Shadows of light

1 o

h no warning,

e dream, Kael woke t

through the wooden shutters. Outside, thunder rolled gently over

ght. But it still glowed faintly beneath his skin, like a coal smolderin

from the water-hauling yesterday, and his sleep had been fitful at best. Even now, fragment

know who

red how it fel

rew on a plain tunic, the fabric brushing lightly over the sensit

slowly, l

mothers prepared stew or boiled morning roots. Men shouldered axes and headed toward the forest.

peacefu

a

achment. Last week, this was his entire world. But now... he felt like

e market, someon

ae

boy was short, broad-shouldered, with dirt-smudged cheeks and e

aid, nudging him with an elbow. "Uncle

smile. "I didn

est?" Tarin's voice dropped to a

odded.

actually kind of amazing. What if

don't haul water

That's legendary stuff. The kind

ged. "Or n

ng between carts and merchants. Everything loo

down, Kael

um in

sion in

ing wa

't know how

o the carpenter's shed

n't th

ed like something ancient breaking loose. People

came th

inhuman-and it came f

gh the clouds-black wings, huge and leathery, flapping

hell-" Tar

und like a building collapsing. Dust ros

Six. A

e crawling, some riding skeletal beasts

ms er

someone

s swallo

idn't

Tarin's a

, others glowing with unnatural light. A cottage near the square exploded into fire.

lunged for her-Kael turned, grabbed a broken pitc

nd disintegra

asping. "Wh

know!" Ka

rt of

hese things were wrong. Made of shadow and pa

d come

from his chest and threw one of the crawling crea

ed at him.

thers," Kael said, bre

south ridge, where most o

ever m

just ahead of them, cutting off the path. It had black armor fused i

rode a clo

a mo

ma

of blackened steel, and in his hand was a

l f

d slowly, boots c

d, voice distorted by magic

again, but his hands tre

e helmet. "You think Ligh

sed th

ought

aced fo

blow nev

the man back. A new figure stood between Kael and th

or

But he saw her then-truly saw

was beautiful

his soul rec

from th

irl h

who had just

2 o

d like win

ke as she met the dark rider head-on. Sparks flew. Steel clanged. The clash e

tched,

motion carried purpose. A dance of destruction and beau

ord like smoke, but Liora deflected the strike and spun l

she turne

eyes lock

d between them. Like a

id coldly. "C

eart hammering. "

napped. "They're

gain, wounded but snarling, and r

g him square in the chest. He screamed as his armor cracked and smoke p

step back. "What t

away from the wreckage. "There's a path through the

ne last loo

His home. His people. E

o

llowe

y r

ugh the screams of a place Kael h

llen villagers she didn't stop for-not out of cruelty, but out of ne

ned. His legs shook. He tripped once and

gasped. "I'm

said. "Y

n't let go

cended on Eldor. Kael heard the screams, saw the flickering ligh

t. To find his uncle. To find T

unkindly. "We have to go. If y

dn't un

lowed

s pa

he memory of ruin. When they finally stopped near a rocky overhang,

canning the treeline,

ing followed them did she s

re th

, hollow-eyed.

ked. The

Just stared at he

I expected," she add

sappoint. I was too busy hauling fi

ll conjured orb glowed between them, reflecting off her pa

she said. "The mark usually manifest

village is gone. People I

n't flinch. "Bec

fell bet

of a thing to say to

"I've known of yo

've been dreaming

ade he

ied to reach me. And then you were taken. I..."

ened. "Dreams are

You saw it t

moment

dn't d

ite him, pulling her cloak

're the Balance. I'm the Light. That means something...

st you eithe

uth was-he

e fire. The l

touched his, his soul had quie

peak again fo

ly, casting the space be

nst the stone and

in, won't they?"

didn't

oked

s-but more than that. Something above human. The way she m

scinat

y for any of

," she replied.

t 3

oke in

like a current. But now, with the fire orb long faded and only the cold of the fore

s swayed gently, whispering in the night breeze.

s ash

les protested every movement. But it was the ache i

over and

s folded neatly on her lap. She wasn't sleeping. She didn't even

ed her for

't asked about his uncle, or his village, or his p

ucha

reached toward her. Not hi

so

owly and cr

dn't l

cry," he sa

have time

ted. "Did

d. "Once. When I

happ

d it didn

hing her. "You don't have

time since their flight from Eldor,

id. "If I'm no

d. "People

looked

e added. "That

said. "It

in sile

silence t

ness of two people whose lives

asked, "How long hav

boy would rise, marked by the Balance. That

ud

ur power bent toward shadow..

ly, if I screw up, I get

er to kill y

s comf

her head, s

at I expected,

id you

ater. Stronger.

r. "And what did

ght her

n. Holy. Important. But I don't feel any

anything, made

e

ose, but close enough that her

to be either," he said. "But m

ight away. But her b

e looke

looked

t cold anymore.

eam," she said softly

eached for me. I reache

the first truly vulnerable

" she said, "if that

ning o

be the reas

ething else burned between them

dn't to

e wan

dn't

don't fear you. I don'

k and let the silence

she was, unmoving,

the stone between them

touc

al

built from bone and smoke,

s been awakened

ght walks b

d her throne. "Shall

ot yet. Let them grow c

d t

sm

r them