Riella nodded, her tiny features took on a deadly scowl, like a beautiful avenging baby angel. "For now," she growled, mimicking Emon's tone, stretching her arm out for her shadow spear that quickly responded to her summons. An impressive feat for a faeling who just learned to manipulate shadow.
Looking between them, my lips pressed into a thin line. They were two halves of my heart and just as stubborn as I was. Shaking my head, I faced the water drenched Lir and stepped out into the violent storm with the door slamming shut behind me.
Secretly, I wished it would lock, to keep what was my heart tucked safely inside beside a warm fire. I smiled softly, when the sound of a click could be heard over the bellowing winds. Sending the enchanted cabin my thanks and gratitude, I tilted my chin to Lir with calm resolve. "Show me."
Following him, rain and now…hail, pelted down upon us and I instantly thickened the shadows, not relishing the idea of being bruised by golf ball sized ice. Unfortunately, the shadows did not keep out the cold and my body began to freeze in the sleeting winds.
Lir's hand gripped my shoulder when the ship lurched harshly to one side, forcing me to slam into his solid frame. "There," he thundered, steering me and pointing north. "Mi daughter sings o' a red glow."
I tracked his pointed finger with dread knowing what I would see…and fate did not disappoint. Lightning lit the sky, revealing a deep burgundy haze oozing across the horizon, eating the storm.
The chill that was slowly freezing my body took no time to freeze my heart. My lost shadows, stolen from me by the Sanguine, had finally come. Twisted and perverse, they had been corrupted beyond recognition and there would be no mercy from their deadly intent.
My lips pressed into a grim line with Lir’s strong hand still holding me steady. "So Deirdre finally makes her next move." My teeth clenched harder, hands fisting at my sides.
"Aye, that she has. Yer lead lass."
“How long do we have?”
Lir shrugged, “ye may have ten, fifteen minutes.”
Feeling a sudden weight on my other shoulder, I looked to find Riella's spirit guide hissing into the howling wind. Reaching up, I smoothed down its twitching rabbit ears, scowling with him,my mind racing. "Any way we can avoid them?" I hollered back through the thick sleet.
Releasing me, Lir turned to pick up his large shovel, throwing coal into the hot furnace, steam rolling out as the flames sputtered from the pelting hail, clouding him in smoke. He shook his head at me. "Nay lass. One way in, one way out to The Well o’ Souls."
Lightning cracked open the stormy night followed by the thick rattling boom of thunder. Still stroking Zaki, I assessed the narrow passage through the seas where the Sanguine shadows blocked our course.
"My dormant shadows won’t be enough to take on the corrupted lilin," I cursed.
Zaki hissed at my confession, jumping down from my shoulder, his ear twitching towards the cabin.
Lir nodded at the spirit guide, "Ye be right." Looking at me thoughtfully, he added, "forgive me goddess, bit dinnae ye have a soul wraith?"
My head shot up. "A soul wraith?"
"Aye lass, yer soulmate lover. He is a soul wraith no? N’ they have unlimited power. They're no longer bound by the laws o' the universe."
A soul wraith…they were legends only…myths. Made from broken oaths, sacrificial vows, and deep darkness. They had never been seen, never even existed—the cost to become one was too great. My motherknewthat which meant—
“No cost is too great when your life and our daughter’s hang in the balance,”Emon whispered in my mind, his dark presence suddenly beside me.
I turned angrily, my hair whipping across my face, seeing Riella standing beside him using her spear to stay upright on the lurching ship. Quickly, I weaved shadow around her to shelter her from the harsh elements before glaring at my soulmate. “And what of your life—”
His chuckle was dark, lacking the warmth that normally followed his confident smile. “It is tied to yours now.”
I inhaled sharply, taking a small step back, stumbling slightly on the rocking ship.
Seeing my retreat, he frowned, raking his hand through his shadow hair, “You know I will never leave you, my little umbra—”
“Oi! Ye might be wanting to save this bickerin’ for another day,” Lir thundered and we all turned towards wherehe nodded.
Riella gasped and I reached for her, pulling her to my side.
Gritting my teeth, I assessed the growing Sanguine shadows. Their reach was now massive. Meant for one thing—to engulf us all into its ravenous oblivion.
"Limitless or not Emon,” I stared, clearing my mind, building my own shadows around me. “You cannot do this alone, Sanguine shadows are infinite with the lilin. We will need to weaken it enough to not risk you getting corrupted as well.”
Riella whimpered and tugged on my arm. “Maedere?”
