10. Darkness
10
DARKNESS
WYNSTELLE
M y anger has me seeing red. I can’t take the madness of kings and power-hungry mages. I want it all to stop. I just want to go home and love my mates.
My breathing turns ragged, and my body shakes.
Oakes turns to me, his eyes filled with bewilderment. “Why?” he whispers.
Coming back to my surroundings, I blink in confusion, “Why what ?”
Oakes opens his mouth to answer, but the commotion cuts his reply short. Soldiers are chasing the ghouls, their swords drawn.
The ghouls’ cowed demeanor flares into unbridled violence in response—it’s even more vicious than I expect. A moment ago, they were running, but now I see the rage I just felt reflected in their eyes. With their poisonous claws, they slice open the Elven soldiers at the gateway.
“Did I—” I begin to ask what I fear.
Merlara curses and cuts me off. “Your anger. You influenced the ghouls into a fit of rage.”
“Goddess, no!” I cry out, feeling ashamed of my lack of control.
“All of you… GO! ” Eldrin commands. “While the ghouls distract the soldiers.” He points at Oakes, then at me. “Get her through. Now.”
Oakes looks hesitant.
“Come on. They will all come after us,” Jaden agrees, waving Merlara to hurry through the portal with me.
“I’m sorry!” I say over and over as if I could erase what I’ve done.
“Hush!” Merlara snaps. “Don’t draw their attention to you.”
But it’s too late, I’ve already attracted the ghouls’ notice.
Merlara kicks her horse full tilt toward the portal. The rest of our group follows hot on her trail—Jaden, Daylor, and Baelen bringing up the rear.
By the time we all make it to the other side of the portal, only a dozen ghouls remain. None of Turgon’s soldiers have survived.
Dazed, the ghouls appear confused by their actions. They turn away from the bloodbath and run through the portal. Since they don’t seem to be caught up in a frenzy any longer, Jaden allows them to pass back into Elfhame.
“Go home,” Eldrin orders the ghouls with a touch of compassion. “Better yet, go to another Elven kingdom far from this one until this battle is resolved.”
The ghouls study him for a moment but don’t argue, which probably means they agree with his suggestion. They rush off, heading south.
“Daylor and Baelen, trail after them for a bit to check that they are leaving the area,” Jaden orders.
I cover my face with my hands in shame. I never intended to cause such destruction with my anger. Ironically, that’s what I was angry about—the devastation caused by others.
Eldrin jumps down from his horse and hurries over to me. With care, he pulls me off Merlara’s saddle to stand in front of him. I collapse into his arms, my knees weakened with my grief. He catches me before I fall and holds me against his chest.
Then, with a gentle hand, he lifts my chin to look into his eyes. “Wynstelle,” he whispers. “This wasn’t your fault.”
“But… it was . I didn’t mean to…” My heart feels ready to crumble.
I’m dangerous.
“Your powers are new, and you didn’t know what was happening until it was too late.”
“Then I don’t want these powers!” I shout and push against his solid chest, but he doesn’t budge.
Eldrin pulls me tightly to him and holds me close, to the point I’m unsure I can breathe. “I know. I don’t want mine either. Our power comes with a lot of responsibility. However, we can make up for what happened here by using our power to stop more of this madness.”
My erratic breathing levels out, and I wipe my face. “But what if I?—”
“No what-ifs,” he interrupts. “I need you to remember this moment so you can stop me if I allow my darkness to take me over again.”
“What? No. This wasn’t you.” As I gaze into his stormy blue eyes, I see they are a thunderous dark gray. I’m getting a glimpse of his shadow self—the side Jaden warned me about when people are faced with war.
“Actually, I believe it was me. You only amplified my anger. Or perhaps we were both triggered by our rage for this situation because we feel helpless to stop this.”
My eyes widen. “So, it wasn’t just me?”
“I think Eldrin’s correct,” Oakes interjects. “Your bond likely mirrored your emotions back and forth to each other, amplifying them, until your combined power became unstoppable. I’m so sorry I only noticed it too late and couldn’t do anything to stop it.”
It’s my magic, and I have to take ownership of my mistakes. Taking the blame because I should have been more aware of what was happening, I say, “No. It’s my fault. I should have realized?—”
Jaden growls.
When I turn to look at him, his violet eyes seem to burrow into me. Jaden says with a tight voice, “We all need to be more aware of ourselves—our emotions.”
Eldrin narrows his eyes at his friend and advisor. “We don’t all have over a century of training our emotions as you do. You don’t seem to be mastering yours right now, either.”
Jaden softens his stance and sighs heavily. “You’re correct. My emotions are running high with my newly formed bonds. But I won’t let you lay all the responsibility for your anger on Wyn. It’s not her duty to monitor your emotions and bring you back from your darkness.”
“Wynstelle is strong enough,” the prince says, his voice taking on an edge.
Jaden stares at me as he speaks to Eldrin. “I know that she’s strong. Much stronger than we initially gave her credit for. Likely stronger than we are. But we all need to keep ourselves in check. When you confront your father or King Nathaniel, you might lose yourself to your rage. And if she can’t call you back to your senses, Wyn will blame herself for the fallout.”
“He makes a good point,” Oakes agrees. “Eldrin, you need to keep yourself in check.”
Princess Twyla clears her throat. When all eyes are on her, she gestures toward the still open and unattended portal. “Now that the ghouls have returned home, you should deal with King Magnus and Turgon. And I should try to return to the castle with Rhys. I will attempt to convince my father—” Twyla stumbles on the word father as she glances at me, then corrects herself. “I should try to persuade King Nathaniel to find a peaceful solution to this invasion.”
“That is not a good idea,” Eldrin disagrees. “How will you get around the Elven soldiers surrounding the castle? Besides, Mage Idril is still out there. She might turn her power against you next time you meet, especially if she realizes you are a threat to her plan. No, we are going with you. I will attempt to break the spell on the Elven soldiers and then send them home before they do any more damage.”
“But—” Twyla protests.
“What is the issue?” Eldrin asks, his voice laced with suspicion. “Why are you trying to send me away before I’m finished with what I have set out to do?”
“Enough.” Oakes maneuvers his horse closer to Eldrin so that he can make eye contact with the prince. I sense unspoken warnings exchanged between my mates. Then Oakes turns back to Twyla. “We need to bring the soldiers back. They will not fade and die within days like the ghouls would have. They will be a constant threat until we deal with them.”
Eldrin grimaces at both Twyla and Rhys. “Also… I will not be pleased if you die.”
“I won’t be pleased either, Your Highness. So I’ll do my best to avoid that fate,” Rhys chuckles. “For your sake.”
Eldrin smirks. “I’d appreciate it.” His smile fades, and his demeanor turns serious again.
When the ghouls are long gone, Daylor and Baelen return to report. “They are continuing south with no indication they are planning on turning back.”
“Good.” Eldrin waves everyone through the portal, and we quickly ride through, returning to the mortal realm. “Close it,” Eldrin orders.
Daylor complies, sealing shut the passageway between the two realms.