Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
~ Shade ~
The moment we arrive back at Shadowbone Academy, I head straight for Galen’s secret library, and Thane, Knox, and Galen follow me.
Leaning down, I grab one of the oracle’s ancient journals from the bookshelf, and I make my way to an armchair.
It’s the same journal that contained the information to bind the shadows to me.
I’m not sure exactly what I’m looking for.
All I know is that I need to do something.
I might not be able to help the creatures currently being tormented by the shadow queen, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to just sit here and do nothing.
Seriously, why are there so many psychos around?
King Malgur is bad enough, but the shadow queen…
she says she’s helping everyone, and in a way, that makes her actions seem so much worse.
“There must be something in here that can help,” I murmur to Elgen and Tarlaz.
“Are you sure you can’t remember anything else about being the oracle?
I mean, if you had all that power, why didn’t you use it to help the shadow realm in the first place?
Or you know, take Queen Krosia out when you had the chance? ”
Elgen huffs. “When we helped you in the Xalgrith realm, it wasn’t like we simply tapped into our own power and used it on that girl. If anything, it was more like we could feel your power and added to it to help you break through to that student.”
I frown, because that is what it had felt like. As if they’d forced my power to become stronger.
“Yes, child,” Tarlaz adds. “We may not be able to remember our past, but from what we felt, I’m almost certain our power is the ability to amplify.”
“Amplify? So that’s why you couldn’t stop the shadow queen. Because on its own, the power isn’t strong. Its strength is determined by the power of the wielder.”
“I believe so,” Tarlaz says.
Hope sparks in my chest. “Okay, well then why don’t we give this power to one of my mates? With your ability to amplify their magic, they might be strong enough to take on the queen.”
Tarlaz peers at the journal on my lap. “A noble idea, but there’s no point transferring us unless we are connected and whole again. I suspect, only then will our full power be restored.”
With that in mind, I flip through the pages, hoping to find information on how to rejoin Elgen and Tarlaz. If I can make them whole again, and transfer them to one of my guys, then we might just have a way to survive this mess we’re in. We can help the shadow realm.
“What are you searching for?” Thane asks, leaning in to peer at the page.
My mates have been silent while I’ve been reading, but going by the look of concentration on their faces, I’m guessing they’ve been trying to come up with their own solutions.
I explain what Elgen and Tarlaz told me about their amplification abilities, and my plan to find a way to make them whole again and transfer them, so we can use their power to help everyone.
“It sounds too easy,” Knox comments, his dark eyes simmering with fury like he’s already imagining using the power to bring Queen Krosia down.
Galen has been pacing, and he moves to the ancient bookshelf, frowning as he picks up a loose page from the floor.
It must have fallen when I hastily grabbed the journal, and he brings it over to me.
“Any chance this is a sign and this page has exactly what you’re looking for? ” he says with a smile.
My heart stutters as I scan the page, but I shake my head a moment later.
“Unfortunately, that’s a recipe for some kind of liver pie,” I explain, making a face as I finish reading the inked script.
I decide not to comment on the fact that this particular pie includes eyeballs in the recipe.
I’m tempted to ask Elgen and Tarlaz if they remember whose eyeballs it’s referring to, but even if they could remember, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to know. I shudder, trying not to picture it.
Thane crosses his arms. “I wish we could help you search, mate,” he growls in frustration.
“Who knows when the Xalgrith will get here. If King Malgur knows that Queen Krosia is after this power as well, he’ll want to act soon in the hopes he can obtain it before she realizes it’s right here under her nose. ”
“We should seal the hole in the academy barrier soon,” Knox says. “But not yet. I’ve set up detectors outside the walls that will alert us if there’s any Xalgrith activity close by. For now, that hole could be useful.”
I try to focus on reading, but it’s hard when impending doom is breathing down your neck. Or you know, your mates are. “If the Xalgrith attack the academy, and the hole is sealed, how long will the barrier protect us?”
Thane gives me a hard look. “Not long enough.”
“Okay, but that’s not a real answer,” I reply. “Are we talking…weeks?”
I don’t like the way Thane’s jaw clenches.
