Page 105 of Forged By Heart and Claws
“Vad, what’s happening?” I grabbed his arm, and the pulse of magic built under my skin. The silver shield around us brightened with every tremor. “Is this because of Colm?”
He couldn’t answer because the roar that followed stole every word. It wasn’t human. It wasn’t animal. It was raw power and judgment, echoing from the deepest bones of the world.
The massive stag appeared at the entrance to the Ceremonial Hall in front of the double doors. Light radiated from its antlers, casting shadows across the room as it moved forward. The ground trembled beneath its hooves, which cracked the broken tile with each step.
The room hushed. Even the wolves bowed their heads.
The stag’s eyes glowed ancient gold as they locked on mine.
My breath caught in my throat. Vad’s arms tightened around me.
In the far-right corner, the giant shadow wolf emerged, its hulking form swirling like smoke made flesh. Crimson eyes met mine, and my own wolf surged forward in my mind.
From the left corner of the hall strode the bear. Each lumbering step shook the hall to its foundations. Its footprints left traces of grass before it faded, and it shook its heavy head.
A hissing sound came from behind us. The sea serpent slid down the wall, its blue scales glistening and its eyes burning like gems.
The eagle screeched above, the rustle of wings making me tip my head back. The air stirred as the massive golden eagle passed us. The crimson dragon appeared as well with a roar. The two circled us as the other four moved toward us with powerful intensity. A humming vibration built around us, one that moved through my core. The rubble and debris began to shake again.
The hairs on my neck and arms lifted. “They’re here for us.” My wolf shook her head and surged forward, barking andhowling as if she had been waiting for this all along. She paced, urging me to shift.
Vad adjusted his grip on me, keeping me flush against him as the guardian beasts converged on us from all sides.
My dream,I linked to him.This is just like my dream.
Yeah?he linked back, his unease tightening our bond.And how did your dream end? With us dying?
Fear and excitement swept through me.No!It was?—
The guardian beasts reached us in an explosion of light, color, and heat that burst in every direction like a shattered prism. The force knocked the breath from my lungs.
A strange, resonating pulse surged through my veins. The sound of it echoed in my bones. I blinked against the blinding glow, shielding my eyes.
When the light receded, the world looked sharper. Clearer. Changed.
I slowly pulled back from Vad’s embrace and stopped short.
The shadows of his wings had darkened dramatically, no longer wisps of ink but solid obsidian etched with silver veins, as if starlight had been forged directly into them. They moved with a life of their own, absorbing light instead of reflecting it.
“Vad…” I breathed.
He turned to me, his silver eyes burning bright, his gaze scanning every inch of me. Reverence softened his features as he lifted one hand to my shoulder and trailed his fingers to my wing.
“Briar.” His eyes widened. “Your wings... they’re beautiful.” His voice cracked with wonder. “It’s like… they became what they were always supposed to be.”
A tingle ran along my feathers, and I looked over my shoulder.
They weren’t the faint glowing lines they’d been before. Now they were fully formed, shimmering with fire and shadow swirled together, like the wings of my butterfly tattoos.
A series of metallic clangs echoed through the hall as several gray-armored guards dropped their weapons. The sound rippled like a wave across the marble floor. A few guards fell to their knees. The guests cowered in the center of the room, arms raised in surrender, heads bowed low.
I looked up at Vad, the pulsing light between us casting him in an ethereal glow. Our bond thrummed, no longer fragile but alive and unbreakable.
To our left, Colm and Calla Lily hovered midair, their wings keeping them aloft. Both stared at the scene below, their expressions twisted in disbelief.
Ryker pack-linked to Ember and me.We've dealt with the gas, and there weren't many guards down here. We took most of them out. But they were ready for us and set traps to keep us in here. The main door is shut, and the other passages are blocked due to the earthquake. We need someone to open the door from the other side.
Ember's concern radiated through the pack link. She looked at me.
