Page 52 of Crowned By the Shadow
The door swung open, and Van staggered out first, his eyes widening as he took in Wyn’s transformed appearance.
“What happened to you?” he asked, his voice a mixture of awe and concern.
“Long story,” she replied with a small smile. “One I’ll tell when we’re safely away from here.”
Volker followed more slowly, leaning heavily on Van for support. His face was tight with pain, but his eyes were sharp as ever, always seeing more than made me comfortable.
“You shouldn’t have come back,” he said, though gratitude was clear in his voice. “This place is more dangerous than you know.”
“We know enough,” I said, helping to support his other side. “And we weren’t about to leave you here.”
“Eldric—” Volker began.
“We’ve faced him before,” Thorn cut in. “And we’ll face him again if necessary. But right now, we need to move.”
We turned back toward the entrance, Van and Volker between us. But before we could take more than a few steps, an icy voice echoed through the chamber.
“Leaving so soon? After I went to such trouble to arrange special accommodations for your friends?”
Eldric stood in the doorway, his half-dragon form even more pronounced than before. The corruption had spread further across his face, leaving only a small portion still recognizable. Behind him, shadow soldiers materialized from the darkness, their weapons raised.
I pushed Van and Volker behind me, the Moon Blades blazing in my hands. “Stand aside, Eldric. We’re leaving, all of us.”
He laughed, the sound echoing unnaturally in the confined space. “Are you? And how do you propose to manage that? Your last escape was... costly.” His corrupted eyes gleamed with anger.
Rage flared within me, hot and bright. The Moon Blades responded, their light intensifying until the shadows retreated from around us.
“Not as costly as you believe,” Wyn said, stepping forward. Light and shadow danced across her skin as she faced Eldric.“You offered me corruption, but I found balance instead. You failed.”
Eldric’s eyes narrowed as he studied her, head cocked to one side like a confused dog. “Interesting. The Twilight Mage emerges, but not as intended. The Empress will be... displeased.”
“I don’t serve her,” Wyn said firmly. “And neither should you.”
“You think you understand, little mageling?” Eldric’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “You’ve tasted the void, felt its power. But you’ve only scratched the surface of what it offers.”
While they spoke, I felt Ronan shift slightly behind me, positioning himself closer to Van and Volker. Thorn moved as well, angling to protect our flank. We were outnumbered, trapped in a confined space with limited options for escape.
But we had something Eldric didn’t expect, Wyn’s new powers.
I caught her eye, a silent question passing between us. She gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“You’re right about one thing, Eldric,” I said, keeping his attention on me. “I am persistent. And I’m leaving with my friends, whether you stand aside or not.”
His scaled lips curved in a mockery of a smile. “Such confidence. Such delusion. The convergence is days away, Eclipse Child. The Empress will soon walk free, and all realms will know her glory.”
“Or her destruction,” I countered.
“Transformation,” he corrected. “Evolution. The weak call it destruction because they fear what they cannot understand.”
The words were eerily similar to what the Empress had said in my dream. I wondered how much of Eldric’s mind was still his own, and how much belonged to her now.
“Enough talk,” I said, raising the Moon Blades. “Last chance, Eldric. Stand aside.”
He laughed again, spreading his arms wide. “Make me.”
In that moment, Wyn struck. Shadows erupted from around her, engulfing the chamber in absolute darkness. I heard Eldric’s startled cry, felt Thorn’s hand grab mine, guiding me forward.
“Now!” Wyn’s voice cut through the darkness. “Follow me!”
