The dogs sensed the danger first, yelping and fleeing into the forest.
The guards’ shouts shifted from bravado to confusion as the shades advanced, their half-formed bodies creeping from the shadows of the forest.
Ren’wyn raised a shaking arm, her finger pointing towardthem.
The guards’ fear became tangible, thick in the air like smoke.The first soldier screamed as darkness clasped his ankles, the cold tendrils of shadow pulling him down.The other two turned to flee, but it was too late.Black, clawed hands reached from the branches and gaps between the trees, coiling around their legs like living chains.
Ren’wyn felt their struggle and closed her outstretchedfist.
The Void swallowed them whole, snuffing out their lives in bursts of crimson light.Their empty corpses crumpled to the ground, gray and rotting, as the shadows slithered back into the night.
“Holy hell,” the stranger repeated, his voice almost reverent.
He spun her around, his fiery eyes blazing as they searched her face.“What in the name of—”
His words faltered as their gazes locked.Recognition flickered between them, a moment of shared understanding snapping into place like a puzzle piece.
Ren’wyn’s heart gave a wild, erratic thump as his heat chased the shadows back into the forest.
Then the world tilted violently.
Her stomach twisted, and she vomited onto the muddy riverbank before collapsing into unconsciousness.
The warmth of a small fire and the smell of horse, dust, and sweat invaded her senses.A rough blanket covered her, the coarse fabric scratching her skin.Her head ached fiercely, and her mouth tasted dry andsour.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, finding herself staring at the dull stone ceiling of a cave.Tilting her head, she caught a glimpse of the star-flecked river through the entrance, but the motion sent her vision spinning.
Safe.Somehow, I’msafe.
The stranger sat across the fire, his presence as unmistakable as before.Power radiated from him, warm and fiery, rippling through her bones and spirit.With her eyes open, his energy licked across her skin like the summersun.
Behind closed eyes, it became intimate—a teasing interplay between his magic and her shadows.The thought sent a wave of nausea crashing over her, and she groaned, reopening her eyes to banish the sensation.
He watched her like she was a caged, dangerous animal, though he masked his wariness by cleaning a short sword laid across his knees.His dark gray cloak and brown tunic and pants were practical, suited for covert travel.The tilt of his head made his distrust clear, even as his hood cast his face in shadow.
Ren’wyn pushed herself onto her elbows, nausea hitting her in waves.She breathed deeply, willing her stomach to settle and her spinning head to clear.Her focus shifted to the man across the fire.From their brief interaction, she could tell he was a fighter—his callused hands, strong arms, and ready stance betrayed asmuch.
And the sword.A finely crafted blade, well-cared-for despite the grime of the forest.She almost chuckled.High-born,she thought.Or at least someone who had been well-off until recently.
What struck her most, though, was his magic.He was a berserker, wielding that raw, intense power that made them nearly invincible in a fight.Yet his composure hinted at discipline, a hard-won mastery over the chaos within him.That mix of restraint and power intrigued her, even gave her hope.Someone this strong—someone who had risked his life to save her—might also bekind.
He saved me.He can’t be cruel, can he?
Still, Ren’wyn gripped the blanket tightly as another realization crept in:He’s powerful and trained.She had never encountered anyone outside the Academy who wielded magic.And yet, here hewas.
She met his eyes cautiously, returning his wary assessment with one of herown.
Setting his sword aside, he pushed back his hood, and Ren’wyn’s breath caught.
An imperial soldier.
Dark tattoos curled intricately across his scalp, faded but unmistakable beneath a short crop of dark hair.Her heart sank.How had he survived court, hiding his magic when the empire hunted and killed those like her?And what would he do tohernow?She was as good as dead, exposed as a dark mage with no alliesleft.
“Please,” she choked out, her voice dry and cracked.A sob welled in her chest.“Oh gods, please let me go.Leave me here.Pretend you never saw me.I’ll never tell anyone.Please, please.”
His mouth twisted into a wry smile, a low, dark chuckle escaping as his hazel eyes glinted with anger.His striking features sharpened with the emotion, full lips tilting and brows furrowing.
“I’m not your enemy, girl,” he said, his voice rich with the accent of the Capital.“But if you want, I can leave you here to starve—or drown trying to escape wherever it is you’re runningfrom.”
