Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
~ Shade ~
“They’re here, bonded,” Emorie’s voice calls, rousing me.
My eyes snap open, and at first, I don’t realize where I am. Galen is leaning over me, and he’s staring at me with concern. “It’s all right, treasure. It was just a dream.”
Reality sinks in, and it’s only then that I notice I’m shaking, and Galen is stroking my hair. At some point while I was sleeping, he must have swapped places with Thane.
“I’m here,” my mate tells me soothingly, staying there until my body calms.
I’m about to tell him that it wasn’t just a dream, but instead, a horrible memory that my mind has been suppressing, but then I remember Emorie’s warning.
My gaze flicks to where Galen has created a shadow dome around my bed. Thane and the others aren’t anywhere around us, and I quickly sit up. “What’s going on?”
“I wanted to give you time to wake up properly,” he tells me.
“Galen,” I prompt, my panic rising.
“It’s the Xalgrith,” he says delicately. “They’re already here.”
“What?” I jump out of bed, nearly stumbling over my own feet.
By the time I’m standing, Galen is up as well, and he dresses in his battle armor. His silky white hair is pulled back into a high bun, and shadows swirl around him as he conjures various weapons that strap to his body.
My shadows reach out, dissipating the shadow dome, and I wince when a high-pitched wailing sound assaults my ears.
It’s nothing like the haunting melody that usually summons us for mealtimes.
No, this is like listening to a howling creature that’s wounded and crying out for help.
“It’s Knox’s alarm, isn’t it? How long has it been going? ”
“Not long. Minutes at most,” Galen replies. “Our animali detected the approach of the Xalgrith army before the alarm went off.”
“Then why didn’t you wake me?” I complain as I conjure my own battle outfit, complete with plates of armor that cover my torso and arms, and my signature black feathers that cover the armor across my shoulders.
I don’t create as many weapons as Galen, and I go with a single shortsword, a few daggers, and a small throwing ax that’s sheathed on my right hip.
While my weapon skills have improved dramatically during my time at Shadowbone, I have no idea if I’ll be able to hold off a seasoned Xalgrith warrior, and my stomach twists in knots. I guess we’re about to find out…
Galen rests his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t worry, treasure.
The Xalgrith army hasn’t attacked yet, and the barrier will hold for a while.
” He kisses me, and his lips are a sweet caress against mine.
“But when it starts, don’t put yourself in more danger than you need to. We would be lost without you.”
Thane, Knox, and Raith stride from shadows, stepping into the room, and they’re all dressed like Galen, covered in armor and weapons.
“You’re awake,” Thane growls with approval, and Galen stands at my side.
“Yeah, no thanks to—” My complaint is cut off as Thane strides to me, capturing my lips. It’s a demanding, urgent kiss that has my pulse racing.
Thane moves aside, and Raith takes his place, pressing his hand into the small of my back as he claims my mouth, leaving me breathless.
“You do whatever it takes to survive, all right, sunshine? If you see a chance to flee and save yourself, you do it.” His words have me thinking about the memory I’ve just seen, and I swallow hard.
He stares at me until I nod, and then it’s Knox’s turn. My mate’s dark gaze feels as though it pierces straight to my soul as he moves close, and I wonder if Knox saw it. If he was there in my dream, and if he witnessed the memory I’ve been hiding from this whole time.
The queen’s curse might have been lifted from me, but it’s clear there are some memories I’ve been refusing to face.
Knox doesn’t say anything about it at first, and his kiss is consuming as he pulls me into him, ice and fire racing along my skin at his touch.
The alarm is still wailing when he finally releases my lips.
“We’re all haunted by something, my love,” he whispers softly in my ear. “It’s those memories that shape who we are. I see that now.” I’m not sure if his comment is more for me or for him. “Stay alive, my mate. For without you…we will be nothing at all.”
I want to tell him that’s not true, but I understand what he means. The five of us are bonded now, and losing any one of our group would be like losing a piece of our soul that we could never heal.
“I’ll try my best,” I say with an uncertain smile.
“Not good enough, mate,” Thane growls. “We need to hear you say it.”
My mates all stare at me intently, and I sigh in exasperation. “Say what? We all know our chances of surviving this are slim.”
“We need to hear you say that you’ll do anythin’ you can to stay alive,” Raith explains.
“No matter the cost,” Knox adds. “Because only then will we be able to fight.” His words hang in the air, and I realize they’re deadly serious.
“Okay, I promise,” I say, because the students are counting on us, and I need my men to fight for them without worrying about me.
But the moment those words are out of my mouth, guilt sinks into my skin like hot nails.
My mind pictures the girl in the alleyway, and I remember another promise I made years ago.
A promise that I also knew I wouldn’t be able to keep.
We’ll get out of this. I promise. The words sound in my mind, and the image changes as I picture the gravestone I’ve seen in my dreams, but I force the image away.
I can’t revisit that now. I think of Elgen and Tarlaz then, and how they’re trapped within the shadow queen.
If it weren’t for me, they’d still be wandering the halls of the academy.
I promised them that I’d help to free them, and now they’re in an even worse situation.
What is wrong with me? Sighing, I try to bring my thoughts back to the present.
“Emorie, what’s it like out there?” I send to my phoenix.
“The Xalgrith are still assembling, my bonded,” she replies softly.
“Okay, make sure they don’t see you or Arizak and the others,” I respond, and I turn my attention back to my mates.
“We’d better go,” I say, though truthfully, I don’t want to go out there at all.
It was always easier attending battles with Blake when I was a crow, because I was usually more of a scout, and it helps when you have wings and know you can fly away.
But there’s no way out of this tonight. Not when Queen Krosia’s barrier is keeping us all trapped here.
Besides, it’s not like I could let Kenzie and the other students face this without me.
If I did, I’d never be able to live with myself.
My mates are seemingly satisfied with my promise, and we all share one last embrace in my room.
I rub my portal ring, my heart thundering as I hope by some miracle it works and I manage to get through to Blake, but the magic of the ring merely spits and fizzles. Damn. I give my mates a tight smile. “She’ll turn up in time. She has to.”
No one objects to that, though I can tell by their expressions they’re not as certain.
“We’ll get through this,” Thane rumbles. “One way or another.”
I take note that he doesn’t say we’ll get through this alive, but I decide not to point it out.
Rolling my shoulders, I bounce on the spot and slap my cheeks. Okay. Let’s do this. Time to go face a giant enemy army. What could go wrong?