Chapter 5
Chapter Five
I yonna
The air crackled around us as Griff knelt by the edge of the ley line, his hands hovering just above the ground. I watched him closely, the tension between us as thick as the magic in the air. Ever since we left the hotel, there’d been this pull between us, an unspoken understanding that we were on the edge of something big—but also dangerous. And the more we tried to fix my magic, the worse that feeling of unease became.
I shifted my weight, trying to shake off the prickling sensation that danced up my spine. My magic, usually warm and steady, had been flickering ever since Griff and I started working together. At first, I thought it was because of him—after all, I couldn’t deny the way my power seemed to respond to his presence. But now, I was starting to wonder if something else was at play.
Griff’s brow furrowed as he concentrated on the ley lines, his body taut with focus. His connection to the town’s energy was undeniable, and as much as I hated to admit it, I needed his help. My magic was a mess—unpredictable, unstable. Without him, I might have set my entire bakery on fire by now.
He glanced up at me, his green eyes sharp and serious. “Iyonna, I’m sensing something… wrong. The lines are off. They’re not just fluctuating—they’re corrupted.”
My heart sank at his words. Corrupted ley lines? That wasn’t just a minor magical hiccup. If the ley lines were tainted, it could explain why my magic was spiraling, but it also meant we were dealing with something far bigger than either of us had anticipated.
“Corrupted?” I echoed, the word heavy in my mouth. “How? What could cause that?”
Griff stood, dusting off his hands, his expression grim. “I’ve seen it happen before—when packs like mine got too close to the natural magic in a place like this. My old pack… we used to run through these woods, back when I was young and reckless. We tapped into the ley lines more than we should have.”
I frowned, a knot forming in my stomach. I’d known Griff had a past, but he’d never told me much about it. And now I was starting to understand why.
“You think your old pack had something to do with this?” I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. “The corruption?”
He hesitated, and for a second, I saw something flash in his eyes—guilt, maybe. Regret. “It’s possible,” he admitted. “I didn’t think they’d come back to Charcoal City after everything that happened, but if they’re here… they might be messing with the ley lines again. And if they are, it could explain why your magic is so out of control.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Griff’s old pack—the same pack that had driven him out of town—might be the reason my magic was going haywire. But what was worse was the nagging feeling that something even darker was lurking beneath the surface.
“I don’t understand,” I said, my voice wavering slightly. “Why would they do this? What could they possibly gain from corrupting the ley lines?”
Griff’s jaw tightened, and he looked away, his eyes clouded with a mix of anger and pain. “Power,” he said after a long pause. “They always wanted more power. More control over the magic in this town. And the ley lines—well, they’re the key to everything.”
I stared at him, my mind racing. This was bigger than I thought. If Griff’s pack was responsible for corrupting the ley lines, it meant they were a direct threat—not just to me, but to everyone in Charcoal City. And Griff… he was caught in the middle.
Before I could respond, a sharp jolt of magic surged through me, sending me stumbling backward. I gasped, clutching at my chest as the energy flared wildly inside me. It felt like a lightning strike, sharp and chaotic, and I couldn’t get a grip on it.
“Iyonna!” Griff was at my side in an instant, his hand gripping my arm as I struggled to regain control. His touch grounded me, but the magic was still out of control, crackling through the air like static.
“It’s happening again,” I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut as I fought to contain the power. “I can’t stop it.”
Griff’s grip tightened, and his voice was low and steady. “Breathe. Focus on the ley lines. Try to pull the energy back in.”
I tried. I really did. But the more I focused, the more I realized something was seriously wrong. The magic I was pulling from the ley lines wasn’t just unstable—it was wrong. Dark. Tainted. Like it had been twisted into something unrecognizable.
“I can’t…” I choked out, my hands shaking as I fought to keep the power contained. “Something’s wrong, Griff. This isn’t normal.”
Griff cursed under his breath, his eyes scanning the woods around us. “Damn it,” he muttered. “They’re here.”
“Who?” I managed to ask, even though the magic was still flaring and my whole body was trembling with the effort of keeping it under control.
“The hunters,” Griff said, his voice tight. “They’ve been tracking me. I thought I’d lost them, but they must’ve followed me to Charcoal City.”
Supernatural hunters. Of course. That’s why the tension in the air had been so thick since Griff showed up. And now, they were closing in on us.
Griff pulled me to my feet, his grip steady but urgent. “We have to go. Now.”
I tried to move, but the magic still surged through me, like a tidal wave crashing over everything in its path. “I can’t… I can’t just leave! My magic—”
“We don’t have a choice,” Griff cut in, his voice rough but determined. “If they catch us here, they’ll take us both down. You won’t be able to fight them off if your magic’s this unstable.”
He was right, of course. But the idea of running—of leaving behind everything I’d built, everything I’d worked for—made my stomach turn. I’d always been the one in control, the one who handled things. Now I was barely hanging on, and the idea of being hunted by supernatural bounty hunters was too much.
But Griff didn’t give me time to argue. He pulled me along, his strong hand wrapped around mine as we tore through the trees. The ley lines thrummed beneath us with corrupted energy.
We ran for what felt like forever, my heart pounding in my chest, the magic swirling chaotically inside me. But no matter how far we went, that sense of danger never left. It was like a shadow clinging to us, growing darker with every step.
Finally, we stopped in a small clearing, hidden from the main road. Griff’s chest heaved as he caught his breath, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of pursuit.
“They’re close,” he muttered, his voice low and tense. “But I think we bought ourselves a little time.”
I leaned against a tree, my legs trembling with exhaustion. “How… how long have they been after you?”
“Months,” Griff admitted, his jaw tight. “They’re not just after me, though. They want control of the ley lines. They want power.”
I swallowed hard, my mind spinning. ‘And your old pack? Are they working with the hunters?”
Griff hesitated, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite read. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “But if they are, we’re in more trouble than we thought.”
A shiver ran down my spine. If the hunters and Griff’s old pack were working together, that meant they had access to the ley lines. And if they were corrupting them on purpose, there was no telling what kind of power they were after—or what they’d be willing to do to get it.
“We need to figure this out,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “We need to stop them before it’s too late.”
Griff nodded, his gaze locking onto mine. “We will. But first, we have to survive the night.”
The weight of his words settled over me, but even through the fear, there was something else. Determination. Resolve.
Together, we could face whatever was coming. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the danger lurking in the shadows was only the beginning.