Shadows Entwined (Shadows Descent #3)

28. Thorne

28

THORNE

Steeling myself for whatever trial awaits, I nod grimly at Caine’s words. I step into the alcove, and darkness surrounds me. So far, there is nothing unusual about that.

For a moment, there’s nothing but the void.

Then, pinpricks of light appear, swirling around me like distant stars. A voice echoes through the emptiness, ancient and unknowable.

“Child of shadow, you stand at the crossroads of light and dark.”

The stars coalesce, forming shifting shapes and scenes from my past. I see myself as a child struggling under my father’s expectations. Then as a young man, rebelling against those same expectations.

“You’ve always walked the line between two worlds,” the voice continues. “Never fully belonging to either.”

I grit my teeth, getting pissed off as the old frustrations bubble to the surface. “What does this have to do with helping Violet? That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”

A chuckle reverberates through the void. “Everything and nothing to do with the daughter of all magick. To truly wield the power of the void, you must first understand yourself.”

The starry visions shift again, showing me moments of indecision, times when I’ve held back out of fear or doubt.

“You hesitate,” the voice accuses. “Always calculating, never fully committing. This is your weakness.”

Anger rushes through me. “I’m here, aren’t I? I’ve committed to this fight.”

“Have you?” The voice sounds amused. “Or are you still clinging to the shadows?”

The voice’s accusation stings, but I push back against it. “I’m not clinging to anything. I’ve chosen my path.”

“Have you really?” The starry visions swirl again, showing moments of doubt, times I’ve second-guessed myself or held back. “You stand with one foot in the light and one in shadow, never fully embracing either.”

“What do you want from me?”

“The question is, what do you want?” The void around me shimmers, and I feel a strange tugging sensation. “The power of the void is yours to claim, but only if you’re willing to fully embrace it.”

The tugging intensifies. Something deep inside is trying to break free.

“Let go,” the voice urges. “Stop fighting what you truly are.”

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes. For so long, I’ve tried to balance between worlds. The birthright of the Dark Fae Court, my own desires, darkness and the truly dark. But maybe that’s been holding me back all along.

With a conscious effort, I release the tight control I’ve always maintained. My head is always too much in the game, thinking instead of feeling. Suddenly, it’s exhausting.

The tugging sensation explodes into a rush of power that takes my breath away. Darkness flows from me in waves, not just the absence of light but something more profound, something darker than I’ve ever felt. Something and absolute nothingness.

When I open my eyes, the void around me has changed. The stars are gone, replaced by swirling patterns of deepest black.

The void responds to my will, bending and shifting around me. This isn’t just shadow manipulation, it’s control over the fabric of nothingness itself.

“Yes,” the voice purrs, sounding pleased. “This is your true power, child of shadow. The ability to shape the void, to walk between worlds.”

I stretch out my hand, watching as tendrils of darkness coil around my fingers. With a thought, I open a small rift in space, peering through to another location entirely.

“Holy shit,” I mutter, awed by the possibilities this power presents. Black holes.

“The void is your domain now,” the voice explains. “You can use it to travel, to hide, to attack.”

I nod, understanding the danger this emptiness holds.

“How does this help Violet?” I ask, refocusing on why I’m here.

“The Old Ones dwell in the spaces between realms,” the voice replies. “With this power, you can reach them, fight them on their own turf. You are the key to accessing their domain.”

That knowledge hits me hard. I’m not just a champion or protector. I’m a weapon against these ancient beings.

“I understand,” I say solemnly.

“Do you? Then you must be prepared to go further than you ever have before. The Old Ones will not be easily defeated.”

I nod, steeling myself. “I’m ready. Show me what I need to do.”

The darkness swirls faster, coalescing into a humanoid shape. A being of pure darkness stands in front of me.

“I am Erebus, the primordial god of darkness. Your bloodline carries an echo of my power. Now, you must claim it fully.”

Erebus extends a hand, darkness swirling around its fingers. “Take my hand and accept your destiny as a true wielder of the void.”

I hesitate for just a moment, the weight of this decision heavy on my shoulders. But I think of Violet, of the fate of all realms hanging in the balance. With a deep breath, I reach out and grasp Erebus’s hand.

Darkness floods through me, cold and ancient. For a terrifying moment, I feel like I’m drowning in it, losing myself to the endless void. But then I push back, asserting my will over the power.

The darkness settles, becoming a part of me rather than consuming me. When I open my eyes, the world looks different. I can see the spaces between things, the cracks in reality where the void seeps through.

“Well done,” Erebus says, his voice echoing with approval. “You have claimed your birthright. Use it wisely, my child of shadow. You are now a god of emptiness.”

I resist the urge to snort disrespectfully but come on. A god? He is. I’m definitely not.

“Do not fight what you are. Your blood is my blood.”

I nod grimly, but only for his sake, not mine.

