Chapter 86 The Position of Rowan
Amara’s POV
With a thunderous roar, the stronghold's gates fell. Like a torrent of dreams, the smoke drifted in first, followed by the shadows, and then Lilith's army.
With my mark burning hotter than fire, I staggered backwards, gasping on ash. Around me, wolves screamed and battled with dark creatures, but Rowan was the first to jump into the opening.
His voice pierced the screaming as he yelled, "Stay back!" over the confusion. He cut through the first wave, his sword gleaming in the firelight. "Nobody can get past me!"
"Rowan!" He ignored me as I sobbed.
His anger and desperation drove each lightning-fast movement. With blood splattering across his chest, he dispatched a beast twice his size. Before she could finish, Rowan thrust his blade through the throat of another witch who was chanting as she came at him.
For a minute, Kian struggled next to him, but Rowan snarled, "Keep her safe! I'll keep the breach open!
After hesitating, Kian shoved me back behind a group of fighters. "Don't move, Amara! I'll— if Rowan falls."
"I will not allow him to fall!" Even my voice faltered as I shouted back.
The hole grew wider. The darkness went on and on. Rowan remained standing, his body bleeding but unbroken, his teeth bared as he swung his sword with wild rage.
"Rowan!" I saw claws cut across his arm and let out another scream.
All he could do was snarl and kick the beast away. "I'm not going to die here!" he yelled. "Not with her looking on!"
My chest constricted. I was immobile even though I wanted to run to him and pull him away from the flames. Between the weight of my burning mark and fear, my legs trembled.
"Please, Rowan" My voice broke.
For a moment, his wild, firelight-glinting eyes shifted to mine. "Amara, don't you dare cry! I haven't finished yet!
Then he was struck by another wave: shadows clawing, beasts tearing, witches chanting.
Like a wolf with nothing left to lose, he battled like a madman. Every roar was a vow, every strike a promise.
However, the blood on the ground grew larger.
He couldn't hold forever, and I knew that.
The firelight flickered—and suddenly the battlefield twisted.
I blinked, gasping. It was like the world bent around us. Smoke swirled into shapes, and Lilith appeared, not far from Rowan, her eyes glowing like burning coals.
She smiled, slow and cruel. “Poor boy,” she purred. “You think you can stop me with brute strength?”
Rowan spat blood, raising his sword. “I’ll stop you with everything I’ve got!”
Her laugh was sharp, cruel. She raised a hand, and suddenly the smoke formed into a vision—me, lying dead on the ground, blood spilling from my chest.
I froze, my breath caught in my throat. “No”
Rowan’s eyes widened. "Amara!" He stumbled forward, reaching for me—but his blade wavered.
“It’s coming,” Lilith said, her voice slithering like a snake. “Her death. Your failure. The mark is burning her alive until there’s nothing left but ash.”
Rowan shook his head violently. “Shut up! That’s not real!”
But the vision twisted again. I saw myself screaming, flames crawling up my skin, my eyes rolling back. My voice cried out: Rowan, help me!
His body shook. His grip faltered.
"Rowan!" I screamed for real, my voice raw. “Don’t listen to her! Look at me! I’m here!”
He blinked hard, shaking his head, forcing himself forward. “You won’t take her from me!”
Lilith’s smile widened. “You’re already losing, wolf. Look at you. Bleeding, broken. You’ll crawl to her… but you’ll die before you reach her.”
Then she struck.
A shadow spear flew from her hand, slamming into Rowan’s side. The sound tore through me—a wet, sickening thud.
“NO!” I screamed, my knees hitting the ground.
Rowan staggered, blood pouring down his armour. His sword clattered to the floor. Still, he pushed forward, dragging himself across the stones toward me.
“Amara…” His voice was barely a whisper, raw and broken. His hand stretched out, trembling, covered in blood.
My heart shattered. “Rowan, stay with me! Don’t you dare give up!”
He collapsed onto his knees, then forced himself to crawl. Every movement left a smear of red on the ground.
Behind him, Lilith laughed, the sound like thunder splitting the sky.
“Crawl, little wolf,” she mocked. “Crawl to her, bleed for her, die for her. Either way, she will be mine.”
"Rowan!" I screamed again, tears blinding me. “Don’t stop! Please, don’t stop!”
His lips moved, whispering something I couldn’t hear. His body shook, blood pooling beneath him.
And then—his hand fell inches from mine.
"Rowan!" I cried, grabbing for him.
But his eyes closed.
The battlefield roared around us, but in that moment, all I could hear was the sound of my own breaking heart.