Chapter 28
I once hated Shadow Ire Castle.
I had hated the way it should have been dark and dingy everywhere, but somehow everything was white and light instead. I hated the maze-like hallways and the way Mount Kharos was perched in the distance from nearly every window, taunting me.
For countless years, I had dwelled in this castle and never once appreciated it.
Until now.
Maren, panting for breath and shivering beneath her giant coat, stood next to me as we stood outside the gate, staring up at Shadow Ire.
It loomed like it always did, pieces of it crumbling, dead vines enclosing other parts entirely.
Once upon a time, it used to be the envy of the four kingdoms—a magnificent castle passed down through the centuries.
But now it was merely a shadow of what it used to be.
The curse had not been kind to the building, decades of decay causing entire wings of the structure to crumble, dead vines devouring the stones.
Until the curse was broken, there was nothing I, or anyone, could do to stop it. It was inevitable. For the first time, I felt a pang of sadness at the sight.
Standing here with Maren, who looked up at it in awe, I felt a glimmer of affection for the castle I had been trapped in for so long. It suddenly didn’t seem as full of shadows as it once was.
Perhaps it was the light that Maren brought with her that chased them away.
Maren let out a shivering breath. “We made it.” The relief was palpable.
It had been decades since I had journeyed to Mount Kharos and back, and I had forgotten just how long and miserable the trip could be, especially since Eroth had started deteriorating.
Out of the corner of my eye, the Scorching Rivers came into view, slowly creeping toward us, seeking a meal. Instinctively, I reached for my magic, ready to push them back, but nothing happened.
I tried again. Still nothing.
They crept closer.
Maren noticed then and looked up at me, a crease forming between her brows. I appreciated that she didn’t ask me why I wasn’t doing anything to stop the lava from reaching us. For the first time, it felt as though she had an inkling of trust in me.
It had been so long since anyone had trusted me that it was almost intoxicating. I found myself suddenly wanting to give her more reasons to put her faith in me.
I pulled one final time, forcing my drained magic to bend to my will.
Golden magic finally appeared in my palms, and relief swept over me.
Not gone then, just severely depleted.
The golden light pushed the Scorching Rivers back, and I swore I heard them hiss in response. Before it disappeared, my magic pushed the gates open, and I waved Maren inside where the wards would hopefully continue to keep the lava out.
With the way my magic had been failing to keep danger away from us, I didn’t know how long Shadow Ire would remain safe.
I still couldn’t figure out what had happened with the tent.
I must’ve let go of the magic while I was sleeping.
I had to believe that, otherwise I had to face the harsh reality that my magic was truly beginning to fail.
If that were the case, the castle might not be safe to dwell in much longer.
It could be weeks before the Scorching Rivers devoured Shadow Ire, or it could be mere hours.
If the castle fell, there was nowhere to go, especially for a human.
Cross that bridge when you come to it, Rhydian. Focus on the next task while you still can.
Maren and I hurried across the courtyard and up the stairs, each taking a full, unhindered breath once the doors were safely closed behind us.
“We made it,” she repeated beneath her breath.
I couldn’t help myself. “I’m just as shocked as you are.”
Her scowl was almost…cute. An unfamiliar sensation swallowed my insides at the sight of it. What is that about?
I couldn’t allow myself to be attracted to her. There was only one way all of this ended, and it wasn’t with us together.
Something pushed against the edges of my magic, and I glanced out a nearby window to find the Scorching Rivers daring to get closer.
Maren’s brow furrowed as she turned to see what I was looking at.
I fought and yanked for the pitiful amount of magic currently running through my veins to appear, and barely managed to force the Rivers backward until they were once again where they should have been all along.
Sweat beaded on my forehead from the effort, which infuriated me.
Magic like that used to be as easy as breathing.
Now it took every bit of strength I had.
It was just a brutal reminder that my time was almost up.
I hoped a good meal and a long rest would be enough to strengthen it once more.
Not that I had the luxury of rest. Not when I could feel the seconds tick tick ticking away like the pulse of my heart.
“Come on,” I said, placing my hand over Maren’s lower back and nudging her toward the stairs. I didn’t miss the way she relaxed into my hand, or the slight red tint that colored her cheeks. “Let’s get you to your room before you collapse from exhaustion.”
