Page 55 of Crowned By the Shadow
Ronan had already taken up a position at the edge of our small clearing, his sharp eyes scanning the trees. “No sign of pursuit yet, but Eldric won’t give up easily.”
“No, he won’t,” Volker agreed grimly, wincing as I gently unwrapped the filthy bandage from his arm. “He’s obsessed with the convergence, with what he calls the ‘awakening.’ He questioned us endlessly about you, Senara, and about the artifacts. I think the corruption in him has addled his brain slightly, though, at least based on some of his ramblings.”
“What did you tell him?” Thorn asked, his voice carefully neutral.
“Nothing of value,” Van answered. “Though he seemed to know much already.” He glanced at Wyn again. “Your transformation was part of his plan all along, though I suspect the outcome wasn’t what he intended.”
Wyn nodded, shadows dancing across her skin as she moved closer. “He wanted to make me a vessel for the Empress, a conduit between worlds. Instead...”
“Instead, you found balance,” I finished for her, smiling at my friend despite the gravity of our situation.
“The convergence,” Volker said suddenly, his scholarly demeanor reasserting itself despite his pain. “Did Eldric mention when exactly it would occur?”
I shook my head. “Only that it was approaching. Why?”
Volker’s expression grew troubled. “During our captivity, I overheard the guards talking. The celestial alignment thatweakens the cosmic prison happens only once every thousand years.”
“And?” Ronan prompted, still watching the treeline.
“And according to their calculations, it begins within the next day.”
A heavy silence fell over our group. The news stole the breath from my lungs.
One day.
We had one day to prepare for the Empress’s return, figure out how to use the artifacts, and somehow stop a cosmic entity from consuming all realms.
“Are you certain?” Thorn asked, his voice tight as his own shock and fear echoed mine through our bond.
Volker nodded wearily. “The shadow dragons are precise in their astronomical calculations. If they say tomorrow, then tomorrow it is.”
“Then we have no time to waste,” I said, forcing strength into my voice despite the fear gnawing at my insides. “We need to?—”
My words cut off as Wyn suddenly stiffened, her twilight eyes going wide. She stood perfectly still, her body rigid, as if listening to something none of us could hear.
“Wyn?” I reached for her, alarmed by the vacant expression that had overtaken her face.
She didn’t respond, didn’t even seem to notice my touch. Her eyes had gone completely black, the starlight within them extinguished. For a terrifying moment, I thought the corruption had returned, that Eldric had somehow reclaimed his hold on her.
“What’s happening to her?” Van asked, rising to his feet despite his exhaustion.
Before anyone could answer, Wyn gasped, her eyes returning to their twilight state. She swayed slightly, and I caught her arm to steady her.
“Wyn! Are you alright?”
She blinked rapidly, focusing on my face with effort. “I... I saw it,” she whispered. “The convergence. It’s not tomorrow.”
“What do you mean?” Volker asked, leaning forward despite his injury.
Wyn’s eyes met mine. Fear and certainty mingled in their depths. “It’s happening now. The celestial bodies are already beginning to align. Soon the prison will be at its weakest.”
“That’s impossible,” Volker protested. “The calculations?—”
“Were wrong,” Wyn cut him off. “Or deliberately falsified. The Empress... I can feel her pressing against the edges of our world. Her power grows with each passing moment.”
I exchanged a look with Thorn, seeing my dread reflected in his eyes. “How long do we have?”
“Hours,” Wyn replied, her voice steadying as she regained her composure. “By sunrise, the veil between worlds will be thin enough for her to break through completely.”