“If they attack in full force with such huge numbers, with their catapults, and also with the hybrid shadow warriors on their side…” Thane trails off. “It could be hours. Days if we’re lucky, but we won’t know for sure until the assault starts.”
My throat tightens. “Okay, that’s not so bad.
What if we tell Queen Krosia about the impending attack?
She could strengthen the barrier, right?
” But even as I say it, my stomach churns at the thought of asking the shadow queen for help.
It might mean she has to use some of the magic she’s just stolen by destroying the forest. And then what?
Would she go back to burning things to gain more power?
She’d want to be at her strongest if she knew the Xalgrith army was about to attack.
No, we couldn’t do that. Not to mention she’d want to know why the Xalgrith were attacking the academy in the first place.
“Queen Krosia doesn’t care about Shadowbone,” Galen answers pragmatically.
“If she hears of an attack, her focus will be on strengthening the shadow city. If this academy is threatened, she’ll likely argue that we can build a new one when the ashes clear.
She’s already taken the graduates she wanted this year, and as harsh as it is to say, she won’t care about the lives of the weaker students left behind. ”
I scowl, though I’m sure Galen is right.
“Besides,” Thane adds, “we don’t want her finding out why the Xalgrith are here.
We need to keep this news about the oracle and their power a secret for as long as we can.
Hopefully, the demon queen will return before the Xalgrith attack, and if we can use the oracle’s power like you hope, we may just make it out of this. ”
At that thought, I rub my portal ring and go to activate its power.
I’ve been worried about Blake since our last discussion ended so abruptly, and I’d feel better if I could hear she’s okay.
I close my eyes and concentrate, but…nothing happens.
Not even a whisper of power flows from the portal ring. What the hell?
“I can’t get through,” I say to my mates, trying not to panic.
Galen strolls over to inspect the ring. “We used a lot of magic trying to locate you in the Xalgrith realm. It’s possible I’ve accidentally damaged the ring, somehow. Let me see.” He slides the ring from my finger, his brows lowering as he inspects it.
“But I just used it to check in before we left to find the oracle,” I point out. “I don’t like this. What if something has happened to them?”
“Queen Blake is fierce, as are her mates,” Galen reassures me. “I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”
I bite my bottom lip. “Okay, but even if that’s true.
If the demon army doesn’t arrive here in time, and we don’t have the shadow army’s support either, we’ll be like sitting ducks.
The students are still human. They’ll be slaughtered when the Xalgrith come through.
Do you think if we find a way to access the power of the oracle, we can make them immortal? ”
I startle as Knox’s shadows spear across the library, and Thane and Galen move in front of me, their swords out and their muscles tense as they shield me.
Before Knox’s shadows reach the bookshelf across the room, they’re deflected, and Queen Krosia melts from the shadows like she’s been standing there the entire time.
Which, I realize with horror, she probably has.
Germain and Ambrose stand on her left side, and Xera and Ravyn are to her right.
My throat goes dry, my stomach hollowing out at the sight of them.
Oh holy crap! I try to tell myself I’m wrong and they’ve only just arrived, but going by the smug smile on the queen’s face, I’m guessing they heard…everything.
“Like I told you,” Queen Krosia sneers, speaking to the originals on either side of her, looking way too pleased with herself as she takes in our surprised expressions.
“Thane and the others can no longer be trusted to do what’s right for the good of the realm.
Now you have proof of their ill intentions. ”
“No,” I blurt. “We’re trying to help.”
Queen Krosia laughs cruelly as she strides forward, her shadows coiling around her as her excited gaze remains on me. “Help? Oh yes, I noticed your pathetic mate trying to help in the forest,” she croons. “He attempted to stop me from obtaining more power. Power that I need to protect this realm.”
Shadows coil to the right, and Raith appears, unconscious and restrained by the queen’s shadows. Blood runs freely from multiple places on his body, and patches of his skin are charred like he’s just run through a blaze.
“Raith!” I call out, my heart slamming against my chest at the sight of him. I take a step forward, but Thane’s shadows stop me from going any further.
“What have you done to him?” I rasp. “Raith was trying to help the creatures. How can you say you’re protecting the shadow realm when you’re the one destroying it?”