Page 110 of Twisted Bonds
Cor’than whispers to himself like Yurghen might find us if we speak too loudly. “This can’t be how it all ends. I can’t have come this far, done so much, for the city to fall now.”
My heart pounds in my chest, a deafening echo of disbelief and terror. This was our last hope, our only chance at survival. But now, as we cower in the shadows like timid prey, I’m a rabbit waiting to be hunted by a savage fox.
I curse myself for ever believing this was anything but a desperate long shot.
fifty-seven
Tairyn
I frantically flip through endless years of visions, scouring for any trace of a solution. Did I ever foresee this nightmare? Did I ever glimpse a way out? My mind races with memories, a dizzying slideshow of fragments: sights, smells, sensations. But no answer emerges. No glimmer of hope. Just an overwhelming sense of dread.
No hope.
The room is consumed by a deafening silence, the air thick with palpable desperation. Mira’s heart sinks through our bond as the cruel reality of our fate sets in. Desperately, I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to drown out the rising tide of anxiety that threatens to overwhelm me. Each beat of my heart feels like a sledgehammer pounding against my chest, as if my body is trying to break free from its own confines. It’s like standing on the edge of a crumbling cliff, struggling to maintain balance while the ground beneath me gives way.
Deep down, I know the answer, even if I don’t want to acknowledge it.
How long do we have until he catches up with us? Thirty minutes? Five? Like taming a wild horse, my heart resists the panic and eventually settles into a steady rhythm. I reluctantly open my eyes and see the same realization settling on the faces of those around me: our fate is sealed.
Bobble frantically spouts off ideas, his voice laced with fear. “Maybe we should try attacking from the windows again and using them as cover to regroup and build up our strength?”
Cor’than nods along as if this is remotely possible. “Yes, yes. Good. We can continue what Mira started.”
Mira’s eyes glisten with fear as she eyes Callum. “Bobble, aren’t you out of Chroma?”
“I can still fight. I have a sword, and I’m not a bad shot if I can find a bow around here.”
Sunder’s head stirs, his gaze shifting from his injured soldiers to me. He asks, “What about you? How much strength do you have left?” It’s like a general checking in with his soldier to see how much fight is left in them. Will they surrender easily or go down fighting, taking down as many enemies as possible? But there’s a glimmer of hope mixed in with his acceptance of the dire situation. As if he believes I could be the one to save them all.
As my reserves dwindle to dangerously low levels, a harsh truth settles in my mind. I breathe in the musty stench of this room, allowing it to soothe the inner demons that have haunted me for so long. The fear and uncertainty that consumed me when I woke up in this unfamiliar body now crystallizes into a single moment of clarity.
This is how it was always meant to end.
Every possible future I once had converges into this one pivotal decision. And with an instant’s realization, I know there was never any other way for this to play out.
“I have enough to do what must be done,” I say, meeting Sunder’s hopeful gaze. I hardly recognize the voice that comes out of my mouth. So grave yet resigned.
Both Bobble and Callum turn their heads towards me, their eyes filled with hope. Cor’than and Mira exchange uncertain glances.
Tranquility envelops me as the words part from my lips. They are heavy with the gravity of what they signify - willingly surrendering my independence, my sense of self. Words that I never thought would escape my mouth, yet here they are, hanging in the air like a weight on my heart that’s been lifted. “We have to merge, here and now, into Dan’thiel. It’s the only way this ends.”
Mira’s sudden gasp indicates her surprise at my unexpected statement, and I can’t say I blame her for it. “No, there has to be another way. We can escape the city. Run away together. We’ll regroup and come back to fight another day.”
Bobble is the first Shard to meet my eyes with a silent acquiesce. He places an arm around Mira’s shoulder to calm the rising panic we all sense inside her.
“You know how to do that?” Sunder asks, skeptical.
“I spent years studying with Yurghen to glean anything I could about soul magic. He dangled these answers in front of me like a carrot on a stick, but I found most of the answers myself alone at night pouring over the tomes in his library. I wasn’t going to let him feed me false information when he did deign to give me any.”
A massive explosion reverberates through the air, its origin not too far from our current location. The ground trembles beneath our feet. In between the rumbling, Cor’than manages to ask, “You merge into Dan’thiel and then what happens?”
“He and Mira will likely be restored to full Chroma when they meet. The bond will set between them instantly, as is customary with traditional mates. The three of you will have a better chance than the six of us as broken as we are.”
“No! I won’t let you do this. Please,” her voice breaks into soft pleading sobs. She grabs the lapels of my now-tattered jacket, her sweet scent filling my nose. I breathe her deeply, as if trying to etch this last moment with her deep into my mind. “Tairyn, please. We’ll find another way. Let’s run away and regroup. Please.”
Her eyes bore into mine, pleading as if I am the only hope she has left. Her gaze is filled with a raw desperation that pierces my thoughts, begging me to understand and see clearly. My heart is heavy as I wrap her in my embrace, allowing her to lean against my chest.
“Every second we wait, the more souls are lost from this world forever,” Callum manages to say. He meets my eyes for the first time since I took him captive, and I’m startled to find a hint of respect behind them. “We have to merge.”