Chapter 38
THIRTY-EIGHT
A nother tremor rocked the foundation, this one strong enough to send chunks of carved stone raining down. Kaine’s ears twitched, catching the sounds of battle above. More shifter energy signatures had joined Vail’s—reinforcements arriving to help. His bear’s anxiety eased slightly, knowing she wasn’t fighting alone.
“Burke.” Kaine caught his second’s eye. “Get Daisy to?—“
“No!” Daisy’s shout cut through his order. “Look at the crystal! Every time my magic touches it, the badness weakens. I can help!”
As if to prove her point, she thrust out her hand. Her power spiraled out in precise tendrils, wrapping around a bolt of Ames’s corrupted magic. Instead of exploding on impact, the two energies seemed to dance, testing each other’s boundaries.
But Ames was changing, transforming into something that made Kaine’s bear recoil in primal horror. The crystal’s power crawled across his skin like living shadows, hardening into armor made of dark crystal. His next blast caught Xabir mid-leap, sending the wolf crashing into a wall with a yelp of pain.
“The curse seeks balance,” Ames’s distorted voice echoed unnaturally. Multiple tones layered over each other. “But Ledger will use it to purify—to cleanse—“ The crystal pulsed, cutting off his words in a scream of agony.
Kaine launched himself at the wizard, his massive bear form slamming Ames to the ground. Up close, the horror was even worse. The crystal had begun physically merging with Ames’s flesh, spreading its infection through his body like ink in his veins. The sight made Kaine’s stomach turn.
“Uncle Kaine, wait!” Daisy darted forward before Burke could catch her. Her small hand stretched out, trailing that familiar light. “Let me try something!”
Her magic spun out in delicate spirals, wrapping around both Ames and the crystal-like curious vines. Where it touched, the corruption seemed to hesitate, its spread slowing to a crawl. Daisy’s face scrunched in concentration as she worked to counter the dark energy.
“It’s fighting back,” she gritted through clenched teeth. “But it’s similar to my magic—if I can just?—“
The crystal flared with blinding intensity. Ames convulsed beneath Kaine’s paws, then went terrifyingly limp. Shadows poured from his body like smoke, coalescing into more of those crystalline creatures from the vault. They moved with deadly purpose toward Daisy, their faceted forms catching and refracting the light.
Kaine’s roar shook dust from the ceiling as he spun to face the shadow creatures. His bear exploded into motion, massive paws swatting crystalline forms aside like deadly chess pieces. Each impact sent shock waves up his arms, the corrupted magic trying to seep into his fur. But Daisy’s energy followed in his wake, neutralizing the infection before it could spread.
“Behind you!” Burke’s warning came just as a shadow creature lunged. Kaine ducked, feeling crystalline claws whistle past his ear. His second reared up, bringing both paws down with devastating force. The creature shattered—but its pieces simply reformed into two smaller versions.
Xabir darted between the shadows like quicksilver, his wolf form a blur of motion. “They’re learning our patterns. Getting faster!”
He was right. With each passing moment, the creatures adapted. They anticipated feints, countered standard attack formations. Three of them coordinated to drive Kaine back toward where Daisy stood, her magic creating a shimmering dome of protection.
“The ward points,” she called out, pointing to where mystical energy pulsed through spreading cracks in the walls. “They’re connected to the crystal somehow. Every time it pulses—“ She broke off as several shadow creatures slammed against her shield. The barrier held, but Kaine saw the strain in her face.
A familiar wave of magic swept through the corridor, warm as summer sunshine. The shadow creatures recoiled from Vail’s fire magic, their crystalline forms momentarily losing cohesion. Kaine’s bear responded instantly, his energy reaching for hers even through stone and distance. Where their magic met, golden sparks danced in the air, creating barriers the shadows couldn’t penetrate.
“Uncle Kaine.” Daisy’s voice carried a new note of certainty. She stood straighter, her magic swirling around her like a living thing. “Go help her. I understand the crystal now—I can protect myself.”
To prove her point, she thrust out her hand. Energy lashed out in precise tendrils, wrapping around a shadow creature. Instead of shattering it, her magic seemed to... reform it. The crystalline structure softened, its jagged edges smoothing into something less threatening. The creature actually backed away, confusion evident in its movements.
Kaine hesitated, his bear’s protective instincts warring with what his eyes told him. When had his little niece grown so confident? So capable? He studied her stance, seeing echoes of her father’s strength in how she held herself against the darkness.
Burke moved closer to Daisy, his massive bear form radiating lethal intent. “I’ve got her, Alpha. On my life.”
“And I’ll secure Ames and that crystal in magical containment until we figure out what to do with him,” Xabir added, his wolf form bristling with determined energy. “We can’t let Ledger reclaim it.”
Another wave of Vail’s magic pulsed overhead, stronger this time. Kaine’s bear surged toward it instinctively, drawn to their mate’s power. But something made him pause, looking back at Daisy one last time.
She met his gaze steadily, magical energy dancing around her hands. “I’m not afraid anymore,” she said simply. “Not of my curse, not of his crystal. Go make sure she’s safe.”
Pride swelled in Kaine’s chest, nearly overwhelming in its intensity. He wasn’t leaving Daisy unprotected. He was trusting her strength—the same strength that had helped her face down her curse and begin transforming it into something uniquely her own.
“Burke, guard her with your life.” His voice rumbled with alpha authority, but his second merely nodded. They both knew Burke would die before letting harm come to Daisy. “Xabir, don’t let that crystal out of your sight. We need to understand what Ledger’s done to it.”
Then Kaine turned and charged toward the upper levels, following the beacon of Vail’s magic like a guiding star. His bear’s need to reach their mate had grown almost unbearable. But as he ran, that earlier guilt faded, replaced by something stronger—pride in Daisy’s growth, trust in his pack, and absolute certainty that he’d made the right choice.
Light and shadow painted twisted patterns on ancient stone as he climbed. Somewhere above, Vail fought to save their academy. And this time, Kaine would make damn sure she didn’t face whatever was coming alone.
His bear’s roar echoed through the passages—not a challenge or a warning, but a promise. They were stronger together. All of them. And Ledger was about to learn exactly what that meant.