Chapter 65

The light of the dreamscape clung to me long after I woke, its shadows still whispering through my veins. The garden and Draven’s haunting words played on an endless loop in my mind. The way they had looked at me—eyes that seemed to hold centuries of longing and truth—set my heart racing in a way that felt almost treacherous. They were shadow incarnate, a being of elegance and power wrapped in danger, yet there was something achingly familiar in how they spoke to me, how they confessed lifetimes of love.

I sat up in my nest, my white hair falling around my shoulders in a silken curtain as I pulled my knees to my chest. Silas’s gentle breathing filled the room; he’d insisted on staying close after what I told him, his presence a warm, steady comfort. But the storm in my chest wouldn’t calm. Draven’s voice echoed in my ears: “This time, I will fight to keep you by my side.”

A shiver ran through me. It was reckless, maybe even foolish, but for the first time, I admitted it to myself: Draven was attractive, mesmerizing even. Their confidence, the way they walked that line between fierce protectiveness and raw power, drew me in like a moth to flame. But it wasn’t just their looks; it was the way they understood my darkness without flinching, the way they made me feel seen.

I buried my face in my hands, letting out a shaky breath. This was absurd. Here I was, considering the possibility of something romantic with a shadow being while President Russling was tightening his noose around my neck. The realization snapped through me like ice water, and I forced myself to stand. The Garnet against my collarbone pulsed, a quiet reminder of who I was becoming, what I was facing.

I crossed the room and grabbed my satchel, needing to ground myself with something tangible, something real. The candles still flickered, casting soft light that did nothing to banish the storm in my head. I glanced at Silas, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, and a pang of guilt coiled in my stomach. I wasn’t ready to bring him into this new chaos. Not yet.

A sharp ping from my tablet on the nearby table broke the silence. Silas stirred, eyes blinking open with a groggy smile that faded the moment he caught the look on my face.

“What is it?” he asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

I picked up the tablet, my heart dropping as I saw the sender: Office of the University President. My breath hitched as I opened the email, dread coiling in my stomach as I read the message.

Subject: Mandatory Attendance – Guest Lecture Series

Dear Miss Riley,

We are pleased to announce that President Klaus Russling will be joining Awakening University as a guest lecturer for the next month. All advanced students are required to attend his series of lectures. Your presence is expected.

Best regards, Office of the University President

The room spun, my heart thundering in my chest as the words sank in. President Russling. Here. The man who had sent shadows hunting me, who had tortured and killed in search of the Liege of Shadows, was coming to Awakening University.

I read the email again, as if doing so would make it disappear or reveal a loophole, some way out. But there it was, as plain as day. He was coming here, to my school, to my territory. The hunter was stepping into the den of the prey, and I was suddenly suffocating under the weight of that realization.

Silas’s voice cut through the roar of my thoughts, grounding me. “Mara, what’s wrong?”

I looked at him, the worry etched into his features tugging at my chest. He was always there, steady and unyielding, even when he didn’t understand the full depth of what I was facing. But this… this was something even he couldn’t protect me from.

“President Russling is coming here,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “He’s going to be teaching a series of lectures for the advanced students.”

The color drained from Silas’s face, and for a moment, the room was as silent as the grave. He stood up, crossing the space between us in two strides, his hands finding my shoulders as he searched my face. “That can’t be a coincidence,” he said, his voice low and tense.

“No,” I agreed, the word trembling on my lips. “It’s not. He knows, Silas. He knows the Liege of Shadows is here.”

His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking as he processed my words. I could see the battle warring behind his eyes—the urge to protect me clashing with the helplessness of not knowing how. He took a breath, eyes narrowing with resolve. “We’ll figure this out, Mara. We always do.”

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to take comfort in the certainty of his words, but the Garnet throbbed against my chest, as if reminding me that this time was different. This wasn’t just another trial or challenge; this was the endgame. The stakes had never been higher, and one misstep could mean the difference between survival and annihilation.

I turned away, the room closing in around me. “It’s not just about figuring it out, Silas. He’s coming here because he knows the Liege is close. He might not know it’s me yet, but he’s looking. And if he finds out before I’m ready…”

The words trailed off, swallowed by the fear twisting in my gut. I could feel the shadows around us shift, their silent whispers weaving through the air, echoing my dread.

Silas’s hands found mine, squeezing tightly enough to anchor me. “Then we don’t let him find out. You’ve come too far to let him take this from you.”

I met his eyes, the warmth and determination in them a balm to my fraying nerves. But even as I nodded, a part of me knew that this wasn’t just about me anymore. This was about everyone—Silas, Gideon, Xavier, even Draven. If Russling discovered my identity, he wouldn’t stop until everything I cared about was ashes.

The Garnet pulsed again, stronger this time, as if in agreement. The shadows seemed to swell, their whispers shifting from fear to a kind of anticipation, reminding me of the path I’d chosen. I had faced the first trial, embraced the darkness that was my birthright, but now I had to move faster. I had to embrace all that being the Liege of Shadows meant.

Time was running out, and Russling’s arrival was the bell signaling the final round. My pulse raced with equal parts terror and determination.

“I need to prepare,” I said, my voice steadier now. “If he’s coming, I need to be ready.”

Silas’s grip tightened, a silent vow passing between us. He would stand by me, even in this. And as the shadows whispered their dark lullaby, I let their strength seep into me.

Because ready or not, the hunter was coming, and I would not be caught unprepared.