Chapter 29 Jane
Within moments, the prince and I leapt out of bed, hastily collecting our discarded clothes in the process.
As we rushed to the windowsill, the screaming outside grew louder, more frantic, and heavier with the anguished cries of dozens upon dozens of Fae.
The sheer volume of their wails was almost unbearable, echoing through the air with such intensity that I was tempted to cover my ears to block out the pain.
The view from the windowsill revealed nothing of the horrors unfolding beyond, leaving us in a limbo of terrifying uncertainty. Still, without hesitation, we raced out of the cabin and into the gloomy, blistering cold night, bracing ourselves for the unknown dangers that awaited.
The streets of Cylvaris were consumed by chaos, a frenzied stampede fleeing in desperation from an unseen terror lurking in the moonlit darkness. Civilians hurried past us, their beautiful faces carved with fear as horrifying growls reverberated from every corner of the town.
The snarls sent a chill down my spine. They were eerily familiar, a haunting memory involuntarily imprinted in my mind forevermore.
“Monster!” a Fae woman screeched as she dashed past Glade and me, still trying to assess the situation unraveling before us.
In the far-off distance, atop the roof of a towering wooden cabin, the silhouette of a massive creature loomed, standing upright on its two hind legs.
It let out a shrill, bone-chilling howl that tore through the nighttime breeze.
Its red eyes pierced through the darkness, while enormous, jagged fangs glinted under the pale light of the moons.
Sharp, dagger-like spikes jutted from its back, and its elongated fingers ended in cruel, needle-sharp claws.
A Tenebranian monster.
It was the same horrendous being we had encountered in the alleyway the night we visited the tavern. However, this beast was larger and terrifyingly more formidable. My eyes met Glade’s, wide with fear and understanding. We braced ourselves for the inevitable fight.
A howl erupted from far behind us, then another from our side, and yet another from the opposite direction. The ear-splitting, tormenting growls rang all around, ringing through the air and confirming the petrifying truth: we were surrounded.
On the night of the alleyway attack, Glade and I had faced a single Tenebranian monster and nearly lost our lives. But tonight, I could distinguish six… No, seven, distinct yelps pulsating through the town.
“Get back inside the cabin! Board the doors and windows!” Glade commanded as he pointed toward the cottage we had just fled. He searched his person for any kind of weapon but came up empty. His hurried dressing left him unarmed and at risk.
My head shook vigorously as I stood my ground. “I’m not leaving you!”
Glade froze in his tracks, turning to face me with urgency. His voice cracked with frustration as he ordered, “Get in the fucking cabin, Jane!” His demeanour was aggressive, but his eyes were filled with desperation, pleading with me to obey.
“No!” I screeched, but before Glade had time to respond, an explosion detonated nearby, sending tremors and shockwaves rippling down our path.
Instinctively, we lifted our arms to shield our heads from the flying debris. Glade grabbed my hand with a firm grip, yanking me forward as he pulled me down the path, deeper into the heart of the village.
As we fought against the panic-stricken flow of the crowd within a tight alley, Glade’s voice rang out.
“We need to find the elder Fae. They’re the only ones whose magic may be strong enough to fight off the creatures!
I can harness a lot of Light, but I can’t fight the swarm of them alone. I’m going to need help.”
A devastating squeal pierced the crowd, echoing through the narrow path as one of the monsters lunged from the shadows of a nearby rooftop, landing on top of a Fae male.
The sickening crack of bones snapping and fangs tearing into flesh reverberated off the wooden walls, sending the swarm into a frenzy of terror and despair.
Within seconds, Glade raised his palm, channeling his Light with perfect aim. A blinding burst of energy shot from his palm, sending it hurtling dozens of yards into the air before it crashed to the ground, writhing but still alive.
However, it was too late. The Fae lay motionless on the cobblestone pavement, his lifeless body oozing shimmering crimson blood.
“Samsin!” A Fae woman’s heart-wrenching cry shattered the fog as she collapsed beside his body. Her now blood-covered hands shook him violently, as if trying to wake him from a deep sleep.
I began to move toward them, but Glade’s hand gripped my bicep, halting me in place. “We need to keep moving,” he urged, though his gaze darted between me and the corpse just a few paces away.
Disgust and fury contorted my face. “What do you mean, ‘we need to keep moving’? They need help! Let me help them!”
The woman’s anguished screams echoed throughout the path as she clutched her loved one, rocking his bloodied body back and forth.
I yanked against Glade’s grip, but it was no use. His hold was tough and firm.
“Jane,” he said as softly as he could, trying to calm me, but the anguish in his voice betrayed his own turmoil.
Still, I struggled, refusing to give in.
Glade pulled me close, his hands pressing against the sides of my face, just as he had earlier that night. This time, however, his eyes were not filled with desire—they were wide with alarm and panic, his pupils alight with the devastation of the horror around us.
