She could see her breath in the morning sun, and there was ice clinging to the sides of the massive stone castle that housed Aveta’s Legions. Shade looked around, taking in the massive rock buildings that lined an equally massive mountain. The entire castle was built on a mountain. It was dug into the gut of the mountain itself. Ice clung to the stone crevices and trailed in cracks down the rock. It was amazing.
Shade suddenly realized how warm she felt. She wondered what it was about Corb that seemed different today. He still looked blank and remained quiet beside her, even with his arm around her waist to hold her up. Something was off about him; he never seemed so warm and careful when she had been near him.
“Corb? Why do you feel so warm? You’re usually as cold as ice, but I just realized that you’re as warm as a nice bonfire. I didn’t know you could do that.” Shade turned to look at him and her eyes widened. Corb’s eyes flashed steel-grey at her, making her gasp. Her eyes widened in a startling realization. This was not Corb.
“Who are you?” Her legs felt weak as the elixir that had given her enough energy to make it that far wore off.
“Shhh, it’s okay, Shade. Trust me, we’re going for a ride.” He placed a finger to his lips to quiet her and then waved it over the deep gorge below. “Ready? We have to jump, just hold on to me.”
“Wh–what? Oh hell no. Corb, what the…” Shade felt her panic well up inside, and her heart pound weakly in her chest. She felt lightheaded and needed to lie down again.
“Shade, it’s gonna be okay.” His voice came out velvety smooth, making her feel calmer instantly. She still couldn’t shake the familiarity of it and took another look at Corb, staring hard at his face. The longer she stared, the more his face blurred into someone else. Someone she knew far too well.
“Dylan?” Shade whispered, afraid to break the spell of the moment. Corb nodded, a smile played at the edges of his lips.
“Yes, Shade. It’s me, I’m here now.” Dylan let his own voice sound through this time, calm and familiar. Shade smiled weakly, feeling elated for the first time in weeks.
“I don’t think I can make it Dylan. I’m pretty weak. You shouldn’t have come here.” She gulped back the lump in her throat, her eyes too dry for tears.
“I know, but don’t you worry about anything. I got this.” He grinned and pulled her to the edge of the stone wall of the balcony. From there he climbed up onto the edge, pulling her up with him as easily as if she weighed nothing. There he embraced her close and pushed their weight over the edge. The air rushed up around them as they fell, her scream stifled in the roar.
Some rescue. Now we fall to our death, Shade thought.
The slam of cold air paused momentarily as the Raven Queen Aluse grabbed her and Dylan let her go. He landed atop a dark, oily, black, flying unicorn, bringing it up towards the Aluse and pulling Shade down onto the steed in front of him. He embraced her tight against his chest with one arm while the other held onto the unicorn as firmly as he could. Soap sat on an identical unicorn, hovering next to them. He looked exhausted, making Shade realize that he had been using his glamour magic to cloak Dylan as Corb. He pulled the glamour off Dylan, drained and tired from the effort. Soap smiled his toothy grin at Shade before directing his flying unicorn towards the sunset. From there, they all headed North West, away from the cold Unseelie Kingdom. Swarms of Sluagh now poured onto the balcony behind them, arriving with just enough time to see them dart away into the morning sky.
Glancing back towards the magnificent stone castle, Shade caught sight of the real Corb, standing where they had stood just a moment before. Watching him, she could have sworn that he gave her a slight, malicious smile.
Epilogue
SHADE WOKE IN the dim light and heard what sounded like waves crashing as they echoed on the moist rock of the small cave. She pulled herself up onto her arms and let her eyes adjust. She had to be near the ocean from the smell of the salt spray and seaweed. Standing up slowly, she used the cave wall for support. Her legs felt weak and unsteady. Her bare feet shuffled, slipping slightly on the moss and moisture that seemed to stick to everything. She made her way slowly out of the cave and onto what looked like a rocky shore. She spotted Dylan standing near the water’s edge where the ocean sprayed up into a cloud of mist after crashing into the rocks below.
Dylan turned and ran towards her as she nearly collapsed. The wall had run out and left her nothing to hang on to. Flutters of snowflakes fell all around them, melting on the wet rocks but sticking to her hair.
“Shade, you need to rest. What are you doing coming out here?”
He draped her arm over his shoulder and helped her up, practically dragging her back to the small cave to lay her down on the soft furs of the bed.
“I thought I could get up. Where are we Dylan? Why did you leave for so long? I feel so weak and drained.” Shade breathed in deeply, trying to relax as her body protested in screeching pain.
She caught sight of Soap stoking the campfire on the beach near the entrance to the cave. He waved at her and gave her his familiar toothy grin. She relaxed at the sight of both of them. Her worry did not fade completely though.
Why aren’t I healing? Are my powers still gone?
“Rest now. You’ve been through a lot. I’ll explain everything later. I promise,” Dylan assured her.
