Elara's POV
Finn Sterling was supposed to be dead.
I knew that because Cassian's memories had shown me—the execution order, the guilty verdict for refusing to kill prisoners, the official report of his death five years ago.
Yet here he stood, very much alive, grinning at us like this was a social visit.
Cassian moved in front of me instantly. "Finn. How—"
"How am I alive?" Finn's smile turned sad. "I ran. Disappeared into the Veil before they could execute me. Been living here ever since, hiding from the Courts." He gestured at the devastation around us. "Speaking of which, that was quite a light show last night. Felt the magic from five miles away."
"You need to leave," Cassian said coldly. "It's not safe here."
"Clearly. Malachai and thirty Court mages? You've really outdone yourself this time." Finn's eyes shifted to me. "And you must be the wild magic user everyone's hunting. Elara, right?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice. This man had been Cassian's best friend. His only friend. And Cassian had thought him dead for years.
"She's under my protection," Cassian said. "If you're here to collect the bounty—"
"Bounty?" Finn laughed. "Cass, I've been living in the Veil forest eating squirrels for five years. Does it look like I work for the Courts anymore?" His expression softened. "I'm here because I felt a soul fusion last night. Something that strong, that desperate—I had to investigate. I thought maybe someone needed help."
"We don't need—" Cassian started.
"Yes, we do," I interrupted. Through the bond, I could feel Cassian's confusion—he wanted to trust Finn but couldn't let himself. Too many years of betrayal. "We're trapped here. Bonded to the land. And Malachai will return with an army."
Finn's smile faded. "Soul bond? To the property itself?" He whistled low. "That's advanced wild magic. No wonder the Courts want you dead."
"Can you help us break it?" I asked desperately.
"Break it? Why would you want to break it?" Finn looked between us. "That bond is the only thing keeping you both alive. I can sense the curse on Cassian—it would kill him within days without the bond. And you, Elara, you burned through so much magic last night that you should be dead right now. The bond is sharing life force between you, keeping you both stable."
My stomach dropped. "So we really are stuck together."
"For better or worse." Finn's expression turned serious. "But that's not your biggest problem. Malachai won't stop. He'll bring the entire Battle Court if he has to. You can't fight them all, even with your combined power."
"Then what do we do?" My voice cracked. "Just wait here to die?"
"No." Finn pulled something from his pack—a small, ancient-looking book. "You learn. You train. You become strong enough that even the High Courts think twice about attacking you."
Cassian took the book cautiously. His eyes widened. "This is a grimoire on soul magic. Where did you—"
"Found it in the Veil. There are old temples here, ruins from before the Courts existed. Ancient mages who practiced magic differently." Finn met Cassian's gaze. "The kind of magic that doesn't care about Court rules or hierarchy. The kind that might save your lives."
I looked at the book over Cassian's shoulder. The pages were filled with diagrams and spells I'd never seen before.
"Soul bonds can be weaponized," Finn explained. "If you learn to use the connection properly, you won't just share power—you'll multiply it. Two mages become one force, stronger than either alone."
"That's theoretical," Cassian said. "No one's successfully weaponized a soul bond in centuries."
"Because the Courts banned the practice and killed everyone who tried." Finn's voice was hard. "But you're already outlaws. Might as well learn the forbidden magic that could keep you breathing."
Cassian looked at me. Through the bond, I felt his hesitation. His fear. Learning soul magic meant binding us together even tighter. Meant accepting this wasn't temporary.
"Teach us," I said firmly.
Cassian's eyes widened. "Elara—"
"He's right. We can't run. Can't hide. Our only option is to become too dangerous to attack." I met his gaze. "I know you didn't choose this bond. Didn't choose me. But we're in this together now. So let's at least make it count."
Something shifted in Cassian's expression. Respect, maybe. Or resignation.
"Fine," he said. "We learn."
Finn clapped his hands together. "Excellent! First lesson starts now. Let's see what you two can do when you actually work together intentionally."
The next few hours were brutal.
Finn made us practice channeling magic through the bond—not just pulling from each other like we'd done in battle, but moving power back and forth in perfect rhythm.
"You're fighting it," Finn said for the tenth time. "Stop trying to control each other. This is a dance, not a duel."
"I don't dance," Cassian growled.
"Well, you'd better learn, because sloppy soul magic will kill you faster than Malachai will."
I tried again, sending my wild magic through the bond to Cassian. He was supposed to shape it with his Court magic precision and send it back stronger.
Instead, our powers clashed. Pain shot through both our heads.
"You're thinking too much," I told Cassian. "Just feel it. Trust me."
"I don't trust anyone."
"You trusted me enough to fuse our souls last night."
He had no answer for that.
We tried again. This time, instead of forcing his magic, Cassian relaxed. Let my wild magic flow through him. Added his control without fighting it.
The power that came back to me was incredible—wild and structured at the same time, chaotic and precise. Perfect.
"There!" Finn grinned. "That's it! That's soul resonance!"
We kept practicing. Each attempt got smoother. Soon we were moving magic between us like breathing, building it higher and higher.
"Now release it," Finn instructed. "Together. On three."
We didn't need to count. Through the bond, we felt each other's readiness.
We released the magic simultaneously.
A beam of silver-gold light erupted from our joined hands and shot into the sky. It was so powerful it tore through clouds, leaving a hole in the sky itself.
"Holy—" Finn stared upward. "That was... that was High Archmage level power. From just basic soul resonance."
Cassian and I looked at each other, both breathing hard. We'd done that. Together.
"Imagine what you could do with advanced techniques," Finn said softly. "You could reshape the entire—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his face going pale.
"What?" I asked. "What's wrong?"
"That beam of light." Finn pointed at the sky. "It was visible for miles. Everyone within fifty miles just saw it."
My blood ran cold. "Including the Courts."
"Including everyone." Finn's voice was grim. "You just announced your exact location to every mage hunter, bounty seeker, and Court investigator in the kingdom."
"How long until they get here?" Cassian demanded.
"Hours. Maybe less if they use teleportation." Finn grabbed his pack. "You need to fortify immediately. They're coming. All of them."
"We can handle Court mages," I said, trying to sound braver than I felt.
"It's not just Court mages you need to worry about." Finn's expression was dark. "That much power? You just attracted something much worse."
"What could be worse than the entire Battle Court?"
Finn met my eyes. "The Veil itself. Ancient magic recognizes power. And when it does, it wakes up things that should stay sleeping."
As if to prove his point, the forest behind us began to move.
Not just trees swaying. Moving. Walking. Roots pulling from the earth like legs, branches reaching like arms.
"What is that?" I whispered.
"Veil Guardians," Finn said. "Ancient protectors of wild magic. They've been dormant for centuries, but your power surge just woke them up."
Three massive tree creatures emerged from the forest, each one thirty feet tall, covered in moss and ancient bark. Their eyes glowed the same silver as my wild magic.
"Are they... coming to help us?" I asked hopefully.
The largest Guardian opened its mouth and roared—a sound like a thousand trees falling at once.
"No," Cassian said grimly, magic already gathering in his hands. "They're coming to test us. And if we fail, they'll destroy everything for miles to contain the threat."
The Guardians advanced.
And behind them, I saw more emerging from the Veil. Dozens of them. An army of ancient magic, all focused on us.
"Together," Cassian said, taking my hand.
"Together," I agreed.
The soul bond blazed between us as the Guardians attacked.