Chapter 29 Chapter 29
Reynard stuttered over any words that tried to escape his mouth. He and Suki looked at each other in shock.
Amelia whacked his arm again. “Stop being a dick!”
Everett laughed, “I’m only messing!” He relaxed, “I’ve pieced together that you and whoever that other male werewolf was who trespassed on our land were here to claim back your mate.” Taking a step forward towards Rey, he held out his hand and smiled genuinely. “If I were in your position, too, I would have done the same thing.”
Suki blushed.
A proud smile broke free on Reynard’s face. He took Everett’s hand and shook it.
“Your mate is a wonderful woman and deserves the best. You make sure she gets it.”
“Believe me, I will.”
The smile Suki once had faded as her realisation of having to choose her mate hit her again. It wasn’t fair to be drawn to two men, only to be allowed to pick one. It’s not fair, she thought to herself, but even more so, she felt it wasn’t fair how much she was leading them both on.
Amelia noticed her discomfort. “Okay, how about we leave these two to rest before our big day tomorrow,” she said, pushing Everett back towards the forest. “Rest up, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
Giving Amelia a thankful smile, Suki agreed, “Yes, see you tomorrow.” Rey opened the door, and before she followed behind him, she stopped and turned back around. “Oh! Amelia?”
“Yeah?”
“I know I’ve already asked a lot of you, of both of you, but I have to ask now before I get too nervous to ask. Plus my dad would totally be furious if he found out I never asked and–”
Amelia and Everett both laughed at her rambling.
“Just say it,” said Amelia.
She exhaled, smiling sheepishly, “Sorry.” She cleared her throat and straightened her posture. “As you know, there is some threat approaching the werewolf species, and many packs are becoming more reserved – distancing themselves from other packs and only taking care of their own. The Moonstone pack doesn’t agree with this approach, and, well, I was wondering if we could rely on you and your pack to be an ally with us if the time ever called for it.”
They both stood there in silence for a moment, staring at her blankly after her speech.
Then, Everett stepped forward, but Amelia grabbed his arm. He looked down at her and frowned, “Trust me?”
“Always.” Amelia’s eyes narrowed, questioning whether he was going to do what she thought he was going to do.
He smiled softly at her and moved over to Suki, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I speak on behalf of my mate and Alpha, and my entire pack, when I say that you will always have friends here in Silver Moon.”
✧ ✧ ✧
They started early in the morning, and despite numerous attempts, Amelia still couldn’t succeed in tapping into her power and connecting with the spirit world.
“Honestly, Amelia, you’ve been at it for hours now. We can call this off,” Suki said hesitantly, watching Amelia light even more candles than what were already lit.
She huffed, “I can do this.” She shook the match in her hand to snuff out the flame. “Sybil said that the candles will help me centre and ground me to the earth so I can connect to the power better. Maybe lighting these few more will help.”
“A few more?” Everett questioned, monitoring from across the room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “At this point, you’ve lit every candle we have in the entire manor. Even Sybil would call this a fire hazard.”
Amelia rolled her eyes. “Your sass isn’t helping, shush.”
Everett held his hands up sarcastically in defence and remained quiet as she attempted once more.
She sat down on the ground, inside a circle made of candles and salt. Inhaling deeply, she exhaled as she spoke calmly, “Spirits,” she paused, closing her eyes and centring her mind and soul, “I call to you.”
Suki looked at Rey hesitantly, who looked equally as concerned as she was. She grabbed his hand and continued watching Amelia.
With her eyes still shut, focusing intensely, Amelia muttered a quiet chant to herself, calling to the spirits in the hopes the Moon Goddess would connect with her.
The room became eerily silent as everyone waited patiently.
Suddenly, the flames from the candles became aggressive, growing three times in size and dancing frantically.
Squeezing Rey’s hand, Suki leaned into him as she scanned the room, concerned.
