Page 76 of Heart of the Shadow King

All I know is this feels safe, while anything beyond this feels . . . not.

It would be better to remain here.

Deep. Curled into myself.

Hidden.

But then . . .

The memories . . .

Memories of love and song. Of dancing together in the eternal vastness of space.

Of circling stars, of diving through nebulas, trailing celestial dust in our wake.

Together.

In an endless expanse that will never cease to reveal new and delectable beauties. For me. For my mate. For our great and everlasting love.

Until the Dark came.

Now there is nothing but stone. Wrapped tight around me, binding me fast. Compressing the fire in my heart until it is all but snuffed out. There is no pain here. I cannot remember what it is to feel. No pain, no joy, no loss, no relief.

Just stone.

Stone.

Stone.

Here I will remain, safe from it all. Safe from hunters. Safe from hands of strangling cruelty. Safe from the ringing songs of the spheres which once called my soul to glory.

Safe.

Small.

Hidden.

Dark.

But wakefulness beckons.

Memories prey on those unprotected corners of my mind.

Chinks in the stone.

I see my mate.

Broken.

Hanging in the grasp of a mighty fist, his spine limp, his skull crushed.

Then he falls. Plummets through the asteroid fields.

Streaking like a burning star.

My rage is hot. As hot now as it was in eons gone by.

Or was it mere breaths?

---