Page 40 of Destined to the Lycan (The Shadow Realms #3)

Amara

W ith much trepidation, I let Remus carry me out of our shelter to the circle in the middle of the plateau.

Despite feeling a little weak and weary, I could have walked on my own.

But being held in his strong arms, surrounded by his warm body, and listening to the soothing sound of his heartbeat helped lessen my growing panic.

Anyway, it could only benefit me to save as much of my energy as possible.

While waiting for nightfall, I forced myself to eat and drink a little.

I would need those reserves to help me battle through the venomous bite I was about to request. The little voice at the back of my head was screeching for me to get the hell out of here.

Reason told me I should comply, but my stark reality demanded I push forward.

I was dying.

If Ranael didn’t kill me, the poison coursing through my veins would do it in the next day or so.

I was only grateful that I wasn’t on the ground writhing with excruciating pain.

According to Remus, the pain manifested itself while I slept.

A wave of guilt washed over me at the thought of how, even at night.

I’d deprived him of any proper rest by having him worrying over me while I tossed and turned in a feverish delirium.

He settled me down next to the circle then turned me to face him.

He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times.

No words came out, not that they were needed.

His beautiful golden eyes said everything.

I gave him a smile meant to be reassuring.

The way my lips quivered, I miserably failed at it.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, buried my face in his neck, and deeply inhaled his scent.

Remus reciprocated with a bone-crushing hug.

I couldn’t say how long it lasted. My guess would be close to a minute, but my heart shouted that it had not been anywhere near long enough.

With much reluctance, he released me, cupped my face with both hands, and gave me a deep kiss into which he poured all the affection and devotion he felt towards me. I answered in kind.

“I’ll be waiting nearby,” he said at last, his voice deep with repressed emotion.

“Okay.” I whispered, my throat almost too constricted to speak. “It should be over quickly.”

The deep pain that flashed over his face clawed at my heart.

I flinched inwardly realizing how my words could be interpreted in a more ominous fashion.

Before I could find a clever way to amend them, Remus gave my cheek one last caress then walked away to the position near our shelter we agreed he would stand watch from.

I stared at his receding back until he was but a few steps from his destination.

Taking a fortifying breath, I stepped into the circle after making sure it had not been disturbed.

I got on my knees in the center and began reciting the incantation the Weaver taught me while lighting the candles at each point of the pentagram inside the circle.

“Demon Wolf Ranael, son of Lord Marchosias, hear my cry! Oh fierce warrior from the Underworld, come to me, I summon thee! In my great time of need, I beseech thee, come forth and grant me the blessing of your protection.”

I repeated these words, or variations thereof, in a litany.

Each time, my voice became steadier and more determined as I shed my fear and embraced the course of action I had embarked on.

There would be no turning back. Either this succeeded or failed.

But I wouldn’t allow the latter outcome to come to pass because I couldn’t rein in my emotions.

The face of my soulmate floating in front of my mind’s eye further strengthened my resolve.

I had almost fallen into a trance when the distant sound of flapping wings finally reached my ears.

My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to continue to repeat the summons, focusing this time on the protection part of my plea.

A shiver ran down my spine when a long stream of fire shot through the sky.

Had I not known that Ranael was a demon wolf, I would have assumed a dragon had just breathed fire.

I blinked at the brightness it caused in the dark night sky, only otherwise illuminated by the fattening moon in a sea of stars.

Amazed by the majesty of the giant beast, I fell silent as he flew towards me.

He was truly magnificent. Nearly the size of a horse, the wolf had the fluffiest and shiniest grayish brown fur with reddish highlights.

The fur along his tail gradually faded into scales leading to the snake head.

His feathered wings had an impressive span, and a set of horns adorned his forehead.

His eyes glowed an angry red that should have terrified me.

But it was the intelligence and the endless wisdom that shone within that retained my attention.

Still, the hint of madness in his gaze also couldn’t be ignored.

He glided down the remaining distance to me before landing with the grace of a cat a couple of meters away from me.

Plumes of smoke rose from his snout as he emitted a chuffing sound while advancing the few steps separating us.

The corner of his mouth quirked up in a menacing snarl, baring a vicious set of fangs and the terrifying razor-sharp teeth filling his maw.

He was visibly struggling to resist the urge to leap and maul me.

I didn’t know if the magic circle deterred him, or if my protection summons was keeping his rabid side at bay.

“Who dares summon me?” he demanded in an imperious tone.

I shivered, and my skin erupted in goosebumps.

For some reason, I had expected him to either take his human form or to speak telepathically to me.

After all, Remus couldn’t speak while in his wolf form, so I assumed it would be the same with Ranael.

And yet, his mouth hadn’t moved exactly, at least not the way a human’s did to form words.

But there was no question I had heard his words through my ears and not inside my head.

His voice was deep, powerful, and like clapping thunder.

Shocked that I could even form words at all, I replied with a steadiness that took even me aback.

“I do, Lord Ranael. I invoke your protection and your aid in my time of need,” I said in a firm but deferent voice.

