Page 50 of Bound In Stone, Claimed In Fire

Eventually, after minutes of silence, I shift to retrieve what remains of my clothing, skin still tingling from our frantic union. Kaelith helps me, though he hisses once or twice when a movement strains his half-sealed wounds. Guilt wracks me, but he shakes his head, forcing a small, reassuring smile.

“Sariah,” he murmurs, voice thick. “You saved me. And you said something… or maybe I heard you in the synergy. Something about love.” His eyes search mine, raw with emotion. “Was it real, or just the magic?”

Heat floods my cheeks.I must have let that slip during the climax of our synergy.My chest tightens. Part of me wants to lie, to keep that vulnerability hidden. But I can’t after what we’ve shared. “It was real,” I admit softly, tears stinging again. “I love you, Kaelith. Even though it terrifies me.”

His runes glow a fraction brighter, a mixture of wonder and relief crossing his battered face. “Then we share that terror. Because, Sariah, I… I can’t deny I love you in return. Despite everything.”

My heart soars painfully in my chest, tears finally flowing unchecked. We hold each other again, a gentler embrace this time. The rotting smell from outside and the damp chill of the cave fade from my awareness, replaced by the heady rush of hearing him confess a love I never expected.

But overshadowing our confessions is the knowledge that I nearly tapped into a well of chaos to heal him fully.Darkness tugs at me,a whisper in my mind. If I keep using synergy this way, if I keep forging deeper bonds with Kaelith, am I summoning the same demons that claimed Nerezza? The thought casts a shadow over my raw joy.

Kaelith must sense my lingering unease, because he presses his forehead to mine, voice somber. “We’ll figure it out,” he whispers, runes dimming to a steady glow. “We won’t let the darkness claim us.”

I nod, tears slipping in silent agreement. We remain there, tangled in each other’s warmth, half-dressed, half-injured, hearts pounding with an uncertain future. Outside, the lesser gargoyles might still roam, Drayveth’s condemnation waits, and Nerezza’s shadow looms. But for this fragile moment, we’ve chosen each other, clung to love in a world determined to tear us apart.

Time slides past in a haze. Eventually, I coax Kaelith into a shallow rest, letting him slip into a partial stone doze while I stand watch near the cave entrance. The brand on my wrist flickers with residual magic, and I fight off the lingering echoes of that dark temptation.I won’t let it claim me,I vow, repeating his words.We love each other enough to stand on the brink without falling.

As the night deepens, I hold a battered staff, scanning the silent mountain pass. No gargoyle silhouettes appear, no shrieks echo. Only the quiet drip of water and the distant moan of a high wind. My body aches in every muscle, but an ember of fierce determination glows in my chest. If we can survive this, if we can hold onto the tenuous alliance with Drayveth’s group or find new allies in Snowfall Glen, maybe we stand a chance against Nerezza. And maybe I can harness my magic for good, not darkness.

Tears glimmer in my eyes as I replay Kaelith’s confession.He loves me too.The tether pulses in comforting manner, as though to confirm that for the first time, we openly embraced the bond. My brand stings, but it no longer feels like condemnation. Instead, it’s a symbol of the power I wield—and the responsibility I must carry.I can do this,I tell myself, knuckles whitening around my staff.We can do this, together.

I glance over my shoulder, seeing Kaelith’s stone-laced form resting on the cavern floor, his breathing calmer now, runes steady. A wave of tender warmth floods me.He’s safe.For the moment.

Outside, the stars twinkle over the rugged peaks, indifferent to the mortals below.The night is uncertain, but we’re alive—and we share a bond deeper than fear.I vow I’ll keep fighting, keep forging a path that defies Nerezza’s shadow and Drayveth’s condemnation.I refuse to fall.

Because love tethers us, even in a world on the brink of darkness. And though I glimpse the pull of chaos in my peripheral vision, for now, that love anchors me enough to push forward. So I stand guard by the cave mouth, staff in hand, watching for danger with renewed hope beating in my chest—hope that our desperate union might be the key to saving both Kaelith and me from the fate that hunts us.

By the timedawn’s first pale light filters through the cavern fissure, Kaelith stirs from his partial stone doze. His injuries still look brutal, but the edges are sealed by petrified flesh that gradually recedes as he regains consciousness. I hurry to his side, brand tingling with relief. He blinks at me, runes glowing softly, voice groggy. “We made it?”

