Page 65 of Favored By the Stars

The air thickened as we crossed the threshold into the Blighted Lands, a wasteland twisted by corruption. Jagged blackened trees loomed overhead, their skeletal branches clawing at a sky that seemed permanently bruised.

We had been traveling for almost three days and nothing seemed to be able to squash the anger that brewed within me. I felt Senara's unease beside me, her fingers brushing against the Crescent Diadem she wore like a beacon of hope. I'd noticed her doing that more and more, as though she was finding comfort in the intricate metal that somehow stayed on her head no matter what.

"We're on the right path," Van assured us, his voice steady despite the horrors around us. "The Temple of Shadows lies ahead."

I nodded, gripping my sword tightly.

"We have to claim the pendant," Senara said softly, her gaze fixed ahead. She could feel the magic coursing through her veins, but even she hesitated in this desolation. Shadows flickered at the edge of my vision, whispering doubts that crawled into my mind.

"Don't let them get to you," I urged, matching her pace. "We're stronger together."

Lies.

She was my soul bonded, and I was lying to her, just as she was lying to me. What a pair we made.

As we pressed deeper into the Blighted Lands, an unnatural chill settled in. The ground beneath us felt alive with dark energy, pulsing as if waiting for something, someone, to feed it further corruption.

Or for a vessel.

I shook the thought from my head. Senara was not the Void Empress's vessel. She never would be. Neither of us would allow that.

Volker led our small group with purpose, scanning for signs of danger, while Wyn used her magic to illuminate our path through the suffocating darkness.

A sudden howl echoed from behind, a sound so twisted and unnatural it sent shivers down my spine. I turned instinctively toward Senara, who stood rooted in place.

"Thorn!" she whispered urgently.

"Keep moving," I commanded, urgency clawing at my throat as shadows danced closer.

We needed somewhere to rest. If we could just escape these shadows for a while, then we could regain some of our strength. They trailed after us, though, ever present. Sometimes one of them would act up, but for the most part, they just watched and waited.

The howl echoed again, a chilling reminder of the dangers lurking in the Blighted Lands. I felt Senara's tension beside me, and my heart raced as I scanned our surroundings.

"Over there," Volker pointed toward a thicket of twisted trees, their gnarled roots forming a natural barrier. "We can take shelter until dawn."

We hurried to the thicket, my instincts urging caution as I pressed Senara against the rough bark. The shadows felt more oppressive here, coiling around us like serpents ready to strike.

"We'll set up watches," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'll take first watch."

Senara settled beside me, her expression tight with anxiety.

"Thorn, you need rest," she said, brushing a stray hair behind her ear.

"Not until you're safe," I insisted, irritation flaring at her concern for me when she had her own fears gnawing at her insides.

Volker and Wyn moved to gather whatever dry leaves they could find to create a semblance of comfort on the ground. The darkness pressed in closer as night swallowed the land whole.

As the others settled down for what little rest they could muster, I kept my eyes peeled for movement in the shadows. It was a few moments later when Volker sat back up. "You need more sleep than I do. I'll keep watch. Rest."

I wanted to fight him on it, to insist that I was okay to take first watch, but I couldn't deny the exhaustion that ate at me. After I gave him a reluctant nod, he moved between the branches and I lay down next to my soul bonded.

All I did was blink, but suddenly I found myself standing before the Void Dragon Empress, her form both terrifying and magnificent. Her scales shimmered with dark brilliance as she towered above me like an eclipse, blotting out the sun.

"Why do you resist?" she purred, her voice curling around me like smoke.

"I fight for Senara!" My shout echoed through the void we stood in, a declaration that felt weak even as it left my lips.

"Does she deserve your loyalty?"

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