The Shadow That Chose Me

The Order of Silver

The first arrow came from the trees.

Kael knocked it aside with his sword.

"Down!"

Elara dropped.

A second arrow flew over her head and buried itself in the trunk behind her.

Then the forest erupted.

Hunters poured between the trees, their silver armor reflecting the moonlight. There were too many of them.

Dozens.

Then hundreds.

They moved in formation, surrounding the clearing from every direction.

At their center stood a woman wearing a long silver cloak.

Her face was hidden beneath a metal mask.

She raised one hand.

The hunters stopped.

"Elara Veyne."

Her voice carried across the clearing.

Elara slowly stood.

"Who are you?"

The woman removed her mask.

Elara's breath caught.

She knew that face.

Not from her life.

From her memories.

The woman who had appeared in the fragmented vision of her childhood.

Silver hair.

Pale eyes.

A small scar beneath her left eye.

The woman who had stood beside her parents when she was a child.

Seraphine.

Elara's heart began pounding.

"Mother..."

Seraphine's expression barely changed.

"Don't call me that."

Elara stared at her.

"But I remember you."

"You shouldn't."

"You were there."

Seraphine looked at Lucian.

"And now both of you have awakened."

Lucian stepped forward.

"You look older."

Seraphine's eyes hardened.

"You were supposed to remain sealed."

"So everyone keeps telling me."

Kael moved closer to Elara.

"Who is she?"

Seraphine answered without looking at him.

"The woman who helped raise your little friend."

Elara's eyes widened.

"You knew my mother."

"I knew her very well."

"Where is she?"

Seraphine didn't answer.

"Where is my mother?"

"Safe."

"Where?"

"Somewhere you cannot reach."

Elara stepped forward.

"You've been lying to me my entire life."

Seraphine's face softened for the briefest moment.

"I was protecting you."

"By erasing my memories?"

"Yes."

"By hiding my brother?"

"Yes."

"By pretending none of this existed?"

"Yes."

Elara's voice shook.

"How is that protecting me?"

Seraphine looked at her.

"Because the truth would have brought him to you."

"Who?"

"The First King."

The ground trembled.

Seraphine's expression changed.

"He's awake."

Lucian looked toward the earth.

"He's been awake."

"No."

Seraphine shook her head.

"Not completely."

Kael's father stepped forward.

"Seraphine."

She turned toward him.

"Draven."

Kael looked at his father.

"You know her."

"Yes."

"You worked together."

"Once."

Kael stared at them.

"How many secrets does everyone around me have?"

His father didn't answer.

Seraphine looked toward the hunters.

"Take the twins."

Elara stepped backward.

"No."

Kael raised his sword.

"You'll have to go through me."

Seraphine sighed.

"I was hoping you wouldn't make this difficult."

The hunters attacked.

Kael moved first.

His sword struck the nearest hunter's weapon, knocking it aside. He spun and disarmed another before ducking beneath a third attack.

Elara backed away.

She didn't know how to fight.

She didn't know how to control the power inside her.

But the shadow knew.

It rose behind her.

The forest darkened.

One of the hunters stopped.

"Don't."

Another shouted:

"Use the silver chains!"

Three hunters pulled strange weapons from their backs.

Chains.

Not ordinary chains.

They glowed with a pale silver light.

Elara's shadow recoiled.

Her heart raced.

"What are those?"

Lucian answered.

"Chains made from moonsteel."

"What do they do?"

"They suppress our power."

Seraphine raised her hand.

"Now."

The chains flew.

One wrapped around Lucian.

Another struck Elara's arm.

Pain exploded through her body.

She screamed.

The black mark on her palm flickered.

The shadow disappeared.

Kael looked toward her.

"Elara!"

A hunter grabbed him from behind.

Kael elbowed him and turned.

His father intercepted another attack.

"Kael!"

Kael looked at him.

"Don't let them take her!"

His father nodded.

