Page 92 of Court of Aether and Shadows

I caught her easily, cradling her against my chest as her breathing evened out into the rhythm of deep slumber.

Looking down at her peaceful face, I could see it now — the subtle signs of how Liarel's power had begun to merge with Sparrow's essence.

They were small changes, barely noticeable to anyone who hadn't known both forms of my queen. But they were there: a slight shimmer in her hair when the light hit it just right, the faintest trace of ancient runes appearing and fading on her skin like half-remembered dreams.

My Starlight Queen was indeed becoming something new, something that defied prophecy and prediction.

And I, her Nightshade King, Lord Aetheron of the Twilight Court would be there every step of the way.

Watching in wonder as two extraordinary souls became something greater than either could have been alone.

Bonds Beyond Magic

~AETHEREON~

The shadows that had enveloped us slowly retracted, coiling back like liquid darkness responding to an unspoken command.

As they withdrew, I became aware of our audience — Kaelon standing guard near the door, Moira watching with ancient wisdom in her eyes, while Elenore and Finn hovering uncertainly at the threshold.

Sparrow lay peaceful in my arms, her power now a gentle pulse beneath her skin rather than the overwhelming force it had been moments before. The shadowsilk garments still rippled occasionally with residual energy, responding to dreams or memories that flickered through her unconscious mind.

"We need to move,"I announced, my voice carrying the weight of command despite the tenderness with which I held my sleeping queen."This place is no longer safe."

Moira stepped forward, her eyes fixed on Sparrow's face.

"The merging has begun," she observed, speaking in the common tongue for the benefit of the others. "Earlier than expected, but perhaps that's for the best."

My attention shifted to where the massive shadow wolf lay, still weakened from the Void Weaver's attack.

"Kaelon, see to Fenris. He'll need healing before he can shift safely."

My second in command moved immediately to comply, his hands already weaving patterns of healing magic as he approached the injured wolf. But before he could begin, Elenore stepped forward with determined eyes.

"If I may, my Lord," she said with a respectful bow, "healing is my specialty. And I have... experience with his particular nature."

I nodded my permission, noting the way the wolf's golden eyes tracked Elenore's movement with familiar trust. She knelt beside his massive form, her hands glowing with a soft blue light that spoke of years of practiced healing.

Her energy was intriguing to watch as it manifested and grew exceptionally swift, calling to its Master’s request to aid thy comrade.

"The threads cut deep," she murmured, more to herself than to us. "Not just physically, but metaphysically. The Weaver tried to unravel your very essence, didn't it?"

Unravel his essence itself. Diabolical. Would that make him more vulnerable to future attacks until fully healed?

Fenris rumbled an affirmative, his form already beginning to stabilize under her careful ministrations. The silver streaks in his fur brightened slightly, power returning as the worst of the damage was repaired.

"Shal'ven mor'eth heal'sul,"Elenore whispered, ancient magic flowing from her hands into Fenris's wounded form.

Where the Void Weaver's threads had torn reality itself, her power wove it back together, creating patterns of healing that shimmered like dewdrops in morning light.

Finn watched the process with undisguised fascination, his young face alight with curiosity.

"The damage exists in multiple dimensions," he observed, his natural affinity for spatial magic allowing him to see what others couldn't. "It's like... like the threads left holes in reality itself."

"Indeed," Moira confirmed, moving to stand beside the boy. "Which is why regular healing magic would not suffice. Watch carefully, young one. Elenore is not just healing flesh and energy, but the very fabric of existence where it was torn."

I stood watching, still cradling Sparrow close, as Elenore's magic worked its way through Fenris's massive form. The wolf's breathing steadied, his power signature strengthening with each passing moment.

The silver streaks in his fur began to pulse with their own light again, and I could feel his true nature reasserting itself.

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