Chapter1
Lyra
Something’s here!
A sudden sensation catches my attention, an ominous shiver that tells me I’m not alone. Out of the corner of my eye, something flickers—a wisp of motion, almost imperceptible. At first I think I might be swooning, a feeling of light-headedness eroding the edges of my consciousness. But no, it’s the world itself that shudders. A solitary pillar that I hadn’t noticed before begins to tremble. The tremor is soft at first, like the whisper of a secret, then it grows, escalating into a fierce quake.
Around me, the air fills with the sounds of panic—screams and gasps echoing through what appears to be a terrace or an elevated veranda, I find myself outside where I can smell the sea and hear the waves crashing in the distance. I turn, desperate to find a grounding presence, and my fingers find Nyx’s. His grip on my hands tightens, his stance firm against the chaos. His eyes, those deep pools of gray, flicker and transform, shifting from soft gentleness to hardened intensity as the light around us dims, swallowed by growing shadows.
The ground beneath us fractures, the white stone splittingwith a sharp, resounding crack, as if the earth itself is crying out. From these fissures, shadows begin to ooze silently, creeping forward with a menacing patience. I try to discern their origin, but it’s impossible to tell if they emerge from within me or seep from some otherworldly place.
The crowd before me transforms as well. The faces blur together into a sea of anonymity, each figure blending into the next, their features lost to the encroaching dark. The darkness thickens, devouring the remaining light, muffling sounds until the screams taper off to mere whimpers. An icy fear grips me, rooting me to the spot. Why can’t I move?
“I told you I was your light, Princess,” Nyx says through the stifling silence, sharp and clear.
I glance back at him, and the sight chills me to the core. His eyes, once a soft gray, now blaze with an intense light and become almost blinding, stark against the deepening gloom. Light emanates from him, piercing the shadows, casting bright beams across the broken ground.
I gasp for air, choking as I bolt upright in bed, the sweat on my brow cold and clammy.
This dream, this haunting vision—or midnight mind—threatens to be my undoing. The same nightmare that has been stalking my sleep for months always paralyzes me, showing fragmented scenes and shifting the person standing beside me from Colton to Nyx. I’m left wondering whether these dreams are harbingers of what is to come or simply the chaos of a subconscious torn between my mind and my heart, struggling with indecision.
I release a slow breath and summon my shadows back to me. In recent months, not only have my dreams become more vivid, but my shadows have also started to exhibit a will of their own when I sleep—or at least when I dream. I wake to find them sprawled across the room, pressed against the windowsand doors, as if their presence might offer some form of protection in my slumber, a dark sentinel standing guard.
The first time it happened, I know it unnerved Colton—though whether it scared him or intrigued him, I can’t say. It might have been a bit of both. I woke to find my shadows had ensnared him, binding his limbs to the bed with wispy tendrils and sealing his mouth with an inky veil. I was mortified at the time, but now the memory makes me giggle.
Oh gods, I hope I’m making the right choice. I’m confident it’s the right choice for my heart, but whether it will be right for my people, for the realms, only the gods know. Soon enough, I’ll find out. I have a good feeling though, a feeling of peace, like all the pieces are finally falling into place and I am exactly where I am supposed to be in this moment.
Glancing at the clock, I see it’s 3 a.m. Ironically, it’s officially my nineteenth birthday—a day I’ve always believed would be of great significance. It was supposed to be the day I awakened my magic, discovering whether it was dark or light. This day, which I anticipated and dreaded in equal measure for so many years, is finally here, yet it holds significance for an entirely different reason.
I already possess all the magic I could ever desire, and I’ve mostly come to terms with my dark magic. But I could never have predicted this turn of events. A couple of years ago, if someone had told me I’d be facing this on my nineteenth birthday, I would have laughed in their face.
Yet here I am, officially a woman in the eyes of my people, and only hours away from the bridal binding, the twining of souls, the final bonding ceremony. They all signify the same thing—my wedding day, the culmination of all ceremonies.
Today, I will bond my soul with the man I’ve chosen, my beacon of light in the darkness.
SixMonths Earlier
I whirl around.
Without thinking, I slam the gates shut. A wave of relief washes over me as I hear them click and lock back into place. But there was a flash of something—so fleeting that I almost believe I imagined it. Yet when my fingers brushed against the cool metal, an image seared into my mind. An image of the gods...I think. I can’t be certain, but I swear I saw Ryella, the Goddess of Darkness and Shadows, with her head bowed.
Nyx moves next to me and grabs the gate, rattling it vigorously. Small pieces of ensnared branches crumble under his touch and fall from the metal bars. “It doesn’t open for me,” he says, turning to look at Colton.
“I imagine that’s a good thing,” Colton replies, eyeing me as if I’m a puzzle he’s yet to solve.
“I want to know what purpose these gates serve, but we have more pressing matters to deal with first,” I say, extending both my hands.
Nyx instantly takes my hand, stepping in close to me. Colton takes my other hand, but I can’t help noticing the slighthesitation in his touch, which sends a pang through my heart. I focus, channeling us back to the heart of Eguina.
The beating takes root in my mind, a chilling prelude even before we materialize in the cavern at the center of the tunnels. As our feet touch down, I feel the crunch of decayed roots underfoot, and a shiver runs up my spine. The sight before me is something I doubt I’ll ever grow accustomed to. In fact, I yearn for the day when I needn’t witness it again, once healed.
The heart continues to thud, a dismal echo of its former vitality—now more black than red. The glistening sheen that once covered its surface has turned lackluster, and the vessels branching out across the chambers appear almost dried up in places, especially since Euric drained my magic from it, leaving it more ghastly than before. With each beat, a gush of dark, viscous liquid spurts from its apex, trickling down the gnarled roots before dripping onto the floor.
“What the fuck is that?” Nyx exclaims.
I turn to him, reminded that they are unaware of its significance. Colton, releasing my hand, steps closer to the heart, his gaze intense and investigative.
“Is this the beating you mentioned hearing before? I hear it now,” Colton remarks in awe.
