Page 5 of Chains of Love

"What was that?" His voice is tight, controlled, but I catch the slight tremor beneath his usual stoic tone. His crimson eyes narrow as they scan the shadows, one hand already resting on the hilt of his curved blade.

I swallow hard, trying to focus on the threat rather than the lingering warmth where his hand had been. "Nothing good." The words come out rougher than intended, betraying my unsteady nerves.

I draw in a shaky breath, scanning the twisted branches above. Shadows dance between the leaves, and I can't tell which are natural and which might conceal something more sinister.

One foot in front of the other. Just keep moving. The mantra echoes in my mind, grounding me despite the chaos of my thoughts.

A dark shape streaks across the path—closer this time. The shadows seem to bend around it, distorting like smoke in water. My scream catches in my throat as I whirl around, crashing straight into Darak's chest. His arms wrap around me instinctively, and I press my face into the worn leather of his armor. The scent of pine and steel surrounds me, and for a heartbeat, I forget to be afraid.

The bond flares between us, bright and warm, before he shifts his stance. In one fluid motion, he pushes me behind him, his curved blade singing as it leaves its sheath. The metal gleams despite the darkness, those ancient elven runes catching what little light filters through the canopy.

"Did you get a good look at it?" The doubt in his voice makes me bristle.

"I'm not imagining things." My fingers curl into the back of his armor. "It's moving too fast, but it's big. And the shadows... they're wrong around it."

"Wrong how?" His shoulders tense as another rustle sounds to our left.

"They bend. Like they're being pulled." I peer around his arm, trying to track the creature's movement. "I've never seen anything affect darkness that way. Not even my magic."

"That's because shadow manipulation is precise. This is..." He trails off as leaves crunch behind us. "Hungry."

The word sends ice down my spine, and I press closer to his back. The bond hums with shared tension.

The shadows part like a curtain, and my breath catches in my throat. The creature emerges—massive, its body a writhing mass of darkness that seems to absorb what little light remains. Limbs stretch and twist impossibly, ending in curved claws that leave deep gouges in the earth.

Darak moves like liquid shadow himself, his blade singing through the air. The creature's claws whistle past his head as he ducks and weaves. His sword finds flesh—or what passes for it—but the wound seals instantly, darkness flowing back together like oil.

"Quite the welcoming party you've brought us to," he grunts, rolling beneath another vicious swipe that whistles through the air where his head had been. His blade flashes again in the dim light, catching the creature's foreleg with a sound like metal striking frozen water. "Any helpful insights, demon?"

I back against a tree, feeling the rough bark dig into my spine as my fingers tremble with the effort of reaching for my magic. The power feels slippery, hard to grasp in the face of such overwhelming darkness. "Working on it."

He pivots with preternatural grace, but not quite fast enough. The creature's claws rake across his leather armor with devastating force, and the screech of torn material fills the air like a dying animal's cry. A flash of pain echoes through our bond.

"Workfaster."

My heart pounds as Darak launches himself forward, his sword a blur of motion. The creature howls—a sound that vibrates in my bones—but doesn't slow. Each strike seems to pass through it like water, leaving no lasting damage.

"This isn't working!" Darak's voice strains with effort.

The bond weighs with his exhaustion, his growing desperation. I close my eyes, reaching deep inside where my magic coils like a serpent. The power burns as I grab hold, yanking it upward. It fills me, setting every nerve ending alight, but before I can direct it?—

Darak's roar of pain snaps my eyes open. The creature has him pinned, massive jaws snapping inches from his face. His muscles strain as he holds it back, but those teeth keep inching closer. Dark ichor drips from its maw, sizzling where it hits the ground.

My chest constricts. The magic thrums through my veins, waiting to be unleashed. I can't lose him. Not now. Not like this.

I raise my hands slowly, palms out. The magic thrums beneath my skin, making my fingers tingle. "Look at me," I command, my voice steadier than I feel.

The creature's head snaps toward me, those bottomless eyes fixing on my face with an intelligence that sends ice down my spine. Its roar shakes the trees so violently that leaves spiral down around us, and I taste copper on my tongue, sharp and metallic like blood magic.

"That's right. Focus on me." My voice carries more confidence than I feel, drawing on years of purna training.

"Have you lost your mind?" Darak's voice strains with effort as he holds the beast at bay, his muscles trembling with exertion. Sweat gleams on his ash-gray skin. "Get back!"

I take another step forward, feeling the earth's energy surge through my bare feet. Light blooms in my palms, pure and white-hot, casting strange shadows across the forest floor and reflecting in the creature's obsidian scales. The creature's movements slow, its massive head tilting as if puzzled by the power radiating from my hands. Its nostrils flare, testing my scent.

"Shh," I whisper, though my heart pounds against my ribs like a war drum. My fingers tingle with building magic, ready to strike or soothe. "You're not what you seem, are you?" The words come out in a gentle croon, the way my coven sisters taught me to speak to wounded animals.

Another step. The beast's growl softens to a rumble. Its form wavers like heat rising from summer stones.

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