Shadows Entwined (Shadows Descent #3)

9. Violet

9

VIOLET

As I sip the synthetic blood, I can feel my strength slowly returning. The grief is still there, a raw ache in my chest, but the fog of exhaustion is lifting. I look around at my guys, gratitude welling up inside me.

“Thank you,” I say softly. “For everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you all.”

Flint squeezes my hand. “We’re in this together, baby girl. Always.”

I nod, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “I suppose we should discuss what the hell we are going to do now. We still have the Convergence to deal with, whatever that is going to entail, and the Order will be back eventually.”

Thorne leans forward, his expression serious. “I need to do some research on the Convergence. There must be something in the library that will help us.”

“Or the underground library,” Caine mutters.

The three of us shoot him death stares.

“What?” he says. “We don’t know exactly what will happen, but we need to be ready for anything.”

“The underground library is off limits,” Flint says firmly. “We’re not risking unleashing more chaos right before the Convergence.”

I nod in agreement. “Thorne’s right, though. We need more information. Maybe we can ask Professor Blackthorn for access to the restricted section.”

“Worth a shot,” Thorne says. “I’ll go talk to him.”

As Thorne heads out, I turn to Caine. “What about the Order? Any ideas on how long it’ll take them to thaw out?”

Caine frowns, tapping his cane thoughtfully. “Hard to say. I’ve never separated items from an Ice Age and moved them elsewhere while the Ice Age was thawed, so my best guess is a few days, maybe a week at most.”

“So, they could potentially return right as the Convergence is happening,” I groan. “Perfect timing.”

“We’ll be ready for them,” Flint says, his jaw set determinedly. “They won’t catch us off guard again.”

I nod, trying to believe his words. “Well, before we get stuck in with everything else, I’d better go and speak to Amara.”

“Do you want one of us to come with you?” Flint asks gently.

I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. I can’t imagine she’d be angry with me. She hated him as much as I did. Okay, well, maybe not that much, but close.”

I take a deep breath and make my way towards the classroom where Amara is teaching me how to focus my Morgana powers. I think we are way past that now. I don’t just have her powers. I am her. My stomach churns with anxiety as I approach the closed door. How do you tell someone you killed their son, even if he was a monster? The halls of MistHallow seem longer than usual, each step bringing me closer to a conversation I’m dreading.

As I approach Amara’s classroom, I hear voices inside. I pause, my hand hovering over the doorknob. Should I interrupt? But then I hear my name, and curiosity gets the better of me. I lean closer, my vampire hearing picking up the words clearly.

“...Violet has no idea of her true potential,” Amara says, her voice low and urgent. “With Morgan’s sacrifice, she’s more powerful than ever. We need to guide her carefully.”

“And what of the prophecy?” a male voice responds. I don’t recognise it, but it sends a chill down my spine. It’s like an icy fog settling over my soul. “The Convergence is nearly upon us. If she’s not ready...”

“She’ll be ready,” Amara cuts him off firmly. “I’ve seen to that. Nathaniel’s death was unfortunate but necessary. It’s freed her from his influence.”

My breath catches in my throat. They’re talking about me; about things I don’t understand. What prophecy? My true potential? Do they know about what Morgan did?

“And what about her companions?” the male voice asks, a note of disdain in his tone. “They could prove to be a distraction.”

Amara sighs. “They’re devoted to her. For now, that devotion is useful. But you’re right, they could become a liability if she grows too attached.”

I step quietly back from the door, my mind reeling. What the hell is going on? Before I can process what I’ve heard, the voices inside go silent. I freeze, realising they must have sensed my presence.

The door swings open, revealing Amara. Her expression is calm, but there’s a sharpness in her eyes that wasn’t there before.

“Violet,” she says smoothly. “I was just about to send for you. Please, come in.”

I step inside, my gaze scanning the room for the male speaker. The room is empty except for Amara. Whoever she was talking to has vanished without a trace.

