SWNOVELS Chapter 57
She hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from her lungs, but the crystal was clutched safely in her grasp. Its pulsing energy sent waves of pain shooting up her arms, and she knew she couldn’t hold onto it for long.
“Fenris!” she cried out, her voice strained. “I need you!”
In an instant, he was at her side, having fought his way free of his attackers. His eyes widened as he saw the crystal in her hands, understanding the danger it posed. “What do we do with it?” he asked urgently.
Before Lyra could respond, Caden appeared beside them, his chest heaving from exertion. “We need to get it away from here,” he said. “Its power is tied to this place. If we can remove it from the stone circle, it should weaken.”
Lyra nodded, gritting her teeth against the pain. “Take it,” she said to Fenris. “You’re faster than me. Run as far as you can.”
Fenris hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave her behind. “What about you?”
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him, even as another wave of cultists began to regroup nearby. “Go!”
With a pained expression, Fenris took the crystal from her hands and sprinted toward the edge of the clearing. Several cultists moved to intercept him, but Caden launched himself into their midst, buying Fenris the time he needed to escape.
Lyra struggled to her feet, her body aching from the fall and the crystal’s energy. She retrieved her sword, prepared to defend herself, but found an unexpected ally at her side. Caden, his clothes torn and bloody but his eyes bright with the thrill of battle, gave her a feral grin.
“Shall we show these fools what happens when they meddle with forces beyond their comprehension?” he asked, his voice a low growl.
Despite her misgivings about Caden, Lyra found herself returning his smile. “Let’s.”
Together, they faced the remaining cultists, their blades flashing in the moonlight. Lyra was impressed by Caden’s skill and found herself falling into an easy rhythm with him, much as she did when fighting alongside Fenris. They moved as one, covering each other’s blind spots and pressing their advantage.
As the last of the cultists fell or fled, Lyra heard a distant cry of triumph. Moments later, Fenris emerged from the trees, his face flushed with exertion but wearing a victorious smile. “It’s done,” he announced. “The crystal shattered as soon as I crossed the boundary of their ritual space. Whatever power they were trying to harness has been dispersed.”
Lyra sagged with relief, the adrenaline of battle fading and leaving her exhausted. Fenris was at her side in an instant, supporting her weight. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice thick with concern.
She nodded, managing a tired smile. “Just worn out. That crystal… it took a lot out of me.”
Caden approached, wiping blood from a cut above his eye. “You did well,” he said, his tone begrudgingly respectful. “Both of you. I must admit, I’m impressed.”
Fenris’s arm tightened around Lyra’s waist, a subtle gesture of possessiveness that didn’t go unnoticed. “We appreciate your help, Caden. But don’t think this changes anything between us.”
A flash of something – hurt? disappointment? – crossed Caden’s face before his usual smirk returned. “Of course not. I wouldn’t dream of coming between such a… devoted couple.”
Lyra, sensing the rising tension, decided to change the subject. “We should check on the woman they were going to sacrifice. And see if we can find out more about what this ritual was meant to accomplish.”
The three of them made their way back to the altar, where the young woman was just beginning to stir. As Lyra tended to her, Fenris and Caden searched the bodies of the fallen cultists, looking for any clues to their identities or motivations.
“Nothing,” Fenris reported after a thorough search. “No identifying marks, no documents. It’s as if they appeared out of thin air.”
Caden nodded in agreement. “Whoever was behind this, they covered their tracks well. But at least we stopped them before they could complete whatever dark design they had in mind.”
As the first light of dawn began to paint the sky, they gathered their belongings and prepared to leave. The young woman, still weak but able to walk, thanked them profusely for her rescue. They decided to escort her to the nearest town, where she could recover and hopefully find her way home.
As they set out, Lyra found herself walking between Fenris and Caden, acutely aware of the unresolved tension between the two werewolves. She knew that their uneasy alliance was likely to be short-lived, but for now, she was grateful for the added protection it provided.
Their journey was far from over, and the events of the night had raised more questions than answers. Who were the cultists? What power were they trying to harness? And perhaps most pressingly, how would Caden’s continued presence affect her relationship with Fenris?
As the stone circle faded into the distance behind them, Lyra couldn’t shake the feeling that they had only scratched the surface of a much larger conspiracy. The forest path stretched out before them, leading them toward an uncertain future.
But whatever challenges lay ahead, she knew that she and Fenris would face them together. And perhaps, just perhaps, they had found an unlikely ally in Caden Shadowclaw.
And for now, with the immediate threat neutralized and the warm light of a new day chasing away the shadows of the night, Lyra allowed herself a moment of hope. They had emerged victorious from this battle. Whatever came next, they would be ready.