I brush dust from his hair, nodding, tears of exhaustion flooding me. “For now,” I whisper. “The gargoyles didn’t return. We’re safe for the moment.”

He presses a clawed hand over mine, a gentle squeeze. “Thank you.” Emotions swirl in his gaze—gratitude, love, the leftover anguish from nearly dying. “I can walk?” He tests his legs, flinching slightly. But the gaping hole in his thigh is now a ragged scar. My chest floods with gratitude.

“Careful,” I urge, sliding an arm around his waist. He leans on me, though far less than last night. The tether hums at our proximity, reminding me how intimately we fused our powers. Heat flushes my cheeks.I can still feel the echoes of that desperate lovemaking.He must sense it too, because his runes flicker in a moment of silent acknowledgement. Our gazes meet, and the memory of our union pulses, overshadowed by the raw tenderness we share now.

Wordlessly, we gather what little gear we have left. I check the cave mouth: no sign of lesser gargoyles. The morning sun peeks over the mountains, the sky painted in soft peach and lavender. We exchange a relieved breath, stepping outside onto frost-crusted stone. The slope below is littered with half-frozen debris from the night’s fight, but no monstrous silhouettes appear.

Kaelith glances at me, voice husky. “We should find Drayveth and the others, if they survived. Or continue toward Snowfall Glen if we’re on our own.” I sense the tension in him—he hates dealing with Drayveth but acknowledges we might need all the help we can get.

I inhale, scanning the horizon. The brand twinges, a reminder of Drayveth’s condemnation.He labeled me Nyxari if I refuse to kill Kaelith. I refuse.But perhaps he’s out there, battered, needing us as much as we once needed him. “We’ll search briefly,” I decide. “Then press on. We can’t linger too long. Those gargoyles might return.”

Kaelith nods, wincing slightly as he flexes his thigh. “Lead the way.”

We descend from the cave’s perch, moving cautiously across the rocky paths. My entire body aches, but my heart is steadied by Kaelith’s presence at my side, by the tether’s subdued warmth.We overcame another brush with death. Each test cements our bond further.A flicker of fear surfaces as I recall the shadow I felt creeping at the edges of that synergy.I must remain vigilant.

Despite the swirling doubts, I steal a glance at Kaelith, seeing him upright, runes glowing with renewed life. My lips curve in a small, private smile. Love. A fragile bloom in the midst of carnage, but real. The sight of him alive, leaning on me only slightly, fills me with a fierce sense of triumph.No matter what darkness tugs at my magic, this feeling is worth fighting for.

We find no trace of Drayveth’s group in the immediate vicinity—only scuffed footprints and scattered debris. They must have fled or been attacked elsewhere. With time pressing, we decide to press onward. Snowfall Glen awaits, rumored to be hidden deeper in these mountains. If they have wards or spells that can block Nerezza’s brood, it might be the only safe haven.

The rising sun warms the rocky slopes enough to melt some of the frost, leaving slick patches of mud. We trek slowly, mindful of Kaelith’s healing injuries, exchanging few words but many cautious glances. The tether pulses with an intimacy we can’t ignore. Everything has changed between us, and though dread hovers, the sweetness of that bond outstrips my terror.

At midday, we pause on a ledge overlooking a wide valley. A faint shimmer in the distance might be water or perhaps a shimmering ward line. I squint, trying to make sense of it. Kaelith sets a hand on my shoulder to steady me, wings folding.We stand side by side, battered but unbroken.

“How far do you think?” I ask, swallowing dryness in my throat. My staff weighs heavy in my hand. “Snowfall Glen could be near. I remember hearing they ward their entire territory with illusions.”

Kaelith breathes softly, tail curling. “A day’s journey, perhaps. If your stories are correct.” He meets my gaze. “We’ll manage.” His runes flicker with quiet determination. “And if more lesser gargoyles appear, we’ll fight them—together.”

My heart warms, recollecting how we overcame the brood last night. “Together,” I echo, a vow under my breath. The memory of that frantic, life-saving union surges in my mind, a mix of embarrassment, longing, and fierce pride.We did it. We survived.

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