“I came to talk to you about Nathaniel and Morgan,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

Amara nods, her face a mask of sympathy. “Yes, I heard what happened. Professor Blackthorn filled me in. You’ve been through quite an ordeal.”

I search her face for any sign of grief or anger but find none. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I know he was your son, but...”

She holds up a hand, cutting me off. “Nathaniel made his choices long ago. You did what was necessary. I harbour no ill will towards you, Violet.”

Her words should be comforting, but after what I overheard, they only increase my unease.

“There’s something else,” Amara continues, her gaze intense. “With Nathaniel gone and the Convergence approaching, it’s more important than ever that we focus on developing your powers. The sacrifice Morgan made has unlocked new potential within you.”

“You know about that?”

She nods slowly. “I’m sorry, dear. I know it must be difficult.”

I don’t respond to that but instead focus on what is important. “What do you mean by ‘new potential’?”

Amara smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Your Morgana blood has always made you special, Violet. But now, with Morgan’s power added to your own, you have no idea what you can become. We need to harness that power before the Convergence.”

We? “Why?”

Amara’s expression turns grave. “The Convergence is a rare celestial event that amplifies magickal energies, Violet. It can be a time of great opportunity or great danger. Many will try to use its power for their own ends, but you must rise above them. You have the capacity to become more powerful than all of them put together.”

I nod slowly, processing her words. But something doesn’t sit right. Why do I feel like she’s still hiding something from me?

“Meaning?”

She purses her lips, her eyes narrowed. She seems to be debating what to tell me. “Have you heard of the Old Ones?”

I nod. “Vaguely. Old gods that once roamed, trying to break free every Convergence...”

She nods. “It was always Nate’s goal to try to harness the power of the Old Ones, to become one.”

“How is that possible?” I ask, curious despite this dodgy conversation.

Amara’s gaze turns calculating. “It’s not easy. The Old Ones are ancient, powerful beings that exist beyond our realm. Harnessing their power requires immense magickal ability and sacrifice.”

I feel a chill run down my spine. “Sacrifice?”

She nods gravely. “Yes. The more powerful the being sacrificed, the more power one can potentially gain.”

My mind races, connecting the dots. “Is that why Nathaniel turned me? Was I meant to be his sacrifice?”

Amara’s lips quirk in a small smile, but it is anything but reassuring. “Yes, that was part of his plan. But you proved far more resilient than he anticipated.”

I swallow hard, feeling sick. “And now? What’s the plan for me now?”

Her eyes gleam with an intensity that makes me uneasy. “Now, you have the potential to surpass even what Nathaniel dreamed of. With Morgan’s power added to your own, you could potentially become an Old One yourself during the Convergence.”

My head spins. This is too much. “I don’t want that kind of power,” I say firmly. “I just want to protect this world and get through this alive.”

Amara’s expression hardens slightly. “You may not have a choice, Violet. The power is within you now. If you don’t learn to control it, to channel it properly, it could destroy you and everyone around you. Only an Old One can defeat the others.”

“How would that even work? I mean, how does a twenty-one-year-old become an Old One?”

But even as I say it, I know.

I’m not twenty-one. I’m fifteen hundred years old.

She smiles as she must see this realisation hit me. “You know who you are, Violet. The Old Ones are probably the most immortal beings in this string of realms, but they are not immune from being taken over by a vessel powerful enough.”

“A vessel?”

“Yes, a vessel. A being powerful enough to channel and contain the essence of an Old One. You are uniquely suited to become such a vessel.”

I take a step back, my guts churning with this revelation. “I don’t want to become some kind of god-vessel.”

Amara’s expression hardens. “You may not have a choice, Violet. The Old Ones will emerge during the Convergence whether you’re ready or not. Only by becoming one yourself can you hope to stand against them.”

“And what happens to me?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “If I become this vessel. Do I cease to exist?”

“Of course not. But there will be sacrifices, of course.”

“Of course,” I mutter. “There always is.”

“Not the sacrifice you are thinking of. The ultimate sacrifice.”

“Which is?” I ask, dreading her answer already.

“What is left of your humanity.”