Chapter Eleven
Seraphina
With each thud of the black wolves’ paws against the forest floor, my heart raced violently, drumming a frantic beat in my chest. Dizziness swirled through me, and I gasped for breath, desperately trying to steady myself. Tyler and Logan lay incapacitated, and I felt the weight of exhaustion creeping in, threatening to steal me away at any moment.
The fragile wisps of magic within me felt painfully inadequate against the murky shadows pressing in from all sides. Panic churned as a primal instinct clawed at me. My wolf roared for freedom, especially with the two menacing wolves charging at me. But I clamped down the urge to shift; fangs and claws would do little against the tide of dark magic enveloping us.
“No!” I screamed, my voice piercing the damp air, trembling with desperation and determination. “I won’t let you have them!”
I pressed my palms to the earth, feeling the vibrant energy of the Nuvuja Mountains swirl beneath me like a living entity. I reached deep into the ground, calling upon the hidden roots, ores, and crystals that lay buried far below. The ancient energy sang through my blood, reverberating with the pulse of the mountain yet trembling under the malignant influence of the dark artifact.
The forest itself whispered encouragement, urging me to tap into the raw wildness coursing through its roots, an instinctive reminder of our land’s potent power. The mountain’s magic surged through me, igniting a renewed strength within my body and fueling my spirit.
I leaped forward, positioning myself protectively over my fallen companions.
As the black wolves lunged, they collided with an invisible barrier of pure energy. One wolf snarled, jaws snapping fiercely, but recoiled as if struck by lightning, its eyes wide with shock. The second wolf crashed into the first, jerking back with a yelp of pain, confusion flickering across its sleek, dark face. Power coursed through me, amplifying my magic and lending resilience to the shield enveloping me, Tyler, and Logan.
Then, howls I knew deep in my marrow suffused the air: Silver Moons. They’d seen the flare. They’d come. I barely had time to process the wonderful energy of my pack joining me before the Silver Moon warriors swarmed. Silver fur flashed like lightning through the dusky backdrop of the forest, driving the Black Moons back.
As the Black Moon leader retreated with his medallion, a renewed fire ignited within me, and I felt the current of my energy roaring through my veins.
As the last of the black wolves slipped into the shadows, a heavy silence fell over the clearing, broken by the panting Silver Moons catching their breath.
But my heart sank as I turned to where Tyler and Logan lay, their bodies crumpled on the forest floor, the nightmare of the darkness we’d just faced evident in their stillness.
I ran to them, my mind racing. Transforming into my human form, my hands ran over them. “No,” I breathed. The dark magic still pulsed through them, clinging to them like an oily residue.
But…the sound of two steady heartbeats were apparent beneath my palms and flooded my heightened shifter senses as I was finally able to focus on them both. Relief washed over me.
Tara joined me, kneeling beside them, worry etched on her delicate face. Her short, tousled hair framed her worried hazel eyes. “What happened?” she asked.
“They protected me,” I managed, warmth stinging behind my eyes as tears threatened to spill. “They shielded me from a curse.”
“I’m pleased you’re okay, Seraphina,” Tara said gently, her eyes soft with understanding that cut through my spiraling thoughts.
She reached out, squeezing my shoulder, the simple touch grounding me in a way words couldn’t.
“Can you heal them?” she asked, seriousness threading through her tone.
I nodded, already making an inventory of the herbs I’d need. From all my recent work in the infirmary, I knew the supply closet held everything I’d need.
“We found a herb to cure the other Silver Moons, too,” I told Tara. “It’s a very potent herb—I can use a tiny bit of it to help Tyler and Logan before we use the rest to cure the Silver Moon warriors. But we’ll need to get them back to Nahachoh first.”
A flush of joy colored Tara’s cheeks, and I was sure she was thinking of Neave and the other Silver Moon warriors still in the infirmary. But steely resolve soon stole over her face. “Let’s get going then.”
The warriors formed a perimeter, ensuring the safety of their Alpha, while Justin and Hudson took Tyler and Logan on their backs, carrying them back in fireman’s lifts, their huge wolves draped like pelts over their backs.
I remained close to them, trying to get my drumming heart under control by listening to the steady beat of theirs. But the journey back through the forest stole my attention frequently, dread spilling through me that at any moment, the threat of the Black Moons might return.
