Page 69 of Claws for Celebration
Winds that belonged to no earthly realm began howling through the clearing, pulling at Malphas's increasingly solid form with inexorable force. The corrupted fae lord fought against the pull, his perfect features twisting with fury and fear as he realized she was actually succeeding.
"You cannot do this alone," he shouted over the dimensional winds with notes of genuine panic. "The energy required will kill you before the banishment is complete."
"I'm not alone," Moira said, feeling Lucien's strength flowing through their mate bond to anchor her even as her own reserves began to fail catastrophically. "I never was."
She poured everything she had left into the final phase of the ritual, drawing on not just her own power but the stability and strength that flowed to her through their connection. Lucien's panther energy merged with her blood magic, creating something neither of them could have achieved separately.
The banishment ritual reached its crescendo with power that lit up the entire forest clearing like a second sun. Golden magic mixed with silver light from the dimensional breach, creating a maelstrom of energy that bent reality around its edges and made the ancient trees groan under the pressure of forces they were never meant to witness.
Malphas's screams of rage and disbelief echoed across dimensions as the Void finally claimed him, his essence stretching and distorting as it was pulled beyond any possibility of return. His beautiful, terrible form dissolved into nothing, banished to spaces where even memory could not follow.
Through it all, Moira held on to the connection that grounded her to the physical world. Not the promise of unlimited power or eternal recognition, but the simple certainty that someone loved her enough to anchor her through the impossible.
The moment the dimensional breach sealed itself, cutting off Malphas's influence forever, the magical backlash slammed into her like a gut punch. Every cell in her body screamed in agony as her overtaxed magical reserves finally gave out. She felt herself falling, the world spinning away from her as consciousness fled.
Her last coherent thought was gratitude that she'd chosen love over power, even if that choice had cost her everything.
The ground rushed up to meet her, and darkness claimed her with merciful silence.
41
LUCIEN
The silence that followed Malphas's banishment was more terrifying than all the supernatural chaos that had preceded it. Where moments before the clearing had thrummed with dimensional energy and otherworldly screams, now there was only the whisper of wind through ancient trees and the sound of Moira's body hitting the forest floor with a sickening thud.
Lucien's panther exploded into action before his human mind could process what was happening. He crossed the ritual circle in three bounds, dropping to his knees beside Moira's crumpled form with a desperation that made his hands shake.
"Moira," he whispered, gathering her into his arms. Her skin was ashen, cold to the touch, and so pale he could see the delicate network of veins beneath the surface. When he pressed his fingers to her throat, her pulse felt like the flutter of butterfly wings, barely perceptible even to his enhanced senses.
"Is she..." Twyla's voice broke as she knelt beside them, her fae-blooded healing instincts already reaching out to assess the damage.
"She's alive," Lucien said fiercely, though even as he spoke the words, he could feel their mate bond stretched to the breaking point. The connection that had anchored them both during the ritual now felt gossamer-thin, threatening to snap entirely with each labored breath she took.
"Barely," Elder Varric said grimly, his weathered hands glowing with diagnostic magic as he examined her condition. "The magical exhaustion is complete. I've never seen anyone channel that much power and survive the backlash."
"She did survive," Lucien snarled, his panther rising close enough to the surface that his eyes flashed amber in the gathering darkness. "She's going to be fine."
But even as he said it, he could feel her slipping away from him through their bond. Not dying exactly, but drifting toward some gray space between life and death where her exhausted consciousness could find refuge from the pain of existing in a body that had been pushed far beyond its limits.
"We need to get her back to town," Twyla said, already organizing the supernatural healers who'd begun gathering around Moira's still form. "Elena, can you stabilize her for transport? Cordelia, I need your strongest healing tea ready when we arrive."
The journey back to Hollow Oak passed in a blur of controlled panic and whispered consultations between magical practitioners who'd never dealt with anything like Moira's condition. Lucien carried her himself, refusing to let anyone else take the burden despite the way his own energy reserves had been depleted by anchoring her through the ritual.
"Talk to her," Twyla urged as they settled Moira in the bedroom above the bookstore, surrounding her with crystals and herbs that glowed with gentle healing energy. "The mate bond is the strongest connection she has to this realm right now.Keep talking to her, keep reminding her why she needs to come back."
Lucien pulled a chair close to the bed and took Moira's hand in both of his, marveling at how small and fragile it looked against his larger palms. Through their bond, he could sense her consciousness floating somewhere distant, untethered from the physical pain but also disconnected from everything that made her herself.
"Hey, beautiful," he said softly, his voice rough with exhaustion and fear. "You did it. Malphas is gone, banished beyond any possibility of return. The entire supernatural world is safe because of what you accomplished today."
Her breathing remained shallow, but he thought he felt the faintest flicker of response through their connection.
"Everyone's so proud of you," he continued, settling into what he already knew would be a long vigil. "Twyla's beside herself with relief, and Elder Varric actually smiled when he confirmed the dimensional barriers had stabilized. Even old Mr. Henderson stopped by to ask about your condition, and you know how he feels about magical excitement."
Hour by hour, day by day, Lucien poured his own life energy through their mate bond, using his panther's natural vitality to anchor Moira's drifting consciousness to the physical world. The process was exhausting, leaving him weak and shaky, but he refused to let anyone else take over the responsibility.
"You should rest," Elena said on the second day, settling a cup of strengthening tea beside his chair. "Let some of us share the burden. You're going to burn yourself out at this rate."
"No," Lucien replied without taking his eyes off Moira's face.
