Chapter 310 The final stand

Chapter 310: Chapter 310 The final stand

Talia’s POV

The riders charged forward with their horses thundering across the black earth, and their swords were raised and gleaming in the gray light. The guards were behind them with their torches flickering and their voices shouting, and I could see the hatred in their eyes because they wanted to capture us and they wanted to drag us back to Malachai’s darkness.

But I was done running.

I stepped forward, and I felt the power surging through my veins because my magic was strong and bright and ready to be unleashed. The Ashen Lands had suppressed me for too long, but now I was free and I was standing on green grass and I was not afraid.

"Talia," Kaelen said, and his voice was tight with worry. "There are too many of them, Talia. We need to run."

I shook my head because I was not running anymore. "No, Kaelen. We are not running."

"Talia..." He started to say.

"Kaelen," I said, and my voice was firm. "Trust me."

He looked at me for a long moment, and I saw the conflict in his eyes because he wanted to protect me and he wanted to keep me safe. But then he nodded, and I saw the trust in his eyes. "I trust you, Talia. I always trust you."

I turned back to face the riders, and I felt the magic building in my throat because it was hot and bright and powerful. I had used my magic before, but this was different because this was not a weak whisper or a desperate scream. This was the full force of my Silvertongue power, and I was going to use it with everything I had.

I looked at the riders, and I saw the fear flickering in their eyes because they knew what I was. They knew what I could do, and they knew that I was not the same broken woman who had stumbled out of Malachai’s dungeon. But they were dumb to keep charging forward.

I opened my mouth, and I spoke.

"You cannot follow us here," I commanded, and my voice was strong and clear.

The words exploded from my mouth, and I felt the power surging through me like a wave of golden light that spread across the border. Then suddenly, light burst from my chest, bright and blinding, and it shot forward like a shield of pure magic.

The riders’ horses stumbled, and I heard them screaming as they crashed to the ground, because they could not move forward. The riders fell with them, and I saw the guards stumbling backward because they could not take another step.

A bright glowing light shot out from the border, and it seemed as if there was an invisible barrier, because they could not cross the border, and they could not step one more inch further. The barrier was golden and shimmering, and I could see the magic pulsing through it like a heartbeat.

The riders scrambled to their feet, and I saw the rage on their faces because they tried to push through the barrier. They tried to take another step, but their feet would not move. They tried to swing their swords, probably thinking it would help them break through, but they could not reach us.

"The barrier!" one of them shouted, and his voice was filled with disbelief. "She created a barrier!"

I felt the power still pulsing through my veins, and I knew that the barrier would hold because the Silvertongue magic was stronger here, and it was protecting us, in this land. The Ashen Lands had tried to suppress my magic, but now that I was free, and my power was stronger than ever.

The lead rider dismounted, and he walked to the edge of the barrier. He reached out his hand, and I saw him trying to push through. But his hand stopped, and I saw the frustration on his face because he could not get through.

He looked at me, and I saw the hatred burning in his eyes. "You cannot hold us forever, Silvertongue. The king will find a way through, and when he does, he will destroy everything you love."

I looked at him, and I felt the power still pulsing through my veins. "Then let him try," I said, and my voice was steady. "But he will not succeed. The Silvertongue magic protects us in this land, as long as we are in this land, and he cannot cross it."

The riders stood at the border, and I saw the frustration on their faces because they were trapped and helpless. They could not follow us, and they could not hurt us. So they could only watch as we walked away.

One of the younger riders stepped forward, and I saw the fear in his eyes because he was young and maybe he had never seen anything like this before. He looked at the barrier, and I saw him trembling. "What... what is this magic?"

The lead rider grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "It is Silvertongue magic, you fool. The king warned us about it. Now stay back."

I smiled, and I felt the satisfaction rising in my chest because they were afraid of me. They had been hunting us, chasing us, and trying to capture us for so long. And now, they were the ones who were trapped.

I turned away from them, and I walked back to my pack because I wanted them to see that I was not afraid. I wanted them to see that they had lost, and I wanted them to see that I was not running from them anymore.

Kaelen was waiting for me, and I saw the awe in his eyes. "Talia, you did it, Talia. You stopped them."

I nodded, and I felt the exhaustion washing over me because using that much magic had drained me again. But I was still standing, and that was a small price to pay for our freedom.

"We are safe," I said, and my voice was tired but steady. "They cannot follow us."

Piper walked to me, and I saw the tears on her face. "Talia, we are free, Talia. We are finally free."

I looked at my mother, and I saw the hope in her tired eyes. She was standing with Jax and Silas and her body was weak but her spirit was strong. She was looking at me with so much love and pride that I felt my heart swell.

"Mother," I said. "We are going home."

She smiled, and I saw the tears streaming down her face. "Yes, my strong brave girl. We are going home."

I looked at my pack, at the wolves who had followed me into the darkness and brought me out. I looked from Kaelen, to Piper, to Jax, to Silas, and finally, to Cain. They had risked everything for me, and I would never forget it.

"Let us go," I said. "We have a long journey ahead of us."

Kaelen took my hand, and I felt the warmth of his fingers against mine. "Are you okay, Talia?"

I nodded, and I squeezed his hand. "I am tired, Kaelen. But I am free."

He smiled, and I saw the love in his eyes. "Then let us go home."

I looked back at the border one last time, and I saw the riders standing there with their faces twisted with rage. The barrier was still glowing, and this time, they could not cross it.

I turned away from them, and we all walked together into the green grass, and the blue sky, and the freedom that was waiting for us.

And we did not look back.