Chapter 51 THE PRICE OF VICTORY
CHAPTER 051: THE PRICE OF VICTORY
I couldn't breathe, every gasp brought less air. My chest feels like it's being crushed from the inside.
"She's dying," Alaric says, his voice breaking. "She's actually dying."
"No she's not," Kieran snarls. "We didn't come this far to lose her now."
Cassian's hands hover over me, flames flickering weakly. "My fire. It can heal her."
"Phoenix fire works on phoenix wounds," Alaric says. "Not regular injuries. Her bones are shattered. Her organs are failing. This is beyond what you can fix."
"Then what do we do?" Zev demands. "Just watch her die?"
Luna pushes through them, dropping to her knees beside me.
"There's one thing," she says. "The twin bond. I can give her my life force."
"That'll kill you," Kieran says immediately.
"Not all of it. Just enough to stabilize her until we get her to the pack healers."
"Luna no," I try to say but no sound comes out.
She grabs my hands. "Don't argue. For once in your stubborn life just let someone help you."
Golden light blooms between our joined palms.
It's warm. Not burning but comforting like sunlight after a long winter.
I feel her strength flowing into me.
My breathing eases. The crushing pressure on my chest lifts slightly.
My bones start joining back together.
The internal bleeding slows.
I can think clearly again.
But Luna is going pale. Her hands shake.
"That's enough," I gasp. "Luna stop."
"Not yet," she grits out.
"You're going to kill yourself."
"I'm tough. I can take it."
More light flows. More of her life is pouring into me.
"Luna please," I beg.
Finally the light fades. Luna's hands slip from mine and she collapses.
Mom catches her before she hits the ground.
"Is she breathing?" Kieran asks.
Mom checks her pulse. "Yes. Weak but steady. She gave too much."
"But Thalira?" Cassian asks.
I force myself to sit up. Everything still hurts but the immediate danger has passed.
"I'm okay," I say. "Or I will be."
Alaric helps me stand. My legs shake but they hold.
Luna is unconscious in Mom's arms. Her breathing is shallow.
"We need to move," Magnus says. He's appeared at the tunnel entrance with a group of pack members. "Now. Before more of the mine collapses."
Kieran picks me up despite my protests. "You can barely walk. Let me help."
Zev carefully takes Luna from Mom.
Rafe is limping badly, one arm supporting Reyna who looks half dead.
Morgana's shadows form into stretchers for the injured. It's creative and probably taking the last of her strength.
We move through the tunnels as fast as we can manage.
The journey back to pack territory takes hours. The sun is rising by the time we finally emerge into the open air.
I must drift in and out of consciousness because suddenly we're surrounded by pack members cheering.
"Marvin's dead," someone shouts.
The cheer that goes up is deafening.
But all I can see are the empty spaces. The people who aren't here anymore. The ones who died defending their home.
"How many?" I ask Kieran quietly.
"Don't think about that right now."
"How many?"
His jaw clenches. "Thirty three confirmed dead. Another twenty might not make it."
Over fifty people. Because of Marvin. Because I couldn't stop him sooner.
"Don't do that," Kieran says, reading my expression. "Don't blame yourself."
"Who else should I blame?"
"How about the serial killer who actually killed them?"
I don't answer because I can't.
Magnus meets us at the pack center. What's left of it anyway. Half the buildings are destroyed.
"Get them to the healers," he orders. "Now."
Kieran carries me to a large tent that's been set up as an emergency medical facility. Luna is brought in right behind us.
Elder Mara is there, her gnarled hands already glowing with healing magic.
"Lay them down," she instructs. "Side by side."
Kieran sets me on a cot gently. Zev places Luna on the one next to mine.
"Everyone out," Mara says.
"We're staying," Kieran argues.
"You're bleeding and exhausted and in my way. Out."
"But—"
"Now."
Mom appears and physically pushes the boys toward the exit. "She knows what she's doing. Let her work."
They leave reluctantly. I can feel their worry through the bonds even as they walk away.
