Chapter 18

Kael's POV

Darkness. Then light. Then darkness again.

My body isn't mine anymore. It's just pain and fire, and Raven's voice cutting through the fog like a knife.

"Keep your eyes open, Kael. Stay with me."

Easy for her to say. Her arms are around me, dragging me over roots and rocks, but every step sends lightning up my side. The damn dagger wound burns like someone poured molten silver into it. Soulbane. Of course Darian wouldn't play fair.

I blink, and for a second, I'm not in the woods. I'm back in the Spire's throne room, my father's blood on my hands. His lips move, but all I hear is, "Original sin... the Spire... they lied..." Then the vision twists—Aeliana's face, pale as snow, her fingers clutching mine. "They made me betray you."

I jerk back to reality with a gasp. Raven's face is inches from mine, her violet eyes wide. "Kael!"

"Still here," I grunt. Or at least, I think I say it. My tongue feels like lead.

She adjusts her grip on me, her breath ragged. "You weigh a ton, you know that?"

I'd laugh if I could. "Flattery... won't save you... from my charm."

She snorts, but her hands tremble against my ribs. "Save your breath for walking."

\---

The trees loom taller, their branches clawing at the sky. The Whispering Woods live up to their name—every rustle sounds like a voice. Liar. Murderer. Weak.

I grit my teeth. "Hate this place."

"Yeah, well, it's the only place Darian's hounds won't follow." Raven's voice is steady, but her pulse jumps under my fingers. She's scared.

That pisses me off more than the poison.

We stumble into a clearing, moonlight painting the grass silver. My legs give out, and Raven barely catches me before I face-plant into the dirt.

"Okay. Okay, let's look at this." She peels back my torn shirt, and her breath hitches.

I don't need to see it to know it's bad. The wound's edges are black, veins spiderwebbing out like cracks. Soulbane. It doesn't just kill you—it makes you watch your worst memories on repeat first.

Raven yanks off her cloak, pressing it to the wound. I hiss. "Gentle, woman."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she snaps. "Should I sing you a lullaby while you bleed out?"

"If you know any."

She rolls her eyes, but her hands are careful. Too careful. Like I'll break.

\---

I grab her wrist. "The council... they've done this before."

Her brows pinch. "What?"

The visions surge again—stone altars, girls in white gowns, the council chanting. Moon Daughters. Sacrifices. My voice comes out rough. "They killed them. Every generation. To keep their power. Aeliana... she found out. That's why they—"

Raven's face goes still. Then cold. "This wasn't Darian's plan. We're playing into someone else's game."

A twig snaps.

Eira materializes from the shadows, her red hair wild, a knife in each hand. "We've got company."

The trees around us groan. Black sap oozes from the bark, dripping onto the leaves below. It pools, rises, forms shapes—figures with glowing red eyes and too-long limbs.

Shadow-walkers.

Raven swears, yanking me upright. "You've got to be kidding me."

I fumble for my dagger, but my fingers won't close. "Go. Run."

"Shut up." She shoves a knife into my hand. "You die, I'll kill you."

Eira barks a laugh. "Romantic."

\---

The first shadow lunges.

Raven moves faster, her blade slicing through its chest. The thing screeches, dissolving into smoke. But three more take its place.

Eira spins, knives flashing. "They're coming from the trees!"

I force myself up, leaning against a boulder. My vision swims, but I won't just watch. I won't.

A shadow leaps at Raven from behind. "Down!" I shout.

She drops, and my knife finds its mark—right between those glowing red eyes. The shadow explodes into black mist.

Raven glares at me. "I had that."

"Sure looked like it."

She flips me off, but there's relief in her eyes.

\---

Eira fights like a demon, her knives a blur. But there's too many. They keep coming, oozing from the trees like tar.

One grabs her arm, its fingers burning her skin. She screams.

"Eira!" Raven rushes forward, but I grab her wrist.

"Wait."

The shadows pause. Their heads tilt, like they're listening to something. Then, as one, they turn toward me.

A voice whispers from the trees. "The Storm's Heir... weak... dying..."

Raven's grip tightens on her knife. "What the hell was that?"

The shadows surge forward.

\---

I raise my blade, but my arm shakes. The poison's winning.

Then—light.

Pure, silver light bursts from Raven's hands. The shadows shriek, recoiling.

Eira gasps. "Raven... your eyes..."

They're glowing. Not just violet now, but bright as the moon itself.

The shadows hesitate. Then, like rats fleeing fire, they melt back into the trees.

Silence.

Raven sags, the light fading. "What... was that?"

I stare at her. "You tell me."

She looks at her hands like they're strangers. "I don't know."

