Chapter 64 Lurking Dangers
The air around Maya’s body shimmered like spun light, delicate threads of brightness weaving and unweaving themselves in restless patterns. The glow pulsed softly at first, then grew brighter, stronger, until it illuminated every strained face gathered around her. The Soldiers stood frozen in place, a million of questions running through their minds. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Fernanda knelt on the bloodstained ground, her hands trembling in her lap as she watched the shimmer coil around Maya’s still form. Hope bloomed in her chest, fragile and terrifying all at once. Her heart hammered so loudly she was certain everyone could hear it.
“Please,” she whispered, her voice barely sound at all. “Please…”
The light intensified, blinding for a moment, then abruptly faded. The shimmer unraveled into nothingness, dissolving into the cold air as if it had never existed.
Silence followed.
Fernanda’s breath caught painfully in her throat.
She leaned forward on her knees, crawling the last inch until she was hovering over Maya. Her eyes searched Maya’s face desperately, willing any sign of movement to appear. Nothing. Maya lay exactly as she had before, pale and unmoving, lashes resting too still against her cheeks.
“No,” Fernanda breathed, her voice cracking. “No, no, no.”
She placed both hands on Maya’s shoulders and shook her gently at first, then harder. “Maya, open your eyes. Please open your eyes.”
Her heart began to sink, the dread heavy and suffocating. She shook her again, more violently now, panic bleeding into her voice. “Wake up. You have to wake up. You promised me you would not leave me.”
Her words dissolved into sobs. “Please,” she cried, her voice breaking completely. “I did everything. I felt it work. You cannot do this to me.”
Sebastian stood a few steps away, his chest tight as he watched her unravel. His hands curled into fists at his sides, helpless. He wanted to go to her, to pull her into his arms, but he knew this moment belonged to her and Maya alone.
Fernanda bent over Maya’s body, her forehead pressing against Maya’s chest as if she could will her heart to beat again. “I need you,” she sobbed. “You cannot leave me like this.”
Her tears soaked into the fabric of Maya’s ruined clothing. Her shoulders shook violently as she cried, each breath jagged and uneven.
Then Maya’s fingers twitched.
It was barely noticeable, a faint movement that could have been mistaken for nothing at all.
Fernanda froze.
Her head snapped up. “Maya?” she whispered, hardly daring to speak.
A cough tore from Maya’s throat, harsh and ragged, followed by a strained wheeze. Her chest jerked beneath Fernanda’s hands as her lungs dragged in air for the first time since death.
Fernanda gasped sharply, disbelief flooding her face. “Oh my goddess,” she whispered.
Maya’s body convulsed weakly as she struggled to breathe. Her throat worked painfully, raw and damaged, the slit in her neck slowly drawing itself together. The torn flesh knit itself closed in agonizing increments, skin sealing as though guided by unseen hands.
Maya sucked in another breath, then another, each one sounding wet and labored. Her fingers curled weakly into the earth as sensation crept back into her limbs. A shudder ran through her entire body, cold and violent, as life slowly crawled back into her body.
Fernanda watched it all in stunned silence, her hands hovering uselessly over Maya’s chest as if afraid to touch her again. Tears streamed down her face unchecked, her mouth trembling.
“Maya,” she whispered again. “You are here. You are here.”
Maya’s eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.
The first thing she saw was Fernanda.
Her vision was blurred, her world spinning, but Fernanda’s face hovered above her like an anchor. Tears streamed down Fernanda’s cheeks, her expression a mixture of disbelief, relief, and overwhelming happiness.
Before Maya could speak, Fernanda collapsed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her.
“I missed you,” Fernanda sobbed into her shoulder. “I missed you so much. Do you know how much I missed you?”
Maya coughed weakly, her body still struggling to adjust, but she lifted one trembling hand and rested it against Fernanda’s back.
“I thought… I thought I lost you,” Fernanda cried. “I thought I would never hear your voice again.”