“Take the fight to them, my child. You cannot win here.”

Erebus dissolves into wisps of darkness that fade away. The void around me dissipates, and I find myself back in the alcove in the circular chamber.

I step out, blinking as my eyes readjust to the light. The others are watching me expectantly.

“So,” Caine drawls, “how was your trip to the dark side?”

Urgency and fear rush through my blood, and I inhale deeply. “We won’t win this fight. Not here.”

“What?” Violet thunders, coming over to me and demanding answers. “What do you know? What did you see?”

I look at Violet, seeing the fear and determination in her eyes. “The Old Ones dwell in the spaces between realms,” I explain, my voice grim. “We can’t defeat them here, in our world. We have to take the fight to them. We can push them back to their realm if they come here, but we can’t defeat them. They are tied to this realm. It was theirs long ago.”

Caine frowns. “So, what are you saying? We’re going to lose Violet?”

I hold up my hand, letting darkness swirl around my fingers. “No. Not if we go to them. With this. I can open rifts to their domain now. We’ll have to enter the void between worlds to face them.”

“Fuck,” Flint mutters. “That sounds incredibly dangerous.”

“It is,” Magdeline interjects, her ancient eyes fixed on me. “But the boy speaks the truth. The Old Ones cannot be truly defeated in this realm.”

Violet takes a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll go into the void and kick their arses so hard they won’t ever be able to come here and threaten our worlds again.”

“It won’t be easy. The void is their territory. We’ll be at a disadvantage.” I stare at Violet, trying to gauge her feelings.

“Maybe not as much as you think,” Caine says, twirling his epic new ice spear, which seems to have replaced his cane. “We’ve all unlocked some serious power here, and we’ve got Violet, the daughter of all magick.”

We all look at Violet, who seems to shrink a bit under our gazes. “Right,” she says, her voice wavering slightly. But then she takes a deep breath, squaring her stance. “So, we go into the void between realms and face these Old Ones on their own turf. What could go wrong?”

Her sarcasm doesn’t quite mask the fear in her eyes. I wrap my arms around her. “We’ll be with you every step of the way,” I assure her. “You’re not alone in this.”

“You have a Frost god,” Caine states, looking mightily proud of himself.

“And a Dragon god, of sorts,” Flint adds.

“And me, the god of emptiness.”

“What?” She looks around at us. “Gods? Way to give me an inferiority complex.”

“Says you,” I say lightly. “All magick comes from you.”

“Not quite,” Magdeline says, pissing on our parade. “All magick comes from the Nexus. Violet is simply the embodiment of that.”

“Same thing,” I say with a soft smile.

Violet turns to the old woman. “If we take the fight to them in their realm, what about the Nexus? Won’t I need it to channel my power? And what about the Dragon crystal?”

Magdeline smiles enigmatically. “The Nexus is not bound to this physical location, child. It exists in all realms, in all spaces between. You carry its power within you. As for Thraxus’s crystal...” She turns to Flint. “You are its guardian now. Its power flows through your veins.”

Flint looks startled, then nods solemnly. “I can feel it,” he says softly.

“So, we’re really doing this?” Violet asks. “Going into the void to face these Old Ones? These gods?”

I nod grimly. “It’s our best chance. Maybe our only chance.”

“But how would we even find them?” Caine asks.

Magdeline’s eyes twinkle. “They will find you. Make no mistake about that. They have been waiting for this moment for aeons. They will sense Violet’s power the moment you enter their domain.”

“Great,” Violet mutters. “So, we’re walking into a trap.”

“Not a trap,” I say, squeezing her hand. “An ambush. But we’re the ones laying it.”

Flint grins fiercely. “I like the sound of that.”

“Before you go,” Magdeline says, her tone serious, “there is one more thing you must know. The void between realms is not like our world. Time and space behave differently there. You may experience things that seem impossible or contradictory.”

“Like what?” Violet asks, a hint of trepidation in her voice.

“You might see echoes of past and future events. Alternate versions of yourselves. The lines between reality and illusion blur in that place.”

“Fantastic,” Caine mutters. “As if facing ancient gods wasn’t challenging enough.”

“How will we know what’s real?” I ask.

“Trust in each other,” Magdeline says firmly. “The bond between you is your anchor. No matter what you see, or experience, that connection is real.”

“Is there anything else we should know?” Flint asks.

Magdeline holds out her hand, and the purple book that Violet found appears on her palm. “This contains the knowledge to open the gateway to the void. You’ll need it to return as well, so guard it carefully. It’s a key to the spaces between worlds. Use it wisely.”

I take the book and stare at it. The symbols on its cover shift and dance before my eyes. “Knowledge?”

“There are thousands of realms, young shadow walker. You do not have time to check all of them to make sure it’s the right one.”

“Oh, okay. That makes sense.”

She chuckles, and then she crumbles to dust at Violet’s feet.