Page 46 of Crowned By the Shadow
The responsibility she carried was immense. The Eclipse Child, born of sun and moon, destined to face the Void Dragon Empress. It was too much for any one person to bear, yet she shouldered it without complaint.
And what was my role in all this? I was no Eclipse Child, no wielder of ancient artifacts. Just a Sun Court warrior who’d fallen in love with the one person he was forbidden to love. Our soul bond was powerful, yes, but was it enough to make a difference against cosmic forces?
I had to believe it was. Had to believe that my presence at her side meant something, that our connection gave her strength she wouldn’t otherwise have.
Because the alternative? That I was merely a witness to her struggle, powerless to truly help? That was unbearable.
The night deepened around us, stars emerging one by one. In their cold, distant light, I made a silent vow. I might not be able to stop the corruption, might not be able to defeat the Empress alone, but I would stand with Senara until the end. Whatever she faced, she would not face it alone.
And if the time came when a sacrifice was needed, then it would be me, not her. I would take that burden from hershoulders, to be the shield that protected her from the ultimate cost.
She would hate me for it, I knew. Would rage against my choice, would try to stop me. But better her alive and angry than lost to the corruption or sacrificed to cosmic forces beyond our comprehension.
I leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. “Rest well,” I whispered. “I’ll be here when you wake.”
Through our bond, I felt her consciousness stir briefly, a flicker of warmth and affection before she slipped deeper into sleep. Even unconscious, she reached for me, our connection a lifeline for us both.
Whatever came next, whatever battles we faced, we would face it together. Not as Eclipse Child and Sun Court warrior, not as fated champions or cosmic pawns, but as Senara and Thorn. Two souls bound by choice as much as destiny.
And in that bond lay our greatest strength, and perhaps, our only hope.
I settled in for my watch, eyes scanning the darkness beyond our camp. The corruption might spread through Senara’s mark, but her heart remained uncorrupted. Her spirit remained unbowed. As long as that was true, we still had a chance.
And I would die before I let that chance slip away.
As dawn approached,painting the eastern sky with pale fingers of light, I found myself still awake, still watching over Senara. She slept fitfully, occasional tremors running through her body as if she fought battles even in her dreams. Each time, I’d place my hand gently on her shoulder, channeling warmth through our bond until she settled again.
The corruption had spread further overnight, a small but noticeable advance. The dark threads now reached hercollarbone, creeping upward with inexorable patience. At this rate, it would reach her face within days.
We were running out of time.
Wyn stirred first, her twilight-touched eyes opening to the new day. She moved with a grace that hadn’t been there before her transformation, shadows and light dancing across her skin as she stretched.
“You didn’t wake me for my watch,” she said quietly, coming to sit beside me.
“I wasn’t tired,” I replied, which wasn’t entirely untrue. My body might have been exhausted, but my mind was too restless for sleep.
Wyn’s gaze fell on Senara, lingering on the corruption threading through her mark. “It’s spreading faster.”
It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway. “Every time she uses her power, it advances. The transformation you underwent—it took a toll on her.”
“I know.” Guilt flickered across Wyn’s features. “She saved me, and now...”
“She would do it again in a heartbeat,” I said firmly. “Never doubt that.”
Wyn nodded, though the guilt didn’t entirely leave her eyes. “The convergence approaches,” she said after a moment. “I can feel it—the thinning of barriers between realms, the building pressure as cosmic forces align.”
“How long do we have?”
She closed her eyes, concentrating. “Days, if we’re lucky. It’s hard to be precise. The Empress’s influence distorts my perception.”
Not long enough. Not nearly long enough to find a solution to the corruption spreading through Senara’s mark, to understand the artifacts’ true purpose, to rally allies against the coming darkness.
“We need to reach the courts,” I said, thinking aloud. “Make them understand what’s happening. United, we might stand a chance.”
Wyn’s expression turned skeptical. “The courts that declared you traitors? That imprisoned Sebastian for daring to love across court boundaries? That have spent centuries maintaining divisions that serve no purpose but their own power?”
Her words stung because they held the truth. The fae courts had rejected Senara, rejected our bond, rejected the very idea that Moon and Sun could coexist in harmony. Why would they listen now?
