Contents
Before — Chapter 59
Overview
In a flashback, Isla uses her bond with Grim to portal to Nightshade during a drek onslaught. Seeing Grim mortally wounded, she unleashes vast shadows that annihilate foes and transfers her Wildling power to him through their link. Grim saves Isla from falling, but she collapses as her heart stops.
Summary
Stranded on the Wildling newland and refusing to lose Grim, Isla focuses on their bond and seizes his portaling power to reach Nightshade. She arrives amid a battlefield where dreks rain from the sky, tearing through Nightshade warriors and threatening a nearby village.
Isla spots Grim at the center, his shadows killing many but failing to stop the overwhelming swarm and curse-weakened injuries. As Grim notices Isla and prepares to portal her away, a drek spears his chest and others move to rend him apart.
Refusing to let Grim die, Isla drives her sword into the ground and, fueled by desperation and love, taps a twisted current of power. An unending surge of shadows erupts from her, obliterating dreks and soldiers alike until only Grim remains.
As the power wanes, Isla sends her Wildling magic across the bond to Grim, trusting him to protect her people. Grim portals to catch her as she collapses, pleading for her to wake.
Isla, insisting that pain is not the strongest force, fades in his arms. Her body stiffens, her breathing halts, and her heart stops, leaving Grim crying over her still form.
Who Appears
- IslaProtagonist; portals to Nightshade via bond, unleashes cataclysmic shadows, transfers Wildling power to Grim, collapses with her heart stopped.
- GrimRuler of Nightshade; battles dreks, is impaled, receives Isla’s power through their bond, portals to catch her, devastated as she goes still.
- DreksLethal aerial creatures swarming Nightshade; impale Grim and are annihilated by Isla’s unleashed shadows.