Page 55 of Soul of Thorns
“Caelynn!” I scream. I spin, looking for her.No.
No. She can’t be gone.
I can’t lose her now. Not like this.
I wait, moments stretching out into infinity—eternity without her. It will destroy me, suffocate me.
I can’t.
My soul rips at the thought that she could possibly be gone. I pull myself onto wobbly feet and stare at the flame, preparing to reenter the magical wall—even if it means facing the wraiths on the other side. I’m not giving up on her. Not now.
“What did you do?” A deep and furious voice rumbles behind me.
I blink back tears, my chest tight, and I turn to find the black wraith staring at me, dumbstruck. Caelynn’s ancestor that wants her to live and me to die. His face is contorted with rage.
“Caelynn,” is all I can manage to force out. I point toward the wall of flame.
His billowing smoke pops and crackles like a fire. “You...” he accuses. “You’ve destroyed her. Over and over.” His eyes flash red. “And you woulddareto lose her now? Likethis?” he screams, and when he flies at me, I barely have the strength to fight back.
Caelynn
Fire quakes aroundme as it takes hold of my body. Everything else falls away until there are only roaring red flames tearing into my soul.
I arch my back, hair flying as pain explodes behind my eyes.
Memories bombard me, but they flash so fast I can barely register them. All the things I once wanted but were taken from me. Things I’d let go of so long ago.
My vision turns entirely black. I blink, but I can’t tell the difference. There is no sound. Silence isn’t a strong enough of a word to define it. I can’t hear or feel my own breath.
Am I... alive? I can’t tell.
The tiniest of lights glow softly in the distance. I move toward it, though I’m not certain if I’m stepping. Do I even have a body? I can’t feel it. I can’t feel anything at all.
The little flame, smaller than a match’s light, flickers. Darkness presses in on it. The wind begins to blow—the first sound I’ve heard since... I don’t know when. Since I’ve been here? Wherever here is.
The wind picks up speed, whipping at the tiny helpless flame. My heart aches, somehow knowing this flame is important.
