Chapter Thirty-Five
Iwalked to the cave and got to my knees at the side of the opening. Why are you getting on your knees? Megan’s voice was confused as she curled up around the pot.
Nix settled on the other side, getting ready to pour her power into our magic. She’s getting closer to the ground in case she drops. Saves her head. Megan nodded and closed her eyes.
Makes sense. She peeked out once more. Save our father, Amy.
“I will.” I whispered as they sank into the magic. I was left alone for the first time since I had found them. Erubus burst into the clearing and dropped next to them, his front paw draped over Megan and his snout pressed against Nix’s.
I will stay with them. He peeked at me before he sank into the magic growing around the clearing. Don’t kill us, mate. He chuckled as he gave himself to the magic. The flowerpot was glowing, pulsing with my heartbeat, and the wind churned around the clearing.
Rowan’s arms wrapped around my stomach. “I’m here.” The heat from his chest pressed against my back, steadying my racing heart.
His words were the catalyst. My magic rushed to my fingers, and I nodded once before I whispered the spell I needed to hold the ceiling at bay.
“Ictor hedlin hor neflin bak co fash.” My magic raced through the cracks like water.
It flowed upwards, and I felt the tendrils weaving a net to hold back the rocks.
I could feel how unsteady it was, and my mouth grew dry.
There was no way I was going to be able to do this.
Rowan leaned against my neck. “I believe in you.” His whispered words made my magic flow faster.
His belief in me made me steadier. The woven net holding back the rocks turned into a solid shield.
“You can do this.” His lips brushed my ear, and for the first time since I had come into my power, the doubts that clouded my mind fled.
“Shif po clinta seg mon pul.” The second spell sprang to my lips, and I thought I heard a gasp, but I couldn’t let my attention slip.
My magic flowed through the rocks, searching for the places of the wolves trapped under the stones, and then it started digging towards them.
Rock after rock pulled free, and I heard a few calls go out.
My entire being became these rocks — big, small and in between.
I pulled them all, flinging them off into the night.
But I kept moving, kept pulling. I heard a scream go up, and I felt someone rush in, but I focused on the blood.
I traced it to another body, and another.
Cries of pain, of relief rang out time and time again, but I kept moving, kept pushing.
“Amy. I love you.” Rowan’s words were soft. “Never forget that.” His arms dropped away, and I wanted to turn, to check, to make sure he was okay, but there was a loud crack that rang out.
A deep groan came from inside the cave, and the ceiling pressed down against the shield. Tiny fractures fissured through the magic I had holding up the cave. I cried out as the weight hit me, but I pushed it all back. “Hurry!” I called out. My magic was waning, and I was losing my hold.
My magic splintered, and I was breathless when a dark shadow ran into the clearing. I turned to the intruder and nearly cried in relief. “Loki.” I wanted to run to him, but he ran straight to the flowerpot, to my wolves. He dropped down, wrapping himself around the trio there.
Hi pup. His eyes were sad. Your father sent me.
“You’re safe.” I smiled as I felt the rocks shift again, and more fractures cracked through my shield. I had to stop shifting rocks and fully focus the last of my magic on the shield.
Loki looked up, and my heart shattered. He shook his head once. No pup. We aren’t. But we felt you here, trying to save the pack, so we came to do our duty.
I shook my head. “No.”
Loki settled. Silvermoon. His voice rang out through the pack link. It has been my honor to be your Alpha. Amy will look after you. He turned once more to face me. I love you so much, pup. So does your dad.
“I can save you.” I called out, pain echoing off the rocks. “Please. Let me save you.” I begged as I pushed more of my magic out. I pulled the last bit I had from my wolves, from Erubus, and I knew it wasn’t going to be enough. My power stumbled and then steadied. I kept pushing. “Please.”
I love you, baby girl. My dad’s voice bounced off the rocks; my magic pulled his last whispered words to me; and then everything went black.
My entire world shattered as my vision flickered black again. But I heard some wolves call out, and I knew I had to hold the shield for as long as I could. Even if my father was gone…
The words caught in my throat. I couldn’t think about it. Hold the shield. Protect the pack as long as I could. Those words became a mantra, even as I felt my wolves start to fade. Even as Loki disappeared. I wanted to stop. To save him, but I was duty bound to hold the cave for everyone else.
