Chapter 116 Tracking Elijah

Chapter 116 Tracking Elijah
Lulu
My breath caught in my throat. Esthenel’s words were like a bitter pill I was forced to swallow, even though I didn’t feel physically sick.
I took a slow step back, the damp grass squelching softly under my boots. I stood frozen in the drizzling rain, staring at Caspian’s back as he faced away from the door.
For the Moon Goddess, please don’t take anyone else away from me...
I needed to get out of here. My feelings didn't matter right now, and Caspian would understand given the situation.
I still loved him, and our bond was real. But Elijah came first. Nobody else should have to die because of him.
Before I could turn around and slip away into the shadows of the trees, the pavilion door creaked open.
Caspian was standing in the doorway. His sharp, sea-blue eyes locked onto mine straight away.
The air around him hummed faintly with the pressure of his water elemental power, freezing the condensation on the door into thin ice crystals.
"Eavesdropping from the shadows, Lulu?" Caspian’s voice was dead calm, but dangerous—completely stripped of its usual teasing lilt.
"I didn't mean to listen in," I whispered, stammering a bit as I took a hesitant step toward him. "Caspian, what did Esthenel mean? Who’s going to die?"
Caspian didn't answer right away. He stepped out of the pavilion, gently shutting the door behind him so the wounded Seer could rest.
He towered over me, his broad shoulders tensed up just like mine.
"Prophecies are fluid, Lulu," he lied smoothly, though a subtle twitch in his jaw gave the game away. "Esthenel is weak. Her sight has been clouded by dark magic from yesterday's attack."
"Don't pretend it's just gossip," I pleaded softly, my voice shaking as I reached out to touch his sleeve. "Morpheus. I can't bear the thought of you, Dylan, or Dorian dying just to protect Elijah. That should be Scott's job."
"This isn't just about Scott," Caspian muttered, his voice heavy with emotion. "It's the fact that no matter how hard I fight, his shadow is still hanging over you. And now, to save Elijah... I have to invite the bastard who destroyed you straight into my pack."
"It's complicated," I insisted quickly. "Elijah is my son. I need Scott's blood to track him down. And you're not some stranger who just turned up out of nowhere offering protection. It's all connected to the prophecy, it always is."
Caspian closed his eyes, letting out a long, heavy sigh.
When he opened them again, his defenses were fully back up, but the sharp edge of his jealousy had melted into pure determination.
He cupped my cheek with his cool palm, his thumb gently wiping away a stray tear.
"We're bringing Elijah home," Caspian promised with absolute authority. "Nobody is going to die. And I'm sorry for being jealous. Are you calm enough to focus now?"
Before I could answer, the frantic sound of wolf paws echoed from the forest path. Beta Rohan burst through the bushes in his wolf form, instantly shifting back to his human self the second he reached us.
"Alpha!" Rohan panted, bowing his head. "The border patrol just checked in. Alpha Scott has arrived at the eastern perimeter."
"He doesn't hang about. Get ready, Lulu." Caspian squeezed my hand tightly.
My whole body went rigid. Pyrrha growled low in my mind.
"Has he brought an army?" Caspian asked coldly, instantly reverting back to the dominant leader of Sapphire Water.
"No, Alpha," Rohan replied, throwing a hesitant glance my way. "He's come alone. He... looks like a man possessed. He's demanding to see Luna Lulu."
Caspian clutched his fist so tightly the veins bulged against his skin. He looked at me, reaching out through a private mind-link to reassure me he'd be right by my side when Scott arrived.
"We'll meet him. Keep the guard posted until the ritual is done," Caspian commanded firmly.
I swallowed down the bitter taste in my mouth and forced myself to stand tall. I wasn't going to show any weakness just because he was helping with Elijah.
We were strictly working together, and that was as far as it went.
"Let's go," I whispered. "I want my son back."
The main courtyard of the Sapphire Water stronghold felt suffocatingly tense. Dozens of wolf warriors were already lined up along the stone steps.
Alpha Scott looked an absolute wreck, with dark circles under his eyes and faint lines etched across his forehead. He looked worlds apart from the last time he was here.
The moment Scott’s eyes locked onto mine, he froze on the spot.
"Lulu..." Scott gasped out, taking an impulsive step forward with his hand outstretched, as if reaching for a ghost. "You've finally forgiven me."
"Hold it right there, Scott!" Caspian roared, stepping forward to put his massive frame directly between us, blocking Scott's view. "Take one more step and my wolves will tackle you to the ground."
Scott stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes darted from Caspian to the guards, and then back to me, his breathing ragged. "Rohan's message... he said a Dark Sorcerer took... my son?"
"He is my son!" I shouted from behind Caspian, my voice booming across the courtyard. "You lost the right to call him your son the day you let your witch carve out my heart for Leia!"
Scott flinched as if struck. I knew he’d already begged for forgiveness for what he put me through, but I brought it up deliberately because I wanted to hurt him.
"I didn't know..." Scott choked out, his voice cracking with a mix of grief and regret. "By the Moon Goddess, for the sake of your... child, you can take all the blood you need."
Dylan stepped out from the arched doorway of the Great Hall, holding a brass bowl and a dagger.
His calm yet overwhelming presence instantly dominated the air around us, the weight of his magic beginning to cloak the front hall.
"Save your regret for later, Alpha Scott," Caspian said coldly, glaring at him without a shred of pity. "The Dark Sorcerers are trying to rip Elijah's heart out with dark magic as we speak. Every second you waste wallowing in self-pity brings your son closer to death."
Dylan walked down the stone stairs, stopping right in the middle between Caspian and Scott. He held up the blade.
"We need the blood of both birth parents to track Vane," Dylan stated, his voice ringing out clearly. "Step up, Scott. Let's see if your blood is actually worth enough to lead us to the child you once threw away."
Scott didn't hesitate for a second. He marched up to Dylan, grabbed the dagger, and sliced his own palm without so much as flinching, letting his thick Alpha blood drip into the bowl.
"Your turn, Lulu," Dylan called out softly.
I took a deep breath and stepped out from Caspian's shadow. Caspian gently caught my wrist, holding me back for just a second.
"I'm right behind you," he whispered near my ear, his breath warm against my neck.
Nodding, I walked over to the ritual bowl. I picked up the dagger from Scott's hand—making sure not to make any physical contact with him whatsoever—and sliced my palm.
My blood dropped into the bowl, warm and glowing with faint golden sparks from my dormant fire magic, mingling with Scott's deep crimson blood.
As soon as the two bloodlines met, the bowl flared up with a violent burst of energy.
Dylan immediately started chanting in a language I couldn't understand, his fingers hovering above the container.
Threads of crimson and golden light erupted from the liquid, weaving together to form a blinding compass of light right in the middle of the courtyard.
The glowing needle spun wildly before locking firmly toward the north, pointing straight at the forbidden peak of the Evrusian Mountains.
"Got him," Dylan whispered, his eyes glowing stark white as his tracking magic synced up perfectly. "Elijah's up there."
But before anyone could even catch their breath, the light compass violently shuddered.
A massive, shadowy black hand materialized out of thin air, crushing the light into dust.
Dylan recoiled, stumbling back a few paces as fresh blood dripped from his nose.
"Vane knows we're tracking him," Dylan rasped, wiping the blood from his face. "He's rushing the ritual. We've only got a few hours, Lulu. If we don't reach the Evrusian Mountains before dawn, Elijah's elemental heart will be gone for good."