Chapter 225 – Marcus's Curse

Chapter 225 – Marcus's Curse


Lucian

Eira’s voice was steady conforting Liora. “Marcus died but,” she said. “He already called the curse. And it would affect you if care is not taken."

“Then we fight it,” Liora said trying to sound strong. “We find a way. We make a way.”

Silvermoon was quiet now. Too quiet. Only the wind moved through the dead ground, the smell of blood and burnt ashes.

The moon above us still red.

Marcus’s body lay still. His eyes were wide open, frozen in that wicked smirk that still haunted me. I stared at him rememberingwhat he said, expecting him to rise again. But then, his fingers twitched.

Shit... I know Marcus won't ve down that easily.

“Damn it,” Keal uttered, stepping forward to shield Liora. “He’s not dead.”

Before I could do anything, Marcus’s body jerked up, his bones cracking changing into something else.

The sound of his laughter filled the place.

“Did you really think… you could kill me that easily?” Marcus’s voice rasped. “My body will live as long as its still intact.”

Damn it he cast the immortal spell on him.

Liora’s hand shot up before I could move. Frost burst from her palm...blue fire and ice swirling together.

Time stop. It looks like she's controlling the weather.

Frost slicing through the air and hitting Marcus in the chest.

He screamed. But her power was getting stronger... pouring into him. His skin turned gray, cracking, breaking.

The ice burning his body.

His body crumbled into pieces of ash and ice until there was nothing left but dust on the broken earth.

The whole process took a toll on Liora, she fell on her knees, breathing hard. Her body trembled.

Frost still glimmered faintly around her hands, melting into the dirt. She was pale she used her powers and exhausted her energy.

But it's finally over.

I dropped beside her. “It’s over,” I whispered. “You did it.”

But she didn’t answer. She only gave a small, tired smile. “It’s not over, Lucian… He said… he already cursed me…”

Then she shivered violently.

“Liora?”

Her body went still, her eyes widening. Then her veins began to glow...silver and red ... like molten fire beneath her skin.

“Liora!” I shouted, catching her as she collapsed into my arms. Her skin was burning cold, her pulse faint. “Stay with me, please.”

Her lips parted slightly. “I told you… the curse it taken a toll on me…”

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No, not you. I can’t lose you too.”

Keal ran toward us, his boots splashing through the mud. He saw her glowing veins, and his face twisted in horror. “There has to be another way!” he yelled. “We can save her! We can...”

“Don’t just stand there!” I snapped. “Help me!”

Keal grabbed my shoulder, his grip tight and trembling. “This is your fault, Lucian!” he shouted, his voice breaking. “You should’ve stayed away from her! You brought Marcus back into this! You...”

“I know, but now we need to do anything possible to save her!” I yelled back, my throat raw. “Marcus used me. He wanted her power. He plan all this...”

Keal’s fist slammed into my face before I could finish. Pain exploded through my jaw, and I stumbled back.

“You are her mate, you were supposed to protect her,” he snarled, his voice shaking. “Now look at her!”

I fell to my knees beside her again. Her breath came out shallow, her body trembling in my arms. I pressed my forehead against hers, feeling the cold sweat on her skin.

“Liora…” I whispered, my voice cracking. “You’ll wake up. You have to.”

The smell of frost and blood mixed in the air. I could still taste the metallic tang on my tongue, the bitterness of the battle lingering like poison. The world around us was nothing but ash, fire, and silence.

Keal’s voice broke the stillness. “Look at her veins… they’re spreading. Would she even wake up... The curse... "

“She will,” I said hoarsely. My heartbeat was too loud, thudding in my ears. My vision blurred, but I kept holding her tighter, as if my arms alone could keep her alive.

Shadowmere’s whisper came faintly from the shadows behind me..a low voice, deep and cold.

“Check your father’s blood ritual ground.”

My head snapped up. “What?”

Shadowmere’s figure flickered, almost transparent. “The curse began there. It can end there. But the price will not be light, Lucian.”

I swallowed hard. My father. The word burned like acid in my throat.

Marcus wasn’t just the monster who ruined us... he was my blood. The truth I had seen in his last vision still echoed in my mind. You carry my blood, Lucian. You carry my curse.

I looked at Liora again. Her eyelashes fluttered weakly, her lips pale. “You would wake up,” I whispered, brushing my hand against her cheek. “I promise. Even if I have to die for it.”

Keal grabbed my arm roughly. “Stay away from her!” His voice cracked with grief. “Haven’t you done enough?”

I stared at him, unable to speak. The tears that burned my eyes felt hot, but I let them fall. There were no words left to fight with. Only the sound of her faint breathing.

The wind howled through the empty field, carrying the faint scent of burned metal and blood. The moon was fading behind a curtain of clouds, the red turning darker, thicker... like it was mourning with us.

Marcus was gone. But his curse… it was still here. Living inside her.

I looked down at her glowing veins again. The silver light was flickering, like stars fading from the sky. “Hold on, Liora,” I whispered. “Please… just hold on.”

Keal stood behind me, breathing hard, his claws ready to strike. I could hear his frustration, his pain in every breath. “If she dies, Lucian… I swear... ”

“She won’t,” I said, standing. My hands were trembling. “I won’t let her.”

I turned toward the dark hills beyond the battlefield. In the distance, the air shimmered faintly... the place where Marcus had performed his blood ritual. I could almost hear the faint hum of his dark magic calling me back.

That was where it all began. And maybe… where it could end.

I looked at her one last time. “I’ll bring you back,” I whispered. “Even if it costs me everything.”

Keal knelt beside her, clutching her cold hand. “Are you heading to the blood ritual … if you go there, you might not come back.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “But if I don’t, she’ll die.”

The moonlight fell on her face then... soft, pale, and fading. She looked peaceful, almost like she was just sleeping.

I brushed her hair away from her eyes, kissed her forehead, and whispered, “Wait for me.”

Then I turned and walked toward the darkness.

Each step felt heavier than the last. The air grew colder. I could still smell the smoke from the fires, still taste the blood on my tongue. The wind whispered through the ruins like voices of the dead.

But I didn’t stop.

Because in my chest, one truth burned clearer than the rest..

I’d rather die cursed than live in a world without her.

And somewhere, deep in the ruins ahead, I felt it... the faint pulse of dark magic. The blood ritual ground.

Maybe it held the answer.
Or maybe… my end.

Either way, I had to try.

As I stepped into the circle of ashes where my father had stood, the ground pulsed beneath my feet. The runes lit up with a dark red glow, and a voice whispered in the wind... it waa his voice.

“Welcome back, son.”

And then everything went black.