“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely audible over the pulsing hum of energy radiating from the shards in my hands. My fingers trembled as the warmth from them spread through me, a force too vast to comprehend. “They-merged somehow. It’s like they’re…whole now.”
“They’re a lot more than ‘whole,’ Audrey,” Liam said, stepping closer to study the shards with an intensity that sent a chill down my spine. “That kind of power isn’t just meant to sit in someone’s hands. You’ve activated something.”
“Activated what, exactly?” Logan’s tone was sharp, his protective stance never faltering.
“That’s the part I don’t know,” Liam admitted, though the faint edge of curiosity in his voice was unnerving. “But you felt it, didn’t you, Audrey? It wasn’t just light and noise. It called to you.”
I swallowed hard. He wasn’t wrong. The moment my hand touched the second shard, it was as if the world around me fell away. For the briefest instant, I had felt something enormous, ancient, and all-encompassing reach out to me-a presence both terrifying and familiar.
“I don’t know what it was,” I said honestly. “But it felt…alive. And it knew me.”
Mal let out an audible groan, pacing in a tight circle. “Great. Alive, knows Audrey, and apparently comes with enough power to wake up a sleeping god. Are we even surprised anymore?”
“Enough,” Logan snapped, his glare silencing her. “Complaining isn’t helping.”
“Neither is rushing headfirst into this!” Mal shot back, turning on him. “You’re so focused on protecting her, you’re not thinking about what this thing could do-to us, to everything!”
“I am thinking about it,” Logan said through gritted teeth. “That’s why I haven’t let anyone take it from her.”
“That’s enough!” My voice cut through their argument, sharper and more forceful than I intended. Both of them froze, their heated gazes snapping to me. “We don’t have time for this. Whatever’s going on with these shards, the answers aren’t here. Fighting each other isn’t going to help.”
Liam raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. “Well said. Maybe you should be leading this merry band.”
“Shut it, Liam,” Logan growled, though he finally dropped his tense stance.
“Gladly,” Liam muttered, still smiling as he glanced around the chamber. “Though I’d point out we’re not alone in here anymore.”
The room seemed to shift at his words, the air growing colder and heavier. A low growl echoed through the chamber, followed by a soft, skittering noise that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Logan’s sword was in his hand in an instant, and Mal followed suit, her own weapon at the ready. “What now?” she muttered under her breath.
The shadows at the edges of the chamber began to ripple, moving unnaturally as they coalesced into shapes that resembled distorted figures. Eyes glinted in the darkness, their faint glow matching the runes on the walls. Whatever they were, they were waiting-and watching.
“Sentinels,” Liam said softly, his tone unreadable. “I’ve heard stories, but I never thought I’d actually see them.”
“Sentinels?” I asked, gripping the shards tightly as their glow brightened in response to the emerging figures.
“Guardians, watchdogs…call them what you want,” Liam replied. “They’re part of the Spire. If you’ve disturbed the balance here, they’ll make sure you pay for it.”
“And you’re just now mentioning this?” Mal hissed, stepping back to keep her eyes on the advancing shadows.
Before Liam could answer, one of the shapes lunged. Logan was already moving, intercepting it with a sweeping strike of his blade that cut through the air with a flash of silver. The shadow recoiled with an otherworldly shriek before disintegrating into nothingness.
“They’re testing us,” Logan said grimly. “Get ready.”
“No, wait!” I said quickly, stepping forward despite the rising panic in my chest. “They’re not just here to fight. They’re drawn to the shards.”
“They’re trying to kill us,” Mal snapped, slicing at another sentinel that darted too close.
“They’re guardians,” I insisted. “They don’t attack without purpose.” The words felt strange in my mouth, like they weren’t entirely my own, but I couldn’t ignore the certainty behind them.
Liam tilted his head, watching me closely. “You’re saying they’re here for something else.”
“I’m saying they want something-answers, like we do,” I said. The shards in my hands pulsed as if in agreement, their light casting long, dancing shadows across the room. “They’re not enemies.”
“Tell that to the one trying to bite my head off,” Mal muttered, stabbing at a second sentinel with precision.
“Stop!” I cried, holding the shards aloft. Their combined light exploded outward, flooding the chamber with a golden brilliance that seemed to freeze the sentinels in place. Their forms shimmered in the radiance, their movements suddenly slowed.
“Good work,” Logan said, stepping protectively in front of me. “Now what?”
“I…don’t know,” I admitted, the weight of the shards growing heavier in my hands. “But they’re waiting.”
Liam moved closer, his green eyes narrowing. “They’re not just watching us. They’re waiting for you. The question is, can you figure out what they want before that light fades?”
The light in the shards dimmed slightly, as if responding to his words. My pulse quickened. He was right-whatever this was, the moment was fleeting. I needed to act. Trusting my instincts, I closed my eyes and let the shards guide me, their warmth spreading through my body like a current.
Images flashed through my mind-fractured memories that didn’t feel entirely my own. A towering figure cloaked in shadow. A blazing sun over a crumbling city. A voice, soft and clear, whispering words I couldn’t understand.
When I opened my eyes, the sentinels were kneeling, their heads bowed in unison. The chamber was silent except for the steady hum of the shards.
“What just happened?” Mal asked, her voice hushed.
“They’ve accepted us,” I said, though I didn’t know how I knew that. “The shards-they were the key.”
Liam let out a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be damned. I guess you’re more important to this puzzle than we thought.”
Logan shot him a warning look but said nothing, his hand brushing my shoulder briefly. “Let’s not waste this chance. If the sentinels aren’t attacking, then they must be guarding something we need.”
“Then let’s find it,” I said, stepping forward with the shards leading the way.