For a moment, father and son fought side by side.

The sight almost seemed impossible.

Then Seraphine walked toward Elara.

"Don't fight it."

Elara struggled against the chain.

"You did this to me."

"I saved you."

"You destroyed my memories."

"I gave you a childhood."

"You stole my brother."

Seraphine's expression cracked.

"I saved your brother too."

"You locked him away!"

"Because if we hadn't, you would both be dead."

Lucian shouted from across the clearing.

"She's lying!"

Seraphine turned.

"You've always hated me."

"I have every reason to."

"You don't remember what you were like."

Lucian's eyes darkened.

"I remember enough."

"You were six years old."

"I remember the screams."

Seraphine looked away.

"I remember your mother begging."

Silence fell between them.

Elara stared at Seraphine.

"What happened?"

Seraphine didn't answer.

"What happened to my mother?"

"She made a choice."

"What choice?"

"She chose you."

Elara's breath caught.

"Over Lucian?"

"No."

Seraphine's voice became quiet.

"Over herself."

Before Elara could ask what that meant, an enormous roar came from beneath the earth.

The hunters stopped.

The trees shook.

Cracks appeared across the ground.

Seraphine's eyes widened.

"No."

Kael's father looked toward her.

"What's happening?"

"He's breaking through."

"Who?"

Seraphine whispered:

"The First King."

The ground split open.

A wave of black energy surged through the clearing.

Hunters were thrown backward.

Kael fell to one knee.

Elara screamed as the moonsteel chain around her arm shattered.

Lucian's chain broke too.

The darkness returned.

But this time, it didn't come from Elara.

It came from beneath the earth.

A black mist rose through the cracks.

It twisted upward.

Forming a figure.

Tall.

Ancient.

Wearing a crown.

Elara stared.

She knew that face.

She had seen it in her vision.

The man sitting on the throne.

The First King.

He looked at her.

"Elara."

Her blood turned cold.

"You know me."

"I know everything about you."

He smiled.

"And you are finally old enough to remember."

Lucian moved in front of her.

"Stay away from her."

The First King looked at him.

"My son."

Lucian froze.

Kael's eyes widened.

"Your son?"

Elara looked between them.

The First King laughed.

"You were always the weaker half."

Lucian's fists clenched.

"You imprisoned me."

"I protected you."

"You tortured me."

"I taught you."

"You destroyed our mother."

The king's smile disappeared.

"Careful."

Lucian stepped forward.

"You killed her."

The air became still.

The First King's expression changed.

For the first time, anger appeared in his eyes.

"Your mother betrayed me."

Lucian shouted:

"She was trying to save us!"

The king raised one hand.

Lucian was thrown across the clearing.

"Lucian!"

Elara ran toward him.

The king appeared in front of her.

She stopped.

He looked down at her.

"You have her eyes."

"Who?"

"Your mother."

Elara stared.

"Did you love her?"

The king's expression became unreadable.

"Once."

"What happened?"

"She chose your father."

Elara felt a strange ache in her chest.

"My father."

"Yes."

The king looked toward the distant forest.

"He stole her from me."

Seraphine suddenly stepped forward.

"That's enough."

The First King turned.

"Seraphine."

She raised a silver weapon.

"You won't take her."

"You cannot stop me."

"I don't have to."

She looked at Elara.

"I only need to give her enough time."

Elara frowned.

"Time for what?"

Seraphine's eyes filled with sadness.

"To remember."

The First King attacked.

Seraphine raised her weapon.

A massive silver barrier appeared.

The impact shook the entire clearing.

Kael grabbed Elara.

"We have to go."

"No."

"What?"

"I'm not leaving."

"Elara, we can't fight him."

"I need answers."

"You'll die."

"I don't care."

"I do."

She looked at him.

Kael's expression softened.

"You don't have to understand everything tonight."

"I need to know who I am."

"You will."

"How?"

He looked toward Lucian.