Eventually, we reached the stone buildings of Nahachoh. With immense relief—and weariness—I stumbled inside the infirmary, watching the warriors carefully lay Tyler and Logan on a pair of beds. Their wolves’ flanks rose and fell steadily, but the grotesque reek of dark magic cloying around their auras told me I needed to treat them as soon as possible.
David, Neave, and Harry, the packmates still afflicted by the illness, looked on from their beds, their faces fraught with worry.
Healer Linda was at the sink in the corner, the pale blue of her scrubs highlighting her dewy complexion and neatly tied-back blonde hair. She turned off the water as soon as we crowded into the infirmary, her attention quickly shifting to Tyler and Logan. Elder Darius stood nearby, his formidable presence casting a shadow over the room.
Linda’s brows knit together with concern as she crouched beside Tyler, gently brushing her palm across his forehead. Meanwhile, Darius stepped forward, his gaze sharp as he surveyed the scene.
I had hoped to see Kelly or Laura, the infirmary aides, to assist me with the supplies and equipment I’d need. But I couldn’t afford to be picky; Linda would have to aid me.
Determined to set aside our differences, I quickly asked, “Linda, I need pomenta, kulvitch, and spray lilies. Tyler and Logan were hit by a curse.”
But before Linda could respond, Elder Darius interrupted, “Not so fast!” His voice was like steel, cutting through the heavy air.
The elder’s face hardened as he scrutinized me, suspicion swirling in his dark brown eyes. “You don’t seriously expect my daughter to just take your word for what happened out there, do you? For all we know, this curse is your work!” he spat, gesturing toward Tyler and Logan.
Fury roiled through me. “I protected them. I tried to save them!”
“Did you?” Darius surveyed me with judgment.
Mistrust sharpened Linda’s features, too. She turned around. “You left with the Alpha and your biggest critic—only for you to return unharmed while they’re cursed.” Her lips were pressed into a grim line.
A potent mixture of astonishment and anger churned in me, making me tremble. My tiredness from the fight with the Black Moons left me feeling fragile, but now my blood spiked with adrenaline as I faced renewed scrutiny. I knew I shouldn’t be surprised at this treatment; I’d faced enough doubts from them about my intentions. But part of me—after everything I’d done to help heal the packmates—still felt the sting of betrayal.
“They shielded me from a curse cast by Black Moons,” I argued, my voice rising above the tension.
Tara, her hazel eyes shining with fierce determination, piped up, “We just witnessed how hard Seraphina fought to protect Tyler and Logan from the Black Moon wolves.”
“And she brought back the herb that will treat the other warriors from this lingering illness,” Tara added, her voice unwavering as she looked past Linda and Darius, fixing her shining eyes on Neave and the other afflicted warriors still in the infirmary, their faces shadowed with concern.
I hadn’t noticed Elder Carl step forward from the crowd of Silver Moon warriors gathered by the entrance, but his presence was a comfort. His voice was steady and sure as he asserted, “Seraphina has been researching tirelessly for a cure the whole last week. You shouldn’t be doubting her when she clearly has the pack’s best interests at heart.”
The elder’s unwavering faith filled me with warmth, but it did nothing to lift Darius and Linda’s skepticism.
Darius’s expression was as unyielding as granite as he ordered, “That’s enough. Seraphina can’t be trusted.” He pointed at me. “Arrest her now!”
Desperation flooded me, igniting my spirit until I felt a furnace roaring inside. I could feel my magic rising, ready to respond to this blatant injustice. I noticed that none of the Silver Moon warriors around the door came forward, but I wouldn’t risk them interfering.
“Enough!” I shouted, my voice slicing through the air. The words spiraled with power, my magic pulsing stronger than ever before as I raised my hands; I was grateful I’d channeled so much energy from the roots of the mountain earlier.
With a snap of my fingers, my magic burst forth, weaving around Darius and Linda. A silencing force snatched the words right from their mouths. Their eyes widened, shock rippling through their features as they attempted to speak, but no sound escaped.
“You will listen to me!” I commanded, my voice resonating with authority. A ripple of energy washed over the room, and I directed my focus back to Tyler and Logan, desperate to treat them. I wouldn’t let other people’s misguided ideas about justice and retribution claim more innocent lives. Not like my parents’ lives had been.
