Chapter 47

Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Samuel looked nothing like his usual self. His eyes were cold and glassy, his breathing steady but unnatural. Magic crackled around him like lightning waiting to strike. The wind stirred with icy intent, and frost began to creep across the grass beneath his feet. He was no longer the quiet, humble boy they all trusted, he was something else now. Possessed. Changed.
James didn’t hesitate. He dashed toward Samuel with a furious yell, his fists clenched. “Snap out of it!” he shouted, swinging a punch at Samuel’s face.
But Samuel didn’t flinch. With the flick of his wand, a sudden gust of frigid wind knocked James backward. He hit the ground hard, skidding through the frost. Samuel raised his wand again, chanting in a tongue no one understood. The air gleamed as sharp shards of ice formed around him like a protective halo.
“James, behind you!” Oliver shouted, appearing from the trees with Lestat close behind.
James rolled just in time to avoid an ice spike slamming into the ground where his chest had been. He grabbed a fallen branch and hurled it at Samuel, trying to break his focus. The branch shattered on an invisible barrier inches from Samuel’s body.
Samuel stepped forward, boots crunching on frozen soil. He lifted his wand high. A massive ice sword, longer than his own arm, formed in his hand. It pulsed with raw elemental force. Without a word, he charged again, toward Nova.
Nova scrambled backward, slipping on the frozen ground. Her fingers sparked with weak flames, but nothing stable. “No, not now,” she whispered, trying to summon her power. The fire fizzled out again.
James pushed himself up, blood already seeping from a gash on his shoulder. He gritted his teeth and ran. “Leave her alone!” he roared.
Samuel slashed the ice sword toward Nova’s chest.
James dove between them at the last second. The sword stabbed straight through him with a horrible crack, the icy blade ripping through flesh and bone. His eyes widened as blood gushed from the wound. He fell with a choked gasp, his body slumping against Nova.
“No!” Nova screamed, her voice breaking.
The impact seemed to slow everything down. Lestat and Oliver stood frozen for a moment before sprinting forward.
Samuel raised his wand again, his expression blank, ready to strike once more.
But this time, Lestat reacted. He surged forward with vampire speed and grabbed Samuel’s wrist, trying to wrest the wand from his hand. The moment he touched him, frost spread up his arm, burning through his skin.
“Damn it... he’s too strong!” Lestat growled, trying to hold on.
Oliver joined him, swinging his own wand and shouting a disruption spell. A shockwave burst between them, throwing all three backward.
Nova clutched James, tears streaming down her face, as his blood soaked through her robes.
And Samuel… Samuel stood up again, the ice sword forming once more in his hand. His eyes were empty.
And he was still coming.
Nova trembled as she held James in her arms, her hands pressing against the gaping wound in his chest, desperate to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn’t stop. It soaked through her fingers, warm and thick, and the sight of it made her breath hitch in her throat.
“Why are you so stupid?” she sobbed, her voice shaking. “You haven’t even awakened your element yet. Why would you do this? Why would you throw your life away like this?”
James’s lips trembled as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. His eyes, half-lidded and glassy, searched for her face. “Because… I love you,” he gasped, his voice broken and weak. “Nova… I really love you. I never touched Aurora. I swear… I didn’t do anything.”
His breath was shallow. His chest barely moved.
Nova cried harder, her tears falling onto his bloodied face. “I believe you,” she whispered. “I believe you, James. I’ll never blame you again. Please don’t die. Please…”
But James didn’t answer.
His eyes slowly slid shut.
And his body was still in her arms.
Samuel, still possessed by the wild surge of elemental energy, showed no sign of remorse. Even with James lying lifeless on the ground, his eyes burned with an unnatural glow. Without hesitation, he raised his empty hand and summoned more shards of deadly ice, the air crackling with cold fury. The sharp cones spun into the sky, ready to rain down on Nova.
Nova tried to move, but she was still clutching James, frozen in grief.
Then, just as the ice began to fall, a powerful burst of energy surged from the shadows. A gust of wind swept through the clearing, scattering the ice cones before they could touch Nova. Isabella rushed in, her eyes blazing with fury. Her presence sent a ripple through the air.
With swift precision, she raised her hand and released a pulse of elemental energy that struck Samuel squarely in the chest, sending him flying backward. His wand flew from his grip and clattered to the ground.
The moment the wand left his hand, the glow in Samuel’s eyes faded.
He dropped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut and lay there, unconscious, his breathing shallow and uneven.
Nova sobbed uncontrollably, her hands pressed against James’ bloody chest as her tears fell onto his pale face. “Please, Isabella… save him… I don’t know what to do… please…” she pleaded, her voice trembling with desperation.
Isabella knelt beside her, her expression calm but intense. “Nova,” she said softly, “this is your moment. You have to try. Use the power of the elements.”
Nova shook her head, her hands trembling. “I can’t… I’ve only ever used fire to attack. I don’t know how to heal… I’m not even good at that. When Samuel was chasing me, my fire didn’t listen to me… it just... it failed me!”
Isabella looked directly into her eyes, her voice unwavering. “Your power didn’t fail you, Nova. You just haven’t believed in yourself yet. You’re stronger than you think. You’re not just the Child of Light in name... you have that power inside you. Right now, James needs you. Only you can reach him.”
Nova stared at her, overwhelmed. Her fingers brushed James’ cheek. He was so still. So cold. She closed her eyes, trying to quiet the chaos inside her.
Isabella leaned closer and said firmly, “You can d
o it. You are bigger than you think.”