Shadows Entwined (Shadows Descent #3)

2. Violet

2

VIOLET

“What exactly did you start?”

Morgan’s eyes gleam with ancient power. “After the last time, I began weaving a new set of veils, ones that could withstand the Convergence and keep the realms separate. I figured it would be a lot less strenuous than trying to prevent worlds from spilling into each other. But I was imprisoned before I could finish.”

“You want me to help you complete your work,” I say.

She nods. “You are the only one who can. You have my power and my knowledge, but you also have something I lack - a connection to this time, this world. You understand it. It will make the veils stronger.”

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of destiny settling on my shoulders. “Okay. How do we do this?”

“We need to go to the heart of the wild magick,” Morgan says. “The place where all realms touch.”

“The Nexus,” Thorne murmurs. “It’s real?”

Morgan nods. “Very real and very dangerous. It’s a place of raw, untamed power. The Order of the Shadows Descent has been searching for it for centuries.”

“Let me guess,” I say dryly. “It’s somewhere in the Forbidden Forest?”

A small smile touches Morgan’s lips. “Of course. Where else would it be?”

“Brilliant,” Flint mutters. “So, we just need to trek through a frozen, magickal forest full of who-knows-what to find a place that might kill us all.”

I snort at Flint’s sarcastic summary. “When you put it that way, it sounds like a typical day at MistHallow.”

Morgan’s eyes flash with amusement. “Your spirit serves you well, little flower. You’ll need it where we’re going.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Thorne asks, his shadows writhing restlessly around him. “We can’t just wander aimlessly through the forest hoping to stumble upon this Nexus.”

“No,” Morgan agrees. “We’ll need a guide.” Her gaze shifts to Caine. “You’ve been unusually quiet, Ice Prince.”

Caine shrugs, leaning on his cane. “Just enjoying the show. It’s not every day you get to watch family drama play out between an ancient sorceress and her time-displaced daughter.”

I roll my eyes. “Glad we could provide you with some entertainment.”

“Oh, it’s been riveting,” he drawls. “But I’m guessing I’m about to be volunteered for something unpleasant.”

Morgan nods. “Your connection to the wild magick of this place runs deep. Deeper than you know. You can sense the Nexus, lead us to it.”

Caine’s eyebrows shoot up. “I can? News to me.”

“You’ve always been able to,” Morgan says. “It’s why you were drawn away from your home to here. MistHallow is a special place, and you, all of you, are special creatures.”

Caine’s eyes narrow suspiciously. “Right. Because that’s not ominous at all.”

I can’t help but agree. The weight of destiny, of ancient powers and cosmic events, is starting to feel oppressive. But we don’t have time for existential crises.

“So, we head into the forest,” I say, trying to focus on practical matters. “How long do we have before the Convergence?”

Morgan’s face grows grave. “How long until the solstice?”

“Three days,” Thorne replies.

I feel a pang. That means Christmas is coming, and I will miss it for the first time in my life. Even in the midst of this crisis, that thought makes me sad.

“Fantastic,” Flint mutters, but I silence him with a look.

I can tell he is worried about all of this and how it will affect me, and I love him for it. However, there is no other choice but to crack on, or, by the sounds of it, none of us will survive what’s coming. This raises a good point: “How did you survive the last Convergence?”

Morgan’s eyes darken with ancient memory. “The world was different then, wilder. The veils between realms were already weak. When the Convergence came, creatures from every realm spilt into this world.”

I shudder, imagining the devastation. “And you fought them?”

She nods. “Along with others. We managed to drive back the worst of it, to seal the breaches. But the cost...” Her voice trails off, heavy with sorrow. “So many were lost. That’s why I began working on a more permanent solution. A way to strengthen the veils between worlds so they could withstand the next Convergence.”

“Which is happening in three days,” I say, feeling the pressure mounting.

“Yes. This time, the Order of the Shadows Descent seeks to use it for their own ends. To bring back the Old Ones permanently.”

Flint’s arm tightens around me. “We won’t let that happen.”

I nod, determination filling me. “No, we won’t. So, what do we need to do?”

Morgan’s gaze sweeps over our small group. “We need to reach the Nexus and complete the weaving of the veils before the solstice.”

“And that will stop the Old Ones from breaking through?” Thorne asks.

“It should,” Morgan says.

Should . That’s not exactly reassuring, but it’s better than anything else we’ve managed to come up with, so I’ll take it.

“We should move,” Thorne says. “Time is ticking.”

I nod. “Good idea. We should also?—”

A low, ominous cracking sound interrupts me. We all turn to see hairline fractures spreading across the ice encasing Nathaniel.

“Shit,” I breathe. “How is that possible?”

Morgan’s eyes narrow. “He has your blood running through him. Your immunity must be giving him some sort of pass.”

“Give me one second,” Caine says and stalks over to Nathaniel. He raises his cane and taps it lightly to the ice covering Nathaniel’s form. A whirlwind of pure ice forms as Caine reinforces the prison around him until we can’t even make out his features anymore. “I’m not taking any chances with this fucker. He has pissed me off for the last time. Violet, when we return from this expedition, I will unfreeze him, and you will stake him so fucking hard, he will wonder what hit him. We will be here to catch you when you fall because of it. Are we clear?”

“Excuse you,” Morgan snaps, striding over to Caine and coming to my defence as only a mother could.

I smile and lay my hand on her arm, stopping her. “It’s okay. He has a right to be angry. They all do. I will do as you ask because it is the least I can do. You have all been so great about his presence and it’s time we get rid of him once and for all.”

Morgan nods reluctantly, but I can see the fire still burning in her eyes. It’s strange to suddenly have a mother who’s so fiercely protective. Strange, but not unwelcome.

“Okay,” I say, taking charge. “Let’s go.” I turn to Morgan. “Is there anything else we need to know before we head out?”

She considers for a moment. “The forest will be dangerous, more so than usual. The approaching Convergence will have awakened things that have long slumbered; even with it being frozen, we must be cautious.”

“Noted,” I say dryly. “Any other cheery news?”

A small smile touches her lips. “Trust your instincts, little flower. They will never lead you wrong.”

I nod, trying to absorb that. It’s still hard to wrap my head around everything that’s happened recently. Finding out I’m actually centuries old, that Morgan le Fay is my mother, and that the fate of the world rests on our shoulders is a lot.

But there’s no time to dwell on it. We have a job to do. And we need to do it fast.