Chapter 39
Finally, the Seer perfected a brew that would be of use to Erebus. The drinkers lost the memory of their mortal forms. In this way, the king of shadows could keep their spirits bound, transforming them into creatures of his own design, each silver like the cup.
—OLD ONES, ANCIENTS, AND THE FOLK
So many enemies were rushing toward scarhamm.
Scaly lizards breathed fire onto the walls, blackening them with scorch marks.
Other creatures piled kindling from the forest into heaps, lighting them ablaze and dancing around as if in celebration.
Scores of them moved closer to Thea and her sisters, their eyes aglow with death.
Chaos.
Screams filled the air as the creatures came tearing at her.
There were hairy wild boars with serpentine tails.
Doglike animals with long snouts that bared sharp teeth shining with spittle, their leathery ears flat as they ran faster than the Sylvan king’s hounds.
Things that looked like overgrown flies covered in fish scales flew ahead of the rest.
“Enna?” Thea called out, not wanting to turn her head for even a second.
“At your back, as always,” Enora said, her voice inches behind.
“We’re here,” said Cass, her voice breathless but determined.
“Can you fly?” Thea asked. “Take Rozie to safety?”
“I can try,” Cassia said, but in seconds the creatures were too close. They’d take her right back down.
Protective energy swirled inside Thea. Her shadows responded, creating a dome around herself and her sisters. A moment later, a shattering blow hit her shield. She saw Rozie stumble, but Cassia helped her up. Thea drew strength from the support of her sisters at her back.
Creatures shrieked and clawed at the barrier, their eyes just visible through the darkness. Thea could feel their claws on her shadows as if they raked her own skin. She gasped for breath, desperately tired, agonized by how much strength it took to hold the shield.
Erebus’s voice floated to her. “Your vow of allegiance gives me power, Thea. You thought to break it in my realm where Noctua can’t reach, but here, you will die if you do. Obey me or die.”
“Death,” Thea whispered, “over allegiance to you.”
A pressure filled the air inside her shield. He might not be able to break it… yet… but he was stealing the air. Thea drew breath with difficulty.
“You can kill me,” she said, “but you’ll remember every word I’ve said: Your grand plan is nothing.
You want folk to worship you again? Why would they?
Look at the world you’re creating. You have nothing.
And you are nothing.” She gasped, her lungs starving.
“That’s why you tormented Damon. You knew he was… more than you’ll ever be.”
She fell to her knees, her head light. She turned to speak to her sisters. “I can’t hold it much longer.” She hated admitting that failure.
“Drop the shield, Thea,” Cassia gasped. “I can get in one… blast with my ring!”
It seemed like a huge risk, but Cassia was right. Thea nodded. “One, two…”
“Three!” Rozie cried.
The creatures had piled on top of one another in their desperate bid to break the shield.
The dozens leaning on the barrier came crashing in like a wave of claws and teeth.
At that moment, Cassia sent a searing blast from her ring, so bright that Thea was blinded.
She heard bodies hitting the ground. Screams and shrieks echoed, Erebus’s shout of rage rising over it all.
Thea gulped air, filling her starving lungs, and rubbed her eyes. The creatures were writhing on the ground.
More shouts… but these were Sylvan voices!
Thea turned to see armed Huntsmen pouring from the gates of Scarhamm.
Had the blast broken Erebus’s enchantment over them?
But then she saw a host of pixies with bows flying along with the Huntsmen.
Winter must have flown like mad for reinforcements!
Maybe the magic of their pine arrows had brought the Huntsmen out of Erebus’s charm.
Finally, a great antlered figure stepped from the gates.
“Erebus,” said the Sylvan king. “At last.” His skin was paler than she’d ever seen, his steps slow, but he was here.
A thrill of triumph ran up Thea’s spine to see the death and revenge etched clear in her father’s eyes.
He was a creature of war, and right now she was glad of it.
But there was no time to celebrate. Shadows grabbed her, and Thea was lifted and thrown as if she weighed nothing, her body landing hard on the cold earth, away from the fray.
Above her, Erebus looked down, his eyes completely black.
Darkness covered the sky. He’d cut her off from everyone else, the two of them locked in a void.
Thea pushed to her feet. The Huntsmen would deal with the incapacitated creatures. Her father would protect her sisters. She could focus solely on the task at hand.
It was time to test her shadows against Erebus.
“You are nothing,” he spat, his eyes pure hatred.
“Then why bother with me?” she asked. Thea lifted her arms. Her shadows grew until they became giant moths as large as vultures, their wings inscribed with what looked like pale eyes.
Erebus’s darkness changed, becoming wolves with rough fur, their maws snapping, white fangs bright against the dark.
Some of her shadows became black hunting cats with yellow eyes and long pale teeth.
As the two sides met, growls, roars, snarls, and cries erupted as darkness descended.
Thea was caught between them, the sharp claws slicing her.
The outcome of this fight would determine whether her sisters, her people, everyone in Thirstwood was safe.
She imagined what would happen if she lost and let out a battle cry, letting the protective emotions wash over her and feed her shadows, urging them to fight, devour, destroy.
Embracing the chaos around her after so many years of precision and perfection.
She looked up to see Erebus holding a shadow shaped like a curved blade in one hand. He lifted his arm, ready to bring it down on her.
“And to think my son loves you still,” Erebus whispered. “Fool.”
“Oh, Father,” a smooth voice said from behind the king. “I thought petty name-calling was behind us.”