Page 66 of The Purrfect Rival (Enchanted Falls #1)
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R ust braced for impact, shifting further toward his lion form to meet the threat. They collided with bone-jarring force, rolling across the ritual ground in a blur of fangs and claws. Despite his enhanced strength, Rust found himself matched—Boz’s tainted magic lending him power beyond normal shifter limits.
Razor claws raked across Rust’s chest, drawing blood that sizzled against the dark magic. Pain lanced through him, but he used it, channeling the sensation into fighting fury. His jaws snapped at Boz’s throat, missing by millimeters as his cousin twisted away.
“She’s made you weak,” Boz taunted, circling for another attack. “A fox-claimed lion. An abomination.”
“You’re the abomination,” Rust growled, sensing Kalyna moving to flank Boz from behind. “Desecrating sacred magic for power.”
“Power is our birthright!” Boz lunged again, his twisted form moving with unnatural agility. “The Leonids should rule Enchanted Falls, not dilute our line with lesser species!”
Rust met the charge head-on, no longer fighting with calculated precision but with primal rage. Their bodies crashed together, claws tearing, teeth seeking vulnerable points. Through his bond with Kalyna, he felt her alarm at the savage exchange, her fox magic reaching toward him despite the distance between them.
The connection gave him an unexpected advantage. As Boz’s claws descended for another strike, Rust anticipated the move with fox-like intuition—a new awareness born of his bond with Kalyna. He twisted aside with uncharacteristic agility, causing Boz’s attack to miss by inches.
Confusion flashed across Boz’s distorted features. “What?—”
Rust countered with brutal efficiency, claws finding purchase in Boz’s shoulder. With a surge of strength, he hurled his cousin backward, sending him crashing into one of the standing stones.
At the southern and western points, Hezron and Echo had succeeded in disrupting the remaining artifacts. The ritual’s green dome flickered, sections collapsing as its power source fragmented. Boz staggered to his feet, blood matting his twisted mane, rage contorting his features as he witnessed his plan unraveling.
“If I can’t have the power,” he snarled, “no one will!” He lunged toward the central altar, where a black crystal pulsed with concentrated energy.
Rust realized his intention too late.
Boz slammed his fist into the crystal. It shattered with a deafening crack, releasing a shockwave of dark magic that knocked everyone within the circle off their feet. The energy spiraled outward, seeking new vessels to possess. Followers caught in its path screamed as the magic invaded their bodies, their forms twisting grotesquely before collapsing into ash.
Rust rolled to his feet, searching frantically for Kalyna. He spotted her near the northern point, shielded by Echo’s body as the magical backlash swept past them. Relief flooded him, quickly replaced by fresh alarm as he turned back toward Boz.
His cousin stood at the altar, the released energy swirling around him in a vortex. Instead of destroying him, the magic seemed to be integrating with his already twisted form. His body expanded, skeletal structure cracking audibly as it reconfigured into something monstrous—neither lion nor human, but a grotesque hybrid fueled by tainted power.
“Now you see what true strength looks like,” Boz’s voice boomed, distorted beyond recognition. “This is the future of shifter-kind!”
Rust backed away, instinctively putting himself between the monstrosity and Kalyna, who had regained her feet and now stood beside him. The fox charm glowed in her hand, its crimson light struggling against lingering dark energy.
“The ritual circle is destabilizing,” she said urgently. “If we don’t contain the released magic, it could spread beyond the boundaries.”
Elder Willow appeared beside them, her ancient face grave. “The original ritual purpose must be restored. Balance can only be achieved through union of opposites.”
“The charm,” Rust realized, understanding dawning. “It was designed to bridge different magics.”
Kalyna nodded, holding up the artifact. Its glow had strengthened, responding to her touch as blood called to blood. “But it’s still tainted. I can’t purify it alone.”
“We use our bond,” he confirmed, eyes meeting hers. “Channel our combined magic through the charm to counteract the dark energy.”
Before they could act, Boz charged. His transformed body moved with impossible speed, claws extended toward Kalyna—targeting the charm and the fox shifter in one strike. Rust intercepted, his lion form slamming into Boz’s grotesque hybrid body. They tumbled across the ritual ground in a tangle of claws and fangs, each fighting with desperate intensity.
“Now!” Rust shouted to Kalyna as he struggled to keep Boz pinned. “While I hold him!”
The fox charm glowed brighter in her hands as she began an incantation—ancient fox words that resonated with the site’s original magic.
Boz howled in rage, redoubling his efforts to break free. His enhanced strength proved overwhelming, one massive paw connecting with Rust’s jaw in a blow that sent him skidding across the stone floor. Blood filled Rust’s mouth, his vision blurring momentarily from the impact.
Keep going! he projected, forcing himself back to his feet as Boz turned toward her.
“The fox dies first,” Boz snarled, lunging toward Kalyna with deadly purpose.