Chapter 7: The Echo of Two Hearts

I didn’t wake up to the sound of birds. I woke up to a heartbeat.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

It was slow, heavy, and echoed inside my own chest, out of sync with my own frantic pulse. I opened my eyes to find the moon still high in the sky. I was no longer in the obsidian pool. I was tucked into the massive, fur-lined bed, and the weight of a heavy arm was draped across my waist.

I froze. Malachi lay beside me, his silver hair fanned out against the black silk pillows. He was asleep, but even in rest, he looked like a predator waiting for the slightest vibration.

On my neck, the twin puncture wounds from his fangs didn't throb with pain. They hummed.

“You’re awake,” a voice rumbled.

I jumped, looking around the room. Malachi hadn't moved. His lips hadn't parted.

“In your head, Little Moon,” the voice came again, darker and smoother than the wind. “The Blood Pact is a bridge. My thoughts are yours, and yours are mine. Try to keep the screaming to a minimum; it’s early.”

I pulled the covers tighter. Get out of my head, I thought, trying to project the words with as much bite as possible.

Malachi’s eyes snapped open. He didn't look tired; he looked electrified. He sat up, the furs sliding down to reveal the intricate black tattoos that covered his chest—tattoos that were now glowing with a faint, violet light that matched my own.

"It doesn't work like that," he said aloud, his voice husky. "We are anchored now. Your power is feeding on my shadows, and my shadows are feasting on your light. You wanted a crown, Elara. This is the gold it’s made of."

I sat up, pushing my hair back. "I feel... different. I can feel the trees outside. I can feel the guards in the hallway. I can even feel—" I stopped, my breath hitching.

"You can feel the North," Malachi finished for me.

I looked toward the window. Far beyond the gorge, I could feel a cold, sickly sensation. It was Killian. The link he had tried to sever was gone, but because of my new heightened senses, I could feel his agony like a distant, foul smell. He was mourning. He was desperate.

And he was doing something stupid.

"He’s at the Great Oak," I whispered. "The center of the pack lands. He’s trying to call to the Moon Goddess to force the bond back."

Malachi let out a low, dangerous laugh. He stood up, crossing the room to the window. "Let him pray to the moon. He doesn't realize that the moon has turned her face away from him. But he isn't the one you should worry about."

He pointed down toward the base of the Spire.

In the grey light of dawn, the forest floor was moving. Not with wind, but with bodies. Dozens of them. They weren't wolves, and they weren't human. They were grey-skinned, elongated creatures with eyes like glowing coals.

"The Ancient Ones," I breathed. "The ones from the stories."

"They are the Hounds of the Void," Malachi said, his face hardening into a mask of lethal intent. "They haven't tasted Primal blood in three centuries. They didn't come for my kingdom, Elara. They came for you."

A massive roar shook the tower. One of the creatures leapt onto the stone wall, its claws shrieking against the rock as it began to climb with unnatural speed.

I felt a surge of panic, but before it could swallow me, Malachi was there. He grabbed my hand, and the moment our skin met, the violet fire in my veins stabilized. It didn't burn me; it flowed through me like a sharpened blade.

"Don't be afraid," Malachi whispered, his silver eyes flashing. "You are the Earth, and I am the Shadow. Together, we are the end of the world."

He pulled a dagger from the bedside table and handed it to me. The blade turned a brilliant, glowing purple the moment I touched it.

"Let’s show them why the silent girl was the most dangerous one of all."

The window shattered as the first creature burst through the glass, its jaw unhinging to reveal rows of needle-like teeth.

I didn't scream. I didn't hide. I stepped forward, the floorboards cracking under my feet as thick, thorny vines burst through the wood, ready to tear the monster apart.