Chapter 26
We round the final corner, the noises growing louder. “We should have never left Rohhit and Oak,” I whisper.
Silas squeezes my hand in response. “I’d say it was worth it but you care for them—I won’t let anything happen to them.”
Peering around the rock, I spot Thatcher and Bardot standing with weapons drawn, clearly catching Rohhit and Oak off guard. Thatcher holds a bow with an arrow locked into position, his typically strong arms now trembling under the pull of the weapon. Bardot holds spikes, ready to throw.
Rohhit lies on the ground, propped on his elbows, still unsure of what’s happening.
I’m relieved to see him conscious, color returning to his face.
Oak stands between them, a sword drawn, no fear in his gentle eyes.
One of my axes lies beside him, and panic floods me—if Thatcher notices it, he’ll know I’m here.
It hits me that Silas doesn’t have a weapon. I whip my head in his direction to ask, but before I can speak, he lunges around the corner, shadows rippling off his incredibly toned body.
“Ah, Prince, I’m so glad you could join us.
I was just getting ready to finish the job.
You all are starting to be a pain in my ass,” Thatcher sneers.
His eyes flick to Rohhit. “Such a shame you had to be looped in with them. We had big plans for you.” His gaze lands on the ritual residue beside Rohhit, and a wicked grin forms on his face.
“Fuck off, Thatcher,” Rohhit rasps, using all the strength he has.
“The King of Daramveer and I have too much on the line for a group of idiots to mess this up. Where is Briar, by the way? Her father made me promise to keep her safe—well, alive. Her condition really doesn’t matter,” he laughs.
Thatcher’s mocking only makes the shadows around Silas grow. Rage leaks off his taut body.
Oak and Silas share a quick look of understanding. Oak heaves his sword toward Thatcher and Bardot. The blade cuts the air with precision.
What the hell are they doing?
Thatcher blocks the sword with his bow, the weapon nearly snapping from the weight of the blade, but he laughs. “Pathetic.”
As the distraction blinds the others, Silas extends his arm. A black light bursts from his hand, throwing Thatcher and Bardot against the hard wall. Their heads slam into the stone.
The commotion echoes through the forest as I sprint to Silas. “What the hell? How did you do that?” Confusion races through my mind. “The Dyisen has been suppressing our magic.”
“The bag I chose on the island. It was magical. I got to keep it as my weapon during this trial. I shifted here when I heard your scream. That’s how I got here so quickly.” He brushes a hand against my cheek, and my face turns pink.
“Can you two do this later? We need to get the fuck out of here,” Oak cuts in.
A scream rattles the mountaintops from a close distance. Rohhit tries to stand but fails. Oak grabs him by the waist. Thatcher and Bardot lie unconscious near the inner walls of the cave.
“We need to leave right now,” Silas barks.
I holster my other axe, a plan quickly forming in my mind.
“Silas, you need to shift Rohhit out of here. He won’t be able to run.” I demand.
Oak nods in agreement.
“I’m not leaving you here, Briar. You heard what’s heading in our direction.”
I move toward him, grabbing his strong shoulders. “If you don’t shift him right now, we’re all going to die trying to save him.”
Panic laces his hard exterior as he towers over me, letting me hold him a moment longer.
“Shift him now. Try to come back once he’s safe. Toward the castle, the clearing I told you about. You’ll know it when you see it. You’ll be safe there. We’ll meet you there when we can.”
The scream moves closer, making us all jolt. Knowing we must move fast, Silas kisses me deeply. His tongue sweeps thoroughly through my mouth, as though kissing me for the last time.
“I told you I would protect you,” he murmurs, his breath ragged against my lips. “This is me failing to do so, and I hate myself for it. I will find you as soon as I can.”
His grip releases my face, leaving me feeling empty in the cold cave. He moves swiftly toward Rohhit, wrapping an arm around his waist. With one final glance in our direction, Silas vanishes into the shadows, taking Rohhit with him.
I turn to Oak. “You ready?”
He leans down to grab his fallen sword. “Do I have a choice?”
We take off from the cave, leaving Thatcher and Bardot behind. Bounding through the trees, I feel a pull in the direction I’m leading Oak. He’s not going to be happy with me, but I have a plan.