She pulled back just enough to cradle Maya’s face, pressing frantic kisses to her forehead and cheeks. “Thank you,” she whispered through tears. “Thank you for coming back to me.”
Her gaze lifted briefly toward the sky. “Thank you, moon goddess. Thank you for bringing her back.”
Sebastian released a breath he felt he had been holding since the moment Maya fell. Relief washed over him so powerfully his knees nearly buckled. His eyes softened as he watched Fernanda laugh and cry at the same time, her joy raw and unrestrained.
For the first time since the battlefield descended into chaos, Fernanda smiled.
And that smile alone made every loss feel lighter.
The soldiers murmured among themselves, awe rippling through the group. Some crossed themselves instinctively, others stared openly at Maya as if she were a ghost made flesh.
“She was dead,” one whispered.
“How did her majesty do that?” another asked, disbelief thick in his voice.
Maya slowly turned her head, trying to take in her surroundings. Her throat burned painfully when she tried to speak. “Your… highness?” she croaked, her voice hoarse and thin.
Fernanda immediately leaned closer. “I am here,” she said softly. “Do not strain yourself.”
Maya blinked, confusion clouding her eyes. “I… I remember…” She swallowed painfully. “I remember dying.”
Fernanda’s hands tightened around hers. “Do not think about that right now.”
Maya’s breathing grew uneven again. “I felt myself leave,” she whispered. “I heard you screaming and then everything went quiet.”
Fernanda pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You are alive,” she said firmly. “That is all that matters.”
Sebastian stepped forward then, his voice gentle but commanding. “We need to get her somewhere warm. She has lost too much blood and her body is still recovering.”
Fernanda nodded quickly. “Yes. Please.”
The soldiers carefully helped Maya sit up, supporting her weight as her legs trembled beneath her. She winced, clutching Fernanda’s arm for balance.
They guided her toward the carriage prepared for Fernanda, easing her inside and wrapping her in thick furs. Maya shivered despite them, her skin pale and cold.
Fernanda lingered beside the carriage, reluctant to let go, until Sebastian gently caught her wrist.
“Fernanda,” he said softly.
She turned, and he pulled her into his arms without hesitation. She melted into his embrace, her forehead pressing against his chest.
“It means everything to me,” he murmured into her hair, “to see you smile like this again.”
She nodded, her voice muffled against him. “I am happy,” she admitted. “Not only because Maya is alive.”
She pulled back slightly to look at him. “But because I know now that I can stop deaths that should never have happened. I can protect people who deserve to live.”
Sebastian cupped her face gently. “You already do.” he told her.
Fernanda saw the slight frown on his face, ”what is it?“ she asked, caressing both sides of his face. She noticed the stubble on his chin, an evidence of stress and burnout which only made him look more handsome than before.
“Nothing... I'm just worried about the lurking dangers getting ready to come for you now that you've awakened your powers.” Sebastian said with a sigh. “You don't need to worry about me anymore, I can protect myself now.” she told him.
Sebastian shook his head, ”Yes, and I'm proud of you. But I need you to know that I might not be able to be the good man you want me to be when it comes to protecting you from the ones out to get you. I will kill many just for you. Many.“ Fernanda had a feeling that Sebastian just said many to tone it down.
They both stood in silence, wondering what was next to come. Fernanda could feel it too, Damon was just the tip of the iceberg. There is more to come.
Levi rose slowly to his feet.
The crushing hollowness that had consumed him moments ago was gone. In its place was a strange warmth, spreading through his chest, down his arms, into his hands. He stared at his palms as they tingled faintly, his breath catching.
“What is this?” he muttered.
His Lycan stirred within him, alert and restless, as if recognizing something long lost.
“It cannot be,” Levi whispered.
A sharp pull tugged at his chest, unmistakable and urgent, drawing him back toward the battlefield. Toward Maya.
He did not hesitate.
Levi turned and broke into a run, his heart pounding as he followed the pull with single minded certainty, racing back towards the place where his humanity had just vanished.
Towards his mate.