Chapter 25 Silver
Silver
The moment I landed at the Widdershins Academy gate, I was off like a shot.
I knew my father wasn’t far behind me. It would take him a moment to gather his men and there was a slight chance the academy security would hold them at the gate for a minute or two.
But that still didn’t leave me much time.
I had to find Ash.
Thanking my lucky stars that I was smart enough to keep my student ID on me, I stepped through the wards without any issue, the familiar warmth washing over me.
They were back up and running even though Ash had punched a hole in them the day before.
However, security on campus didn’t look like it had been increased. That was a good sign.
As soon as I was through the wards, I called on my twilight magic.
For four years I’d been forcing it down, not using it on campus in case someone might recognize my family’s particular flare or power.
But now it didn’t matter. I let the purple energy crackle around me as I reached out through the mate bond, enhancing my senses with magic.
There was a faint but unmistakable connection. I felt a flicker of Ash through the bond, distant but alive. The bond was threadbare, stretched so thin it barely registered, but it was there and that’s all that mattered. My heart leapt even as relief and terror warred in my chest.
He was still in the mortal realm. That was good. But the bond felt wrong somehow, muted in a way that made my stomach clench with dread.
I took off running toward the academic buildings, my feet pounding against the cobblestones.
Students scattered out of my way, their eyes widening as they caught sight of the purple energy crackling around me.
I didn’t care about the attention anymore.
Let them stare. Let them gossip. None of it mattered if I couldn’t reach Ash in time.
The bond pulled me toward Professor Blackwood’s office. Of course. If anyone knew where Ash was, it would be her. I burst through the building’s entrance, taking the stairs three at a time. My lungs burned but I pushed harder, faster, the crystal from Caldwell still warm in my pocket.
I rounded the corner to her office and nearly collided with the door as it swung open. Professor Blackwood stood there, her expression grim but unsurprised.
“Mr. Erestolal,” she gasped, stepping aside. “H-How…”
“Where is he?” I demanded, not bothering to let her finish. “Where’s Ash?”
Professor Blackwood’s eyes widened, and she glanced past me down the hallway like she was checking for pursuit. “He’s with Confiance. The real Confiance Eveninglight—not the apprentice who performed the examination.”
My heart stuttered. “Where?”
“I don’t know exactly,” she admitted, her hand gripping the doorframe. “But Mr. Vale, you need to understand something. Confiance went to find him to bring him back for—”
“For the severance,” I finished, my voice hollow. “I know. My father gave the Council three days.”
Her expression shifted to something like pity. “Then you know what they’re planning. Ash agreed to it, Silver. He’s willing to sever the bond to save you.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. My knees nearly buckled, and I had to catch myself against the wall. “He what?”
“Confiance told me before she left. She found him in China, and when she explained the situation, he agreed immediately.” Professor Blackwood stepped closer, her voice dropping. “He’s doing this because he loves you. Because he thinks it’s the only way to keep you safe.”
“No.” The word came out strangled. “No, he can’t—he doesn’t understand what that means. It’ll kill him!”
“He knows,” she said quietly. “Confiance was very clear about the consequences.”
I couldn’t breathe. The hallway seemed to tilt around me, and I felt my magic surge wildly in response to my panic.
Purple energy crackled along the walls, making the lights flicker.
Ash was going to die. He was going to sacrifice himself, and I’d never even gotten the chance to explain, to apologize, to tell him that none of the lies mattered compared to losing him, and that, most of all, I wanted to remain his mate.
“Where are they?” I demanded again, pushing off the wall. “Professor, please. I have to stop this.”
She hesitated, conflict clear on her face. “If I tell you, I’ll be defying the Elder Council and your father. There will be consequences—”
“I don’t care about consequences!” My voice echoed down the empty hallway. “I don’t care about the Council or my father or the Twilight Realm or any of it! Ash is about to kill himself because he thinks that’s what I need, and I have to stop him before it’s too late!”
Professor Blackwood studied me for a long moment, then sighed. “They’re at the Council chambers. It’s a neutral ground between realms.”
“How do I get there?”
She let out a long sigh. “Come on. It’s accessible through a portal in the Dean’s office.” She pulled out her wand and headed down the hall. I followed her without question. “I assume your father is right behind you?”
I nodded. “Most likely. Probably with a small army.”
“Then we’ll need to be quick.”
We rushed through the corridors, Professor Blackwood’s heels clicking rapidly against the stone floor.
My heart hammered in my chest, each beat a painful reminder of how little time I had.
The mate bond pulled at me, that thin thread connecting me to Ash feeling more fragile with every passing second.
When we reached the Dean’s office, Mr. Thornfield was already there, looking haggard and worn. His eyes widened when he saw me.
“Prince Erestolal,” he said, standing quickly. “I thought you were—”
“Doesn’t matter,” I cut him off. “I need to get to the Council chambers. Now.”
He exchanged a glance with Professor Blackwood, then nodded slowly. “The portal is behind my desk. But Silver, you need to understand—if you interrupt a Council proceeding, there could be serious repercussions.”
“I understand.” My voice came out steadier than I felt. “But I’d rather face the Council’s wrath than live without Ash.”
The Dean moved behind his desk and pressed his hand against what looked like a solid wall.
Purple runes flared to life, spreading outward in intricate patterns until a shimmering doorway appeared.