I lead us back toward the Figgawen I narrowly escaped earlier. Oak keeps up well with me, effortlessly passing through narrow trees with his broad body. The scream continues to grow closer. We are running out of time.
Instead of staying silent, I let out a scream, letting the creature know exactly where we are.
“What the hell are you doing?” Oak yells from behind me.
“Keep running!” I snap, my lungs filling with fire.
As we approach our destination, the trees become less of a green blur and more familiar. Only a few more turns stand between us. I stop near the edge of an almost invisible ravine. Oak stops breathlessly beside me.
“What the hell, Briar! Are you insane?” He crouches to his knees.
“Yes.”
“You need to listen to me,” I say, panic bubbling up.
“Behind us is a drop, at least five hundred feet. I know this because I almost fell to my death earlier.” Shock hits his expression, but I continue, “There’s a Figgawen nearby.
It chased me earlier, and I think it’s been stalking us ever since.
” Oak’s arms raise in objection, but I stop him.
“Whatever’s following close behind is going to run straight for us and the ravine.
Wait for my signal. When it’s time, we’ll jump out of the way. ”
“Yes, you are insane.” He sighs. “This isn’t going to work.”
Fear hits me as I somewhat believe it won’t either, but I don’t tell him that. “We have no other choice. We can’t outrun this creature. The Figgawen’s been hunting me since we started the trial.”
Oak shakes his head. “Gods, Briar. You sure know how to attract friends. Alright. Let’s do this.”
Standing together, we face the darkness before us. I inhale deeply, drinking in the forest air, fearing this may be my last time doing so. For the first time, it feels easy to face this darkness alongside a friend—family.
However, the eerie silence is unsettling, given what lurks in the nearby distance.
Branches crunch a few feet ahead of us, to the right and left.
Oak grips my hand, keeping us steady and prepared.
A breeze sweeps through our bodies as the trees stop rustling.
A sudden drop in temperature makes my teeth chatter.
A face that inspires nightmares peers around a tree to our right.
The Figgawen. Hollow black eyes lock onto mine.
The creature’s long gray fingers become visible as it crawls on all fours around the tree, its entire body coming into view.
Long black strands of hair cascade across its face, flowing down to its visible ribcage.
A grin spreads across its haunting face, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth and an unnaturally long tongue.
“Gods,” Oak whispers, holding my hand, stepping slightly in front of me.
The Figgawen’s leg snakes over its head, crawling toward us with an unsettling calmness, a true predator after meek prey.
I stand tall, not showing how petrified I am in its presence.
A crack in the distance to our left catches the creature’s attention for only a second, allowing me to exhale, realizing I’ve been holding my breath.
The noise to our left grows louder, and I sense a new enemy lurking nearby.
Finally, it reveals its form. A tall, thin creature walks almost humanlike through the tree line.
Never in my life have I seen anything so horrifying.
This creature makes the Figgawen seem pleasant.
A breath escapes my burning lungs as if the creature is draining the life out of me.
Pale skin covers its face—no mouth, no eyes—but somehow, it stares directly at us.
“Princess,” Oak breathes, refusing to take his gaze off the creature to our right. I hold my stare on the creature to the left.
“I’m so sorry, Oak,” I gasp, preparing to die alongside someone I never thought I’d see again—a friend. “Run. Please. I will distract them.”
He snaps his attention to mine. “You are insane, Briar. I’m not leaving you, now or ever.”
He squeezes my hand so tight, I fear my hand may break, his body shielding mine from the death ahead. He’s ready to take the first blow. Oak. My friend. My family. Prepared to die together.
“You little shit!” Thatcher screams, moving through the tight trees. Bardot stalks close behind, unaware of what trails us so closely.
I flash my eyes back to the vanished creatures. “For once in your fucking life, Thatcher, please be quiet,” I beg.
“You think you can leave us there to die? You have no idea who you’re messing with, Princess.” He stomps toward us, the twin at his heels.
Bardot’s eyes show little emotion. Devastation shines through as he mourns his brother Graven. A piece of him is broken, lost… dead. I can’t help but feel sorrow for him. The loss of someone so important leaves a mark on your soul, darker than any tattoo.
Thatcher and the twin storm approach us, shadows and lightning colliding from the Shadow and Lumor Wielders who threaten us. Their backs face the black forest, pushing us closer to the ravine while keeping them unaware of the creatures nearby.
