Page 25 of Shadow & Storms

And when her time was done, he would still be here. Alone. She imagined how she would feel if their places were reversed, what she would do. Oblivion. That was all she could picture. A void of nothingness without him. Any ounce of fire within snuffed out.

Thea made a decision then, scrambling off the bed to the desk by the hearth. She had to leave something behind, something to ease those first few weeks without her.

And so she snatched up a piece of parchment, an inkpot and quill, and began to write.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THEA

Freshly bathed and dressed, Thea went to find the others ahead of Wilder, leaving him with a pile of food and strict orders to eat his greens.

‘Not sure I like how the tables have turned, Princess,’ he’d laughed.

Thea had savoured the sound. If I can keep him laughing, everything will be alright, she told herself as she made her way through the strange university building.

She had never been in a place like it before. Wooden beams graced the ceilings in nearly every room, along with stained glass in the windows and pointed arches. The walls and even the tapestries adorning them were intense and dark, which should have made the place seem cold, only it didn’t. There was a rich warmth to the halls that Thea appreciated, and she could see why Talemir had worked so hard to restore it.

The entire university and its grounds were encompassed by a film of darkness, a great dome of protection, shielding it and its people from the monsters crawling across Naarva’s lands. Thea marvelled at the ingenuity of it, somehow allowing light to filter through – from where, she didn’t know; she’d seen no buttery rays of sunlight in the fallen kingdom beyond.

‘I was about to send Dratos up to get you,’ the Shadow Prince himself said by way of greeting, leaning against one of the sandstone pillars, a steaming mug cupped between his hands.

‘I don’t think Wilder would have appreciated that,’ Thea replied.

Talemir smiled. ‘That’s half of Dratos’ appeal.’ He took a sip from his drink before eyeing her with a more serious expression. ‘How is he?’

‘He’s managing.’

Talemir gave a stiff nod. ‘That’s more than we can hope for. That place…’

‘I know.’ Thea rested her hand on the pommel of her sword and looked out onto the grounds, noticing the ivy and the midnight blooms for the first time. ‘It’s beautiful here.’

Talemir made a noise of agreement. ‘Drue and I worked hard to make it so.’

‘When do I get to meet her?’

‘Soon enough. She’s dying to meet the woman who “tamed Wilder’s moody arse” – her words, not mine.’

Thea laughed. ‘I like her already.’

Returning her smile, Talemir tossed the dregs of his tea into a nearby bush. ‘In the meantime, there’s one or two people who want to see you.’

He motioned for her to walk with him. Slightly bewildered, Thea followed the Shadow Prince from the courtyard and away from the university buildings entirely. They walked in comfortable silence across the sprawling green lawns and stone pathways that wound through clusters of towering oak and willow trees. Not for the first time, Thea marvelled at the life here, at how, behind a shield of darkness, vibrant wildflowers bloomed and soft grass cushioned her steps. It was a far cry from the barren marshland they’d just come from, and before that, the dying winter forests of Aveum.

‘How?’ she said, her fingertips brushing the waist-high lavender that lined the walkway.

‘The shield is my doing,’ Talemir replied. ‘It took a long while after I was turned for me to realise I was capable of more than flying and wielding darkness as a weapon.’ He motioned to the shimmering dome around them. ‘I and others like me maintain this shield around the clock, protecting our people, and protecting the sun orchids from discovery.’

‘Sun orchids?’ Thea asked.

‘We’ll get to that. But first…’ Talemir pointed to a lone figure sitting on a stone wall in the near distance, wings tucked in at her back.

Anya.

‘I’ll catch up with you later.’ Talemir gave her an encouraging smile before heading back to the main university grounds.

Thea started towards Anya, who turned at her approach. Her sister’s head was freshly shaved close to her skull, making the scar through her eye seem all the more brutal, but she gave Thea a wolfish grin and lifted three fingers to her shoulder in the midrealms’ respectful salute.

‘Well, well, well,’ she said. ‘Althea Embervale, the Warsword and tower destroyer, is in our midst.’ She let out a low, appreciative whistle at the sight of the Naarvian steel at Thea’s belt. ‘Nice blade.’

---