Chapter 105
_Kael’s POV_
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The air in Morana’s cabin felt even heavier than before. It was thick with smoke, herbs, and something I couldn’t name. The flames in the candles flickered wildly. They were casting long and sharp shadows across the wooden floor. I stared at her, waiting, my pulse hammering in my throat.
“He is the one,” Morana repeated, her voice brittle.
I stepped closer. My fists were clenched at my sides. “Who? Who is the one?”
Her eyes slowly lifted to mine. There was a deep fear in them. A memory that clearly haunted her. “Fenric,” she whispered. “He is the one who tried to kill me.”
Valric growled low inside me. “She should’ve told us this before.”
“Why?” I asked. My voice was hoarse. I felt like something was closing around my chest. “Why would he try to kill you?”
Morana moved toward the hearth. She grabbed a worn, wool shawl and wrapping it around her shoulders. Her hands shook. “Because I knew too much. Because I saw what he was becoming. Fenric wasn’t always the monster he is now. He was once a strong warlock, a leader of his coven. But the more power he sought, the darker he became. And when he tried to use forbidden magic, magic that requires blood sacrifice, I confronted him.”
She turned her head and looked at me. Her eyes were cold now. “He didn’t like that.”
I swallowed hard. “So, he tried to kill you.”
“He almost succeeded,” she said. “But I got away. I was wounded. I barely made it to the Nightshade territory. And your father… he allowed me to stay under one condition. That I never use my magic without permission in public.”
That explained so much. Why Morana always kept to herself. Why she lived in such an isolated area. Why she never left her cabin.
“Lisa’s in danger,” I said again. “You saw it. We have to rescue her. We can’t waste time.”
“I know that,” Morana snapped, but then her tone softened. “But Kael, this isn’t a simple raid. Fenric is powerful. His witches are stronger than most. They use magic that hasn’t been practiced in centuries. Even if you bring every warrior from Nightshade, you will be slaughtered.”
› Chapter 105
I paced the room. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest.
“Even if I gather every man from Nightshade,” I said, “we’re no match for witches and warlocks. They don’t fight like us. They use spells and tricks.”
+25 Points
“Exactly,” Morana said. She looked up at me. “You could bring an army and still lose. Fenric’s magic is old and ancient. He won’t rely on brute strength. He’ll set traps, curses and
illusions.”
Valric snarled. “Let them try. We won’t fall without a fight.”
“Easy,” I murmured. “We need her help. We can’t do this on our own.”
I raked a hand through my hair. My chest ached. I couldn’t stop picturing Lisa’s face. The way she had screamed. How helpless she had looked.
“So what do we do then? Sit here and wait while he hurts her?”
Morana shook her head. “No. We just need to be smart. Let me think.”
Morana was pacing now. Her fingers were trailing across the spines of old books. Her brow was furrowed. Her lips moved silently as she thought.
I stood there, fists clenched, feeling helpless. Valric was restless inside me.
“I hate this,” he growled. “I hate standing around while she’s in danger.”
“So do I,” I said under my breath.
After a long moment, Morana finally spoke.
“Fenric knows that Rylan’s pack will come looking for him. He’s not stupid. He would expect the Frostbane wolves to notice Rylan’s absence. Especially if they know he went to
Shadowrune.”
I nodded. “Of course they would. Rylan’s not the kind of wolf to vanish without notice. He is the Alpha after all.”
“Exactly. Which is why Fenric wouldn’t keep them anywhere obvious,” she said. “He won’t risk it. He won’t keep them in the Shadowrune territory. That would be too easy to track. Too vulnerable.”
“Then where?” I asked, my voice low. “Where else could he hide them?”
She turned to me, her eyes narrowing. “That’s what we need to find out. But we can’t just guess. We need a link to Lisa. Something that belongs to her. Something personal. Something which she uses often.”
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< Chapter 105
I blinked. “Like what?”
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“A piece of clothing. Her comb. Her hairbrush. Jewelry. Anything that has her scent, her energy. I can use it to locate her.”
I hesitated.
“She doesn’t stay at the Nightshade pack with me,” I said. “She lives in the Frostbane pack. We barely got time together. I don’t have anything of hers.”
Morana’s eyes darkened. “Then find a way. Or I can’t help you.”
Valric growled again. “What kind of magic is this? We don’t need trinkets.”
“Yes, we do,” I told him. “This isn’t about tracking scent. It’s deeper and older.”
Morana crossed her arms. “You don’t understand. The magic Fenric used to hide them is like a veil pulled over the land. It bends light, sound, scent…everything. Without a link to Lisa, I can’t pierce it. Her brush, her clothes, her blood, any of it will help me anchor the spell.”
I cursed under my breath. “Even if I go to Frostbane, they won’t just let me in. Not after everything. Not without questions.”
“Then lie,” she said simply. “Steal. Trick someone. I don’t care how you get it. But do it fast. Because Fenric could harm Lisa at any time.”
I turned to Morana. “I can try to sneak into Frostbane. Maybe find something. Her room. Anything.”
Morana nodded. “You have to. Find a way. We don’t have time to waste. I need something of hers, Kael. Or else I can’t help.”
I nodded slowly. My heart beat faster with every second. I was already planning it in my head.
“Alright. I’ll do it,” I said. “Even if I have to sneak past the entire Frostbane border. I’ll find something.”
Morana turned back toward her worktable. She picked up a small crystal and turned it over in her hand.
“Good,” she said. “Do it quickly. Time is against us. In the meantime, I’ll figure out a way to outsmart Fenric. Maybe if we can distract him long enough, we can rescue her before he knows what we’re doing.”
I took a step toward the door, then stopped.
“Morana?” I asked.
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Chapter 105
She looked up.
“Thank you. For helping.”
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She gave a small nod. Her expression was hard to read, but there was a flicker of something behind her eyes. Maybe worry. Maybe fear. Or maybe it was something more.
“Go,” she said. “And be careful.”
I left the cabin with my heart pounding. The cold air outside hit me like a wall. Jared and Alex were still near the car.
“We going back?” Jared asked.
I nodded. “We have to get into the Frostbane pack. Tonight.”
“That’s crazy,” Alex said. “Their borders will be on high alert.”
“I know,” I said. “But it’s the only way to save Lisa.”
As I got into the car and started the engine, Valric stirred inside me.
“You’re not thinking clearly. You’re rushing.”
“I don’t care,” I growled. “We’re not leaving her with them.”
The car roared to life. I pressed the pedal hard, tearing down the road. I gripped the wheel tightly.
Valric went quiet for a moment.
Then he said, softly, “We can’t lose her.”
My throat tightened.
“I know.”
And with that, we drove into the night, chasing a thin thread of hope, a plan made of shadows and desperation. But I would do whatever it took. I would risk everything. Because Lisa was
out there.
And she was mine to protect.
<Chapter 106
