearing, relief washed over me. He was panting, but he held his ground as we approached.
“Are they safe?” I asked.
He nodded, though his eyes flickered with concern. “For now. But we can’t linger. We need to keep moving.”
Senara wasted no time in getting to the point. “We can’t stay long. We need to rescue Wyn.”
Ronan’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”
I stepped forward, bracing myself for Ronan’s reaction, as I knew he had a soft spot for the little mage. “Wyn has been taken. She’s being used as bait for Senara.”
Shock registered on Ronan’s face, his mouth falling open slightly before he could compose himself. A murmur rippled through the villagers who had gathered around us, their expressions a mix of disbelief and fear.
“Bait?” Ronan echoed, his voice strained as he processed the information. “Why? Who would do that?”
“It’s a long story. A lot has happened since you have been away, brother,” I replied, trying to keep my tone steady despite how much it hurt to see this unfold before us. “Certain parties want Senara to come to the Obsidian Keep.”
“What?!” Ronan snapped, frustration creeping into his tone. His shout turned into a hissed whisper. “You’re telling me that the dragons are still around? I thought they were extinct!”
“I know it sounds insane,” I said quickly, desperate to maintain control over our situation. “But we have no time to get into the details or for hesitation. Somehow I felt the urgency of your need and we came to help since it wasn’t far, but?—”
Senara shifted beside me; her hand brushed against my arm in a gesture meant to steady us both. Her gaze met mine, determined yet filled with something else that made my chest tighten.
“I can’t wait any longer,” she declared suddenly, pulling away from me with purpose in her voice that sent a jolt through my heart. “If you’d rather stay here with Ronan while I go after Wyn, I can make that work…”
“No.” My voice came out sharper than intended; hurt laced through my words as they echoed in the clearing between us.
Ronan looked between us uneasily but didn’t interject; instead, he turned away for a moment to gather himself.
I hated hearing those words from her lips. The thought of losing her haunted me more than any battle ever could, but fatigue blurred reason and made it hard to argue effectively.
“Thorn,” she continued softly when Ronan had stepped aside briefly, “I have to do this.”
“You don’t have to do it alone,” I insisted quietly but firmly, trying to keep my emotions at bay while battling internal conflict about what came next for us all.
“I’ll be fine,” she replied too quickly; determination lined every syllable despite her unsteady hands clenching into fists.
Ronan returned moments later with a small pack slung over his shoulder, a look of resolution settling on his features that struck me harder than any physical blow could have done.
“I’m coming with you,” he announced without hesitation.
“What? No! They need you!” I protested immediately; gesturing to the villagers as panic surged through me. He didn’t know what he was signing up for, not really, and I didn’t have the time to explain it all to him, especially when there were ears perked all around the clearing.
