CHAPTER 56
LENORE’S HAIR FLUTTERED WILDLY behind her as the wind whistled past her ears. Edmund’s eyes widened, bolting into a sprint to catch her. He leapt up, grabbing her mid-air before they landed and rolled across the broken marble floor. Glass shards fell all around them.
Edmund lifted himself off her, his wide eyes darting all over her small human figure. His claws cradled her head, careful to not let any shards touch her. He leaned back in surprise when Lenore lifted the sword, offering the hilt toward him.
“Take this,” she breathed.
Edmund stared down at it, the glow of the sword gleaming in his eyes. Wordlessly, he took it. For a moment, he was reluctant to leave her, but she nodded at him, urging him to go.
Edmund’s ear twitched. His gaze hardened as he stood up.
The moonlight sword made Lunantha pull back, rising away as her tendrils lifted like snakes all around her. She pointed a finger at Edmund.
“AUDEN, KILL HIM!”
Auden stumbled—the effects of Azelf’s counteractive magic faltering his pace. But the beast pushed forward, obeying his master’s command.
The moonlit strands of Edmund’s claws wisped into the sword. The light brightened in intensity for a split second before calming itself for the battle ahead.
“VAREK! PROTECT LENORE!” Edmund shifted into a wolf, holding the hilt in his mouth as he barreled through Auden’s attacks. He turned human as he skirted underneath Auden’s underbelly, slashing at his ankles underneath.
Auden howled in agony, stumbling as blood pooled around him, clashing with the light burning through his wounds. He rolled to the side, twisting and turning to snap his jaws at Edmund.
With his sword in hand, Edmund parried off each blow, holding his ground against the beast.
Breathing heavily, Varek glanced over at Lenore, then bolted toward her. A shadow overhead zipped past him.
Lunantha screeched as she flew straight at Lenore. Her claws and tendrils stretched out, ready to engulf the woman into death’s embrace.
Lenore ran with all that she had as she turned into a wolf, headed straight toward Auden.
As Auden dove at Edmund, she leapt onto his muzzle, spring boarding herself onto his back.
She turned into a werewolf, claws yanking back his fur.
Auden reared up onto his hind legs, taking the full impact of Lunantha’s crash against him.
In the second before Lenore would be crushed beneath, she darted out as a wolf again, narrowly dodging the fallen beast. She reached Edmund’s side, her breath spent.
Her chest burned, and the taste of blood lingered in the back of her throat.
Her eyes met Edmund’s. A flurry of emotions swirled in his eyes—most of them promising a scolding later.
But above it all, a touch of amazement shone through, and he gave her a nod of approval.
Lenore didn’t speak, but if she did, she would tell him she was running off pure panic.
“USELESS... USELESS CREATURE!” Lunantha lifted herself off Auden’s collapsed body. Ice frosted the ends of his fur. She whipped around, a bloodcurdling scream resonating from her throat.
Edmund steadied his blade, taking a protective stance in front of Lenore.
One of Lunantha’s tendrils clashed against Edmund, an icy breeze emanating from her strike. Lenore pounced back, retreating from the fight. Her ears lowered as the ice bit through her layers of fur.
Lunantha struck again, another freezing wind fanning out. Ice crept along Edmund’s locks of hair.
He held fast to his blade despite the freeze that swirled around him.
The glow of his sword brightened—its magic rippling through his body, acting as a barrier against the cold.
He darted forward, exchanging blows that kept the adrenaline burning through him.
His cape fluttered violently in the breeze.
It was cold, so painfully cold. Lenore could barely move against the endless wind. Varek and Azelf’s movements slowed. Cade fell to his knees.
No... Lenore toppled over. She breathed slowly. The intensity of the cold spoke to her exhaustion, her whole being surrendering to the weariness pulling her toward sleep. Her eyes began to flutter. Hard marble met the side of her body.
Edmund’s eyes flitted to his fallen mate, widening with panic.
CHING—The moonlight blade resonated hard against a heavy blow from Lunantha.
Edmund’s boots slid back hard against the iced floor.
Every muscle in his body screamed with pain.
His eyes narrowed as he held strong against another sharp blow. His knees faltered slightly.
Shifting into a wolf, he somersaulted forward under Lunantha’s swing. The blade in his mouth wisped to his hand as he turned human. He lunged forward. Sliced tendrils fell to the ground. Lunantha jolted back, screaming as her remaining tendrils writhed in pain.
Every scream blasted out another piercing wind.
Frost clawed at Edmund’s face, nearly dragging him down to the ground.
But he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to shift into a werewolf.
The warmth of his thick fur temporarily boosted him as the sword in his hand glowed brighter—gradually melting the ice off his body.
A glimpse of light gleamed through the swirling wind. Azelf looked up slowly, reaching out with frosted over claws.
“Pip…” he uttered weakly, “Lu… Lumen…”
But the light sprite ignored his command. He flew straight toward Lunantha, latching onto one of her tendrils as tightly as he could. He didn’t let go, even as Lunantha’s tendrils smashed into one another—crushing him under the impact. Golden blood oozed out.
“No… Pip…” A soft cry escaped Lenore. Slowly she rolled onto her stomach, trying to crawl toward her friend. “Pip, no, no.”
Waves of light rolled through Lunantha, trapping her where she was—her body sizzling against Pip’s magic. It only enraged her further. A horrible squelch followed, and Lenore screamed out as Pip’s crushed body slipped past Lunantha’s tendrils and down to the ground.
As Lunantha turned, a star from one of the ballroom’s columns struck her. The smell of burning flesh reached Lenore. Through the storm, Charie stepped forward—smoke curling from her hands.
Lunantha clawed at her back, roaring as the heat of the star burned through her body. Waves of light pulsed through her again—Pip’s arm rose from the ground, using every last bit of his magic to hold her in place.
Edmund raced forward, moonlit sword in hand. He readied his blade. Lunantha opened her jaw, to let out a scream that never came.
Blood sprayed. A heavy slash ripped through her chest as bright light burst through the other side of her. He stabbed her again.
Her tendrils fell limp. The air released her. She fell hard against the ground as the light continued to fester through her—bleeding through her skin in glowing fractures as it burned her from within.
As the light faded, the icy winds were no more.
Quick, heavy breaths left Edmund, filling the silence that remained. His eyes stayed on Lunantha, watching as her body already began to wither—unable to remain on earthly plains any longer.
He ran then, straight to Lenore. The sword wisped into threads of moonlight that dove into his claws as he grabbed her, holding her weakened figure tight to his body.
“Lenore, Lenore.” The words spilled out of him desperately.
“I’m… I’m okay.” A paw reached out toward him before a pained whine escaped her. “Lunantha—Pip—”
“I know I’m not thinking straight, but just let me hold you.” He held her even tighter. “I thought you were badly hurt… or worse.”
For the first time ever, Lenore felt his claws tremble.
“I’m here,” she whispered. She shifted into a human, hugging him tight, and letting her actions speak for itself. Her heart still pounded in her chest, and her breath was still warm. She was right there with him.
Together.