Page 47 of Favored By the Stars

"We need to get to higher ground," Thorn said, gesturing toward a rocky outcropping nearby. "Van, Volker, Wyn, move!"

I heard them scrambling behind us as Thorn and I created a protective barrier with our combined skills, my magic, and his blade. The Diadem's power flowed through me more naturally now, like an extension of myself rather than a foreign object.

As we backed toward the rocks, one of the creatures that was larger than the others, with eyes like pools of oil, broke through our defenses. It lunged for me with surprising speed, claws extended.

"No!" I shouted, thrusting my palm forward.

A blast of pure light erupted from my hand, striking the creature squarely in the chest. It screamed, a sound that chilled my blood, before disintegrating into ash that scattered on the wind.

The remaining creatures froze, their twisted faces contorting with what looked like fear. They retreated, melting back into the shadows of the forest.

"They're leaving," Wyn whispered from behind me, her voice tinged with disbelief.

I lowered my hand slowly, staring at my palm where traces of silver and gold light still danced across my skin. The power I'd just wielded was unlike anything I'd felt before, raw and instinctual, yet somehow controlled.

"The Diadem," Van said, stepping forward to stand beside me. "It's stabilizing your magic, just as I thought it would."

Thorn's hand found mine, squeezing gently. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, though my entire body trembled with residual energy. "I think so. That was... different."

"Different good or different terrifying?" Wyn asked with a nervous laugh.

"Both," I admitted, touching the Diadem with my free hand. "It feels like it's part of me now."

We stumbled deeper into the Twilight Gardens, away from the clearing where the corrupted fae had found us. Each step became heavier than the last, my limbs leaden with exhaustion. The Diadem's power had taken more from me than I realized.

"Just a little further," Van urged, guiding us toward a secluded grove where massive roots created natural alcoves. "We'll be safe here."

My vision blurred at the edges as Thorn helped me settle against one of the twisted tree trunks. The bark felt warm against my back, almost alive, pulsing with ancient magic that seemed to recognize something within me. I watched through half lidded eyes as Wyn collapsed nearby, her silver hair fanning out around her like spilled moonlight. Volker slumped against another root, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his usually composed features slack with fatigue.

"Rest," Thorn murmured, his fingers brushing my cheek in a touch so gentle it barely registered before he too surrendered to exhaustion beside me. The fierce Sun Court warrior finally yielding to his body's demands. His eyes, one normal, one with that mesmerizing Sun Kissed mark that made it look like fire danced within, fluttered closed as he leaned his head back against the ancient bark. Even in repose, his body remained angled toward mine, protective even in unconsciousness. I tried to keep my own eyes open as I watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, finding comfort in the rhythm of his breathing despite the danger that had driven us to this secluded sanctuary.

I fought to stay awake, to keep watch, my fingers absently tracing the contours of the Diadem now seemingly fused to my being. But its weight seemed to press me down into darkness, my limbs growing heavier with each passing heartbeat.

When was the last time we'd been able to really rest? Or even eat, for that matter? It felt like days or even weeks had passed, but it couldn't have been that long. Still, I tried to force myself to stay somewhat alert and be the last line of defense, yet the sounds of everyone sleeping around me made that impossible. My last conscious thought was of how peaceful Thorn looked in sleep, the constant vigilance finally melting from his features, revealing the vulnerability he so rarely allowed anyone to see.

Then the dreams came, sharp and vivid as reality.

I stood in a vast chamber of obsidian, where shadows moved like living things across the walls, writhing and reaching as if trying to grasp at my ankles. Before me sat a throne carved from what appeared to be solidified darkness, and upon it lounged a figure of terrible beauty, one that I dreaded seeing every time I closed my eyes. Power emanated from her in waves that made the air itself tremble, distorting the very fabric of reality around her. Each pulse of energy seemed to ripple through the chamber, causing the shadows to shiver and the obsidian walls to hum with an almost unearthly resonance. I could feel her power pressing against me, a tangible force that threatened to overwhelm my senses. As if given form, the essence of the darkest night reached out to engulf everything. The sheer intensity of her presence made it difficult to breathe, and I found myself rooted to the spot, unable to tear my gaze away from the figure on the throne.

"Eclipse Child," the Empress purred, her voice like honey poured over broken glass. "How lovely of you to join me at last."

She rose with fluid grace; her form shifting between solid and vapor, never quite settling on either state. As she approached, the room around us transformed, revealing a landscape of ruin. Cities I recognized from both human and fae realms lay in smoldering heaps, the sky above them a sickly purple black. I spotted the familiar spires of the human capital where I'd once served as a soldier, now toppled and burning.

"This is what awaits," she whispered, circling me like a predator sizing up its meal. "This is inevitable, no matter how tightly you clutch your little crown."

The scene shifted again. Thorn knelt before the Empress, his proud shoulders bowed in submission, his eyes empty of recognition as she ran clawed fingers through his hair. The sight twisted something deep in my chest, a pain more acute than any physical wound I'd ever suffered.

"He will serve me well," she said, noticing my distress with obvious pleasure, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "They all will, in time. Your bonded's fire will burn for me."

Another shift, and I saw Wyn, my brilliant, brave friend, bound in chains of shadow. Her silver hair had dulled to gray, her eyes wide with terror as corruption crept up her arms like dark vines, consuming the very essence that made her shine so brightly.

"Stop it," I demanded, but my voice sounded weak even to my own ears, a whisper against her thunderous presence.

The Empress laughed, the sound cutting through me like ice shards. "You cannot stop what is already in motion. Your precious Diadem is but a trinket compared to my power. Did you think yourself special, little half breed? Did you imagine destiny had chosen you?"

I jerked awake with a gasp, cold sweat drenching my skin despite the garden's warmth. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Beside me, Thorn still slept, unaware of the horror that had played out in my mind. I pressed a trembling hand to my mouth to stifle a sob that threatened to escape.

---