Chapter Twenty-Nine #2
“Then we will have a few more hours together, and he will die by Craos’s hand. Not mine. Never mine.”
“And if I kill him here and now?”
Shadows gathered, curling at my feet like loyal hounds.
The darkness within me gnashed its teeth, ready to be untethered.
“Then you will be reduced to nothing as my wrath will know no bounds. I will hunt down every last Guardian, every last spirit, every last Druid and lay waste to every soul who walks this world.” My voice was strong and clear.
Filled with passion and fury. I may have wanted to earn the Emberstone as Kira Blackwell, but I would protect Owen as a dark Druid if needed.
“I will peel the bark from your sacred trees. I will burn the forests and groves, and the rivers will choke with ash and bone. Do not test me. I will not sacrifice Owen, and you will not harm him.”
“Then you would embrace your darkness upon losing your love? You showed the Waterstone Guardian that you would expel your darkness in the final battle.”
“I would. So long as Owen lives. Send me into a vision if you would test me. See what I would do if he were to fall by your hand or any other.”
“What need have I for visions of that which has not yet come to pass? That is the Waterstone Guardian’s penchant. I deal in the here and now.”
The Guardian waved a tendril of flame in the air like a hand. He was silent for a long time, the only sound the crackling of his flames while embers drifted down to the cold, tiled floor. We stared at each other, neither backing down. Eventually, a gleam of respect shone from his face.
“You have shown fury, cunning, and courage with your words. Now I need only test your resolve.”
Quicker than I could blink, the Guardian hurled a spear of flame at Owen’s chest, but before it could pierce him, it hit a wall of writhing shadows and fell to the ground.
Wrath, terrible and ferocious, filled me and I screamed in rage.
A storm of shadows swirled around me, taking the form of ravens made of night.
They dove at the Guardian with talons sharper than blades.
The Guardian’s form expanded, his body now a searing whirlwind of flame.
He unleashed a blast wave, vaporizing the flock.
But one shadow-raven sliced through, its talons digging into the Guardian’s chest, and his fire dimmed before he flicked the bird away.
“Enough,” commanded the Guardian, but I continued to seethe, power pulsing under my skin, shadows coiling at my feet. He had threatened Owen, and that would not go unpunished. The magic clawed at my veins, whispering once again how easy it would be to destroy him.
“Control yourself,” the Guardian barked. “You cannot face Craos if you cannot control your magic.”
I clenched my fists until my nails bit into my palms. My power pressed desperately against my skin. My breaths came sharp and shallow.
“Kira.” One word, infinite love. “Come back to me.”
I dragged my eyes to Owen’s. Holding his gaze, I shoved the magic down. Every muscle screamed as I reined it in, and when it was over, I stood trembling while the darkness sulked within me, restless.
The Guardian considered Owen and me. “You have passed my test. You will fight to save the one you love. In the heat of battle, your resolve will not fail, because you will not fail each other. The Emberstone is yours. But prepare. Each time you have awoken a stone, the gate between worlds has opened for a little longer, allowing more Shadowbane to slip through.”
“So, three wraiths this time?” Owen asked, drawing his sword.
“Perhaps,” the Guardian said. “Perhaps not. There is another far more dangerous creature that may enter our world. Stay vigilant.”
“I heard Craos’s voice when I touched the Rootstone but not the Waterstone. Why?”
“The first stone you touched not only reopened the portal to the Fire Realm, it allowed Craos to establish a connection.” The Guardian nodded toward my chest. “What you felt and heard when you first touched the Rootstone was that connection being forged. It will not happen again.”
The dagger drifted toward me on a tendril of flame. I grasped it and marvelled at its lethal beauty as the stone blade began to pulse. The Guardian’s flames flickered lower until he no longer remained, and the only sound was our ragged breathing.
Owen and I shared relieved smiles, but then he stilled, his eyes widening.
“Kira…” He reached for my shoulder but didn’t touch it.
I looked down and gasped in revulsion and fear.
Streaks of black snaked from the bruise over my heart across my shoulders and down my arms. They looked like veins under the surface of the skin, or like the roots of a tree, twisting and turning in my body.
“Do they hurt?”
I shook my head. I didn’t feel any discomfort. But I couldn’t look at them. Tears blurred my vision.
“Hey—” Owen slipped an arm around my waist, pulled me close, and rested his forehead against mine. “—we’ll figure this out.”
“It’s horrifying,” I bit out, my voice raw. “I hate my magic. It’s too powerful. Dangerous. It scares me.”
“I know, but it doesn’t scare me. I still see you, Kira. Just like you’ve always seen past my scars.”
“Are you sure I’m not too dark?”
“Never. Impressive and fierce, yes. But never too dark. I see only you, Kira. You fought for me.” There was awe in his voice.
I found a smile. “And you trusted me. We didn’t have a plan, but you trusted me to handle it.”
“I would have offered my life for yours. If it had come to that.”
“I know. And I would burn the world for you.”
I kissed him before I gave him the dagger to put in his pocket. “Let’s find the others,” I said at last. “Let’s finish this and save your grandfather.”