We have to go to the Vault," Kaelen said, finally turning to look at her. His eyes, usually a calm sea-blue, were now flecked with gold—a sign that his own dormant powers were reacting to the Shard's presence.
"The Vault is forbidden to the Royal Bloodline," Elara reminded him, her eyes wide. "The King would have you executed for even mentioning the subterranean gates."
"My father is currently staring at a wall, forgetting his own name," Kaelen snapped, then softened his tone. "The 'Mnemonic Plague' has hit the palace, Elara. If we don't reach the Heart of Aetheria before the Shard anchors itself, there won't be a kingdom left to save. We won't even remember we had one."
They raced through the twisting corridors of the palace, past guards who stood like statues, their spears hitting the floor as their hands lost the memory of how to grip.
At the entrance to the Old Library, they were stopped. Not by guards, but by a shadow. It was a creature of smoke and mirrors, a Void-Stalker. It had no face, only a vertical slit that glowed with the same violet light as the Shard in the sky.
"Kaelen, get back!" Elara cried.
She threw her hands forward, weaving a shield of pure light. The creature slammed against it, the sound like glass grinding on metal.
"I can't hold it!" she gasped. "The magic... it's being sucked into the sky! The Shard is feeding on me!"
Kaelen reached for the ceremonial dagger at his hip—a blade made of Star-Iron. He didn't know if it would kill a shadow, but he knew he couldn't watch Elara wither. As he stepped forward, the mark on his palm began to burn.