I felt tears coursing down my face as my heart splintered.
My mind flickered to my mom, and I heard a sob break free from my lips.
She had just gotten her mate back, and now he was gone.
I felt my power sag again, and someone cried out as a rock snuck past the shield, hitting the ground near them.
I wish I could look to see if they were pulling people free, but my world was still dark.
Darkness had long taken over the clearing in my mind.
I was down to the tiny flickering flame of my magic.
Everything else was gone. I pushed the last bit I had to my magic, causing the flame to flare a little.
I had hoped to see my wolves still curled around the pot, but there was nothing.
My wolves had faded completely. Erubus and Loki were gone too.
Even the flowerpot was gone. I felt my consciousness fade, and I knew I was dying as well.
Hold the shield. Give them as much time as they could to free those trapped.
I collapsed against the ground, hand outstretched to the flame, and I said my goodbyes.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you, Daddy.” My words were a shuddered whisper as the last of my magic faded. Arms wrapped around my waist, comforting me, but the power draining from my fingertips surged with the connection. The flame that was flickering steadied.
“I have you.” Rowan’s words whispered against my ear and I wanted to fight.
“No.” I tried to push against him. “I can’t kill you too.” I tried to pull away, but he was too strong, and I was exhausted.
“We have you, ladybug.” Ronnie’s voice called to me from within the abyss, and my magic surged. “Silvermoon!” His voice rang out, and my mind exploded with voices.
“We are here for you, Amy!”
“We are so close!”
“We can do this!”
“You saved me, Amy…now we can save you too.” A tiny voice called out, and a tiny hand wrapped around my hand, pulling me from the darkness. My eyes blinked open, and I was staring into Ry’s eyes. His bright grey eyes focused on my face. My mind bounced to the last day I saw him.
“You’ve gotten big.” It was the only thought I had.
May ran through the crowd and skidded next to her brother. “You saved my daddy. We can help save yours too.” Her sweet voice called to me as she wrapped her arms around my waist, and the darkness in my mind started to fade.
More and more wolves came over, hands touching me, touching Rowan, sharing their strength.
Sharing their power and I sobbed. Our power surged, the splintering shield solidified, and reformed, pushing back the rocks in the ceiling as a few wolves stayed separate to run in for the wolves still under rocks.
With the shield solid again, rocks started flying back out of the cave, everyone faster than the last. I couldn’t look, dread still pooling in my chest whenever another body was dragged out. I kept my eyes on Ry’s. He never looked away.
His tiny face was so fierce as he stared up at me.
“It’s okay to be afraid.” His voice was older than it should have been.
“My dad told me that fear is just your body warning you. You can be afraid and still be brave enough to do what you have to do.” His lip quivered.
“You are the bravest person I know, Amy. You saved everyone and still made sure we were safe when you were hurt. You’re strong too.
My mom told me that I get my strength from my dad, so that has to be where you get yours too.
If you’re this strong, then Alpha Gavin has to be crazy strong.
” I couldn’t speak, but I felt a tear fall as I nodded.
Ry smiled. “Don’t cry. You’re my hero, and if your dad is stronger than you, then there is no way that the Goddess would take him yet, right?
” The little boy whom I had saved was staring up at me expectantly. “Right?”
I felt another tear fall. “Right.” My answer was soft as I felt a few people run through the cave.
I heard a call go out. “Hey!” There was someone stumbling in the dark. “I have someone!”
I focused on the little boy in front of me. His little sister clung to my side as voices rang out around me. “Is that everyone?”
“I don’t know.” Another voice called out.
“How many were missing?”
“How many did we pull out?”
“Baby.” Rowan’s voice called my attention back. “Amy?”
“Yeah?” I shook my head to clear it of the mist that seemed to still coat it.
“Did you hear me?” Rowan leaned over my shoulder and stared into my eyes.
“What?”
“Did you hear me?”
My mind processed what he was saying. “What? No…Yes, I mean. Yes, I can hear you.”
Rowan smiled. “I’ll take that as no. You didn’t hear what I said.
” I must have frowned because he smiled bigger.
“I need you to stop pulling rocks out and instead look for anyone else still buried.” I must have paled because he reached out and cupped my face.
“We just need to be sure there is no one else still buried. We don’t want to leave anyone still trapped.
” His face fell for a second. “Everyone deserves to come home.”