Chapter 34

Rain beat steadily down from the storm clouds above, thunder booming and lightning strikes hitting the ground far out in the direction of Aer House. The battle Dante was waging in the sky was felt everywhere across campus, his rage crackling through the air with a keen ferocity. And the little kid strapped to my chest was at least part of the reason he was fighting with all the fury of a wrathful star.

I kept the rain from touching us, my air shield doming out around me as I hurried through the dark wood with my thoughts set firmly on Terra House.

Magic tingled the inside of my palms, ready for any attack that came my way, every muscle in my body primed for it.

A baying howl sounded off across campus, and I recognised Frank's pitching tone. My pack was out there, caught up in the fray, and I vowed to join them the moment Luca was safe.

Rattles filled the air, heading this way, and I cursed under my breath, veering off the path into the trees where a fog was beginning to form between the boughs. I needed to move before they could get a grasp on my magic. But the Nymphs' heavy footfalls carried this way and I quickened my pace, keeping my silencing bubble tight around us.

"Awoo." Luca prodded me. "Do awoo. Do awoo."

"Not right now, buddy," I breathed. "Awoo later."

"Awoo now."

"Awoo," I whisper-howled.

Luca's little face screwed up, his mouth opening in a silent, devastated cry but the noise soon came pouring out, echoing around my bubble.

"Shh, shh," I urged, patting his back.

"A-woo," he pleaded through a sob.

The rattles deepened and I felt the Nymphs' sickly power coiling tighter around my magic, trying to lock it down. I stalled, sensing them from up ahead too. I couldn't turn back; we'd already come this far.

The trees shifted in the wind, their boughs bending, just dark shapes moving in the mist. But the crash of movement was coming this way, louder and louder. The Nymphs were close, and perhaps some of the swaying trees weren't trees at all.

Magic still crackled in my palms, and while it was still available, I was going to damn well use it. I was an Heir; one of the most powerful Fae in the whole of Solaria, and a vortex lived in my veins that could carve the earth in two.

I planted my feet, raising my hands, one in either direction. I focused on the source of the rattles and let my power pour from me in a violent tornado, the fierce cast sending a tremor rolling through my entire body. It tore up the earth, smashing into trees as it gained momentum, ripping them out of the ground and throwing three huge ashes away from us.

With a wrenching of wood and roar of wind, the fog parted and I found eight Nymphs awaiting me in the wood, their blood red eyes locked on me and Luca. The tree trunks slammed into their group, knocking some from their feet while others advanced at speed.

I stamped my foot down onto the ground, cleaving it apart as my earth magic scored through it, causing a violent quake to blast away from me in all directions.

Two more Nymphs were knocked down and I made the earth swallow them up, dragging them deep into the mud and hardening it to stone. Their shrieks of terror carried up into the dark sky, lightning flashing above and more rain spearing down from the clouds, setting my veins alight with a buzz of static.

My tornado blasted through the trees, turning three of the Nymphs to ash as it carved through them, but the remaining Nymphs let their rattles unleash fully, the weight of their power slamming into me all at once.

I blasted myself skyward with the small measure of air magic I could wrangle, trying to get us out of there, but long fingers snatched my ankle, the probes of a Nymph slicing through my jeans and cutting deep into my skin.

I roared in anger, crashing to the mud on my back, and Luca's cries escalated tenfold. I gritted my teeth, kicking the Nymph away from me as he swiped for the kid, my boot smashing into his jaw and breaking it.

I scrambled backwards, fearing for the little life I had vowed to protect, the rattles of the remaining Nymphs burrowing into my chest and working to lock down my magic. Shifting was only a last resort; because the vines securing Luca to me would snap, and I couldn't carry him so easily in my Wolf form.

So that left me one choice.

I used the last of my magic to cast a sharp spear in my hand and shoved to my feet in the next second. With a bellow of determination tearing from my lips, I slammed my spear into the skull of the Nymph with the broken jaw, casting the beast to ash. Two more came at me and I raced to meet them without hesitation. I'd die before I let them claim Luca.

I ducked a swipe from the first Nymph's probes, driving the spear up between its ribs with all the strength I possessed, black blood spraying my hands as I sought out its worthless heart.

The second Nymph swung for me and my head whipped sideways, my ear ringing from the impact of the strike. Its probes slashed down my face and neck, blood tainting the air as the blow sent me staggering sideways, my spear slipping from my fingers and clattering to the ground.

