Chapter 58 Crooked Tricks
Elara's POV
Kaelen didn't hesitate. His warm hand closed around my cursed fingers without a moment's pause, and I felt the immediate surge of golden energy flowing from his palm into mine, pure and overwhelming in its intensity.
The sensation was nothing like the gentle moonlight I channeled through my Guardian powers, this was raw power that burned through the black-purple corruption like sunlight scorching away shadows.
I could feel Astraea stirring inside me, her presence suddenly much more alert than usual, and her voice echoed through my consciousness with a tone of deep satisfaction that I'd never heard from her before. "His power... it's so strong."
The mate bond between us suddenly flared to life with an intensity that made my breath catch, that invisible connection snapping taut like a wire pulled to its breaking point, and I felt the exact moment when Kaelen's energy found the core of the curse and simply obliterated it.
The black thorny mark that had spread across my index finger dissolved into wisps of dark smoke that dissipated into nothing, leaving behind only clean, unmarked skin.
My legs gave out as the last of my adrenaline drained away, and I sagged forward against Kaelen's chest before I could stop myself. His free arm came up immediately to steady me, wrapping around my waist to keep me from sliding off the sofa entirely, and I could feel the solid warmth of his body against mine as I tried to remember how to breathe properly.
"Thank you," I managed to say, my voice coming out more breathless than I'd intended.
Kaelen's hand remained on my waist, his thumb absently tracing small circles against my side through the fabric of my shirt. "You should have called me immediately when you realized what you were dealing with."
I was about to respond when I heard footsteps approaching in the hallway outside, and then the study door swung open to reveal Damian standing in the doorway. My brother's eyes immediately locked onto the scene before him, taking in Kaelen's hand on my waist and my position leaning against his chest, and I watched as his expression shifted through several emotions in rapid succession before settling on something that looked almost like amused resignation.
"Looks like I'm interrupting something," Damian said in a teasing tone.
I immediately straightened and pulled away from Kaelen, trying to ignore the way my face was heating up. "It's not what it looks like, I was just cursed and Kaelen helped me remove it."
I held up my right hand to show him the now-clean skin where the black mark had been just moments before, and Damian's expression immediately shifted to concern as he crossed the room in quick strides. He took my hand in both of his and examined it carefully, his fingers gentle as they traced over the area where the curse had been, and when he looked up his eyes were dark with barely controlled anger.
"Who did this to you?" His voice had gone cold and dangerous in a way that reminded me exactly why people feared crossing the Sterling family.
"I don't know yet, but Dad's already investigating." I pulled my hand back gently. "I'm fine now, really."
Damian's gaze shifted to Kaelen, and I watched as something passed between them, some silent communication that I couldn't quite decipher. "Thank you, Kaelen, for taking care of my sister."
Kaelen's expression softened slightly as he inclined his head in acknowledgment. Damian turned back to me, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder. "Come on, let's get you home so you can rest properly."
I started to protest that I was fine, but the look Damian gave me made it clear that arguing would be pointless. He guided me toward the door with one hand still on my shoulder, pausing only to give Kaelen a final nod of farewell that seemed to carry more weight than a simple goodbye.
---
The next morning, I was sitting in the main hall trying to work through some paperwork when I heard the sound of multiple cars pulling up to the front entrance. I looked up just as Sebastian appeared in the doorway.
"We have visitors," he said simply. "The Hawthorne family is here."
Then Colin walked into the hall with Vera and Sunny. The little girl's eyes lit up the moment she spotted me, and she immediately broke away from her parents to run across the room.
"Pretty lady!" Sunny's voice was bright with excitement as she grabbed my hand. "I missed you!"
Colin followed at a more measured pace, his expression serious as he stopped a respectful distance away and inclined his head in a formal greeting. "Miss Sterling, I wanted to thank you personally for saving my daughter's life. Our family will always be grateful for what you did."
Vera stepped forward with a warm smile, her hand resting gently on Sunny's shoulder. "We've been wanting to visit you for days, but we couldn't get away earlier."
I was about to respond when I heard more footsteps in the entrance hall, and then Dr. Whitmore appeared with his wife and drandson Leo. The boy's face broke into a huge grin the moment he saw me, and he immediately started running toward where I was sitting.
"Elara! I'm all better now!"
Dr. Whitmore cleared his throat, his expression shifting to something more formal as he addressed me directly. "Miss Sterling, I wanted to apologize again for my earlier accusations and to thank you properly for saving my son. We owe you a debt that we can never fully repay."
Mrs. Whitmore's eyes were shining with unshed tears as she stepped forward. "You gave me back my baby. Thank you doesn't seem like enough."
Leo suddenly turned to his grandmother, his young face creased with confusion. "Grandma, is Sophie right? She said her mom told her that what Elara does is all crooked tricks and shady stuff, not real magic."
The hall went completely silent. Every adult in the room turned to stare at Moira, who had been standing near the back trying to look invisible, and I watched as her face went through several shades of red before settling on a sickly pale color.
I let the silence stretch for a few more seconds before speaking, keeping my voice light and casual. "So in Aunt Moira's eyes, I've been practicing crooked tricks and shady stuff this whole time. That's interesting to know."
Moira immediately started to stammer out denials, her hands fluttering in agitated gestures. "No, no, that's not what I meant, Sophie must have misunderstood—"
Colin's voice cut through her protests like a knife, cold and sharp. "I wasn't aware that the Sterling family taught their children to speak so disrespectfully about those who save lives."
Vera's tone was much gentler, but the underlying steel was unmistakable. "I had always thought the Sterling family valued honor and gratitude. It's surprising to learn that there are exceptions."
Dr. Whitmore's expression had gone hard, his earlier warmth completely vanished. "Mrs. Sterling's approach to child-rearing is certainly unique."
I felt Sebastian's power flare in the room, his Alpha presence pressing down with enough force that Moira visibly swayed on her feet. Damian stepped forward smoothly, his expression carefully neutral as he addressed me. "Elara, why don't you take the children out to the garden? I'm sure they'd enjoy seeing the flowers."
Colin immediately nodded in agreement. "That's an excellent idea. Sunny would love that."
I stood up and extended my hands to Sunny and Leo, who immediately grabbed on with matching expressions of triumph. "Come on, let's go see if we can find some butterflies."
As I started toward the French doors that led to the garden, I heard small footsteps behind me and turned to find Sophie following at a distance, her expression uncertain and almost hurt. I stopped and looked at her directly, keeping my voice neutral. "Your mother says I practice crooked tricks. Are you sure you want to come with me?"
Sophie's face immediately flushed red, and her hands clenched into small fists at her sides. "You're still my cousin! I don't care what Mom says, I'm not going to talk bad about you anymore!"
I studied her for a moment, then crouched down to her eye level. "Sophie, you need to learn to think for yourself. What you see with your own eyes is more important than what other people tell you. Do you understand?"
Sophie's lower lip started to tremble. "Do you hate me now? Because of what Mom said?"
I tilted my head slightly, genuinely curious. "Weren't you the one who hated me first?"
Sophie's eyes went wide with shock. "How can you still remember that! I already said sorry!"
I reached out and patted her head gently, feeling some of my anger drain away at her indignant expression. "Alright then. I won't hate you anymore if you promise not to hate me either."
Sophie's face immediately brightened, though she tried to maintain a stern expression. "Deal! But you have to be nicer to me from now on!"
I couldn't help but smile at her bossy tone. "We'll see about that."