Chapter 82 Chapter 82
Harper was with Catherine and Sarah inside their shared tent, the three of them sitting cross-legged on their sleeping bags as the lantern cast a warm, golden glow around them. The night air outside was cool and filled with the distant sounds of the forest — crickets chirping, leaves rustling, and the occasional low hoot of an owl. The camp had settled down after the earlier chaos, but the girls were still buzzing with energy from the day’s events.
“So, why did you disappear all of a sudden?” Catherine asked, leaning forward with genuine concern. “One minute you were there, the next you were gone. We got worried.”
Harper hesitated, her fingers twisting the edge of her sleeping bag. She didn’t want to tell them the full truth — the encounter with The One in the forest, or how Molly and her friends had chained her and tried to drown her by pushing her into the cold, dark ocean near the camp’s lake. The memory of the water closing over her head still made her shiver. She had barely made it out, gasping for air on the shore, her clothes soaked and her body trembling.
“I’m fine,” Harper said, forcing a small smile. “I just needed some air. The camp can get a bit overwhelming sometimes.”
She looked down at her hand, noticing a faint glow pulsing under her skin — a soft, silvery light that hadn’t been there before. Ever since she had fallen into the ocean, she had been feeling some sort of power flowing through her, like a current of energy that hummed quietly in her veins. It was strange, unfamiliar, but not entirely unwelcome.
“Hey, Harper.”
Kai’s voice came from outside the tent, followed by the sound of the flap being pulled open.
The girls screamed in unison as Kai stepped inside without warning. Catherine and Sarah were only in their bras, having changed into comfortable sleep clothes. They quickly grabbed their shirts and covered themselves, faces flushing.
“Kai Blackthorn, this is a ladies’ camping site!” Sarah scolded, her voice sharp but amused. “You shouldn’t just barge in like that.”
Kai’s face turned bright red.
“My bad,” he said, averting his eyes and rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to… uh… interrupt.”
He looked at Harper, his expression turning serious.
“Can we talk?”
Harper nodded, standing up and following him out of the tent.
“My goodness, he is so hot,” Sarah whispered once they were gone, fanning herself dramatically.
Catherine hit her lightly on the arm, giggling.
“Crushing on Harper’s brother? Really?”
Outside, Harper and Kai walked a short distance to a quiet spot almost close to the forest edge, where no one else was around. The trees loomed tall and dark, the moonlight filtering through the leaves in silver patches.
“How are you?” Kai asked, his voice gentle. “I heard what happened. Before we could reach there, The One knocked everyone out — including Lila, who came to tell us.”
Harper didn’t want to talk about Lila. She knew Kai liked her, and he would be shocked to learn that Lila had been the one who led her to the trap. She kept that part to herself.
“Well, I am fine,” Harper said, forcing a smile. “I got out in time.”
“You got out?” Kai said, frowning. “Koda didn’t help you?”
“That’s The One to you,” a voice said from above.
Both of them looked up to see The One floating in the air, hovering just above them, his black-rimmed eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
Kai flinched, stepping back instinctively.
Meanwhile, in another part of the girls’ camp, Molly was crying into Ryan’s shoulder, her usual confidence shattered.
“I failed,” she sobbed. “I couldn’t end Harper. She got away again.”
Ryan rubbed her back, his expression hard.
“Harper is more powerful than you think,” he said. “She didn’t even need to ask for Koda’s help.”
Molly pulled away, wiping her tears with anger.
“She isn’t more powerful than me. She’s just a wolfless nobody.”
Claudia, standing nearby, spoke up hesitantly.
“Do you think her powers are out? Maybe she now has a wolf.”
Molly glared at her but didn’t answer.
The One hovered silently above the clearing, his form suspended in the air like a shadow given weight. The night wind tugged at his dark red hair as he watched Harper and Kai below, their conversation drifting up to him on the breeze.
“You were spying on us,” Kai uttered, looking up with a mix of annoyance and unease.
“I was spying on Harper, not you,” The One replied, his voice carrying down with calm indifference.
Kai frowned, glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby.
“You know you should come down before anyone in the camp sees you doing what wolves can’t do — or even witches,” Kai muttered, clearly confused and uncomfortable with the display of power.
The One descended slowly, his boots touching the ground with barely a sound.
“Well, I care less about them, brother,” he said, the word “brother” slipping out with a hint of mockery.
“Koda?” Kai uttered, making The One frown deeply.
“It’s me — The One. Not Koda,” he yelled, the frustration clear in his tone.
“So why are you calling me your brother?” Kai asked, his voice steady but wary.
“So you don’t feel too sad that your brother is gone,” The One replied, his words laced with dark amusement.
“So you care about my feelings now?” Kai uttered, and The One looked down at him with a cold stare.
“I want to suck the soul out of you,” The One said, causing Kai to sigh heavily, clearly used to the threat by now.
“I’ll see you later, Harper,” Kai said, turning and leaving the two of them alone in the quiet clearing.
The One came down fully, his feet touching the ground as Harper looked at him, her expression a mix of concern and frustration.
“Why were you floating over us? That’s creepy,” Harper said, crossing her arms.
“Well, nothing is creepier than a demon being in a camp filled with weak souls that he can’t devour,” The One replied, his smirk sharp and unapologetic, causing Harper to glare at him.
“You won’t devour anybody’s soul,” Harper said firmly.
“But I can devour you,” The One said with a smirk, causing Harper to gulp visibly.
“I’m going back to camp,” she said, turning to leave.
Before she could take more than a step, The One pulled her back, his hand firm on her wrist as he connected their lips together.
Harper was hesitant at first, her body stiff against his, but after a moment she gave in, kissing him back with a mix of reluctance and need.
“The One, we shouldn’t do this,” Harper said, pushing him away gently, her breathing uneven.
“Why not?” The One asked, his voice low and husky.
“Because…” Harper looked away from him, her cheeks flushed. The One frowned, his eyes turning black as he held her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.
“You are my brother Koda, trapped with a demon. No, this is wrong,” The One could hear Harper’s mind racing with the thought.
“So this is what you’re thinking about,” The One said, his voice cold as he read her thoughts clearly.
Harper immediately noticed he was reading her mind and jerked her body away from him, stepping back with a mix of anger and hurt.
His eyes turned back to normal, the black receding.
“I told you to stop reading my mind,” Harper said, her voice sharp.
“You want Koda to come back. You see him as your brother,” The One said, his tone flat but edged with something darker.
“What do you see me as?” he asked, causing Harper to gulp, her eyes avoiding his.
“I have to go,” she said, turning away.
“What if I tell you there was a way I could leave Koda’s body and get mine back?” The One said, making Harper halt in her tracks and turn to look at him, her eyes wide with surprise and a flicker of hope.