Page 64 of Favored By the Stars

With no choice but to confront our pursuers, I turned to face them, adrenaline surging through me. Thorn drew his sword, its blade gleaming fiercely even in this dim light.

"We hold them here," he said with grim resolve.

"Right!" I raised my hands, feeling the magic course through me like wildfire, tendrils of light spiraled from my fingertips as I prepared to unleash it on Fenvalur's forces.

The first wave crashed upon us like a tidal surge; arrows rained down and creatures that I hadn't even noticed before lunged forward with savage growls. I hurled a barrier around us just in time to absorb an onslaught of projectiles that shattered against its shimmering surface.

"Now!" Thorn shouted as he engaged two of Fenvalur's guards head on. He swung his sword with precision, each strike forcing back our attackers while I focused on weaving spells to bolster our defenses.

Just as we pushed back against their numbers, Fenvalur emerged from behind his men, a dark specter with eyes burning like embers in the night. He spotted me instantly and grinned with malevolence.

"I see you've managed to retrieve one artifact," he taunted, extending his hand toward the Starforged Mirror strapped securely under my arm.

Before I could react, he lunged forward and snatched it from me with a swift motion that left me momentarily stunned.

"No!" My voice rang out as panic surged through me.

Wyn stepped beside me just then, her eyes filled with fury and desperation, and unleashed a torrent of magic aimed at Fenvalur. But something went wrong; her energy crackled wildly around her as if she were wrestling an untamed beast within herself.

"Wyn! Control it!" I shouted, but her power spiraled out of control before she could rein it in completely.

The force exploded outward in a blinding flash that engulfed everything around us, a desperate last stand amidst our looming defeat against Fenvalur's cunning smirk and his grasp on the artifact that could tilt fate itself.

The blinding light faded, leaving behind an eerie silence that settled heavily over us. I staggered back, disoriented, my heart racing. Fenvalur stood at the center of it all, his smug grin cutting through the haze of shock. The Starforged Mirror glinted in his grasp, a cruel trophy in the hands of our enemy.

"No…" I breathed, feeling an icy dread seep into my bones. The loss hit me like a physical blow.

"Did I kill them? Did I destroy the mirror?" Wyn murmured, horror at her actions was etched on her face and hung heavy in her barely audible voice.

To my surprise, it was Van who answered, "No. Or at least not Fenvalur. I felt his traveling magic activate before the spell finished. I have no idea how many he could transport like that though."

Thorn's face twisted with fury as he turned to me, eyes aflame with guilt and anger. "This is my fault! If I had been faster,"

"Thorn," I interrupted, stepping closer despite the tumult around us. "You can't blame yourself for this."

His hands balled into fists at his sides, tension radiating off him like heat from a forge. "I should've protected you! I should've kept that mirror safe!"

I reached out and placed a hand on his arm, grounding him in the moment. "You did everything you could. We all did." My voice wavered slightly as I fought against the tide of despair threatening to swallow me whole. I didn't mean my words. I couldn't, not when I didn't have a weapon to call my own and couldn't summon the Moon Blades.

"But it wasn't enough!" Thorn shot back, his frustration palpable. He looked away, gaze hardening as he surveyed our surroundings, a battlefield littered with chaos and uncertainty.

"It's not over," I insisted gently. "We still have the Veilshard Pendant to find. That's our next step."

He met my gaze then, pain flickering across his features before it hardened into determination once more. "You're right."

I could feel the weight of our shared loss pressing down on us both, but we couldn't afford to wallow in it now. Thorn was strong; I needed to be too. I needed to show him it was okay, even if I felt the complete opposite. Which also meant I had to hide it from our bond, which was more difficult than I expected.

"Fenvalur may have taken one artifact," I said firmly, taking a step back and drawing myself up straight. "But we have something he doesn't, each other and our resolve, not to mention the crown." I gave my soul bonded a small smile, trying to show him how far we had come in spite of everything trying to stop us.

His expression softened slightly at my words, but still bore that shadow of anger and regret.

"Let's salvage this mission," he finally replied, his voice steadier now but laced with urgency.

Nodding firmly, we set off together again, a united front determined to retrieve the Veilshard Pendant and reclaim our stolen power against the darkness looming ever closer around us. And we needed to figure out what was going on with Wyn's magic. If she was going to lose control then, as much as I hated the thought, I didn't think we could count on her in a fight.

ChapterTwenty-Four

Thorn

---