Eira clutches her burned arm. "We need to move. They'll be back."

Raven nods, helping me up again. But her hands are shaking.

I lean close, my lips brushing her ear. "Moon's Daughter, huh?"

She elbows me. "Don't start."

But I grin anyway. Because for the first time since this nightmare began, we might actually have a chance.

\---

Then the ground starts to shake.

Trees splinter. The earth cracks open, and something huge claws its way out—a beast of shadow and bone, its jaws dripping black saliva.

Eira pales. "Oh, you've got to be kidding."

The monster roars.

Raven tightens her grip on her knife. "Run?"

I look at her. "Run."

We bolt.

\---

We run.

Or at least, Raven and Eira run. I mostly stumble, my legs threatening to buckle with every step. The poison slithers through my veins, whispering lies in my ears. You’ll fail her. Just like you failed Aeliana.

"Faster!" Eira hisses, yanking me forward.

I grit my teeth. "Working on it."

Behind us, the beast crashes through the trees, its breath hot on our necks. The thing smells like rotting earth and old blood.

Raven glances back, her eyes wide. "It’s gaining!"

"No shit," I pant. My lungs burn. "Got any more... moon magic... up your sleeve?"

She glares. "Not funny."

"Wasn’t joking."

A root catches my boot, and I go down hard. Raven skids to a stop, grabbing my arm before I face-plant. "Gods, you’re heavy."

"Charming."

The beast roars, shaking the ground. Closer. Too close.

Eira spins, knives raised. "I’ll hold it off!"

"Like hell!" Raven snaps.

But Eira’s already moving, a flash of red hair and steel. She leaps at the beast, driving a blade into its leg. Black ooze sprays. The thing howls, swiping at her. She ducks, but its claws graze her shoulder.

"Eira!" Raven lunges forward, but I grab her wrist.

"Wait."

The beast stumbles, its wounded leg buckling. Eira grins, blood dripping from her lip. "See? Not so tough."

Then the wound stitches itself back together.

Eira’s smile dies. "Oh, come on."

The beast snarls, lunging—

A silver arrow buries itself in its eye.

The creature screeches, thrashing. Another arrow hits its throat. Then another.

Raven gasps. "Who—?"

From the trees steps a figure in a gray cloak, bow drawn. Lysander. My oldest warrior—and the only man I’d trust at my back in a fight.

"Took you long enough," I croak.

Lysander smirks. "You’re welcome."

The beast writhes, black blood gushing. Lysander nocks another arrow. "We need to go. Now."

Eira doesn’t argue. She grabs my other arm, and together, she and Raven haul me toward the tree line.

The beast’s screams fade behind us, but the woods aren’t safe. Shadows twist between the trunks, watching. Waiting.

Raven’s grip on me tightens. "Lysander, how did you find us?"

He doesn’t look back. "Followed the trail of stupidity."

I cough a laugh. It hurts. "Missed you too."

Lysander leads us to a hidden ravine, where a shallow cave waits. He shoves aside the vines. "In. Quick."

We collapse inside, the cold stone a relief against my burning skin. Raven presses her cloak to my wound again. "You’re burning up."

"Yeah. Noticed."

Eira tears a strip from her sleeve, binding her shoulder. "So. That happened."

Lysander crouches by the entrance, listening. "We’re not alone out there."

"No kidding," Eira mutters.

Raven’s fingers brush my forehead. "Kael... your eyes."

"What about them?"

"They’re... black."

Shit. That’s not good. Soulbane’s final stage.

Lysander’s jaw tightens. "How long has he been poisoned?"

"Too long," Raven whispers.

Eira leans forward. "There’s a cure, right?"

Silence.

Then—

"Yes."

We all turn. Lysander’s face is grim. "But you’re not going to like it."

Raven’s voice is steel. "Tell us."

Lysander meets her gaze. "The Obsidian Spire’s archives. There’s a book—The Tome of Hollow Dawn. It holds the antidote’s recipe."

I laugh, bitter. "Of course it’s in the one place we can’t go."

Raven’s fingers curl into fists. "We’ll get it."

"You don’t understand," Lysander says quietly. "The council knows you’ll come for it. It’s a trap."

Raven doesn’t flinch. "Then we walk into it."

Eira grins. "Finally, a good plan."

I try to sit up. "Raven—"

She presses a finger to my lips. "Don’t. You’d do the same for me."

Damn right I would.

Lysander sighs. "I’ll scout ahead. Rest while you can." He slips into the night.

Eira leans against the wall, closing her eyes. "Wake me when it’s time to die."

Raven stays by my side, her hand in mine.

The cave is cold. The poison is worse. But her grip is warm, and right now, that’s enough.

For now.