Page 35 of Bound In Stone, Claimed In Fire

My thoughts spiral, half-lost in self-blame, half-lost in the swirl of fear.If she’s unstoppable, what hope do we have?The memory of last night’s closeness stings anew, overshadowed by the looming war. Every muscle in my body clenches, the brand’s dull ache unrelenting. Another wave of panic threatens, urging me to break away from Kaelith, to hide in the far corners of Protheka until all this madness passes.

But that fleeting urge collides with the bond’s tether. My chest tightens. I can’t abandon him. No matter my fear, I can’t walk away from the only ally who might stand a chance against Nerezza’s tyranny. My conscience flares too.If I run, Drayveth or Nerezza will still find me. Hiding solves nothing.And a deeper, quieter truth: I don’twantto leave him. Not after he’s risked so much, not after we forged something raw and intimate in the cave. My heart lurches with a mixture of shame and longing.

We press onward for several hours, hardly speaking. The terrain grows rugged, the wind biting. Eventually, we find a rocky ledge overlooking a narrow valley. I lean against a boulder, panting from the climb, body screaming in fatigue. Kaelith stands near the edge, scanning the horizon. His runes glow softly in the dimming daylight. The bond resonates with his internal conflict—fear for the future, anger at Nerezza’s betrayal centuries ago, concern for me.We are so entangled now.

Swallowing hard, I approach him, ignoring the protest of my aching ribs. “Kaelith,” I say, voice hushed. He turns, eyes reflecting the last rays of sun. My chest feels tight. “I’m… staying. I thought about running, but I can’t. We face her together.”

His expression softens, relief warring with tension. “I didn’t doubt you,” he murmurs, though I sense that part of himwasbracing for my departure. He lifts a clawed hand to cup my cheek, gently, mindful of my bruises. The tether hums. “Whatever comes, we stand as one.”

Emotion tightens my throat. I lean into his touch, tears blurring my vision. “I’m… so sorry,” I whisper. “For unleashing this on you, on everyone.” The guilt surfaces again, raw and unfiltered. “But I won’t abandon you.”

He exhales, pulling me closer, wings shifting as if to shield me from the rest of the world. “We had a false victory, Sariah,” he says quietly. “We thought we could outrun the consequences. That a bit of training and synergy would suffice. Now we see the truth: Nerezza is here, strong, and she wants us.” His molten eyes search mine. “We find the Glen, warn them, and then… we decide how to fight.”

I nod, lips trembling. In his embrace, I feel both solace and dread. The knowledge that Nerezza’s returned devours any sense of short-lived peace.The half-formed illusions of safety we clung to vanish.We’ve reached a turning point, a midpoint in a story that can only end in confrontation. My heart thuds with a potent mix of fear and adrenaline.We must rise to the challenge or be consumed.

Gently, I press my forehead to Kaelith’s chest, listening to the subdued rumble of his heartbeat. The runes etched in his skin glow with quiet warmth, resonating in time with my brand. In that contact, I sense his acceptance of me, bruises, regrets, and all. My arms slip around his waist, fighting tears. We don’t have to speak. The bond thrums with shared resolve.

A final sliver of sunlight dips behind the mountains, painting the sky in bruised oranges and purples. We stand in silence, hearts pounding with the weight of a new understanding:Nerezza is free.And so are we, in a twisted reflection—free to choose how we face this destiny, free to cling to each other despite the terror. The tether binds us in ways we never expected, forging a path we can’t walk alone.

At length, Kaelith lifts his head, scanning the darkening valley. “Nightfall soon. We need shelter,” he says, practical as ever, though his arms linger around me. My heart twists with gratitude for his presence.We’re battered, but we’re alive. And together, we might stand a chance.The memory of Drayveth’s terrified rogues, of the twisted gargoyles under Nerezza’s command, fuels my determination.

I step back, drawing a shaky breath. “Right. Let’s keep going.” My voice wavers, but the flicker of conviction brightens behind my eyes. The brand pulses in silent agreement: we can’t turn from this fight. We can’t cower, nor can we sever ourselves from the bond that might be our best weapon.

So we descend the ridge, forging onward through the twilight, every footstep a vow that we refuse to let Nerezza shape our fates. The hidden flames of last night’s passion still simmer between us, an unbreakable link that staves off despair. My regrets remain, but they no longer drown me—there’s too much at stake. Every time Kaelith’s gaze meets mine, I sense the same fierce resolve, echoing the promise we made.We’ll face the looming war side by side.