“Protection and aid for what,” he asked, his tone just as harsh.

“I am terminally ill.”

“Obviously. The stench of death is all over you,” he replied in a factual manner.

The dagger claws at the ends of his massive paws appeared to extrude further, cutting effortlessly into the hard rock of the plateau.

The thick muscles of his legs and shoulders bulged slightly.

I forced myself to ignore what I could only interpret as signs of his control already waning and focused on his face instead.

The Weaver warned me there would be little time to conclude our business before his rage took over any rational thought.

So I dove right in, skipping any small talk I might have otherwise used to ease him into it.

“I have been told that the venom in your snake tail could counter the poison currently killing me,” I said in a controlled voice.

“That is correct. And once it’s done eradicating that poison, my venom will kill you,” he said, sounding a little irritated as if I was wasting his time with something that should be obvious.

“But it won’t kill me if your other venom neutralizes it once I am rid of the poison,” I countered.

Ranael visibly recoiling in surprise at that comment left me baffled.

“What other venom?” the demon wolf asked, seeming confused.

“The one from your fangs and saliva,” I said in a self-evident fashion.

He snorted and made a jerking motion with his head. I didn’t quite know how to interpret it. For some reason, it struck me as hinting at an incredulous laugh.

“The venom from my fangs and saliva will absolutely not neutralize my snake tail venom,” Ranael said, sounding amused and like he was questioning my intelligence.

“What they will do is liquefy you from the inside out. You could say they are far more potent than even the most virulent acid known to mankind.”

“What?! That’s not possible!” I exclaimed, feeling my blood drain from my face. “Your bite will neutralize your snake venom. You’re a demon wolf. You cannot lie!”

He bared his teeth at me, and an angry growl rose from his throat.

In that instant, I didn’t doubt that without my protection request, he would have attempted to attack me.

As I had never drawn a similar magic circle before, I could only hope that, as claimed by the Weaver, it truly sheltered me from him should he lose control.

Instead of answering me, Ranael suddenly jerked his head to the right in the direction of the semi-cave my mate and I had sheltered in earlier. I followed his gaze only to see him staring at Remus. Partially hidden by the shadows, he was almost invisible.

“Ranael! Focus on me,” I commended, stunned by my own boldness.

But when dealing with beings from the netherworld, showing weakness would almost guarantee our demise. To my utter relief, the demon wolf complied and snapped his attention back towards me.

“I do not lie, you foolish woman. As you stated yourself, demon wolves are bound to speak the truth,” he hissed.

“But… but the Weaver said that your bite would neutralize the venom!” I exclaimed, utterly distressed.

“That’s not what the Weaver said,” he replied in a tone that brooked no argument. “You simply misinterpreted her words.”

“What?! But…”

My voice trailed off as my brain struggled to make sense of his words. The sincerity in his voice was undeniable. And as we had both stated, he could not lie even if he wanted to.

“Conclude your business, human. I cannot last much longer,” he said in a growling tone.

His muscles bulged further, while the reddish glow in his eyes intensified, creating a frightening halo around his massive lupine face. Behind him, his snake tail waved from side to side, the movement almost hypnotic as if it was trying to lull its prey before striking.

“But what did she mean then?” I pressed him. “She said the demon wolf’s snake tail would counter the poison in me. And then the bite of…”

I froze, my eyes widening as I stared in disbelief at Ranael.

“The bite of a sick wolf…” I whispered more to myself before glancing at Remus, although I could barely see him in the shadows.

“Yes,” Ranael replied. “I am not a sick wolf. I am cursed . Now hurry!”

Fear finally washed over me when his throat reddened from the fire building in his chest. Teeth bared, wings spread wide, he dug his claws even more deeply into the stone at his feet. Shards of rock flew up where the stone fractured.

“HURRY!” he yelled.

That snapped me out of my frightened daze. Without thinking, I leaned forward and swiped my hand over the edge of the circle making an opening. I had no sooner completed the gesture than the demon wolf’s snake tail rushed towards me. Its fangs sank into my throat before I could even blink.

Instantly, the most atrocious pain I ever experienced exploded in my neck, quickly spreading in my face, down my chest, and into each of my limbs.

It felt as if my soul was being torn out of my body even as shards of glass ran through my veins, wrecking me from the inside out.

I shrieked in agony and collapsed to the ground, shaken by violent spasms.

Through blurred vision, I saw Ranael lunge towards me, his maw wide open.

In the next second, he would bite my head off and tear me apart.

I welcomed the swift death it would grant me instead of the hell consuming me from within.

But before he could grant me that mercy, a blur slammed into him, knocking the demon wolf out of the way.

Ranael opened his mouth wide to spit fire at Remus.

“Nooooooo!” I tried to cry out.

But only a gurgling sound came out as a veil of darkness descended before my eyes. In my last moment of lucidity, I cursed the stupidity of the mission I’d dragged Remus on. I’d killed him alongside me.