Page 57 of Eclipse of Fate
Flexing my wings that hang at my back, I step out of the cave, and my shadow-shifted body folds into a full raven as I launch into flight. My wings carry me out over the sea, and the mist that would usually splash at my skin doesn’t touch me. I don’t feel the wind under my feathers or blowing at my face. I am nothing. It’s a wild sensation that has me feeling more alive than I thought it would.
I close my eyes and allow my shadows to guide me.
There isn’t even a splash as I enter the deep water of the Creale Sea. When I open my eyes again, I only know I’m under its depths because of the sound. The whooshing, whirling sound that is only ever present when you have your head underwater.
It’s only a few moments, at least I think, before I’m deposited in the belly of a cave, a large pool that sits at its very center. No longer in the raven form, my shadowed body takes on my Fae form as I step out of the water. The space is dimly lit by a luminescent glow that reflects off the numerous crystals that line the walls of the cave. The blue glow is otherworldly, and there is a system of tunnels that break out in multiple directions. I don’t know what I’m looking for or where it is, but I can only hope that my magic can guide me in the right direction.
Darkness consumes me. There is no sense of time in this endless expanse of dark tunnels. The luminous blue light from where I entered the labyrinth is long gone. There is a tug at my magic that causes me to stop my pursuit momentarily.
Sudden, sharp pain bursts behind my eyes. Screaming echoes through the caves, but I can’t tell if it’s mine or someone else’s. Spinning back and forth where I stand, I bring my hands out in front of me. Trying to bring my fire to my arms, but nothing happens. The screams continue, and it’s so painful that I drop to my knees. The shallow water that coats the tunnel floor splashes up, and my knees crack when they land.
Screaming…
Screaming.
I grip my head in my hands, doubling over.
It’s me screaming. The pain is unbearable.
Forcing my eyes open, I stumble back to my feet. My hands are still clutching my head as I continue my trek through the murky maze. I feel as though every ounce of pain coursing through my body is payment for the monster in me. My thoughts spiral and plummet into the darkness as all of the negative energy I ever put into the world comes back to me like a dark storm of pure fury. Flickers of light try to dissipate the shadows. My mother’s voice echoes through my mind or the cave. I can’t tell.
“Keep that light in your soul, and if you ever find that you’ve lost your way—just look for the light.”The voice is far away, but I feel her warm hand on my chest just as I did that day. Though now it doesn’t warm me but rather sends chills over my skin.
Just look for the light.
Grinding my teeth, I push myself to drag my feet forward and continue. Each step I take is difficult like I’m walking in deep sand. My feet are weighed down by an invisible heaviness, and my breaths are coming out ragged even with my slow pace. “Fuck.” I grunt as I continue to push myself further into the desolate darkness.
“Come back to me.”I hear Raelle say. Her voice is distant, like it’s being carried on the wind.
“Come back to me.”I hear her again, and a frenzy begins in my heart. My blood pumps painfully through my body. My head is throbbing and my face is twisted as I try to navigate through the echoes of the cave. Whispers call to me. I’m spinning. Swaying.
The tug on my magic is stronger this time, causing me to suck in a sharp breath. It fills my lungs and gets trapped there. Clamping my eyes closed, I force my feet to carry me another step.
Then two.
Three.
I keep pushing with all that I have. Sweat beads on my forehead, but I know it’s not real. I’m not really here. I’m up there, in the cave, with my queen. I’m not dying like I feel like I am. I’m not drowning. I stumble and splash through the endless expanse for what feels like forever, but to no avail.
More whispers reach my ears, but I can’t understand what they are saying. They are too quiet, or maybe I’m too loud. “I don’t know what you’re saying,” I say to no one. My voice echoing back to me as I yell the words. The whispers continue. The pain in my limbs is becoming too much, and I trip, splashing into the puddle at my feet, and my hands bite into the rocky ground. I’m lost in the darkness. I can’t even tell if I’m in the caves anymore or just stuck in my mind, chasing phantoms of the dark.
I would do anything for those I love, but here in the deep dark, I feel as though I’m swimming through all of my own wickedness. It’s nothing but wreckage sitting on my heart, and I’m drowning in the depths of my darkest fears. Only the pain inside of me…is everywhere. It’s eating my very soul.
“Make it stop,” My plea comes out in a raspy whisper. I drop to my ass and let my back lean against the damp stone cave wall. I tilt my head back, where I continuously grind my teeth, while my head spins and splits.
Cradling my head with my hands again, I think ofher. My queen.
“I’m sorry, I failed you. I alwaysfail.” My power sizzles under my skin—it burns. And then I hear her voice, as though she is standing right next to me. I lurch to my feet.
“Dax!”I hear nothing else. I’m running as fast as I can in every direction I can manage. I need to find whatever it is that I’m looking for, and I need to get back to Raelle. Nothing else matters. No pain in the world will keep me from her. I push all other thoughts from my mind as I continue to run. Each footstep pounds heavily, vibrating through my body and echoing through the cave. With each, water splashes up my legs and the walls around me.
“DAX!”Her scream is louder this time and causes my already rapid heartbeat to quicken and my breath to catch.
“I’m coming!” I try to bellow back, but my throat is raw, and nothing comes out. I feel as though I’m running in circles. I’m dizzy, and my world is crashing in all around me. I can’t breathe. Panic seizes me, and my lungs can’t fill with enough air. Then I hear her again.
“Let him live, and I will go with you willingly.”My world stops spinning entirely.
Chapter forty-seven
