Chapter 61 The Initial Attack
Amara’s POV
It was getting dark. The glow of spells and torches illuminated the battlefield. Sweat, steel, and dread filled the air. Swords drawn, shields locked, faces set in grim determination, the Obsidian Pack line held at the southern gate.
Lilith's cursed wolves advanced across the clearing, their bodies contorted, their eyes crimson, and their jaws dripping black spit. Behind them, renegade witches hovered, reciting spells that scuttled across the atmosphere like beetles. The initial attack struck us with hurricane-force power.
A wolf leapt at a warrior named Josa, its claws tearing through armor as he yelled. Cursed creatures sliced through lines as guards collapsed. Kian's dagger sent out arcs of magic that repelled a witch's curse. As he sliced through a group of wolves guarding a collapsed wall, Rowan's sword gleamed.
I was standing close to the rune barrier, which was a circle of luminous sigils made with moon dust and chalk. Miranda's shaky voice and blazing smoke bolstered the wards as she chanted from her place. I could feel the barrier's pulse beneath my foot.
A single shattered wolf sprang at the wall. Rowan slashed brightly, sending ice magic shards into its throat. It fell apart.
Dark vines sprang toward us as a witch lifted her staff and cursed. Kian used flashes of silver light to deflect them. "Return them!" he yelled.
I held on to my moon blade. The moon's light caused the mark on my arm to flame hotter. I gave Mira a nod. Whispering fresh charms into the breeze, she closed her eyes.
The earth shook once more. We couldn't keep up with the amount of wolves that emerged as the damned wolves pressed further across the line. The groans of wounded warriors reverberated throughout the area.
I maintained the rune circle's boundary throughout the confusion. Chanting the words Selene had shown me in the spirit realm, I willed magic through the blade and into the barrier.
Despite the electric resistance snapping at my arms, I remained focused and pushed Lilith's monsters backwards while drawing moonlight.
A wolf spun around and sprang at Mira. With my blade gleaming, I leapt through the opening and hit it cleanly before it could bite her.
Mira gulped and regained her composure. "I'm grateful!" she exclaimed. "Maintain the barrier's strength!"
The barrier barely held as pain slithered up my chest and through my arm.
My thoughts were distorted by Lilith's tug every time I took a deep breath. However, I tightened my hold on my sword and said, "Not yet."
Around us, there was a roar of battle, with wolves howling, steel striking, and curses broken. Lilith's army's initial wave struck Obsidian's defences. And we remained together.
Until the ward started to crack—and the ground moved.
Betrayal buzzed in the air. The lines of runes shuddered. Twisted magic jolted them, sending sparks flying. The weight of raw strength rushing through me caused me to stumble.
"Amara." Mira's voice was distant. Rowan's frightened and wide-eyed visage briefly came into view.
The warriors were yelled at by Rowan: "Don't retreat! Keep your distance at all costs!"
Near me, Kian cut past a group of wolves. He glanced up, noticed my swaying, and rushed ahead. "Amara, keep going!"
Sweat streaming down my face, I held on to the edge of the barrier. Short intakes of breath came out of me. Selene's words, scarcely audible over the battle, were the chant I repeated.
There was a pulse in the barrier. The rune circle was dotted with tiny fissures. My arm was dripping with blood. The light on my blade flickered.
Lilith was inside me, her laughter blazing in my brain. Priestess, bend. Bend or shatter.
I pushed ahead. With soldiers falling, wolves splitting lines, and magic exploding like fire, the battlefield became hazy. The runes were struck by a cursed explosion. A single glyph broke. My barrier let out a cry.
I cut through the air and flung my energies into the opening. My voice broke. I resisted. Then, however, a surge of black magic struck. The runes broke into fragments of light.
The wall fell.
Devastation rolled in after a lethal silence.
“Bar… rier’s down!” was a scream that ripped through the darkness.
Anarchy swept in. Wolves rushed across the opening. Witches came yelling obscenities.
Overwhelmed, I fell to my knees. Beside me, the lunar blade clattered to the ground.
Every heartbeat and every breath pained. My limbs wouldn't hold me up. But for now, I couldn't let myself become lost in the dark.
A chilly voice—Lilith's hollow, triumphant laughter—repeated in my head.
The barrier broke completely, and the battlefield shook. And Lilith's laughter reverberated in the distance: "The Witch is unbound."