Page 28 of Feral Gods

"Go," he urges. "They'll target this chamber specifically now. You must reach the inner sanctum."

"Not without you," I insist, struggling against his superior strength.

"I'll follow," he promises, though the grimace of pain belies his reassuring tone. "Go, Kaia. Please."

Before I can argue further, the chamber door bursts open. I expect Ravik or Thane, but instead, a dark elf warrior stands framed in the entrance, his violet eyes widening at the sight of us. Behind him looms a hooded figure whose presence radiates magical power that makes my skin crawl.

"The bloodline child," the hooded figure says, voice carrying the lilting accent I now recognize as purna. "Matriarch Elowyn's heir, awakened at last."

Fear and rage intertwine within me—fear of this unknown threat, rage at Zephyr's injury and the violation of our sanctuary. The magical energy still coursing through my veins responds to these emotions, surging and building like water behind a weakening dam.

The dark elf advances, sword drawn. "Step away from the creature, girl. Come quietly, and you won't be harmed."

"An unlikely promise," Zephyr counters, straightening despite his wound. "King Kres is not known for gentle handling of valuable assets."

The purna witch laughs, a sound like dry leaves rustling. "The king's interests are secondary to the coven's. The bloodline returns to its rightful guardians today."

"I am not property to be claimed," I state, my voice steadier than expected given the fear coursing through me. "Not by dark elves, not by purna, not by anyone."

"Brave words from a runaway slave," the dark elf sneers, closing the distance between us with measured steps. "But ultimately meaningless. You'll come with us—willing or unconscious matters little."

He reaches for my arm, and something snaps within me—a final barrier between conscious control and instinctive power. The magic erupts outward from my core, no longer channeled through my hands but emanating from my entire being in a wave of magenta energy.

"NO!" The denial tears from my throat, my hands rising in an unconscious warding gesture.

The effect is immediate and astonishing. A translucent barrier materializes between us and our attackers—a shield of pure magical energy pulsing with the now-familiar magenta light. The dark elf's sword strikes it and rebounds, nearly flying from his grasp with the force of rejection.

"Impossible," the purna witch hisses, pushing back her hood to reveal an aged face marked with the same symbol I bear on my shoulder. "No untrained bloodline child should be capable of directed shielding."

I stand my ground, hands still raised, the barrier maintaining its position between us through what feels like pure force of will. "Apparently I'm full of surprises."

The witch's eyes narrow, her hands beginning to weave a complex counterspell. "Raw power without technique. Impressive but ultimately futile."

Before her spell can complete, a massive form crashes through the chamber's side wall Thane, his iron-black skin streaked with fresh blood, crimson eyes blazing with battle-fury. Without hesitation, he hurls himself at the dark elf warrior, the impact sending both tumbling into the corridor beyond.

The witch turns toward this new threat, momentarily distracted from her counterspell.

I seize the opportunity, concentrating on expanding the barrier, pushing it outward with all the determination I can muster.

The shield responds, surging forward like a physical wave, knocking the witch off her feet and out of the chamber.

"Zephyr," I gasp, the effort of maintaining the barrier draining my newfound strength rapidly. "Can you move?"

He straightens with visible effort, one hand still pressed to his wounded chest. "Well enough. That was... extraordinary."

"And exhausting," I admit, feeling my knees weaken as the initial surge of power begins to ebb. "I don't know how long I can hold it."

"You don't need to," comes Ravik's commanding voice from behind us. He strides into the chamber, his obsidian form bearing numerous minor wounds but moving with undiminished power. "Thane has engaged their forward elements. We have a brief window to reach the eastern tunnels."

His amber gaze takes in Zephyr's injury and my trembling hands still maintain the barrier. Without comment, he lifts me effortlessly into his arms, allowing me to maintain focus on the shield while conserving physical strength.

"The grimoire," I manage, remembering the precious text we've left in the archive. "We can't leave it for them."

"Already secured," Zephyr assures me, moving to follow Ravik despite his injury. "Along with the most critical records from the hidden chamber."

As Ravik carries me from the defense chamber, I maintain the barrier behind us, creating a temporary wall between our retreating forms and the purna witch struggling to regain her footing. The effort drains me further, black spots dancing in my vision as my untrained power reaches its limits.

"Almost there," Ravik murmurs, his deep voice vibrating through his chest against my ear. "Hold on, little flame."

The endearment—so unexpected from his usually formal speech—gives me a final surge of determination. I maintain the barrier until we reach the corridor junction leading to the eastern tunnels, where Thane rejoins us, blood dripping from a gash across his massive forearm.

"Four down, two remaining," he reports grimly. "The witch and one dark elf commander. They're regrouping, likely calling for reinforcements."

"Then we don't linger," Ravik decides, shifting me in his arms as my barrier finally collapses, my strength utterly spent. "The eastern tunnel to the ravine, then north toward the high passes."

As consciousness begins to slip away, I'm aware of three truths with perfect clarity—my life has changed irrevocably, my power is both salvation and danger, and these three beings carrying me to safety have become more essential to me than I ever anticipated.

"I'm sorry," I whisper as darkness encroaches. "For bringing this down on all of you."

"Never apologize for who you are," Zephyr responds, his scholarly voice warm with emotion I'm too exhausted to fully process. "You saved us today, Kaia. With courage and power entirely your own."

It's the last thing I hear before exhaustion claims me completely, carrying me into darkness cradled in Ravik's strong arms, Thane's protective presence ahead, Zephyr's wounded but steadfast form behind—surrounded by the strange, fierce family fate has granted me.