Page 109 of Memory of Ashes

He inclined his head. “I know what must be done.”

As they came out of the cave, the surrounding landscape was visible for miles. The fae army had almost reached the base of the mountain, while further in the distance the approaching human army spread across the land like a dark wave.

They scrambled across the mountainside to join Elthar.

“Did you find the runes?” Elthar asked.

“Yes, I know what the veil requires,” Eleandor said.

“Good, let’s get going. The human army isn’t far behind us.”

They made their way up to the rift. Elthar was leading his army towards it when the image in the rift changed. Where there should have been trees, a wave of creatures approached from the forest.

“They must have sensed us,” Elthar said. “Get ready to fight them as soon as we walk through,” he ordered his men.

Amelia stood to the side of the rift with Casyl and Danae. Ruven would lead Casyl’s men through while Tharos remained near the back, ready to delay the human army if necessary.

The men dismounted and led their horses through, swords at the ready.

“Danae, can you hold them off?” Casyl asked.

“I’m on it.” Before leaving, Danae turned towards Amelia. “Amelia, if I don’t see you again… thank you. It was refreshing to have another woman around. Makes a change from these idiots.” She laughed and stormed past the men straight towards the Leshies. A wall of fire roared up before her, the flames licking up to the height of the creatures, making the rift look like the mouth of hell.

The Leshies shrieked as they tried to fight the flames, but the fire held them back as Elthar’s army filtered through the rift into the woods, under the cover of Danae’s flames.

“Run!” Casyl ordered. The warriors dashed through the trees towards the safety of their open lands. The creatures had never followed them out of the forest before, and they hoped they wouldn’t start now.

Casyl ordered his men through next, with Ruven leading them away through the woods while Danae maintained the wall of fire. It was wavering, and the creatures were coming closer to the rift.

“I can’t hold it much longer!” Danae roared.

Eleandor waited beside the rift, watching the armies pass through. On the horizon, the human army drew closer.

Casyl rushed through the rift to defend Danae as her flames suddenly died.

“Close it now!” Danae screamed.

She and Casyl met the nearest Leshies with their swords while the remaining warriors struggled to hold the others back.

Back in the Wildlands, they were mortal once more, and any damage inflicted by the creatures could kill them.

If the Wildlands made the fae mortal, perhaps the creatures could die there too.

Part of Casyl’s army remained on the human side, struggling to reach the rift. In the forest, the Leshies forced those who had already crossed back towards it. With the human army advancing behind them, they would soon be trapped between the two.

Eleandor had to close the rift now.

She’d been staring at Casyl, savouring every last moment of him, even if that was spent worrying about him. Closing the rift would mean losing him.

Eleandor turned to her. “You’re holding the rift open,” he said. “When Tiryn forced your void into the fracture, it became bound to you. You have been suppressing the magic of the veil ever since without knowing it.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“The runes…” she said.

“Only marked where the veil was weak. The void is bound to your life. As long as you live, it will remain within the fracture. I said nothing in front of Casyl. He would never allow you to do what must be done. It cannot close if you remain connected to it…”

As long as she lived, the veil would remain open. There was only one way to sever the connection.