A snap in the distance makes Thatcher spin toward the forest. “What was that?” he asks.
Both creatures move in tandem, revealing themselves once again, crawling like beasts toward us.
Thatcher’s bow is immediately ready as Bardot follows suit.
The creatures growl with hunger as they close the distance.
Oak and I prepare to fight, remaining committed to our plan.
The sun peaks over the horizon, casting a crimson line across the sky, echoing the bloodshed that’s about to occur.
The magic in my veins starts to react to the danger as the effects of the drugs fade from my system.
The creatures before us savor the scent of fear.
My eyes catch Thatcher lowering his bow, his fists clenching.
I feel the magic running through his veins once more.
The creatures lunge, teeth gnawing, ready to tear us to shreds.
I peel both axes from my back, holding my ground.
Oak stands strong beside me, without fear of death.
Together, we will fight and welcome the darkness.
Thatcher flashes a smile in my direction before shifting from our view. At this moment, I know he’s cheated once more. The effects of the drug do not weigh as heavily on him.
Oak screams, “Can you shift?”
I do a quick pulse check of my magic. “No, it’s not strong enough yet.”
From the looks of Bardot, his answer is the same. The twin hurls his spikes toward the creatures with extreme precision. Slicing through the Figgawen’s skin, it pauses for a moment before barreling forward again. He continues to throw them faster than shooting stars.
The creature to our left sprints closer. Its faceless features blur as a wide black mouth forms, ready to drain us of life.
My knuckles whiten from the grip on both axes. I widen my stance, ready to swing.
Grass and soil kick up behind the creatures. Their speed increases, closing the final gap before us. My focus breaks as Bardot steps in front of Oak and me with no emotion or movement behind his dark eyes.
My mouth falls open. “Bardot! Get back!”
He turns to face us, his back to the creatures only a few feet away. His eyes fill with tears as he looks past us, out over the ravine. The sunrise shines in his dark eyes.
With all his might, he pushes Oak and me sideways to the ground. Neither creature lets up. They lunge on top of him, forcing him backward, closer to the drop.
“He’s going to fall!” Oak gasps.
“No, he’s leading them over the edge!” I add. “He’s trying to help us.”
Bardot fights for only a moment, thrashing against the strength of the two soulless creatures.
Both beasts quickly overpower his muscular frame.
Their claws rip into his flesh, mixing the crimson liquid with the rising sun.
My gaze meets his one last time as a smile blossoms on his face, brighter than the first light of the new day.
In his final attempt, he seizes the beasts with both hands, binding them together forever as he throws his body backward over the edge.
A wicked laugh erupts from Bardot as the creature shrieks, falling to reunite with his brother once more. Brothers bonded so deeply that they will face the darkest realm together.
Oak and I sit in stunned silence, the threat to our lives dissipating with Bardot over the ledge.
Dawn breaks over the mountaintop, and golden rays beat down on my skin, chasing away the darkest night of our lives.
The vibrant glow of pinks and oranges works together in perfect harmony, like conjoined twins in the sky.
“Things just got complicated, didn’t they?” Oak sighs, rubbing his shaggy blonde hair, scooting closer to me.
I rest my head on his shoulder as we gaze out over the vast valley and sea before us, a new dawn breaking over the horizon.
Our gaze turns toward Andorwood, its darkness contrasting sharply with the rising sun, sending a chill down my spine.
We sit in silence for a moment longer, catching our breath, our lungs still expanding rapidly.
“We need to head back to the castle soon. I can only imagine the rumors spreading now that Thatcher’s back first. We need to fill Maines in on everything,” I finally speak, breaking the silence.
“I wish she were here. Not in danger, but here now. I’ve grown quite fond of her being around,” Oak says, looking over the ravine.
“She would have known exactly what to do. She’s amazing like that,” I reply, my voice quiet.
He sighs, pondering. “I’ve never met anyone quite like her.”
I don’t respond. Instead, I stand and pull him to join me. We need to find Silas and Rohhit; I know exactly where they are. The rising sun quickly starts to shine down, chasing away the shadows. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that the shadows swirling around us are only going to become darker.
“Let’s go,” I say, mustering the last of my strength and heading toward my future—whatever the hell that means.