Page 57

Dani

I sprint through the dense woods, each stride purposeful as I navigate the familiar terrain. The crisp air fills my lungs, and my heart pounds rhythmically like a wild drum in my chest, urging me on.

The underbrush crackles beneath my feet—twigs snapping and leaves rustling as I dart between tree trunks and low-hanging branches.

Behind me, a shattering crash echoes through the forest, the sound sharp and jarring.

“Dani!” Carter’s voice pierces the air, urgent and breathless. Jules’ call follows close behind, “Dani, wait! We’re coming!” I hesitate for just a heartbeat, allowing them a moment to close the gap.

“Come on! Hurry!” I shout, my voice mingling with the sounds of the forest. Their footsteps draw nearer.

Almost there.

Jules and Carter follow closely behind, mimicking my path. Their determination mirrors mine as we plunge deeper into the woods’ embrace.

I burst through the shack’s entryway, the familiar musty air greeting me as I take a moment to steady my racing heart. The faint moonlight filters through the open windows, illuminating the shadows.

With urgency, I reach for the chalk I had carefully placed near the window during my previous visit—its smooth surface reassuring in my grip.

My heart quickens as I dart into the closet.

I pull the spell from its hiding place in the wall.

If only Adonis had been more observant, he might have noticed that the piece of paper he’d been carrying these past few days was a fragment of a love spell I hastily tore from the grimoire’s pages.

On its back, I had written, I love you more than forever , a declaration that held more weight than the spell itself.

A gust of cold air rushed in as Carter and Jules stumble into the dimly lit space, their breaths coming in quick, panicked gasps. “Dani… you can’t do this! You know magic comes with a price!” Jules’ voice is laced with desperation, her wide eyes reflecting fear and concern.

“I have to, Jules. It’s the only way.”

I kneel on the weathered wooden floor of the shack, my fingers gliding over the symbols burned deeply into the surface. I methodically draw the elements at the cardinal points: earth, air, fire, and water. In the very center of the circle, I draw three runes—Berkano, Nauthiz, and Kenaz.

With determination etched on my face, I reach beneath the rickety table to grab a small, well-worn bag of salt. The coarse grains spill forth, cascading in a shimmering line around the circle, forming a protective barrier.

I move purposefully to the closet, retrieving my backpack. Carter grabs my arm. “Dani, please, listen to us. You can’t go through with this... spell.”

I smile at Carter. “You don’t get it. Neither of you do. Please, just trust me. We don’t have a lot of time.” Carter lets me go, and he and Jules stay silent as they watch me.

I reach into my backpack, my fingers brushing against the cool, textured surface of the dried herbs I had carefully gathered.

“Here,” I say softly, extending my hand toward Jules, who watches with uncertainty.

She takes the bundle from me and places it in the heavy mortar.

With the pestle in hand, she crushes the herbs into a fragrant powder for me.

I open the aged spell parchment and a piece of paper Amelia had written on while translating for Adonis. The words dance in my mind as I double-check each ingredient, ensuring I don’t overlook anything crucial .

Jules’ hands tremble slightly as she finishes grinding the herbs; a sob escapes her lips, breaking through the tension like glass shattering.

I rush to her side, wrapping her in a tight embrace, feeling the weight of her anxiety against my chest. “It’s going to be okay, Jules.

I promise,” I whisper, my voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside me.

“What did you mean, Jules, that magic comes with a price?” Carter interjects, his brow furrowed in concern with Jules’ comment she made a moment ago.

I knew he wouldn’t let that one go.

Jules takes a shaky breath, the crack in her voice betraying her emotions. “Well, in this case, this spell requires a life for a life. Dani is willing to give up her life to break this curse,” she explains, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Carter’s reaction is immediate; he shakes his head fervently, the defiance clear in his expression. “Not happening, Dani!” he insists, his words rolling with a fierce protectiveness.

I raise my hands, palms facing them, desperation etched across my face.

“Please, both of you, stop! We don’t have time to waste!

This is my only chance!” My heart races as I speak, urgency lacing my words.

“I need to break the curse so that Adonis, Dax, and Killian can reclaim their full power. Only then can Octavia die. There is no other way. Octavia has already taken too many lives, and I won’t let her take anymore. ”

Amelia materializes in the house. It’s the first time I’ve seen her do it. “Dani! You must start now! Octavia is too powerful, the guys can’t hold her back much longer!”