“What about the second task?”
“It can wait until we get a few more hours of sleep. It’ll help neither of us if you pass out again.”
Though her mouth opened to protest, the heaviness of the journey weighed down each of her steps, and her lips pressed together.
For once, she didn’t argue with me and started up the stairs.
With her back to me, I glanced out the window once more to make sure the Rivers weren’t sneaking their way inside, satisfied to find them where they should be.
I’d never cared much about the Scorching Rivers before. They used to keep to themselves, and I paid them no mind. But then the curse happened and they became violent, corrupted, seeking out any life they could find and devouring it.
What I had said to Maren was true. Eroth hadn’t always been like this. It may have always been a land of night and darkness, but it hadn’t always been a land full of death and danger.
No, that was Nefaroth. A truly foul and wicked place.
“Is your magic going to continue protecting the castle?” Maren asked once we got to the top of the stairs, those gray eyes piercing straight through me like arrows. “If it didn’t keep a tent safe, how do you know it’ll guard this?” She gestured to the ceiling with a sweep of her hand.
“It’ll keep.”
“How do you know?”
Anger flared white-hot through my veins, and I hated the doubt shining in her eyes. I wanted that trust from before back. I skidded to a halt, tugging her to a stop. “I said it will keep.”
A flicker of hurt flashed across her face, and she yanked her wrist from my hand, rubbing it against her chest. In the span of three seconds, every emotion on her face disappeared beneath the mask she liked to hide behind.
I tried to use my magic to decipher what she was feeling, but it was either too weak still or she had done a masterful job at tucking her emotions away.
Maren was still rubbing her wrist and it was then that I noticed the fading bruise that lingered there. It was an ugly shade of yellow now and would probably be gone in a day or two. The sight of it had an inexplicable need to protect her suddenly flaring deep inside me.
I counted to five, forcing my breaths to slow until the anger weakened and then dissolved altogether.
Shame was a dark cloud hanging over my head.
I knew I shouldn’t have snapped at her, but it was difficult enough seeing what was happening to my magic, to my kingdom, let alone having her doubt my ability to keep her safe.
I fixed my gaze on her arm, nodding toward it as I asked, “Who did that to you?”
She turned on her heel and stalked down the hall, still cradling her wrist.
With a sigh, I quickened my steps to catch up with her. “Maren, wait.”
She froze, her foot pausing mid-step. Her back remained to me and I wished she would face me, if only so I could see her eyes.
“I…” An apology sat on my tongue, just waiting to be uttered, but the words wouldn’t come out. I was Prince Rhydian Malathar. I didn’t apologize to anyone.
At least until now.
But the words wouldn’t come, no matter how hard I tried.
In the end, a frustrated sigh slipped between my lips. I took her arm with gentle fingers and turned her to face me, then took the wrist she had been cradling into my hands. I kept my touch light, barely a whisper, studying the fading bruise.
Her only reaction was a sudden intake of breath when I touched her, but she didn’t flinch or pull away.
“Maren?” I met her gray eyes, and they sucked me in. I couldn’t look away. How could a human have such magic over me? She didn’t speak aloud, but her head cocked as if to say, What?
I tore my eyes from hers, looking once more at her bruised wrist, running a finger over it. Goosebumps rippled down her arm.
“Who did this to you?” I repeated, voice quiet, not wanting to break this strange moment we had fallen into.
The toes of our boots were touching, and it would only take a shift of my weight to lean into her, to kiss—
That’s enough, Rhydian. She is not for you.
I forced the thought to stop in its tracks. I couldn’t take such a risk. What were these feelings anyway? I’d never felt anything like this, least of all for a human.
I was so lost in my thoughts—and trying to stop them—that it startled me when she finally answered.
“Do you really want to know?”
The sadness in her voice made me release her wrist. She dropped it to her side. The air inexplicably felt colder without her skin on mine.
“Only if you want to tell me,” I replied. I wasn’t going to force information from her when I had barely shared anything at all.
Her eyes dropped to the ground, and a familiar emotion surged in her mind, my magic instantly grasping onto it. It wasn’t difficult to decipher, as I had just felt it myself minutes ago.
Shame.