Mara examines Luna first, her expression growing more concerned by the second.
"Foolish girl," she mutters. "Gave almost half her life force. Another few minutes and she would have killed herself."
"Will she be okay?" I ask.
"Eventually. With rest." She moves to me. "And you. Burned through your power completely. Broke nearly every bone. Bled internally in three places. How are you even conscious?"
"Stubbornness?"
She almost smiles. "That'll do it."
Her hands move over me, assessing damage. The healing magic feels different from Cassian's. It's slower, and more methodical.
"This will take time," she says. "Days maybe."
"I don't have days."
"You do now. The threat is gone. Marvin is dead. You can rest."
Can I though? Something feels wrong and uncompleted.
But my eyes are already closing. The exhaustion is too much.
I hear Mara chanting in that old language. I feel warmth spreading through my body.
When I wake up the tent is darker. It's already night.
Luna is in the cot beside mine, still unconscious but breathing normally.
The boys are scattered around the tent. Kieran is in a chair right next to me, his head resting on the edge of my cot. Alaric leans against the tent pole, eyes closed but not sleeping. Cassian sits cross-legged on the floor, meditating maybe. Zev stands by the entrance, keeping watch.
"How long?" I ask.
Kieran's head snaps up. "You're awake."
"How long was I out?"
"Twelve hours."
I try to sit up. Everything protests but nothing's broken anymore. Mara's healing worked.
"Easy," Kieran says, helping me. "You're not fully healed yet."
Alaric moves to my other side. "How do you feel?"
"Like I got beaten by a serial killer and then collapsed a mine on myself."
"So normal then," Cassian says, not opening his eyes.
Despite everything I almost laugh.
Zev turns from the entrance. "Luna's been unconscious the whole time. Mara says it's her body's way of recovering."
I reach over and take my sister's hand. Through our bond I can feel her.
"She'll wake up," I say with more confidence than I feel.
"Mara wants to talk to you," Kieran says. "About the twin bond."
"What about it?"
"It changed. When Luna gave you her life force something shifted."
Before I can ask what that means Mara enters the tent. She looks even older than before, if that's possible.
"You're awake. Good." She moves to check my pulse. "How's the pain?"
"Manageable."
"Liar. But you'll heal." She looks at Luna. "Both of you will."
"Kieran said the bond changed?"
Mara nods slowly. "You were connected before as twins but this is different. Deeper. I can see it in your auras. You're more intertwined now than any twins I've ever studied."
"Is that bad?"
"I don't know. No one's seen twin Phoenix Souls before. You're the first in recorded history."
"That's comforting," I mutter.
"What does it mean practically?" Alaric asks.
"It means they'll feel each other more intensely. Emotions, pain, maybe even thoughts if the bond strengthens further. It could be an advantage or a liability depending on the situation."
"And there's no way to reverse it?" Zev asks.
"Not without killing one of them. The bond is soul deep now."
The tent goes quiet.
"We'll figure it out," Cassian says finally. "We always do."
Mara leaves to check on other patients.
I look at the boys. They're all staring at me with the expressions of relief and worry.
"Stop looking at me like I'm going to disappear," I say.
"You almost did," Kieran says quietly. "Multiple times."
"But I didn't."
"This time," Alaric adds. "What about next time?"
"There won't be a next time. Marvin's dead. The weapon's destroyed. It's over."
Even as I say it I don't quite believe it.
Zev's expression confirms my suspicion. "You feel it too don't you?"
"Feel what?"
"That this isn't finished."
"Marvin's dead," Cassian argues. "We watched him burn."
"I know. But something's still wrong."
We sit in uneasy silence.
Luna suddenly gasps awake, sitting bolt upright.
Her eyes are wild, unfocused.
"Luna?" I grab
her shoulders. "You're okay. You're safe."
She focuses on me slowly. Then tears start streaming down her face.
"I saw him," she whispers.
"Saw who? Marvin?"
"No. The Hollow King." Her hands shake. "He's coming back, Thalira. And this time he's bringing an army.”