Through it, I could see a massive circular chamber with towering pillars and a domed ceiling that seemed to capture starlight.
There was a loud ping as one of the gems on the Dean’s desk began to glow.
“Sir, this is security at the front gate. King Erestolal and his guards are demanding entry.”
The Dean looked at me before grabbing the stone and lifting it to his lips.
“Prince Erestolal must have escaped. Let them in and do everything you can to help them.” As soon as the stone went dark, he lifted his gaze to me once more.
“They’re coming and this academy cannot be caught harboring a fugitive of the Twilight Realm. ”
“I understand.” And I truly did. The mortal realm didn’t need a war with my father.
“Go,” Professor Blackwood said, her hand on my shoulder. “And Silver? Don’t let them intimidate you. None of them agree with what your father has threatened, but they don’t want to cause tensions between the realms. Use that to your advantage.”
I nodded and stepped through the portal before I could second-guess myself.
The Council chambers were even more imposing up close. Thirteen thrones arranged in a semicircle dominated the space, each one occupied by a member of the Elder Council. Their combined magical presence pressed down on me like a physical weight, making it hard to breathe.
And there, in the center of the chamber, stood Ash.
He looked small surrounded by so much power, his shadows pooling at his feet in anxious swirls. But even from this distance, I could see the determination in the set of his shoulders, the way his chin was lifted defiantly despite the fear I felt bleeding through our bond.
Confiance stood beside him, her white robes pristine and her expression unreadable. She was speaking to the Council, her voice carrying easily through the vast space.
“—agrees to the willing severance. The ritual can begin immediately, minimizing risk to Prince Erestolal and the Twilight Realm.”
“No!” The word tore from my throat before I could stop it.
Every head in the chamber turned toward me. I felt the weight of thirteen ancient gazes, felt their magic probe at my defenses. But I only had eyes for Ash.
His face went pale, his blue eyes widening in shock. “Silver? What are you—how did you—”
“I’m not letting you do this,” I said, striding forward even as magical barriers rose to block my path. “I’m not letting you die for me.”
“Silver, you shouldn’t be here,” Ash said, his voice cracking. His shadows surged toward me instinctively, like they wanted to reach for me even as he held himself back. “Your father—the Council—they’ll—”
“I don’t care.” I pushed against the magical barriers, my own twilight magic flaring in response. Purple energy crackled against the translucent walls separating us. “Ash, please. Just listen to me.”
One of the Council members—a stern-looking vampire with silver hair—leaned forward on his throne. “Prince Erestolal, you are interrupting official Council proceedings. This is highly irregular.”
“Everything about this situation is irregular,” I shot back, still pushing against the barriers. They were starting to give way under the force of my desperation. “You’re about to let an innocent person die to appease my father’s political maneuvering.”
“We are trying to prevent a war,” another Council member said, this one a witch with eyes that glowed like embers. “Your father has made his position quite clear.”
“My father is wrong!” The barriers shattered under a surge of my magic, and I stumbled forward, catching myself before I fell. Several Council members rose from their thrones, but Confiance held up a hand.
“Let him speak,” she said quietly. “I believe we should hear what the prince has to say.”
I didn’t waste the opportunity. I crossed the remaining distance to Ash, stopping just short of touching him.
The mate bond sang between us, that thin thread suddenly blazing with renewed intensity now that we were close again.
I could feel his emotions bleeding through—fear, love, determination, and underneath it all, a bone-deep exhaustion.
“Ash,” I said softly, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I lied to you. You were right about everything. I should have told you who I was from the beginning. I should have been honest about my father’s plans, about the arranged marriage, about all of it.”
“Silver—” he started, but I shook my head.
“Please, let me finish.” I took a shaky breath. “I told myself I was protecting you by keeping it secret. That if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t get hurt when I eventually had to leave. But that was just me being a coward. I was protecting myself, not you.”
Tears were starting to blur my vision, but I pushed on.
“I came to Widdershins because I wanted to know what it felt like to be normal. To be just Silver, not Prince Silver Erestolal. And then I met you, and you made me feel more than normal. You made me feel alive. Like I finally understood what all those stupid love songs were about. Like I actually had something to live for besides my father’s expectations. ”
A strangled laugh escaped Ash’s throat, somewhere between a sob and genuine amusement.
“And I got scared when things between us became so intense. I… I never expected to fall in love with you.” I reached out, taking his hand at last. “But I don’t regret it. It’s the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“But what about your throne? Your family?” Ash asked, his gaze still on the ground. “Your… wife?”
I lifted his chin, forcing those blue eyes to mine. “None of that matters if I don’t have you in my life. I love you, Ash.” I paused for a moment, gathering up the last of my courage. “And I won’t take no for an answer because I know you love me too.”
He stood there for a moment, tears welling up in his eyes. I felt a surge of emotions through the mate bond. Then, before I could process any of them, he stepped forward, throwing his arms around my neck.
“I love you so much, Silver,” he sobbed against my chest. He pulled back for a moment, jabbing me with his finger. “I’m still fucking pissed at you for lying to me though.”
I wrapped him up into my arms once more. “I know. You have every right to be. And you’ll get every chance to teach me a lesson because I’m not going anywhere.”
“Promise?”
I smiled, kissing his neck. “I promise.”