LOGINViolet“How do you feel?” Kylan asked, his tone urgent. He had moved the second the shield broke.As I searched for an answer, I saw a small blur move near his shoulder. It was Jumpie.She bumped her tiny head against him, flicked her tail, and started squeaking. Kylan looked at her, then back at me. “That means you’re okay, right?”“I…what?”I let my weight fall back into him and broke into laughter, still in disbelief over everything that had just happened as he pulled me closer.The others gathered around us as Sora gently placed the calm raven back into the cage.Jumpie rushed toward her and began circling the cage, sniffing and inspecting it like she was personally making sure Baelor stayed sealed.I smiled and lifted my arm to wipe beneath my eyes. When I pulled it away, another streak of red marked my skin. The blood was still fresh, still there, but the burning sensation had faded.Nate, Lian, Trinity, Dylan…they all stared at me without asking the actual question.“I’m okay!”
VioletI moved before I could think.My hands lifted as I reached for the shadow, and a surge of energy flowed from my fingertips, wrapping around it like a thread.I pushed the shadow toward Thorne, and for a moment, I was actually hopeful. All I had to do was lead it to Thorne’s beak, and I gave it everything I had, but nothing changed.The shadow was somewhat in my control, but it wasn’t moving toward Thorne. Instead of moving forward, it pressed back, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before it would attack.No…It didn’t take long before I felt my power slipping and my arms trembling. The thread I had wrapped around it began to loosen, and the shadow grew stronger than it had been before.“I’m losing it!” I gasped. “It’s not working!”I glanced at the one person I had always relied on, Kylan. I did not mean to, and I did not want to, but it was instinct by now. My mind and my soul both turned to him.His teeth clenched, and his foot shifted, but he froze mid-step as so
VioletAs I let out a breath, I felt the energy move through me in steady waves. It traveled through our joined hands and began spreading.A sense of relief washed over me as a barrier formed.From Dylan to Trinity.From Kylan to Nate and Lian.Everyone’s eyes but Sora’s lit up, each of them holding a fragment of my power. My breath caught in surprise. I had not even known if it would work. I had never done it before, yet it felt exactly like it had in the past. Somehow, I just knew. I trusted my eyes enough to believe they would not fail me when I needed them most.“How did you do that?” Dylan whispered.Kylan chuckled in surprise, looking as the shield stood. I couldn’t help it, and a chuckle slipped from my own lips. There was still a long way to go, but it started off great.“Because she’s incredible,” Kylan said, shaking his head slightly.Heat rushed to my face, and my cheeks burned. I hated and loved it all at once. It wasn’t the time to call me incredible, not yet. To be hones
VioletThey all stared at me like I had lost my mind. Possibly, because I had just admitted that the Veil would crack and was smiling about it.Their faces were filled with disbelief and confusion because they didn’t understand yet. How could they? They hadn’t heard what I had heard, hadn’t felt it the way I did.Mom and Dad were doing their best.They were fighting to keep the Veil intact. There had been determination in Adelaide’s voice, and Alaric would always have her back. Those two never feared because they knew what was at stake and were holding the Veil with everything they had.“We don’t have much of a choice,” I said, my voice steady as I looked around the circle. “My parents…we have to trust them. They know what they’re doing, and they’re fighting really hard right now.”For a second, no one spoke, but then Dylan laughed. It was a short chortle as he dragged a hand through his hair. He began pacing, and the calm finally cracked.“How can you be so…so casual about this?” he
VioletWe had barely left when I heard the howls echoed through the air. The Lyperian lycans cried with joy, and it felt as if the entire kingdom had awakened. This was supposed to be the most beautiful part, but unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned.Kylan’s grip was still as firm as we walked, the others close behind us. We were almost at the greenhouse, and I knew I had to stay focused, but I couldn’t help it…I couldn’t help but look back at Nate.His eyes were locked on Kylan’s back. He had no problem keeping up with our steps, but it was like he wasn’t even there. He looked unfocused, hollow, and his mind was clearly still on Kaelis and how he had handled the situation.“Where’s Prince Kayden?” Sora asked, her voice shaking.“You don’t have to worry about that,” Kylan said without looking back. “The queen’s got it handled.”Sora squeezed herself between Dylan and Lian. In her mind, she believed that if anything happened, those two would protect her. And they would, without a do
VioletIt was really him.It wasn’t time yet, but that clearly didn’t matter. It hadn’t stopped him before. He was already on the move, and I had no idea where he was headed.But if my suspicions were correct, it would have to be Thorne.Leaves burst into the air from the shadow’s impact, and my mind snapped into survival mode. I had two options. Stay with Kaelis, or run back and warn the others.The fate of the world rested on my shoulders, and I was tempted to choose the latter. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. Baelor had spoken my name, and I heard Mom and Dad’s voices inside my head.Were they trying to warn me?My heart stopped beating for a moment as a sound came from the trees. I clenched my fist, ready for anything, but then two figures stumbled out of the trees, giggling.Kaelis’s friends.“Oh my Goddess,” one of them breathed, eyes wide. “Did you hear that?”A relieved sigh escaped me, and I nodded so fast my neck almost hurt. Were they talking about Baelor? Had they hea