I decided I didn’t need herbs for this. That would take too long. It gave Darius and Linda too much time to interfere. I’d call on more deep-rooted magic for this. Both Tyler and Logan had leaped in front of me to shield me from that curse. That kind of sacrifice brought a magic all of its own.
I stood between their beds. The distance between them was too great for my hands to reach both of them, so I asked Tara, “Would you push Logan’s bed closer toward me?”
With urgency, she maneuvered Logan’s bed nearer, positioning it so I could stand between him and Tyler, resting my hands upon them both.
My hands hovered over their fur, the fire of my witchcraft igniting once more. I took out the crystals from my bag that would help: the sikin and ivis, the warmth and energy of the sun in one, and the crystal that helped absorb magic into the blood.
“ Kaumma ukigiruk kaumanik ,” I whispered.
I moved through the motions swiftly, channeling my light into their forms, willing the warmth I felt for what they’d done for me to combat the oily slick of dark magic enveloping them.
I closed my eyes now as I concentrated on the aura of light flowing from the crystals. I pressed my hands more firmly to their fur, feeling the steady beat of their wolves’ hearts. I let the light and warmth gather around my hands and then pushed it into both of them. The oily slick of dark magic retreated like shadows retreating in the magnificent rise of the sun. I concentrated fiercely, unwilling to let the doubt of Darius and Linda dim my will.
Beneath my hands, the softness of fur vanished, and the smoothness of skin replaced it.
“Seraphina,” Tyler’s voice rumbled, rough yet comforting. His eyelids fluttered open. His bright blue eyes, like shards of sky, were half-open as he struggled to focus. The fierce lines of his handsome face softened, and a flicker of recognition replaced the momentary worry clouding his features. My heart fluttered at the sight, but I forced myself to concentrate.
“Tyler, you’re okay,” I breathed, relief flooding me as the last residue of dark magic clinging to him washed away. The awareness of his broad shoulders, muscular arms, and chest threatened to steal my attention, especially as the feel of his taut muscles beneath my palm sent a flutter of feeling through me.
But I turned my attention to Logan, who lay beside him. The younger warrior wasn’t quite as broad-chested as Tyler, but his muscular chest was just as taut beneath my palm. Logan groaned, his deep brown eyes blinking back the haze of unconsciousness, his expression mirroring Tyler’s struggle. “What happened?” he rasped, the sound carrying both fatigue and bewilderment.
A remnant of darkness clung to his aura, and I whispered, “Kaumanik.”
The last invocation banished the lingering darkness, and I exhaled with satisfaction. I only sensed the warmth of my healing magic around the two warriors now.
As the realization that they were both all right settled over me, I felt myself teetering on the edge of exhaustion. It was as though the weight of everything—the battle, the fear, the worry—suddenly bore down upon me like a mountain. I fought to stay grounded, but it was no use. My body succumbed to the toll it had taken from the overwhelming exertion of magic I’d just worked. I felt like a rag being rung out of water. All my energy deserted me in one squeeze. My legs buckled, and my vision tunneled.
“Seraphina!” Both Tyler’s and Logan’s voices echoed distantly, filled with urgency. Their hands reached out to me, but darkness crept in, pulling me under, and I had no choice but to surrender to the void.
As consciousness faded, warmth enveloped me. Both Tyler’s and Logan’s strong arms caught me. Their presence cocooned me, their actions echoing with the same protective fervor they’d shown in shielding me from the killing curse. The familiar scent of cedar wrapped around me, but beneath it lingered a new, spicy aroma that set my senses ablaze. My heart raced, a bewildering rush of emotions flooding me. When Logan’s hand glided across my back, his fingers brushed the bare skin at my waist. A jolt of electricity coursed through me, igniting every nerve with a startling awareness. It was as if his touch awakened something dormant within me.
In that fleeting moment, just before the darkness claimed me, the world shrank to him: the deep resonance of his voice calling my name, his warmth radiating from his touch, and his intoxicating spicy scent. Logan was more than my protector. He was my fated mate. The weight of that truth crashed over me like a wave, raw and overwhelming, as darkness finally dragged me down.