Page 105 of A Luna's Dynasty
A fresh chorus of cries erupted behind her as more pack members swarmed in. Every armful was a child. Every child was limp, feverish, or dead weight.
“Take them straight to the infirmary!” Lita ordered as she checked the little girl’s pupils by lifting her eyelids. “Take her to the infirmary, too.” She then looked at another child that was being held by his mother—a boy with flushed cheeks and trembling limbs. There were no marks. No obvious scent of poison or curse. She checked his pupils as well, finding them wide and unresponsive.
"Neurotoxin," she muttered. "But how—" Just then a loud howl cut through the air from the northern border. The demon wolves were heading for their pack. She looked at Asher and then at Grayson. “Keep him safe for me. I’ll stay here and take care of the children.”
“I’ll stay with Lita.” Caspian jogged over in a hurry. “I put up a small barrier, but it won’t hold.”
“Lita.” Asher stared at her as she nodded. They didn’t need to say anything. It was there. All their emotions, all their love, flowed inside the other.
Grayson cracked his neck to the side and winked at Caden. “You said you wanted to see me fight seriously. Well, now’s your chance.”
“Wishes do come true.” He laughed, but the smile didn’t reach his face. Fighting would mean wounded and losses, no matter how strong they were.
“There’s no time to waste. Quickly.” Asher stepped toward Lita, grabbing her by the back of the neck and kissing her hard enough to bruise. “I’ll be back.”
He then shifted mid-jump, sprinting to the north border, Caden at his flank. Grayson looked at Lita for a moment, feeling pulled in two different directions. But Lita was at the heart of pack territory, the very center. No demon wolves could get to her, so she would be safe. He winked at her, and then he was gone. Muscles became fur as he roared, disappearing in the woods.
Lita watched them go, chest aching, then turned back to her patients. “Quickly, to the infirmary. Caspian, grab my extra bag inside and have Kristen come to help.”
“On it!”
She raced into the infirmary. Children were scattered across the floor with crying mothers next to them, pleading for help. Lita tuned it out. She pressed her palm to the first girl'sforehead, and an energy radiated from her palm—her fairy magic, searching inside the girl for answers.
A sickly, oily presence slithered along the child's nerves. It was so subtle, so carefully hidden, that it barely registered at first. But the more she pushed, the colder it got—a chill that bit deeper than any poison.
"Shit," she whispered. "It's not natural."
“What do you mean?” Caspian was next to her as Kristen made her way to every child, giving them blankets.
"There's magic here," Lita said. "Something is masking the poison."
A fresh blast of energy pulsed through the room. It was like being dunked in ice water—everyone with a wolf inside them snapped to attention as a deep voice crashed through their minds.
It was Garrett from the perimeter.They’re here! Warriors, hold your positions. Our alpha is on his way!
The link cut off abruptly. He must have realized in his haste he’d addressed the entire pack. Lita focused on the task in front of her to keep her mind off the battle.
She swept through the rows of bodies, blue fire running from her fingers into their veins. Kristen and Caspian worked beside her, passing supplies, monitoring pulses, keeping the crowd back.
Every child was the same. No wounds, no infection, just an invisible force grinding their systems to a halt.
She needed more information. She needed to see what the hell she was fighting. And how the heck was this administered to all the children?!
"You okay?" Caspian asked, keeping his voice low.
"No. I don’t know what this is. " Lita pursed her lips, focused on drawing a child’s blood, not looking up. "But I need you torun a sample. Put this in the machine I brought. If we can figure out the structure—"
"On it," he said, already moving.
She leaned over the last child, a toddler with a head of curly brown hair and a smile painted on his shirt. He wasn't breathing. She pressed her ear to his chest—heart still thudding, slow but present.
"Lita!" Kristen called from the other end of the room. "We’re losing this one!"
Lita snapped to her feet and ran, her hands glowing as she poured every ounce of her magic into the unconscious girl. She felt the resistance instantly. It was a wall of darkness, thicker now, fighting back.
But her fairy magic was there, burning in her fingers, and she pushed harder.
The darkness buckled, then burst, shattering like glass. The girl coughed, color surging back into her cheeks. Lita almost collapsed from the rush of power, but she managed to keep her composure. She checked the girl over, but whatever had a hold of her still hadn’t let go.
