The Lightlark Saga, #1
Lightlark
by Alex Aster
Contents
Chapter Twenty-six: Thorns
Overview
Isla and Oro’s search of the coffiner forest fails, and Isla’s attempt to follow a suspicious wall of thorns ends in a brutal attack that exposes how vulnerable she is without Wildling power. Oro’s explanations about Cleo, the prophecy, and Grim broaden Isla’s understanding of the Centennial: the rulers are not merely hunting one another, but weighing the catastrophic consequences of sacrificing a realm.
The chapter deepens Isla and Oro’s tense partnership as Oro rescues and heals Isla despite their hostility. With no heart found, Oro changes strategy and decides they must seek out one of Lightlark’s ancient creatures.
Summary
Ten days have passed since Grim last sought Isla out, leaving Isla hurt and increasingly convinced that Celeste was right about Grim using her for his own plan. Isla and Oro spend a third night searching the Mainland coffiner forest for Lightlark’s heart, cutting into hundreds of trees but finding none that contain what they need.
During the search, Isla tests how much Oro will tell her by asking about Cleo’s absence from the last Centennial and her motives. Oro explains that Cleo is ruthlessly devoted to her realm, but he rebukes Isla’s assumption that any ruler might simply kill the first rival available. Oro reveals that the hard part of the prophecy is not killing a ruler, but deciding which realm can be sacrificed without disastrous consequences for all of Lightlark.
When Isla asks why the rulers do not simply kill Grim, since Nightshade is not part of Lightlark, Oro says Grim is the only thing standing between them and a greater danger. The answer unsettles Isla and shows how little Terra and Poppy’s survival-based training prepared her to understand the wider stakes of the Centennial.
After finishing her section of trees, Isla wanders deeper into the forest and finds roses and then a massive wall of thorns. Believing the defensive growth may be guarding Lightlark’s heart, Isla turns to call Oro, but the thicket attacks, impaling her with hooked spikes and thorns. Oro arrives and breaks the barbs with his power, freeing Isla while the plant continues to dig deeper into her body.
Isla lies about having tripped because a true Wildling ruler should not be attacked by plants. Determined not to appear weak or powerless, Isla insists on removing the largest spikes from her back herself, while Oro checks behind the thorn wall and finds no heart. Oro then helps by removing the smaller thorns from her arms and gives Isla his own hand to bite down on as she pulls out the remaining spikes.
Once Isla is free, Oro uses water and Moonling abilities to close her wounds. With dawn approaching and the coffiner forest search a failure, Oro admits there are too many possible locations to keep searching blindly. He tells Isla they must turn to another plan: finding one of the ancient creatures he previously mentioned.
Who Appears
- Isla CrownPowerless Wildling ruler; questions Oro, is attacked by thorns, and hides her vulnerability.
- OroLightlark king; explains the prophecy’s stakes, frees and heals Isla, then proposes meeting an ancient creature.
- GrimAbsent Nightshade ruler; his silence hurts Isla, and Oro says Grim prevents a greater danger.
- CleoMoonling ruler discussed by Oro as devoted to her realm and strategically dangerous.
- CelesteIsla’s ally; visits for an update and previously warned Isla about Grim’s motives.