Amelia’s eyes flashed open, presenting her eyes shimmering gold – wholly and entirely unnatural, but a promising indicator of magic at work. Though her eyes were open, she didn’t appear to be present in the room anymore.
‘Is she…?’ Suki whispered down the bond.
Rey squeezed her hand back. ‘I think so.’
They waited patiently, but something felt off to Suki; a sinking feeling was hitting her in her gut, and she couldn’t understand why she was getting that feeling. It was like something bad was about to happen, but she couldn’t tell what or even when.
Then red started dripping from Amelia’s nose.
Blood.
“Shit,” Everett muttered, kneeling in front of his mate. “Amelia, you have to get out of there. Come back to me.” He grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. “Amelia!”
Suki stepped forward to help Everett, but Reynard grabbed her arms and held her back protectively, sensing too much dark power. “Everett, what’s going on?”
“There are guards in the spirit world who aren’t always friendly to visitors, whether the Moon Goddess welcomes them or not. They torment and hurt unwanted guests, and since Amelia can’t control herself properly in this world yet, it gives them more opportunity to be menaces.”
Amelia’s eyes fell shut once more as she hunched into herself, wimpering and crying in pain. Her body trembled and shook as if she was fighting to break free, but couldn’t. Blood continued to stream down her nose, and she groaned in pain.
“What the hell…” Rey breathed. “Her hands.”
Looking down at Amelia’s hands, Suki gasped. Her veins were becoming more visible, thick and turning black. “What is going on?” she asked, but Everett didn’t reply. Panic arose in Suki’s chest. “Get her out, stop her.”
“I’m trying!” he snapped back. “Amelia, listen to my voice, follow it, come back to me.” Fear was painted across Everett’s face. “I can usually pull her out of the trance… She follows my voice and–”
A piercing bellow escaped Amelia’s mouth, but she was still trapped. The darkened veins grew up her arms slowly. Though enclosed in the Rieka Manor, out of nowhere, wind forcefully rushed through the room, as if nature was rejecting her attempt to connect to the spirit world.
Suki forced herself out of Rey’s grip and rushed towards Amelia.
“Ki, no!” Reynard rushed behind her, fighting against the wind pushing him back, but using all his strength to stay behind her to protect her.
“Let me try,” she called out, trying to be heard through the roaring wind.
Everett hesitantly released his grip from his mate’s shoulders and moved aside, taking hold of Amelia’s hand in the hopes that she knew he was still there for her.
“Amelia!” Suki called, but no response. “Amelia! Forget about the spirit world, we’ll find another way. Come back!” Her eyes widened as more blood escaped her nose, now out of both nostrils. Suki’s chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to piece together what to do.
Then, something within her seemed to take over; she held Amelia’s head and shut her eyes, not saying a word, but her brows furrowed tightly as if she was focusing intensely.
The flames were the first to settle, then the wind, which blew all the candles out before disappearing entirely. At last, the darkness within Amelia’s veins began to fade away as if they had never been there, and the blood stopped streaming out of her nose.
Eyes flinging open, Amelia gasped intensely for air, her eyes back to normal, fully returned to this realm. She blinked rapidly as she tried to steady her breath. “How did you do that?”
“I-I don’t know,” Suki panted, equally out of breath. “I got the urge to save you and…” she looked down at her palms, confused.
Amelia scanned Suki, her eyes stopping at her necklace. “What is that? It’s glowing?”
“What? Oh, my necklace?” She held it and flinched, “Ow! It’s hot.”
“That’s a clear quartz, right?” Everett questioned. “The crystal of healing.”
Suki nodded. “I know what you’re thinking, but–”
“But nothing,” Amelia interrupted. “I was being attacked in the spirit world. There was a darkness blocking me and ambushing my soul, which is why my physical body was falling apart. Suki, you saved me and made it so I could come back.”
She shook her head in shock, not wanting to accept what she was saying.
“Suki, you healed me.”