Chapter 257 Deep in the ashen lands 2

Chapter 257: Chapter 257 Deep in the ashen lands 2

Talia’s POV

I followed his gaze. In the distance, dark shapes rose from the gray ground. They were stone structures that were half-collapsed and covered in ash.

I turned back to Kaelen. "Then we go there, we rest, and we figure out our next move."

Kaelen nodded, but I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. "Keep moving, and stay close."

I held his hand through the cloth, and we walked toward the ruins.

The tower was ancient.

The stones were blackened with age, and the roof had long since collapsed. But the walls still stood, providing a barrier against the silver-laced air.

We ducked inside, and I felt some relief from the oppressive weight of the open land. The air was still cold and thick, but it was better than being exposed.

Jax dropped his pack and sat against the wall, his voice flat. "This place is as welcoming as a grave."

Piper shot him a look. "Jax."

"I am just saying," Jax said, holding up his hands. "It is cold, it is dark, and it probably has spiders."

Silas crouched and examined the ground, his fingers tracing the ash-covered stone. "There are signs of previous inhabitants. There are old fire pits, and broken pottery."

Cain moved to the entrance and stood watch, with his eyes scanning the gray landscape without a word.

I walked to the far wall and pressed my hand against the cold stone. The surface was rough and uneven, and I could feel the age of it beneath my fingers.

Then I felt something like a spark. It was faint, like the ghost of a memory.

I closed my eyes, and the vision came.

There were wolves running, and they seemed to be Silvertongue refugees, with their faces streaked with ash and tears. They were fleeing, carrying their children, their belongings, and their hope.

A woman stumbled, and another caught her. "Keep going! Do not stop!"

Behind them, the fire was spreading. Malachai’s hunters were coming.

I gasped and pulled my hand back.

"Talia?" Kaelen was beside me instantly, with his hand on my arm. "What happened?"

"I saw them," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Silvertongues. They passed through here. They were running from Malachai."

Piper stood and walked closer. "Your mother’s people?"

I nodded, my eyes still fixed on the wall. "This tower... they used it as shelter. I can feel their fear, and their desperation."

Jax looked around at the walls, with his voice quieter than usual. "So this place is not just creepy, it is haunted by dead people."

"They are not all dead," I said, turning to face him. "My mother survived. Some of them must have made it."

Kaelen took my hand, with his fingers warm through the cloth. "She made it. And you will too."

I looked at him, and I saw the welts creeping up his neck despite the cloth. He was in pain, and he was hiding it from me.

"You need to sit down," I said, guiding him toward the wall. "You are pushing yourself too hard."

"I am fine," he said, but his voice was weaker than before.

"You are not fine." I pushed him gently toward a spot against the wall. "Sit, and rest. That is an order."

His gray eyes widened slightly. "You are giving me an order?"

"I am your Luna," I said, with my voice firm. "Sit."

He smiled and sat.

Jax snorted, breaking the tension. "I like this side of you, Luna."

Piper smiled despite everything. "She has always had that side, Jax. You just never saw it."

I sat beside Kaelen, with my back against the cold stone wall. The others settled in around us and Jax was complaining about the cold, Piper was trying to start a small fire, Silas was checking their supplies, and Cain stood watch at the entrance.

Kaelen sat beside me, with his hand wrapped in cloth to protect his skin.

I touched my pendant. The metal was warm against my fingers, despite the cold air.

"Every time I touch this pendant, I feel her," I whispered. "It is like she is reaching out to me."

Kaelen looked at me, his eyes soft despite the pain. "Your mother?"

I nodded, my fingers curling around the warm metal. "I used to think it was just a keepsake, and a memory, but it is more than that. She put a piece of herself into this pendant. Like a piece of her magic."

I closed my eyes, and I let myself feel the warmth of it. It was faint, and barely a flicker in the darkness of the Ashen Lands.

“ Keep going, Talia.” A voice whispered. “I am still here.”

I opened my eyes. "Did you hear that?"

Kaelen frowned, his brow furrowing. "Hear what?"

"Her voice." I looked at the pendant, and I felt my heart pound. "My mother. She just spoke to me."

Kaelen leaned closer, with his voice low. "What did she say?"

"She said... ’Keep going, Talia. I am still here.’" I repeated the words.

Piper heard me and walked over, her eyes wide with hope. "She spoke to you? Through the pendant?"

I nodded, tears pricking at my eyes. "The Ashen Lands are weakening my magic, but her connection to me is still there. She is still fighting."

Jax looked over from where he sat, his voice softer than usual. "So we are not chasing a ghost. That is reassuring."

Silas spoke quietly from the shadows. "It means she is still alive."