Chapter 37 Continuation
"What do you want?" Mara shouted back.
"My payment. You agreed to do one task for me. Well, here it is. Kill everyone in this camp."
"What? No! I will not do that!"
"Then the shadow power inside you will consume you. Right now. In front of everyone you love." Morgana smiled. "Choose quickly. Kill them or become a monster."
Mara felt the shadow power surge inside her. It was trying to take over. Trying to force her to obey.
"Fight it!" Zevran grabbed her shoulders. "You are stronger than this!"
"I cannot! The deal is too strong!" Mara fell to her knees. Black veins appeared on her skin. Her eyes started turning red.
"There has to be another way!" Isla cried.
"There is no other way," Morgana said. "The deal is sealed. She must obey or die. Those are the only options."
The zombie army shuffled closer. Hundreds of them. All waiting for orders.
Mara felt herself losing control. The shadow was winning. Soon she would transform into a monster and kill everyone she loved.
"Wait!" A new voice called out.
Everyone turned. The Shadow King appeared from the darkness. His massive form towered over everyone.
"This was not our agreement, Morgana," the Shadow King said. His voice was like grinding stone. "You promised you would not interfere with the Moon Wolf until after our battle."
"I changed my mind," Morgana said. "I grow tired of waiting."
"That is not how deals work. Even among Shadow Wolves." The Shadow King moved closer to Mara. "Release her from the contract."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because if you do not, I will destroy you. Right here. Right now."
Morgana laughed. "You cannot destroy me. I am the first Shadow Wolf. I am older and stronger than you."
"Perhaps. But you are also weakened from raising this army. I can sense it. You used too much power. You are vulnerable."
Morgana's smile faded. "You dare threaten me?"
"I dare many things." The Shadow King placed his massive paw on Mara's shoulder. Immediately, the shadow power inside her calmed. "This girl is mine to kill. Not yours. You will release her or face me in combat."
Morgana was silent for a long moment. Then she waved her hand. "Fine. The deal is suspended. For now. But this is not over, Moon Wolf. I will find another way to collect."
She vanished. The zombie army collapsed, lifeless once more.
Mara gasped. The shadow power retreated. She could breathe again.
"Thank you," she said to the Shadow King. "You saved me."
"Do not thank me yet. I only postponed your death. I will still have to kill you when our month is up." The Shadow King looked at all the wolves staring at him. "But until then, you are under my protection. Anyone who harms you will answer to me."
He turned to leave.
"Wait!" Mara called. "Why did you help me? You said you have to kill me."
"I do. But I want to kill you at your strongest. Not when you are being manipulated by Morgana." The Shadow King looked back with his burning white eyes. "You remind me of who I used to be. I want to see if you can succeed where I failed. Before I end you."
Then he vanished into the shadows.
Everyone started talking at once.
"The Shadow King protected you?"
"What just happened?"
"Are we safe now?"
Mara did not answer. She just stared at where the Shadow King had been. He was a monster. A killer. But he had also saved her life.
Nothing made sense anymore.
"Come on," Zevran said gently. "You need rest. Real rest this time."
Mara let him lead her away from the chaos. Away from the questions and the fear.
That night, she lay in their tent, unable to sleep. Again.
"Talk to me," Zevran said. "What are you thinking?"
"I am thinking that I am tired. So tired of fighting. Of making hard choices. Of being the Moon Wolf."
"Do you regret accepting the power?"
"Sometimes. My life was simpler when I was just a slave. Harder. More painful. But simpler."
"You can never go back to that life. You know that, right?"
"I know. But sometimes I wish I could."
They lay in silence for a while.
"The Shadow King said he wants to see if I can succeed where he failed," Mara said. "What if I cannot? What if I end up just like him? A monster consumed by darkness?"
"Then I will find a way to save you. Just like you saved me from the curse."
"What if there is no way to save me?"
"Then I will die trying."
Mara rolled over to look at him. "Do not say things like that."
"Why not? It is the truth. I would rather die trying to save you than live without you."
"That is stupid."
"That is love."
Mara kissed him. Slow and deep and desperate. Like it might be their last kiss.
When they pulled apart, Zevran smiled. "We are going to survive this. All of it. Morgana. The Shadow King. Whatever else comes. We will survive together."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I have faith in you. In us. That is enough."
Mara wanted to believe him. But deep down, she knew something was wrong. Something was coming. Something worse than anything they had faced before.
She felt it in her bones.
The worst was yet to come.