Shadow Bound Fate

Shadows Underground

***Caius' POV***

Lira sucked in a sharp breath, her fingers tightening around the fabric of my sleeve. "He's coming back here?" her voice barely above a whisper.

Thalia nodded. "He's bringing his forces with him. He's coming for what he wants, he's done waiting to take it."

I felt the air shift in the room, charged with tension. Lira's entire body had gone rigid, her heartbeat hammering through our bond. Her home. The place she spent her whole life trying to escape—was now under threat because of her.

I knew exactly what she was thinking before she even said it.

"I have to go."

"No." The word left my mouth instantly. I turned to face her, my grip firm on her wrist. "You're not ready. You're still healing."

Her eyes flashed with defiance, but beneath that, I saw the raw emotion threatening to break through. "Caius, this is my home," she hissed. "The people here—Ayla, the villagers—they don't stand a chance if he unleashes his magic on them."

I shook my head. "And you won't stand a chance if you go in there half-dead." My shadows stirred around us, mirroring my frustration. "Think, Lira. This is exactly what he wants. You rushing into a fight while you're vulnerable? He'll crush you."

Lira pulled her wrist free from my grasp. "Then what do you expect me to do? Sit here while he destroys everything?" Her voice cracked, and I could feel the storm inside her building.

"No," I said, forcing my own voice to steady. "We don't rush in blindly. We think. We plan. We find a way to stop him without you getting yourself killed."

Thalia cleared her throat. "Much as I love the tension in this room, we don't have much time. If we're going to act, we need to do it now."

Lira's gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, everything else faded. The weight of this decision hung between us. She was powerful—more than she even understood—but power alone wouldn't be enough. If we did this the wrong way, Morven would take everything.

She exhaled slowly, and I felt the shift in her through our bond. She wasn't giving up. But she was willing to trust me.

"Alright," she said finally. "We do this together."

I nodded. "Together."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Great. Now let's move before your father burns the village to the ground."

***Lira's POV***

I took a deep breath, forcing the tightness in my chest to ease. Virebrook. My home. I spent my whole life feeling like it was a cage, but now the thought of it burning at Morven's hands made my stomach turn.

I wasn't ready. I knew that. My body still ached, my side throbbed where the assassin's blade had cut deep, but none of that mattered now. The people of Virebrook—Ayla, the villagers, even my coward of a father—were all in danger because of me.

Because of what I was.

Caius stood close, his presence steady and grounding, but I could feel the storm raging inside him too. He was afraid for me, for what Morven might do if I faced him too soon. I could feel it humming through our bond, that unspoken plea for me to stay safe. But I couldn't.

I wouldn't.

I straightened, forcing my exhaustion down. "Then we need to move now," I said, my voice firm despite the fear clawing at my chest.

Thalia smirked, twirling a dagger between her fingers. "That's the spirit."

Caius exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair. He knew arguing was pointless. He knew me well enough by now to know that nothing would stop me from going back.