They were near the edge of the water when another lava bomb crashed into the ground. It was so close it skimmed Cole’s arm and tore away a chunk of sinew. The loss of muscle weakened his grip on Aelfdane, and the dark fae squirmed as he nearly broke free.
If Cole didn’t do something soon, he could lose his battle. Unable to keep a firm hold on Aelfdane’s neck, he bashed his forehead into Aelfdane’s already shattered nose. The dark fae howled as his face caved in further and bits of his broken teeth fell to the ground.
Cole didn’t let up as he slammed his forehead into Aelfdane again and again. Aelfdane’s movements became more sluggish, and the next blast of air to hit Cole was little more than a glancing blow.
Gathering his strength, Cole fumbled to lift his nearly useless arm and grip Aelfdane’s head. He seized the top of Aelfdane’s skull and snapped his head to the side with his other hand. Cole gritted his teeth and twisted as Aelfdane battered him with his hands.
Despite the blows and Cole’s weakness, cartilage and bone popped, muscle gave way, and he succeeded in tearing Aelfdane’s head from his body. Cole slumped forward over the bloody remains before resting his good hand on the ground and pushing himself to his feet.
He swayed before steadying himself and bending to lift the head. His fingers slid through Aelfdane’s black hair as he plucked it off the ground and limped toward the water.
He didn’t look down at the head before tossing it into the lake. Then he returned for the body, and lifting it over his shoulder, he carried it to the water and threw it in. As it had done with the cherufe, the water churned and bubbled as it devoured the dark fae.
Cole watched until no ripples marked the water before limping back toward the fire. Using his hands, he deflected the flames away from him the best he could as he pushed through the inferno.
With no other choice and no other way to go, he started climbing the closest volcano. As he climbed, he occasionally glimpsed shadowy figures moving through the fire and smoke, but none of them came after him again.
He didn’t know if the cherufes left him alone because they were trying to avoid the same fate as the one he killed, or if it was because he’d successfully navigated the trials, but even the lava bombs stopped soaring.
When he arrived at the top of the volcano, he made his way around the rim. Smoke continued to billow from inside, and lava churned, bubbled, and popped from deep within the volcano’s lethal pit, but he ignored it as he walked, and none of it soared up to hit him.
Once on the other side of the volcano, he discovered a wall of pure black waiting for him. When he glanced in either direction, more volcanoes decorated the burning land, but behind them, there was only this blackness.
Unsure of what lay ahead, and with no other way to go, Cole descended into the dark.
Chapter Thirty-Five
As Cole traveled furtherthrough the darkness, he realized it wasn’t darkness but a hive of shadows that drew apart before coalescing around him again. They slid over him and slipped into the countless wounds tearing apart his flesh.
Though they crept through his body like termites through walls, he didn’t try to stop them. He’d always welcomed the shadows, they’d always been a part of him, and there was no way to avoid their entrance into his body.
He’d have to retreat to the volcanoes, and like with the desert, there was no turning back. This was another test, and he suspected it was one of trust as more of them entered his body and stopped him from walking.
If he resisted them, they would retreat, but if he welcomed them… he had no idea what would happen then, but he expected to find out.
Giving himself over to the shadows, he spread his arms out at his sides with his palms facing forward, tilted back his head, and opened his mouth. The second he did so, a cluster of shadows rose over the top of him. They hovered for a second before pouring into him.
Unlike the desert sand, the shadows didn’t choke him or block his lungs as they spread throughout his body. They clogged his mouth, his chest, and his extremities, but he could still breathe while they worked on healing him from the inside.
It was the oddest sensation but one he welcomed as they dove into his muscles, entered his veins, and slid into his heart to pump through him with every beat. The shadows outside him encompassed his entire body.
He welcomed their embrace as they cooled what little remained of his burnt skin. The chunk of sinew the lava bomb cleaved from him stopped bleeding, and his blisters ceased oozing as new tissue formed over his tendons.
His ears reformed, and hair once again tickled his nape. The shadows rubbed against him, and the cool tendrils caressing his face healed his nose and returned his eyebrows. His unrelenting thirst finally eased as moisture filled his body once more.
They whispered secrets to him as they slid into his ears and wove their way across his brain. From their point of view, he saw the black seeping across his mind, burying itself in his synapses and becoming a part of him.
Their power swelled within him as they told him to keep their secret. What was happening here and what each trial entailed could never be revealed.
He was the sole guardian of the secrets they shared and would remain so until someone else succeeded in the trials, but unless he was already dead, they would still have to get through him.
He wouldneverallow that to happen. These shadows were his, and so was the Gloaming. His enemies would have to tear it from his cold, dead fingers.
The shadows loosened their grip on him enough for him to start walking again. As he descended the hill, they continued to become a part of him.
Though he was always careful to keep most of his ciphers hidden, the shadows set them free. He looked down to discover all his ciphers on display. The black, flame-like markings had always covered him from head to toe, but with the shadows inside him, the ciphers pulsed and shifted with their power.
The swell of strength building inside him almost made him laugh from the rush of it, but there was no laughter to be found here. He’d become the guardian of something powerful and deadly, and he would take care of it.