And though fear tangles in my stomach—though a monstrous fate looms on the horizon in the form of an awakened Nyxari—I dare to hope. Because for the first time, I’m not alone in this fight. I have him. I have the bond that anchors us both. And in that unity, maybe—just maybe—we’ll find the strength to save ourselves, and possibly the world, from the darkness unleashed.

I keep that hope close, letting it burn in my heart as we journey through the night, heading east toward the uncertain refuge of Snowfall Glen. A bitter wind nips at my cheeks, but Kaelith’s warmth lingers at my side. The brand on my hand pulses a steady beat. With each step, the tether hums with the unspoken vow that we will not falter, no matter what horrors Nerezza brings.

10

KAELITH

Ipace through the narrow canyon, my wings half-furled and scraping against the jagged rock whenever the passage narrows unexpectedly. The frosty air bites at my skin, but I don’t care. My thoughts churn like a raging tide, fixated onher—Nerezza. The name sits on my tongue like an open wound, equal parts dread and grief. I keep replaying that purna’s warning, how they claimed she’s already set her brood upon unsuspecting enclaves.

I prayed we had more time. Foolish. Now, we’re forging ahead in desperation, Sariah beside me, both battered and haunted by the knowledge that the worst evil I’ve ever known stalks this land once more. We push ourselves hard. The stony ground crunches beneath our boots, each step echoing with the unrelenting tension between us. I sense Sariah’s fatigue thrumming along our tether—an undercurrent of her emotional and physical strain.

She said she wouldn’t leave me, that she’d stand against Nerezza with me. But I can’t banish the creeping fear that my presence endangers her more than anything else. If Nerezza truly focuses on me—on the bond I now share with Sariah—then we’ve already walked into the crosshairs of the darkest force in Protheka.

A cold wind gusts, cutting through the ravine with a lonely howl. I catch a glimpse of Sariah’s face, flushed from the chill. Her eyes glimmer with resilience, but I note a lingering shadow there: the guilt of unleashing me—and in so doing, unleashing Nerezza. I want to reassure her that I hold no illusions of blame. Nerezza might have been freed; my sacrifice was never infallible.

But how can I offer comfort when the memory of Nerezza’s betrayal resurfaces in every silent moment? My tail flicks in agitation, stirring dust from the rocky path. Sariah notices, though she doesn’t comment. We’ve said all that needs saying for the moment. Our footsteps quicken, spurred by the rising sense that something lurks just beyond the next turn.

At last, the canyon broadens into a small clearing of sorts—a wide, flat space hemmed by towering cliffs. Dull sunshine filters through overhead, revealing a patchy scatter of pine needles and uprooted bushes. The place feels strangely deserted, almost too still. My instincts scream caution.

Sariah halts beside me, chest heaving slightly from our brisk pace. “Kaelith?” Her voice wavers with uncertainty, and the tether tightens in my chest. “This spot… it feels off.”

I raise a hand, silently signaling her to stay alert. My wings tense. “I sense it too.”A presence.A subtle shift of magic, like a swirl in the air that defies the natural breeze.

We creep forward, scanning for movement. The rocky walls loom on all sides, forming a cul-de-sac of jagged stone. An unearthly hush blankets the space, devoid of normal wildlife sounds. Even the wind seems to hold its breath. My runes flicker on my chest, responding to the faint tang of power that crawls across my skin.

Abruptly, a ripple of energy cascades through the clearing—a silent shockwave that prickles my scalp. Sariah stiffens. She glances at me, alarm flaring in her eyes. I nod, fists clenching. My tail lashes the ground, stirring bits of gravel.Something is here.

Then it manifests: a shimmer in the air, distorting the view of the cliff face. At first, it looks like heat haze, except the temperature is far too cold for that. Gradually, it coalesces into a figure, tall and regal, draped in layers of dark, flowing cloth that ripple like living shadows. My heart seizes.Nerezza.

She appears both translucent and solid, her visage half-illuminated by an eerie radiance. Her eyes glint with that chilling red sheen I remember all too well—once they were bright with cunning, now they burn with voidlike intensity. My chest tightens.The same woman who once soared beside me under a different sun, centuries ago.The same woman who tore gargoyle clans asunder.

Sariah inhales sharply, brand flaring with reflexive magic. I step protectively in front of her, wings partially spread. The tether thumps in my chest, adrenaline surging.This can’t be her corporeal form.She’s projecting an apparition—some advanced sorcery, perhaps. But the power behind it is unmistakable.

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