Page 59 of Cursed By the Dawn

“Of course your shadows go where you go,” Mithras bit out, voicestraining with the effort he was using to suffuse the room in light. “You’re likehim. The Shadow Bringer. You always have been.”

“You can say his true name, and you can say it with respect,” I replied coldly. “I saw what you did all those years ago. You locked away your only hope of saving the Dream Realm. A sickening betrayal that was also a catastrophe.”

“I did it to protect him,” Mithras seethed.

“You did it toruinhim.”

He glanced behind himself, clearly shaken by something I couldn’t see. At the charred willow tree, then somewhere beyond it.Willow tree?With a jolt, I recognized where I was. Erebus had shown it to me before in his memories. The Evernight Dream Temple.

A chill snaked down my arms. Of all places, why was Mithras here? Citadel Evernight was festering with darkness—withtruedemons—as the Nocturne became more poisoned every day. Raelion was thought to be here, too.

If I saw Raelion again, I wouldn’t survive.

Not by myself.

“We’re running out of time,” Mithras said, jaw clenching. “I know what you and the other Weavers are plotting. You wish to infiltrate Citadel Evernight and purge it of its demons. But you must do nothing of the sort.” His voice cracked, beginning to fray. “I demand—no. No, I beg of you. Keep the Weavers—keepErebus—away from Evernight. If you bring them here, all will be lost. They will die horrific deaths.”

“Die horrific deaths, you say?” I spat. “Like what you did to your legionnaires? Like what you tried to do to your closest friend?”

Mithras’s mouth grew thin. “Far worse than that. Keep the Weavers away from Citadel Evernight, Esmer. There is something you must do first before you can even attempt to purge the Nocturne of its darkness.”

“Where is Elliot?” I countered, matching the severity in his tone. “I won’t entertain anything you say before you tell me where he is. Give him back to me, or—”

Mithras lunged forward, clawing my shoulders. I cried out, trying to shake him, but he was too powerful.

“The Tomb of the Devourer has been opened again. You have all the supplies you’ll need,” he said quickly, eyes blazing. “Travel to Istralla—to Citadel Firstlight. Elliot will be with my legionnaires, with Silas. And I will be…” He drifted off, jaw twitching. “I will likely be in the throne room. I need you to—”

“I’ll never—”

“Listen to me!” he raged, and the edges of his voice trembled with something familiar. “Noctis is overrun by demons. Survive your journey to Istralla and—and—”

“And what, Mithras?”

“And kill me,” he said with a shudder, voice cracking. “Only then will it be safe to attempt overtaking Evernight. I tried everything—everything—but in the end, it wasn’t enough. I need you to drive a sword through my heart.”

I blanched, a hasty string of curses ripping from my throat. “What?”

“I’m sure you can muster the motivation to do the deed. And if you can’t stomach it, Erebus surely can.”

Mithras looked over his shoulder again.

“You will see what I’ve seen. And you will know.”

Demons suddenly shrieked from beyond the chamber, their terrible cries reverberating harshly in my ears.

“Leave!” he shouted, pushing me away. “Get away from this place—now!”

I noted Mithras’s command, but something was wrong. It wasn’t justhisvoice. There was a second layer beneath his words, wicked and cruel, pushing to the surface. I had heard this voice before. Had shuddered under its red, horrible gaze.

Raelion.

It was as though they were one, bleeding into each other. And then, in a flash of clarity, it hit me. I knew this voice. The harsh, mocking tone, the regal undercurrent of authority. It was the voice I’d heard inmy head, the one that had named my darkest thoughts, the one that had driven me to hurt Erebus.

Their voices, combined, were the demonic presence that had haunted me all this time.

“M-Mithras,” I stammered, taking a step back. “Are you—”

But before I could finish my sentence, Mithras sent an explosion of light at my chest, forcing me back to my own domain.