SHADOWS OF THE BLOODLINE

CHAPTER 7

The truth about Grimfall

AERIS

I looked at each of them in turn, five broken kids with no idea what they were capable of. "Five hundred years ago there were five families of sorcerers called Etherwind. They controlled the elements, light and shadow,  earth, air, and fire. They protected humanity from supernatural threats for generations, the most dangerous threat was something called Grimfall, an ancient darkness that exists outside normal reality. It feeds on fear and despair and it wants to unmake existence itself."

"That's impossible," Kaladin said, but his voice shook.

"You saw the footage of your parents kidnapping people," I replied. "You know something is wrong, you just don't want to admit how wrong."

Kaladin's face went pale, and he didn't argue further.

"The Etherwind fought Grimfall for decades," I continued. "Hundreds died trying to stop it. Eventually they realized it couldn't be destroyed, only contained. Five sorcerers volunteered to become vessels. They trapped Grimfall inside themselves and died to create a barrier between worlds, that barrier has held for five hundred years, but now it's failing."

"Why?" Rune asked.

"Because nothing lasts forever. In five or six weeks this barrier will fall completely, and when that happens Grimfall will pour into this world and corrupt every living person to be a puppet for its darkness."

"And we're supposed to stop it?" Zayan's voice was sharp with disbelief. "Five kids who just found out magic is real?"

"You're the last descendants of the five bloodlines," I said. "Rune controls light, Wilder controls shadow, Zayan has earth and superhuman strength, Kaladin has air and enhanced speed, Eilish has fire. Your ancestors were the most powerful sorcerers in history, and their power runs in your blood whether you want it or not."

"So we're supposed to die like they did?" Zayan demanded. "Become vessels and sacrifice ourselves?"

"You're supposed to fight," I said firmly. "I'll teach you how to control your powers and how to work together. Maybe we'll find another way to stop Grimfall without anyone becoming a vessel, but first you need to learn what you're capable of."

"How?" Wilder asked quietly.

"By using your powers," I raised both hands and fire erupted around them in a circle.not close enough to burn but close enough to feel the heat. "Your bodies have suppressed your abilities your whole lives because you weren't ready, but Grimfall is waking up, and so are you. The only way to learn control is through stress."

"Wait," Kaladin started to say but I didn't give them time to protest.

I sent a wave of fire toward Rune. I made sure that the fire was controlled so that it would not scorch him, but fast enough to trigger his survival instincts. His eyes went wide and he threw his hands up to protect himself. Light exploded from his palms, it was so bright that the rest of us had to cover our eyes with our arms. We could only peek after the white light faded and I saw that it formed a shield in front of him, the fire hit the light and dispersed harmlessly, but the effort cost him. I watched his face go pale, and his legs buckle as the power drained him instantly.

He collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.

"That's the cost," I said. "Every time you use your power it drains you physically, and so you need to learn your limits."

I turned to Wilder next and sent fire at him from a different angle; he didn't have time to think. The shadows erupted around his body and wrapped him in darkness. He became transparent and the fire passed right through him like he wasn't even there.

But I could see his face going blank. His eyes were losing focus as the whispers started. Grimfall always whispered to shadow users because their element was closest to the darkness.

"Fight it," I commanded. "Don't listen."

Wilder shook his head like he was trying to clear water from his ears. The shadows faded and he became solid again, but he was shaking, his hands trembled and sweat poured down his face.

Zayan was already moving before I could attack him. He saw what was coming and charged at me instead, his fist aimed at my chest with enough force to break my ribs. I sidestepped at the last second and redirected him toward the concrete wall.

His fist hit the wall and punched straight through it, stone exploded outward and the shock of the hit made all of us jump back. He pulled back and stared at the hole he'd created. He looked back at us, a smile creeping on his face, then back at his undamaged hand that should have been shattered.

Then the migraine hit him. I ran forward to catch him as his fell, his face was twisted, and the other hand went to his temple. I studied him as he collapsed against the wall and let his body slide down to the floor with his eyes squeezed shut.

"Your mother died from headaches like that," I said quietly. "Grimfall poisoning, your power triggers the same sensitivity but you can learn to manage it."

Kaladin tried to run. I saw him bolt toward the stairs but I sent a wall of fire to cut him off. He changed direction and suddenly, he was moving in a blur, faster than any human should be able to move. He ricocheted off the walls unable to control his speed or direction.

He crashed into a support pillar, cracking it and crumpling to the ground with blood running from his nose. He didn't bother getting up; he just turned over and started sniffling.

That left Eilish, she stood frozen in the center of the platform with tears streaming down her face. She'd watched me hurt all the others, and now it was her turn.

"I can't," she whispered.

"You can," I said. "And you will."

I sent fire at her, not as much as the others but enough to force a reaction. She screamed and threw her hands out and flames erupted from her palms, running wild; it overpowered my fire and razed down one of the training dummies I'd set up. I watched impressed as it turned it to ash in seconds; the heat was intense enough that I had to step back.

Eilish stared at what she'd done and started crying harder, the flames died down, but smoke still rose from her hands. She looked at her palms like they belonged to a monster. I wanted to clap her on her back and tell her she did well, but instead I extinguished all the fires with a wave of my hand and looked at the five of them scattered across the platform. They all had expressions of fear and hurt, and from their body energy I was guessing that they were probably hating me now.

Good, hate was better than apathy; hate would keep them alive.

"You have three days," I said into the silence. "Three days to process what happened here and decide if you want to leave. The training begins in earnest after that and it will be harder than anything you've experienced. I need to know you're committed before I waste time on people who are going to run."

I turned toward the stairs and then stopped. "One more thing, the shadows are spreading across New Haven, more people are becoming thralls every day, in five weeks, everyone you know will either be dead or corrupted unless you learn to fight. Think about that before you decide to walk away."

I left them there in the Sanctum, five broken teenagers who were humanity's last hope. I made it halfway up the stairs before I had to stop and cough into my hand. The blood was darker than yesterday and there was more of it.

One month, maybe less if I was being honest with myself, I had to turn these kids into warriors in one month while my own body was failing.

It would have to be enough, because there was no other choice.