Chapter 70 The Gathering Storm II
Silas landed at the base of the mountain. "This is as far as I go. Climb the rest. Find him. Save him if you can. Good luck."
He took off before they could thank him. Left them alone in the freezing cold.
"How far to the summit?" Zevran asked.
"A few hours. If we climb fast. If the cold does not kill us first."
"Then we better hurry."
They started climbing. The wind howled. Snow blinded them. Every step was agony. But they pushed forward.
Halfway up, they found bodies. Frozen solid. Wolves who had tried to reach Kieran before them.
"He killed them," Zevran said. "Kieran killed his own rescuers."
"The shadow killed them. Not Kieran. He would never hurt people trying to help him."
"How do you know?"
"Because I know him. I freed him. I saw who he really was. And this is not it."
They kept climbing. Hours passed. The sun started to set. The temperature dropped even more.
"We are almost there!" Mara could see the summit now. See the figure still standing. Still waiting.
They pulled themselves over the final ledge. Collapsed in the snow. Breathing hard. Freezing. Exhausted.
Kieran turned to face them. His eyes were completely white. Burning white. No color. No humanity.
"You came," he said. His voice was layered. Multiple voices speaking at once. "I hoped you would not. But I am not surprised. You always were too brave for your own good."
"Kieran. It is me. Mara. I came to help you."
"Help? HELP?" He laughed. It sounded like ice breaking. "You cannot help me! No one can! The shadow is part of me now! It always was! The curse just kept it controlled! Now it is free! And so am I!"
"You are not free! You are a prisoner! The shadow is controlling you!"
"The shadow IS me! I am the shadow! We are one! We always were!" He took a step closer. "Leave. Now. Before I kill you like I killed the others. Before the shadow makes me hurt you."
"I am not leaving without you."
"Then you are not leaving at all."
He moved. Faster than before. Grabbed Mara by the throat. Lifted her off the ground.
"Kieran! Stop!" Zevran attacked. His black wolf crashing into the Shadow King.
But Kieran just swatted him away. Threw him across the summit. Zevran hit rocks. Did not get up.
"Pathetic. You bring a normal wolf to fight a king? Insulting."
Mara choked. Clawed at his hand. Nothing worked. He was too strong.
"I am sorry," Kieran's voice broke through the layers. Just for a second. Just his voice. "I am sorry, Mara. I cannot stop it. It is too strong. Run. Please. While you still can."
"No. I will not leave you. I will not let the shadow win."
"It already won. The moment you freed me. I thought I could be normal. Be human. Be good. But I was wrong. I was always the shadow. The curse just made me forget."
"That is a lie! You are Kieran! You are kind! Strong! Worthy of love!"
"Love?" The shadow laughed through him. "I loved once. A thousand years ago. It destroyed me. Made me weak. Made me vulnerable. That is when the shadow took me the first time. I will not make that mistake again."
He squeezed harder. Mara felt her vision darkening. Felt death coming for the fifth time.
But then something changed. She felt a surge of power inside her. Not her power. The fragment's power.
"Use me!" Oblivion's voice screamed in her mind. "Use me or die! Those are your choices!"
"No..."
"He will kill you! Kill your mate! Then go to the city! Kill your daughter! Everyone you love dies unless you use me!"
Mara looked at Zevran. He was trying to stand. Blood dripping from his head. Trying to save her. Trying to help.
She could not let him die. Could not let Kieran kill him.
"Fine. But just this once. Just to save them. Then you go back in your cage."
"Whatever you say. Now LET ME OUT!"
The fragment exploded. Dark energy poured from Mara's body. Mixed with her golden light. Created something silver. Something terrible.
Kieran dropped her. Stumbled backward. "What is that? What are you?"
Mara stood. Her eyes blazed silver. Her whole body glowed with mixed power. "I am the Moon Wolf. And I carry both light and darkness now. And I am going to use both to save you."
"You cannot save me!"
"Watch me."
She attacked. Not with pure light. Not with pure darkness. With both. Silver energy that burned and froze at the same time.
It hit Kieran in the chest. He screamed. The shadow inside him recoiled. Weakened.
"Keep going!" Oblivion urged. "More! Hurt him more! Kill the shadow!"
"No killing. Just weakening. Just enough to free Kieran."
She hit him again. And again. Each strike pushed the shadow back. Made it smaller. Weaker.
Kieran fell to his knees. "Stop. Please. It hurts. Everything hurts."
"I know. But I am almost done. Just hold on."
One more strike. The shadow shattered. Broke apart. Scattered into the wind.
Kieran collapsed. His eyes were blue again. Normal. Human. "Mara? What happened? Where am I?"
"The Northern Wastes. You came here to die. To stop the shadow from taking you."
"Did it take me?"
"Yes. But I stopped it. Pushed it back. You are free again."
"For how long?"
"I do not know. But longer than before. The fragment's power hurt the shadow. Damaged it. It will take time to recover."
"You used the fragment? Used Oblivion's power?"
"I had no choice. You were going to kill me. Kill Zevran. I had to stop you."
"I am sorry. I should have stayed away. Should have let the cold take me."
"Stop apologizing. You are alive. That is what matters."
Zevran limped over. "Is it done? Is the shadow gone?"
"For now. But it will come back. It always does."
"Then we prepare. Build defenses. Find a permanent solution." Mara helped Kieran stand. "Come on. Let us go home. Get you warm. Figure this out together."
"I cannot go back to the city. The shadow might return. Might hurt people."
"Then we find somewhere else. Somewhere safe. Somewhere you can rest without fear."
"Where?"
"I know a place," Zevran said. "The old fortress. Where you sealed Mara. It is empty now. Warded. Perfect for containing someone dangerous."
"You want to imprison me again?"
"I want to keep you safe. And keep others safe from you. There is a difference."
Kieran thought about it. "Fine. But if the shadow takes me completely. If there is no saving me. You kill me. Promise me. Do not let me become a monster again."
"I promise. But it will not come to that. We will find a way to fix this."
"You are very optimistic for someone carrying a fragment of ultimate evil inside them."
"Optimism is all I have left. If I lose that, I lose everything."
They started the long climb down. The sun was rising now. Painting the snow red and gold. Beautiful. Peaceful.
But Mara felt the fragment stirring inside her. Growing stronger. Feeding on the power she had used.
"You owe me," Oblivion whispered. "I saved your life. Your mate's life. Your friend's life. That is a debt you must repay."
"I owe you nothing. I used you as a tool. Nothing more."
"Keep telling yourself that. But we both know the truth. You needed me. And you will need me again. Soon. Very soon."
Mara tried to push the voice away. Lock it back down. But it was harder now. The fragment was stronger. More awake. More aware.
She had made a mistake. A terrible mistake. And she had no idea how to fix it.