"Wolfy!" Luca screamed, and my arms closed around him, my back turning to the Nymph as a second blow came. This time, the probes scraped down the length of my spine and I was thrown to my knees, my head bowing and teeth gritting through the pain.

Luca's little hand cupped my cheek, blood dripping onto his face from the wounds on mine.

"I've got you. You're going to survive this," I said through my teeth, a promise I swore to keep.

I felt the Nymph closing in from behind and I shoved to my feet with a growl of agony breaking from my lips. The wound to my back was bad, the heat of my own blood rushing down the deep lacerations and dripping onto the forest floor.

I stumbled sideways to avoid a deadly swipe from the Nymph's probes, then lunged for my weapon on the ground ahead.

The Nymph swung around, its giant arm crashing into my head and sending me flying forward. I slammed my hands to the ground, taking the brunt of the blow and tensing my arms to stop my weight from crushing Luca. He was crying again, and I hated that I was failing him. That death was swooping in on us so fast, the rattle of the beast behind me making it impossible for me to use my magic.

My hand closed around the spear, and for a moment I was caught in the past, tasting the icy cold snow on my lips and feeling the frigid air of that mountain cave blowing against my cheek. I'd been alone with no one to defend me, but I would not abandon Luca as I'd been abandoned back then.

I cut the vines binding Luca to my body, and he fell gently onto the mud beneath me. I smiled through the pain, not letting him see me break, and his tears slowed as if some part of him understood the vow in my eyes. This is for you, little one.

I rolled over fast, so my body covered his, bringing up my spear as the Nymph reared over me, driving it up towards its ugly head.

The Nymph lurched backwards to avoid it and my spear sank into its throat, puncturing whatever organ created that terrible rattling sound. Silence fell, my right ear still ringing loudly, but magic swept back into my veins in an instant.

I howled like I was one with my Wolf, letting my magic tear from my body in an eruption of air that eviscerated the Nymph, tearing it limb from limb until every part of it burst to ash.

Trees fell around me in a circle and I was left standing in a storm of ash and destruction, my chest heaving and victory burning through the heart of me.

I shed the remains of my tattered, bloodied shirt and pressed a hand to my chest, letting healing magic roll through my body, undoing what had been done.

Then I turned to Luca on the ground, lifting him into my arms and wiping the blood from his cheek.

"You awoo," he said excitedly, clapping his little hands.

"I did," I said with a smirk, the rain pelting down on us and washing away the tinge of blood on our skin, my long hair a mess of wet strands. "Now give me your best awoo while I strap you back in place."

Luca started howling like a newly Emerged Wolf pup and I strapped him onto my chest again with vines, checking his helmet was secure before heading off through the trees.

My magic was low, and though I could feel a trickle of it returning to me as I ran, it wasn't filling my reserves nearly fast enough. I prayed I wouldn't meet more enemies ahead, but as I made it out of the woods, I found salvation waiting for me.

"Lance!" I called, running toward him as he ripped a Nymph's head off with his bare hands. He leapt to the ground as the beast fell to the earth, the Nymph turning to ash before it made impact.

Beyond him, Milton and his herd were in their fully shifted Minotaur forms, driving their horns into a hoard of the creatures, fast gaining the upper hand. The Shadow Beast was among them, capturing Nymphs between his giant jaws and tearing them to pieces like sacks of straw.

Orion's eyebrows arched as he spotted Luca in my arms, taking in my bedraggled form and shooting over to meet me. "Luca?" he gasped, checking the kid was alright.

"Here." I unstrapped him. "Get him to Terra House. Now."

Orion nodded, taking Luca wordlessly and the kid smiled up at him. "Fangs, Ori! Fangs!"

Orion bared his fangs at Luca and he cheered in his arms, making me hope he wasn't scarred for life by all the blood and death he'd just witnessed.

Orion shot away in a blur of speed, and I released a heavy breath of relief, barely having a second to think before Orion returned. "Leon was there. He's protecting him now."

I blew out a breath, thankful Luca was safe. At least so long as we could keep our enemies away from Terra House and all those who were taking shelter there.

I rolled my shoulders back, spotting a line of Nymphs headed this way and finally letting the shift take hold of me. I stood at Orion's side with my hackles rising and rows of sharp teeth bared.

Orion petted my shoulder for a second and I glanced at him.

"You did good, mutt," he said quietly, and I swear he had only said it because I wasn't able to reply. But I could damn well lick his face. I lunged for the lick, but he darted away with a burst of speed, tossing a knowing grin back at me before racing into battle. And I was right there at his back, ready to tear our foes apart.