Chapter 25
Lilia
“Mommy.” A familiar voice called from behind. I turned to see Anna standing not far away, her small face filled with worry and fear.
“Anna,” I forced a smile, my voice trembling, “Daddy is... feeling a bit unwell. We need to let him rest...”
But Anna stepped closer, looking at Perock’s face with anxiety. “Is Daddy going to leave us?”
I couldn’t answer, only nodding hard as tears streamed down my face again. Yet Anna’s little face became unusually resolute. She walked to Perock’s side and placed her small hand on his chest.
“Anna,” I called softly, “we should let the healer Elira come...”
“No, Mommy,” Anna shook her head, her eyes shining with a wisdom beyond her years. “I know what to do.”
I looked at her in astonishment, but I didn’t stop her. Instead, I gently held Perock’s hand, waiting for a miracle to happen.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment. I watched as Anna’s tiny palm rested on Perock’s chest, her expression unwavering, her gaze reflecting a calmness and determination far beyond her age.
“Anna…” I whispered, my voice filled with doubt and a faint glimmer of hope.
“Mommy, give me your hand,” Anna said in a mature tone I had never heard from her before. “A voice told me we need to do this together.”
I didn’t hesitate and extended my trembling hand.
Anna’s small hand grasped mine, and together, she pressed our hands onto Perock’s chest, which was already growing cold.
His breathing was barely perceptible, his skin an unnatural gray, with dark, sinister patterns spreading up to his neck and cheeks.
“Focus, Mommy,” Anna instructed. “Imagine light driving away the darkness, imagine life triumphing over death.”
I took a deep breath and did as my daughter said. I poured all my focus into the space beneath my palm, envisioning the power of light and life flowing into Perock. At first, nothing happened, but after a few seconds, I suddenly felt a warm tingling sensation at my fingertips.
Anna’s hand began to glow, a faint golden light seeping through the gaps between her fingers, growing brighter and brighter. The light was warm and pure, reminding me of the first rays of the rising sun, the first flower of spring, and the most primal force of life itself.
“You can do it too, Mommy,” Anna said, her voice gentle, encouraging, her gaze meeting mine with a quiet confidence that steadied me. “Think of your love for Daddy. Picture us together, all three of us, happy and whole.”
I closed my eyes, letting her words guide me, summoning every memory of love, every moment of joy we’d shared, letting them fill the void of my grief.
I pictured Perock’s laughter, rich and warm, echoing through the palace gardens as he swung Anna into his arms, her giggles a melody that lit up the world.
I saw him standing tall, his amber eyes bright with pride, teaching her the ancient legends of our wolf ancestors, his voice steady and warm.
I imagined us together, a family unbroken, sharing picnics under the sprawling oaks, watching Anna grow, our hands entwined, our hearts whole, our future stretching out before us.
With each image, I poured my love, my hope, my desperation into my touch, willing it to reach him, to pull him back from the edge.
A warmth blossomed in my palm, spreading through my fingers, and when I opened my eyes, a golden light radiated from my hand, shimmering like moonlight on a tranquil lake, intertwining with Anna’s white glow.
The two lights merged over Perock’s chest, swirling into a luminous vortex, its energy humming with a power that vibrated through my bones, a force both ancient and eternal, a song of life that resonated in my soul.
The glow pulsed, growing brighter, its warmth enveloping us, a tangible promise of hope.
“It’s working!” I whispered, my voice trembling with awe, my eyes locked on the miracle unfolding, tears streaming down my cheeks, no longer born of sorrow but of wonder.
“We need more, Mommy,” Anna said, her small brow furrowing with concentration, her voice strained but resolute, her hand steady despite the effort. “Think of our bond, the three of us, our souls connected.”
I nodded, closing my eyes again, diving deeper into the fated mate bond that had tied me to Perock through years of pain, betrayal, and redemption.
It was faint now, a fragile thread stretched thin by his fading life, a whisper of the vibrant connection we’d once shared.
But it was there, a pulse of love that refused to break, a lifeline I could still grasp.
I seized it, my mind reaching for the invisible tether that bound our family—Perock’s unyielding strength, Anna’s boundless courage, my unwavering love—drawing it into the light, weaving it into the golden-silver swirl that pulsed over his chest.
“Daddy, please come back,” Anna said, her voice small but unwavering, carrying a quiet power that resonated through the clearing, a plea that seemed to echo beyond the physical world, reaching into the very fabric of fate. “We love you. We need you.”
Her words were a spark, igniting the light, and with a sudden, blinding surge, the golden-silver glow erupted, forming a radiant pillar that shot skyward, piercing the night like a beacon, its brilliance forcing me to shut my eyes.
The warmth enveloped us, a tidal wave of life and love, its power thrumming through my veins, a symphony of defiance against the darkness that had sought to claim him.
The light pulsed for what felt like an eternity, its energy washing over us, cleansing, renewing, a force that seemed to rewrite the very laws of death.
Then, as swiftly as it had risen, it receded, like a tide retreating, leaving behind a profound stillness, the air charged with a quiet reverence, the clearing hallowed by the power that had passed through it.
I opened my eyes, my breath hitching, my heart pounding as I saw Perock’s skin, once gray and lifeless, now regaining a faint, healthy flush, the pallor of death retreating like mist before the sun.
The black veins, those cruel markers of the curse and soul toxin, were gone, erased as if they’d never existed, his neck and face clear, his chest rising with shallow but steady breaths.
The spiral patterns that had marred him vanished, leaving only the man I loved, his features softening, a faint tremor of life stirring within him.
“Perock?” I whispered, my voice trembling with a fragile, desperate hope, my hand tightening around his, my thumb brushing over his knuckles, searching for any sign of response, my heart suspended between fear and faith.
Anna’s hand remained on his chest, her small face radiant with joy, tears shimmering in her eyes as she looked up at me, her voice breaking with relief. “It worked, Mommy!” she said, a sob catching in her throat, her smile bright enough to rival the moon. “I can feel Daddy’s heart beating again!”
I lowered my head, pressing my ear against Perock’s chest, holding my breath to listen. Sure enough, there it was—a faint but steady heartbeat, thumping one beat at a time, firm and powerful, like the most beautiful melody of life.
“Perock,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably, but this time, they were tears of joy. “You’ve come back…”
Perock’s eyelids trembled slightly, then slowly opened. Those amber eyes, so similar to Anna’s, gazed at me once again.