Chapter 196
Chapter 196
Bellas pov-
Veyra’s claws gleam in the portal’s scarlet glow, her ritual surging, a storm of dark energy that shakes the cliff beneath my feet. She lunges for me, her amber eyes burning, my poisoned blood her prize, the key to her immortality. Caesar shields me, his blade flashing through the fog, his roar a primal force that echoes off the grove’s twisted trees. His body is a wall between me and her, his armor dented, blood seeping from a cultist’s earlier strike. “I won’t let her take you,” he says. Our bond is a fire, Kaya’s flame surging despite the poison darkening my veins, and I press closer, his heartbeat a drum that steadies my trembling limbs.
Amber’s antidote works slowly, a faint warmth spreading through my shoulder, my vision clearing, but my strength wanes, each breath a struggle, the gash on my side throbbing. The twins’ pulse flickers, a fragile hum that claws at my soul, and I fight to stay upright, the relic’s fire our only hope against Veyra’s ritual. Freya lies crumpled near the shrine, her hands burned by the relic’s pureblood fire, her blood pooling on the frost-crusted stone, her sacrifice—stabbing Elias—buying us precious time. Her eyes meet mine, raw with atonement, Finn’s letter fulfilled in her blood, and I nod, a silent promise that her loyalty binds us. Finn fights nearby, his arm bleeding, his blade sinking into a cultist, his strength waning but his defiance fierce. Amber’s dagger flashes, her healer’s precision deadly, their bond a fire that mirrors mine and Caesar’s, a spark that keeps hope alive in the grove’s suffocating fog.
David kneels by the shrine, his relics glowing, chanting to amplify the relic’s power, his voice strained but resolute. “The dagger must pierce Veyra’s heart,” he warns, his eyes on the relic’s pulsing runes, “or her ritual binds her to your blood forever.” The words tighten my chest, the prophecy—one shall fall—looming, its shadow threatening Caesar, Finn, or me. Caesar and I move as one, our claws slashing through cultists, their amber eyes dimming, blood spraying as we carve a path to Veyra. Our eyes lock, a silent vow passing between us, and I bless every single moment I get to spend with him.
The portal pulses, a scarlet vortex that shakes the cliff, Elias’s body reduced to ash, his betrayal fueling Veyra’s power, her laugh venomous, a sound that chills my blood. He deserves it, but Amber? How does she feel about this. Freya stirs, her breath shallow, her hands trembling as she passes the relic to Caesar, its runes glowing like embers. “For Finn, for you,” she rasps, her eyes fierce despite the blood pooling beneath her, her sacrifice a weight I carry. I slice my palm, the pain now something I am getting use to whereas blood dripping, hot and slick, fueling the relic’s fire, its heat searing my skin, my essence draining with every drop. The dagger pulses in Caesar’s hand, its fire reflecting in his eyes, and I feel my own heartbeat begin to drop. I fear for my twins, my vision blurring, the poison still gnawing at my strength. Veyra charges, her claws grazing Caesar’s arm, blood welling, a scarlet line that stains his armor, and my scream echoes, raw and desperate, as he staggers, his blade still raised.
Finn tackles Veyra, his blade sinking into her side, a desperate strike that draws a snarl from her, but she’s too strong, her power a tide that flings him back, his body slamming against a tree. Amber’s cry pierces the air, her dagger slashing a cultist as she rushes to him, their love a fire that mirrors ours. I sway, my strength fading, but Amber supports me, her healer’s strength my anchor, her hands steady as she presses a bandage to my side. “Hold on, Bella,” she whispers, her eyes fierce, and I grip the relic, its fire searing my palm, my vision swimming. The cliff shakes, the portal widening, cultists falling, their eyes dimming as the relic’s power surges, a wave of heat that burns through the fog. Caesar rises, his blade ready, his arm bleeding but his resolve unbroken, his love my strength, a vow that keeps me fighting.
Veyra’s eyes lock on me, her chant peaking, a venomous cadence that pulls at my blood, my essence slipping from my control. The altar’s glow surges, the grove trembling, its roots cracking the earth. I feel her power, a storm that threatens to consume me, the twins’ heartbeats fading, a whisper that breaks my heart. Caesar’s blade flashes, his roar a challenge, but Veyra moves like a shadow, her claws slashing, relentless. The relic’s fire surges in my hand, its runes blazing, my arm trembling, but I hold tight, my vision narrowing to Veyra, her heart the target, the key to ending this. Caesar fights beside me, our movements in sync, cultists falling, their blood soaking the earth, our bond a fire that burns through despair. A victory we so badly seek for. “We end this together,” he growls, his hand brushing mine, a spark that steadies me, even during times like this.
The portal’s light blinds, a vortex of scarlet and shadow, and Veyra lunges, her claws arcing toward my chest. I raise the relic, its fire searing, but she’s faster, her claw slashing through my armor, blood spraying, a crimson arc that stains the cliff. Pain explodes, my breath catching, the twins’ pulse faltering, and I stumble, the relic slipping from my grasp. The portal explodes, a wave of dark energy swallowing Veyra, her scream echoing, the grove plunging into darkness. Caesar’s scream echoes as I fall, a raw, desperate sound that follows me into the void, my body weightless, the twins’ heartbeat a fading spark.