Chapter 23
Chapter
Twenty-Three
The sun painted long shadows across Malik's lawn as it sank toward the horizon. Daniel stood at the window, watching the light fade, his heart beating a slow, heavy rhythm in his chest. It was almost time.
Jamie approached from behind, his footsteps quiet on the thick carpet. "Any chance I can get you to just come home with me?"
"None." Daniel bit his lower lip. He had to do this, couldn't abandon Caelen to his suffering when there was something he could do about it, however small the chance. "He's dying, Jamie. Every moment Morthul possesses him kills him a little more."
Jamie looked out the window as well. "I don't like these Barrier Keepers."
"I think they're the only chance I have." Daniel turned to his brother. "I don't like this either, but even if their plan might kill him, letting Morthul keep him will definitely kill him. At least this way there's hope."
Jamie was about to respond when something seemed to catch his eye. "Look."
A shimmer in the air announced the Barrier Keepers' arrival. They materialized on the front lawn, three figures in their elaborate robes. Elysia in silver and black, Tarian and Galen flanking her as usual. The sight of them made Daniel's chest tighten. He forced himself to breathe.
"Here we go," he muttered. Jamie's hand found his shoulder and squeezed.
Daniel made himself walk to the front door. Behind him, he heard the others gathering. Knox's determined footsteps, Adrian's worried whispers, Leon's words of caution. It was good to have his friends around, but ultimately…
This was something he had to do by himself.
The evening air was cool on his face as he stepped onto the front porch. Elysia's gaze zeroed in on him.
"Have you made your decision?" she asked without preamble.
Daniel swallowed. "First, tell me again exactly what will happen to Caelen."
That was really all he cared about anymore.
"As we explained before, we will use your connection to him to channel an immense amount of power." Elysia's voice was steady, clinical. "The surge should burn through his magic and burn out the dark god possessing him."
"And it might kill him."
"Yes." At least she didn't try to soften it. "The process will strain his system beyond anything a mortal body was meant to handle. Even with his fae blood, he may not survive."
Briefly, Daniel closed his eyes.
God, he hated hearing that. Thinking that he might be condemning Caelen to death. But death was also what awaited him if Daniel didn't act.
Caelen was supposed to be Morthul's downfall. Maybe Daniel could help him make that prophecy come true after all.
He opened his eyes. "I'll help you." He sounded surer than he felt. "But I want your word that you'll do everything you can to keep him alive through this."
Elysia's eyes met his, silvery bright in the fading light. "You have it. Though I warn you, even our best efforts may not be enough."
Daniel swallowed. "I get it." He didn't say more than that because he didn't want to cry.
Whatever happened, he would face it.
"We should begin immediately," Elysia said. "The timing of sunset is significant for this kind of bridging magic."
Inside, they followed Elysia's instructions. Daniel lay back on the leather couch in Malik's library, a room full of objects from Veridia, trying to ignore the way everyone watched him. Zev stood by the door, arms crossed, while Adrian hovered nearby, wringing his hands. Jamie remained closest, refusing to leave his side.
"You must relax," Elysia said, placing her fingers against Daniel's temples. Her touch was cool. "I need to find the connection between you and the Shadow King."
Daniel closed his eyes and tried to breathe evenly. He felt Elysia's magic seep into him, an uncomfortable pulling sensation in his gut, like hooks catching and tugging at something deep inside him.
Then, clear as a bell in his mind: Daniel, no.
Daniel's body jerked. That was Caelen's voice, and he was not happy about this. Of course not. But Daniel couldn't let that stop him. I'm doing this for you.
"Stay still." Elysia's magic tightened its grip, and Daniel's breath caught in his throat.
Daniel, please. Caelen's voice was strained, desperate in a way that tugged at Daniel's heart in a manner different from Elysia's magic tugging at him. Don't let them do this.
"Something's wrong," Daniel managed. He tried to sit up, but Elysia's power held him in place. The pulling sensation was growing stronger, almost painful.
Jamie stepped forward. "Stop. You're hurting him."
"The process is uncomfortable," Tarian said from somewhere behind the couch. "It's a massive amount of magic."
"It's fine," Daniel gasped out. "I can handle it."
No, you can't. Caelen's voice again. Daniel!
He cut off as Elysia found whatever she'd been searching for inside of Daniel.
Magic surged through Daniel like electricity, burning through every nerve ending. His muscles locked, his jaw clenched so tight he thought his teeth might crack. He couldn't move, couldn't scream, could barely even breathe through the overwhelming force of it.
Daniel, stop this. Caelen's sounded quieter, difficult to hear over the white noise of pain in his mind. Stop this now.
But Daniel couldn't stop. He was only a conduit now, no longer in control of his body.
It's okay, he tried to send his thoughts back to Caelen. I'm putting an end to all of this.
One way or another.
You're putting an end to yourself!
Oh.
Realization hit Daniel through the haze of pain. The Barrier Keepers had been very specific about the risks to Caelen, but they'd never mentioned what channeling this much power might do to him . His body wasn't meant to handle this kind of magic, either.
This didn't change the fact that Daniel couldn't stop now.
He didn't want to die.
Hell no.
He wanted to live and be with Caelen and have sex in real life rather than in a dreamscape. He wanted to apologize to his brother for all the pain he caused and help him and his bookstore be wildly successful.
But…
If he had to die here, at least it would be the sort of tragic ending that befitted a great romance?
He would die to free Caelen.
It was an ending worthy of a story. Worthy of the kind of love he'd always hoped to find.
I can do this for you. Give this for you.
It was this sentiment he clung to as his body grew hot, magic radiating through every cell of it.
No, Caelen's voice came again, a desperate edge to it that Daniel had never heard before. NO!
The last word wasn't just in his head anymore. It reverberated through the library, real and immediate. Daniel struggled to force his eyes open.
There, in the middle of Malik's library, was Caelen. He was on his knees, caught in the same crushing pressure as Daniel, but his beautiful face was transformed with fury. Despite the pain clearly wracking his own body, his green eyes blazed with such intensity that Daniel could focus on nothing else.
"Cae…" He did not get the full word out before his vision blurred.