Shade nodded, closing her eyes as he tucked more blankets around her. She sighed in the warmth, and let the bliss of sleep embrace her once more.
Shade suddenly realized how warm she felt. She wondered what it was about Corb that seemed different today. He still looked blank and remained quiet beside her, even with his arm around her waist to hold her up. Something was off about him; he never seemed so warm and careful when she had been near him.
“Corb? Why do you feel so warm? You’re usually as cold as ice, but I just realized that you’re as warm as a nice bonfire. I didn’t know you could do that.” Shade turned to look at him and her eyes widened. Corb’s eyes flashed steel-grey at her, making her gasp. Her eyes widened in a startling realization. This was not Corb.
“Who are you?” Her legs felt weak as the elixir that had given her enough energy to make it that far wore off.
“Shhh, it’s okay, Shade. Trust me, we’re going for a ride.” He placed a finger to his lips to quiet her and then waved it over the deep gorge below. “Ready? We have to jump, just hold on to me.”
“Wh–what? Oh hell no. Corb, what the…” Shade felt her panic well up inside, and her heart pound weakly in her chest. She felt lightheaded and needed to lie down again.
“Shade, it’s gonna be okay.” His voice came out velvety smooth, making her feel calmer instantly. She still couldn’t shake the familiarity of it and took another look at Corb, staring hard at his face. The longer she stared, the more his face blurred into someone else. Someone she knew far too well.
“Dylan?” Shade whispered, afraid to break the spell of the moment. Corb nodded, a smile played at the edges of his lips.
“Yes, Shade. It’s me, I’m here now.” Dylan let his own voice sound through this time, calm and familiar. Shade smiled weakly, feeling elated for the first time in weeks.
“I don’t think I can make it Dylan. I’m pretty weak. You shouldn’t have come here.” She gulped back the lump in her throat, her eyes too dry for tears.
“I know, but don’t you worry about anything. I got this.” He grinned and pulled her to the edge of the stone wall of the balcony. From there he climbed up onto the edge, pulling her up with him as easily as if she weighed nothing. There he embraced her close and pushed their weight over the edge. The air rushed up around them as they fell, her scream stifled in the roar.
Some rescue. Now we fall to our death, Shade thought.
The slam of cold air paused momentarily as the Raven Queen Aluse grabbed her and Dylan let her go. He landed atop a dark, oily, black, flying unicorn, bringing it up towards the Aluse and pulling Shade down onto the steed in front of him. He embraced her tight against his chest with one arm while the other held onto the unicorn as firmly as he could. Soap sat on an identical unicorn, hovering next to them. He looked exhausted, making Shade realize that he had been using his glamour magic to cloak Dylan as Corb. He pulled the glamour off Dylan, drained and tired from the effort. Soap smiled his toothy grin at Shade before directing his flying unicorn towards the sunset. From there, they all headed North West, away from the cold Unseelie Kingdom. Swarms of Sluagh now poured onto the balcony behind them, arriving with just enough time to see them dart away into the morning sky.
Glancing back towards the magnificent stone castle, Shade caught sight of the real Corb, standing where they had stood just a moment before. Watching him, she could have sworn that he gave her a slight, malicious smile.
Epilogue
SHADE WOKE IN the dim light and heard what sounded like waves crashing as they echoed on the moist rock of the small cave. She pulled herself up onto her arms and let her eyes adjust. She had to be near the ocean from the smell of the salt spray and seaweed. Standing up slowly, she used the cave wall for support. Her legs felt weak and unsteady. Her bare feet shuffled, slipping slightly on the moss and moisture that seemed to stick to everything. She made her way slowly out of the cave and onto what looked like a rocky shore. She spotted Dylan standing near the water’s edge where the ocean sprayed up into a cloud of mist after crashing into the rocks below.
Dylan turned and ran towards her as she nearly collapsed. The wall had run out and left her nothing to hang on to. Flutters of snowflakes fell all around them, melting on the wet rocks but sticking to her hair.
“Shade, you need to rest. What are you doing coming out here?”
He draped her arm over his shoulder and helped her up, practically dragging her back to the small cave to lay her down on the soft furs of the bed.
“I thought I could get up. Where are we Dylan? Why did you leave for so long? I feel so weak and drained.” Shade breathed in deeply, trying to relax as her body protested in screeching pain.
She caught sight of Soap stoking the campfire on the beach near the entrance to the cave. He waved at her and gave her his familiar toothy grin. She relaxed at the sight of both of them. Her worry did not fade completely though.
Why aren’t I healing? Are my powers still gone?
“Rest now. You’ve been through a lot. I’ll explain everything later. I promise,” Dylan assured her.
Shade nodded, closing her eyes as he tucked more blankets around her. She sighed in the warmth, and let the bliss of sleep embrace her once more.