"With your brother."

Lucian slowly stood.

Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

He looked at Kael.

"For once, I agree with you."

Kael stared.

"That's new."

Lucian almost smiled.

"Don't get used to it."

The First King's barrier shattered.

Seraphine was thrown backward.

Elara rushed toward her.

"Seraphine!"

The woman struggled to stand.

"Run."

"Not without you."

"You don't understand."

She grabbed Elara's wrist.

"Listen to me."

Elara stared at her.

"Your mother left something for you."

"What?"

Seraphine reached beneath her cloak and pulled out a small silver key.

She placed it in Elara's hand.

The moment Elara touched it, her mark burned.

A vision struck her.

A castle.

A tower.

A woman standing beside a window.

Her mother.

She was holding a letter.

And behind her stood a younger version of Seraphine.

Her mother turned toward her.

"If you're seeing this, then I'm already gone."

Elara's heart broke.

Her mother's voice continued.

"I need you to understand something."

The vision flickered.

"You were never the curse."

Elara stared.

"You were the lock."

The vision disappeared.

Elara opened her eyes.

"What does that mean?"

Seraphine looked at her.

"The key will show you."

"Where?"

"The place where you were born."

"Where?"

Seraphine looked toward the eastern mountains.

"The Cathedral of Hollow Moon."

Kael immediately shook his head.

"No."

Seraphine looked at him.

"You know it?"

"Everyone knows it."

"What is it?"

Kael's face was grim.

"The place where the Order was founded."

Seraphine nodded.

"And where the first royal children were born."

Elara closed her fingers around the key.

"I have to go."

Kael looked at her.

"I know."

The First King roared.

The forest shook again.

Seraphine looked toward him.

"You have to leave now."

"What about you?"

"I'll slow him down."

"You'll die."

Seraphine smiled sadly.

"I've been waiting twenty-one years for this."

Elara shook her head.

"You don't get to die before giving me answers."

Seraphine's smile disappeared.

"Then find the Cathedral."

"Why?"

"Because beneath it is the truth."

She looked toward Lucian.

"And your brother knows how to open the door."

Lucian stared at her.

"What door?"

Seraphine whispered:

"The door your mother died trying to protect."

The First King broke through the remaining barrier.

Everyone turned.

Seraphine pushed Elara backward.

"Go!"

Kael grabbed Elara.

Lucian followed.

They ran into the forest.

Behind them, the battle resumed.

Elara looked over her shoulder once.

Seraphine stood alone before the First King.

Then the trees swallowed them.

They ran until the sounds of battle disappeared.

Only when they reached a narrow ravine did Kael stop.

Everyone was breathing heavily.

Elara looked at Lucian.

"You're coming with us."

He nodded.

"Of course."

Kael looked toward the east.

"The Cathedral is three days away."

"Then we leave tonight."

Kael stared at her.

"You're serious."

"My mother left me a message."

"What did she say?"

Elara opened her hand.

The silver key reflected the moonlight.

"She said I was never the curse."

Lucian looked at the key.

"What else?"

Elara's voice dropped.

"She said I was the lock."

Lucian's expression changed.

He took one step backward.

"What?"

"What?"

He stared at Elara.

"That's impossible."

"You keep saying that."

"No."

His eyes remained fixed on the key.

"If that's what she said..."

"What?"

Lucian swallowed.

"Then we misunderstood everything."

Kael frowned.

"Explain."

Lucian looked toward the dark horizon.

"The First King isn't trying to escape."

A cold wind passed through the ravine.

Elara felt the shadow stir beneath her skin.

Lucian whispered:

"He's trying to get inside."

Kael's face hardened.

"Inside what?"

Lucian looked directly at Elara.

"Inside the lock."

Elara's heart stopped.

Far away, beneath the ruins of Blackmere, a deep voice echoed through the earth.

Run to the Cathedral, little queen.

The First King's laughter followed.

I'll meet you there.