I grab my knife out of my backpack and then step into the circle. “Jules, hand me the mixture!” Jules hands me the mortar. I grab the crushed-up powder and start to sprinkle it within my circle.

Amelia lights the candles as Carter stands there, rubbing his temples in frustration as if he has a migraine .

I slice the blade across my palm quickly and hiss at the sting of my skin tearing open.

“Fuck... Dani... I can’t let you do this,” Carter tries to step into my circle, but Amelia stops him, shaking her head. “You’re going to let her do this?!” Carter shouts at Amelia. I ignore him.

I squeeze my hand tightly in a fist and leave trails of my blood around the circle.

“Releasing Adonis’ soul will break the curse that holds Killian, Dax, and Adonis trapped.

The bond will be fully formed between Adonis and I, which means the curse will be lifted and they will get their wings and full power back.

I can’t free just Dax and Killian, it has to be all three of them or else this won’t work,” I explain to Carter and Jules as they watch me closely.

I wrap Adonis’ necklace around my wrist and hold the gem in my blood. I start to chant;

“By shadows depth and waters flow,

I call the love that lies below.

In ruby’s heart, a spirits plight,

Return to him, restore the light.

Demons weep and hearts entwined,

Release the love that witch confined.

From this gem, let love flee,

As I speak, so mote it be!”

I crack open my eyes: nothing.

I’m still alive.

Adonis, Dax, and Killian burst onto the scene, their eyes filled with fear as they take in the sight of me standing alone within the circle, blood trickling down my arm like a crimson ribbon.

“DANI!” Adonis bellows.

Just as he moves to rush towards me, aiming to intervene and unravel everything I’ve fought for, Octavia materializes before him, a formidable barrier that halts my mates in their tracks.

A chilling laugh escapes her lips as if she relishes the chaos she’s conjuring.

With a theatrical air, Octavia lifts her hands skyward as if harnessing dark magic from the very earth beneath our feet.

With a swift motion, she brings her arms down, triggering an explosion that shatters the shack.

Walls crumble, and the roof collapses, sending wood and debris hurtling through the air.

As splintered wood and scattered debris whirl around like chaotic confetti, I find myself cocooned within the embrace of my protective circle.

My voice rises in a desperate cry, echoing the names of every precious soul I love.

They lie encased in a blanket of rubble.

Towering amid this chaos is Octavia, her presence a daunting silhouette against the turmoil, as she stands unhesitating before me.

Adonis, Dax, and Killian emerge from the rubble. Killian and Dax work quickly to remove the debris from Amelia, Carter, and Jules.

Please be okay, please be okay , I silently chant to myself.

Everything happens so quickly.

As the charged energy crackles around her, I lock eyes with Adonis, my heart pounding in my chest. In a desperate plea, I whisper, “I love you,” my voice barely a sound against the rising tension but laden with all the emotion I can muster.

Adonis clenches his fists, his demonic mask appearing on his face. His voice echoes like the god he is as he says to Octavia, “I swear to the fucking new gods and the old and everything that is holy... if you touch my mate, you’re fucking dead!”

Octavia throws her head back, laughing. “Oh, now this is going to be fun!” She claps her hands together, and the largest shadowmire I have ever seen appears. It grabs Adonis by the throat .

“NO!” I scream.

Killian lunges forward with a ferocity that belies his human form; his inhuman strength propels him as he tackles the creature to the ground.

The shadowmire, a twisted mass of darkness and rage, thrashes its razor-sharp claws in a desperate attempt to swipe at Killian.

Just then, Dax springs into action, soaring gracefully through the air.

With a thunderous thud, he lands, delivering a mighty blow that snaps the creature’s arm off clean.

The eerie howls of the shadowmire pierce my ears.

As it writhes on the ground, it doesn’t notice Killian’s grip around its throat. He breaks its neck with his bare hands.

Octavia frowns. “You killed my precious baby!”

“Get them out of here!” Dax shouts to Amelia.

I glance swiftly over my shoulder, noting that Jules and Carter appear unharmed, a flicker of relief washing over me.

Amelia reaches out to seize their arms, but before she can whisk them away into safety, an inky darkness surges forth from Octavia’s outstretched hands, swallowing the light around me.

Screams from everyone around me fill my ears. My world goes into slow motion as I watch Octavia’s darkness spring toward me.

This is it. This is how I die. I fucking failed them all...