Page 76 of Chasing Stripes (Enchanted Falls #3)
SEVENTY-SIX
W ith another snap of his fingers, the magical barriers around the cages dropped, revealing the captives clearly for the first time. Artemis gasped as she recognized several faces from town—including a gaunt vampire who bore a striking resemblance to Alaric.
“Viridian,” she whispered, realizing this must be his missing cousin.
“Along with several other magical specimens I’ve been studying,” Elias confirmed. “Their contributions to my research have been invaluable, though I’m afraid the extraction process has left them somewhat... diminished.”
The captives’ conditions varied, but all shared the same depleted magical aura—their natural supernatural energy drained to dangerous levels. Some appeared barely conscious, while others watched with desperate hope at the sight of potential rescuers.
“Here is my offer, cousin,” Elias continued, his tone businesslike. “Surrender your magical connection willingly, and I’ll release all of these captives unharmed. Their remaining magic will recover, eventually.”
He gestured toward Bartek. “Even your tiger would survive, though he would no longer remember your connection. A small price to pay for saving so many lives, wouldn’t you agree?”
“And if we refuse?” Bartek demanded, though his clenched fists suggested he already anticipated the answer.
Elias’s glamour shifted again, revealing a cruel smile beneath the constantly changing features. “Then I’ll drain them completely—one by one—before your eyes, using their final energy to power a forced extraction that will likely kill you both anyway.”
He spread his hands in a gesture of mock reasonableness. “So you see, the choice is quite simple. Sacrifice your bond to save others, or watch them die before joining them yourselves.”
From beyond the barriers, Artemis could see Rust and the others frantically working to break through, their efforts growing more desperate as Elias’s ultimatum hung in the air. Kalyna had produced some kind of magical device and was scanning the barrier for weaknesses, while Thora and Artair coordinated physical attacks against specific points.
But the eclipse’s approach was palpable—a growing heaviness in the air as astronomical forces aligned. They were running out of time.
Artemis looked into Bartek’s eyes. In that moment of connection, a wordless understanding passed between them—the beginning of a plan.
Elias watched them with calculated interest. “The eclipse reaches totality in exactly twenty-two minutes. I’ll need your answer before then.”
Artemis took a deep breath, forcing her voice to remain steady as she replied, “We need to discuss this privately.”
“By all means,” Elias agreed with mocking generosity. “Though I should warn you—any attempt to use your bond for offensive magic will trigger automatic defensive measures around the captives.”
To demonstrate, he touched a control panel near the pedestal, causing magical restraints around one prisoner to tighten visibly. The captive—a young witch Artemis recognized from town—whimpered in pain before the pressure released.
“Just a small demonstration,” Elias explained pleasantly. “The full security response would be considerably more... final.”
Artemis turned away from him, facing Bartek directly.
“I can’t let those people die,” she whispered, knowing Bartek could hear her perfectly with his tiger-enhanced senses.
His hands found hers, their fingers intertwining as their connection intensified. “And I can’t lose you,” he replied softly. “There has to be another way.”
She studied his face—the strong lines of his jaw, the determined set of his mouth, the amber eyes that watched her with such devotion. In the days since their soul-tether had first manifested, he had become essential to her in ways that transcended their magical bond.
“Whatever happens,” she told him, “whatever choice we make—I need you to know I don’t regret a single moment.”
His expression softened, vulnerability showing through his alpha strength. “Neither do I.” His thumb brushed across her knuckles. “Even facing this, knowing what might happen, I’d choose you again.”
Beyond the barrier, their friends continued their rescue attempts with increasing urgency as the eclipse drew nearer. The captives watched with desperate hope, their weakened magical signatures flickering.
And in the center of it all, Elias Nightshade—The Collector—waited with the patient certainty of someone who believed victory was already his.
“Time is running short,” Elias called to them, his mismatched eyes gleaming with anticipation. “What will it be, cousin? Will you surrender your bond willingly, or shall we do this the painful way?”
Artemis met Bartek’s gaze one more time, their silent communication flowing through the golden connection between them. Whatever happened next, they would face it together—their futures now inseparably intertwined by something far stronger than the magic that bound them.
When she turned back, a visible force field appeared between her and Bartek, separating them. Bartek roared and pounded his fist on the barrier, but not even he could break free. It was just her now.