“Jane. Look at me. He’s gone. He’s gone,” he firmly repeated. “There is nothing we can do for him. We need to get to Gioran and the elders, or many more Fae will meet the same fate.”
Though every fibre of my being roared to keep fighting, to help the grieving woman, I forced myself to stop, a single tear slipping down my cheek.
With one final, sorrowful glance at the weeping woman clutching the lifeless body on the ground, Glade took my hand firmly in his and pulled me further down the path.
The elder Fae’s cabin wasn’t far now. If we could hold out for just a few more minutes, we would be there.
But the chaos around us made every step a gruelling battle.
The frenzied crowd surged, snarls and screams rippling in every direction around us, like wolves encircling and approaching their prey.
At last, the stone steps of the cabin came into view.
Standing at the base of the stairs was the High Elder Fae, his eyes filled with grief and turmoil as he took in the devastation of his home.
The town was ablaze, lanterns knocked over during the panic, easily igniting wooden houses and businesses alike.
Monsters rampaged through the streets, their destruction relentless.
The scene before us was apocalyptic, a waking nightmare that could rival any horror film.
“My people are not one of violence and conflict. They have no means to defend themselves,” Gioran murmured under his breath, as if speaking only to himself.
“What about their magic? Are any civilians able to wield enough to defend themselves?” Glade pleaded, full of urgency and a small bit of hope.
Gioran’s jaw tightened. “Unlike us elders, most Fae civilians can only summon small bursts of magic, sporadically at best. And none have been trained to wield it as a weapon. It is forbidden by our laws.”
Glade glared at Gioran, his voice sharp as a knife. “And what about you?” he demanded, the flutters of the firelight casting harrowing shadows across the scowl chiseled into his face. “Will you fight to protect your people, or will you let them fall while clinging to your laws?”
“We will,” a steady and resolute voice answered.
From the shadowed path behind Gioran, a smaller Fae woman stepped forward. Her straight, raven hair rested on her shoulders, and her deep-set, dark blue eyes locked onto mine. Those eyes…I recognized them. They belonged to the woman who had invaded my mind.
Behind her, ten elder Fae emerged, marching in unison like a single entity. Each nodded solemnly, their expressions steadfast as they steeled themselves for the battle ahead.
Gioran’s heartbreak was palpable, etched into every line of his face as he looked to his companions, accepting their fate. His resolute voice carried over the mayhem.
“Two decades ago, our home world, Verdantis, was a thriving oasis…
A haven among the cosmos. We lived in times of peace, in unity, in harmony, in happiness.
But then the wicked Tenebrae, led by a malicious God, came to our home and destroyed everything we built, everything we stood for, everything we cared for.
They murdered our loved ones! Stole our future!
“Today, we break from our teachings, forsake our principles, and defy our laws. Today, we fight, despite never having done so before. Today, we fight to our deaths so that the Tenebrae, and The Other, will know that Verdantis still lives! Verdantis still stands! Verdantis is us and shall never be conquered!”
The words rang like a battle cry, igniting hope in those who stood with him. The elder Fae raised their heads higher, their bravery burning brighter than the flames devouring their Cylvaris.
An elder Fae male with neatly braided white hair stepped forward and approached Glade’s side. In his hands, he carried a long silver sword. The pommel was intricately carved from gold, and at the centre of the hilt lay an effervescent green emerald, shaped into a perfect crescent moon.
The elder Fae extended the weapon to Glade. The prince accepted it and bounced the blade in his hand, testing its balance and weight.
“That is an ancient Verdantian blade, young prince. Her name is Eirander,” the elder Fae male stated proudly. “You have my permission to wield this Verdantian weapon.” Then, with a faint grin breaking through the tension, he added, “Don’t fuck up my sword.”
Glade’s lips twitched in the shadow of a smile, though the reality of the situation before us dimmed any humour he might have mustered. “Thank you. I’ll do my best, Orrin,” he replied, nodding in acknowledgment of the male’s trust.
The small Fae woman who had stolen my memories approached me, her movements graceful as she held a dagger in her hands. “I won’t be needing this. But you will,” she gestured for me to take the small knife.
I hesitated only a moment before gathering the hilt in my palm. Despite my fear, I held the blade firm, my stance steady, feigning confidence, though fright still wrung through my body like a deadly parasite.
Before she left my space, she leaned in close, her voice barely above whisper as she said, “Though, I heard there’s really only one thing that can truly kill these bastards.”
An unintentional gulp slipped down my throat as the burden of her implication set in.
Glade had managed to kill the cavern creature with his blade, but that monster had been far smaller than the ones in the village.
The prince’s knife had barely made a dent in the alleyway beast—it was only Amantius’ Light that finally seared it half to hell.
The pressure to save Cylvaris had now been thrust upon my shoulders.
We were doomed.