Chapter 7 Between Two Voices
Evra's POV
Darkness.
No shape, no direction, nothing but one sound—a whisper crawling out from inside my bones.
“Evra…”
My whole body felt like it was sinking into something thick and damp. Like a black fog was pressed over my face, pulling me deeper. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt sealed shut by something that didn’t belong to me.
This was the same place as before I collapsed: an endless void with no light, no boundaries… just two red eyes floating in the dark, watching me patiently like a predator waiting for its prey to stop fighting.
“Evra…”
Again the voice called—neither male nor female. It sounded layered, distant, like it came from thousands of years ago.
Then another voice cut through the darkness. Louder. Sharper.
“EVRA!”
Magnus.
He didn’t sound angry. He sounded… panicked, like someone trying to pull me back before it was too late. His voice tore through the black fog swallowing me.
And then... Something yanked me upward, hard, like an invisible rope hooked into my chest and dragged me straight out of the depths.
I screamed without sound.
My first breath slammed back into my lungs, cold, sharp, almost like ice stabbing me from the inside.
And suddenly I jolted awake. My eyes flew open. I sucked in air like someone who’d been drowning. My body shook with a short cough, and as the world sharpened, I realized two things:
First… I was still in that stone room. The once-dead fireplace now flickered low, painting the walls with orange light.
Second… Magnus was right in front of me.
He was kneeling beside the bed, one hand gripping my shoulder—too tight to be gentle, too careful to be harsh. His jaw was rigid, his expression hard, and his eyes—those eyes—were no longer just faintly red. There was a spark inside them, like fire trying to escape.
“Evra.” His voice was low, deep, and— for the first time—I heard fear. “Can you hear me?”
I tried answering, but only a broken breath came out. “Ma… Magnus…”
Slowly, almost cautiously, he helped me sit up and lean against the headboard. His hand was warm. Warm in a way no normal body should be—warm like fire, like his heat was pushing the cold out of my skin.
“What did you see?” he asked.
A simple question. A terrifying answer.
That red shadow.
That whisper.
That darkness.
I bit my lip. “Someone… something… was calling me. And it wasn’t you.”
Magnus stiffened, then glanced toward someone standing nearby with a scroll in hand.
“What did she say?” he asked before turning back to me. His tone was lower now, almost a growl.
I tried to recall it, and the voice echoed again in my mind.
“‘I’ve found you.’ That was the last thing it whispered before you pulled me out.”
Magnus’ eyes widened.
And this time, I saw the red burn bright.
“Of course…” he muttered. “The power is starting to wake.”
I froze.
“W–what power?” My voice nearly broke.
Instead of answering, Magnus rose slowly. He didn’t step away—he stepped closer. He caught my chin between his fingers and tilted my face up so my eyes met his.
“Evra.” His voice dropped, soft but threatening. “That voice wasn’t coming from outside. It came from inside you.”
I went still. “What?”
You’re saying that voice… was mine?
Magnus nodded once. “The part of you that’s been sealed. That ancient blood… it’s reacting.”
My chest tightened. Something inside me moved—hot, coiling, like red smoke wrapping around my bones.
“No… impossible…” I shook my head. “I don’t have anything, Magnus. I’m not even a wolf—I’m wolfless!”
Magnus moved fast—too fast. In a blink, his face was inches from mine. His breath was hot, and every word vibrated through my skin.
“Not having a wolf doesn’t mean you don’t have something older… and more dangerous.” He didn’t release my chin. “And tonight, that part tried to pull you out.”
Chills raced over my entire body.
Me. Calling myself.
“I know it’s frightening,” he said, softer now. “But what’s worse is what happens if you can’t control it.”
I opened my mouth to ask something, but—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Not loud.
But formal.
Sharp, measured, like someone announcing themselves rather than asking permission.
Magnus turned sharply. The red in his eyes thinned to a narrow glow, but the danger was still there. His whole body tensed—more than when he heard the whisper.
He stood. “Stay where you are. Don’t move.”
The knocking came again.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The door opened without waiting.
A man stepped inside.
Tall, slim, dressed too neatly—long black coat, high collar, leather gloves. His hair was black, tied back, and his face was calm. Too calm. And his eyes… cold pale grey like winter fog.
A woman entered behind him, wrapped in a dark red robe marked with small sigils of blood magic. Her silver hair cascaded down her back, and her purple eyes glowed faintly like amethyst crystals.
The air instantly chilled.
Magnus growled low.
“Seran Thorne. You came uninvited.”