Blood And Silence
Chapter 104:
Something shifted in the darkness.
Lucien’s gaze was locked beyond the trees, golden eyes glowing faintly from the light of the fire. His whole body was still, save for the slight twitch of muscle in his jaw.
Kael rose silently, blade already in hand. The sound of the forest had changed, it was too quiet now, as if everything alive was knew something dangerous was coming.
It was strange, Lucien thought, how easily silence could either signify comfort or danger.
A soft crunch resounded in the air.
Lucien’s head snapped up. The wolf inside him rose instantly, muscles coiling. His gaze flicked to Kael, who was already half-sitting, sword in hand.
Another sound, it was low, deliberate and close.
Lucien’s hand brushed Aria’s shoulder, “Wake up.” He whispered.
“What is it?” Aria murmured, her voice still husky from sleep. She pushed herself upright, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The fire between them crackled faintly, throwing long shadows against their faces.
Lucien’s head tilted slightly. “We’re not alone.”
That was all it took. Kael turned, scanning the treeline. His senses sharpened instantly, his wolf half surfacing. “Our kind?”
Lucien inhaled once, low and deliberate. His lips thinned. “Yes. At least five. Maybe more.”
Aria’s rune pulsed in her skin as if it could sense the danger, and she reached for her blade. “Scouts from the Council?”
“No,” Lucien said quietly. “These smell different. Wild.”
The next second, a branch snapped behind them.
Kael spun. “Who’s the–!”
Then the woods erupted.
Dark shapes burst from the trees, snarling and half-shifted, their movements fast and erratic. Rogues. Not organized, not tactical. Just desperate and hungry. The first one lunged straight for Kael, claws flashing in the moonlight. Kael darted to the left, steel flashing in the dark to meet flesh and bone.
Lucien met two head-on, his claws sliding out as he caught one by the throat and slammed it to the ground, teeth bared in a snarl that was all wolf. Blood sprayed across his forearm, warm and putrid.
Aria stumbled to her feet, adrenaline slamming through her veins. Her vision tunneled, sound dimming under the roar of her own heartbeat. Her rune throbbed painfully beneath her skin, spreading warmth that felt too alive.
“Aria, stay back!” he barked.
But it was already too late.
One of the rogues came from behind her, tackling her into the dirt. She hit the ground hard, breath leaving her lungs in a rush. Instinct took over. She rolled, shoving her dagger upward, and felt it sink into flesh. The rogue howled, blood spilling across her hand.
She stumbled to her feet, gasping, her vision narrowing. The Rune on her back burned like fire—no, worse than fire—alive and furious. Her pulse thudded in her ears.
“Lucien…” she tried to say, but the word fractured halfway, as another wolf lunged from the darkness towards her.
The rune on her skin ignited.
White light poured from her hand.
The wolf never reached her.
It hit an invisible wall mid-lunge, suspended for a heartbeat before it convulsed and dropped lifeless to the ground. Aria gasped, the energy scorching through her like molten fire. Her knees buckled.
She could hear shouting, Lucien’s voice, Kael’s—but it all sounded far away, like she was underwater. Her vision swam, her hands trembling uncontrollably. The rune flared brighter, crawling up her neck, spilling light into the clearing.
She couldn’t stop it.
Couldn’t control it.
Another shape lunged from the side, and before she could even lift her weapon, the air around her rippled. A pulse exploded outward, invisible but heavy, throwing dirt, ash, and bodies backward. Wolves hit the ground hard, whimpering, and the fire flared high before sputtering out.
Aria's body arched, her head snapping back as a searing pain, spread from her spine outward. The Rune flared under her skin, light crawled down her arms, shimmering faintly beneath her veins. Every sound became muffled, distant, as blinding white light filled her vision.
And then her mind went dark.
The clearing dissolved into chaos.
Lucien turned just in time to see Aria’s entire body ignite with light. White, pure, and burning. The air crackled with raw magic, making his hair stand on end. His wolf recoiled instinctively, the energy pouring off her felt wrong, nothing like he’d ever felt before.
“Aria!” he roared, but she didn’t respond. It was like she wasn’t even there.
Her eyes had gone silver.
The nearest rogue lunged toward her, and for a heartbeat, Lucien thought she’d be torn apart, but then something invisible ripped through the air. The wolf froze mid-step, body contorting before it was flung backward, hitting a tree so hard the trunk splintered.
Kael froze where he stood. “What in the–”
Another rogue rushed from the side, and Aria moved faster than sight. Her claws cut through air, and light followed, a shimmering arc that tore through two bodies at once. The forest exploded with movement and sound, snarls, screams and pleas for mercy.
Lucien took a step forward, shielding his eyes against the blinding glow. “Aria, stop! You’ll…”
Her head snapped toward him, but her eyes didn’t see him. They were blank, burning silver.
She raised her hand.
The earth cracked.
Kael stumbled, catching himself against a tree. “She’s not hearing you, Lucien! She’s gone, that's not—”
Lucien’s wolf howled inside his chest, urging him forward. He lunged through the light, grabbing her shoulders. Her body trembled violently, magic tearing through her like a storm.
“Aria,” he shouted, shaking her. “Come back to me!”
Her lips parted, but no sound came. Then the light shattered.
A pulse of energy burst outward, hurling him backward. Kael crashed into a fallen log. The fire blew out completely, plunging them all into darkness.
When Aria opened her eyes again, everything was still.
Her body ached, her throat was scratched raw. She pushed herself up slowly, dirt clinging to her palms. The fire was out and the moon was hidden behind the clouds.
The air smelled of ash and blood. Her ears rang, her body heavy as stone. For a long moment, she couldn’t remember where she was, or why her hands felt wet.
Then she saw them.