Chapter 42
“It’s over, Ryder,” I shouted, amazed at how firm my voice sounded. “Whatever you’re trying to do, we’re here to put a stop to it.”
A sinister laugh bounced through the open space, making me shiver. “Oh, sweet Aurora,” Ryder replied, sounding condescending. “You have no clue what I’m up to. The force I’m going to release will change everything. And you three? You’re just tiny insects annoying a powerful being.”
As he talked, the area near Ryder grew darker, with streams of darkness wrapping around him like moving smoke. I could sense the immense power coming from him, much more intense than anything I’d felt before. Whatever ceremony he had done had boosted his powers to an alarming level.
“Now!” Asher’s sharp command cut through my moment of fear.
Instinctively, I reached for Aiden’s energy, feeling our powers intertwine as they had in the cave. Light burst from our joined hands, coalescing into a shimmering shield just as Ryder unleashed a torrent of dark energy.
The impact was staggering. I felt my feet slide back several inches, the earth beneath us trembling from the force of Ryder’s attack. But our shield held, the combined strength of our abilities proving a match for Ryder’s enhanced power.
“Impressive,” Ryder sneered, preparing for another assault. “I’m curious, how long do you think you can maintain this?”
“We don’t have to sustain it indefinitely,” Asher replied, speaking quietly but with resolve. “Just long enough to take you down. Aurora, Aiden, on my mark, dropped the shield and struck at his left side. He always leaves it exposed after a big attack.”
I nodded, tightening my grip on Aiden’s hand. As Ryder gathered his power for another blow, I watched Asher from the corner of my eye, waiting for his signal.
“Now!”
In perfect synchronization, Aiden and I dropped our shield and pivoted, channeling our combined energy into a blast aimed at Ryder’s left flank. The sudden attack took him by surprise, and I noticed a brief look of shock on his face as he staggered backward.
However, our little triumph didn’t last long. Angrily, Ryder plunged his hands into the ground. The earth under us started to tremble intensely, with large cracks appearing and posing a danger of engulfing us.
“Scatter!” Asher yelled, already diving to one side.
I leaped in the opposite direction, pulling Aiden with me. We tumbled over the ground in the woods, quickly standing up just as a huge tree fell where we had been standing a moment ago.
The quiet forest had turned into a battleground. Trees broke and fell, rocks burst from the ground, and the air was filled with dust and magical power. Despite everything, Ryder moved towards us, his eyes shining with a crazy light.
“You won’t win,” he said angrily, dark shadows moving around his hands. “I’ve waited too long, giving up too much. I will not be denied my destiny!”
With a gesture, Ryder summoned a horde of shadowy creatures. They poured from the darkness between the trees, a nightmarish army of claws and teeth and glowing red eyes.
“Asher!” I called out, seeing the creatures converge on him.
“I’ve got this,” he shouted back, producing a wicked-looking blade from somewhere in his gear. “You two focus on Ryder!”
As Asher engaged the shadow beasts in a whirlwind of steel and skill, Aiden and I turned our attention back to Ryder. We moved in perfect harmony, our newly discovered connection allowing us to anticipate each other’s actions without a word.
I felt a sudden warmth against my chest and reached into my pocket, pulling out the crystal Asher had stolen from Ryder’s compound. It pulsed with energy, resonating with the power flowing through Aiden and me.
On instinct, I grasped the crystal tightly, channeling my energy through it. The effect was immediate and exhilarating. My power surged, the light emanating from my hands growing brighter and more focused.
“Aiden!” I called out, tossing the crystal to my brother. “Use this!”
He caught it deftly, his eyes widening as he felt its effects. With a nod of understanding, he closed his eyes, concentrating intensely. The air around us shimmered, and suddenly five Aidens were standing before me, each one a perfect mirror image of my brother.
Ryder’s eyes darted between the illusions, uncertainty creeping into his expression for the first time. “Parlor tricks,” he spat, but I could hear the doubt in his voice.
Taking advantage of his distraction, I unleashed a barrage of light, each blast more powerful than anything I had managed before. Ryder was forced on the defensive, erecting barriers of shadow to deflect my attacks.
As we pressed our advantage, I became aware of a change in the air. The wall of dark flames that had separated us from the rest of the forest was flickering, growing weaker as Ryder’s concentration was split between maintaining it and defending against our assault.
Just as the barrier began to falter, a familiar howl split the air. My heart leaped at the sound. Xander!
The remnants of the flame wall burst apart as Xander and several members of our pack charged into the clearing. They fell upon Ryder’s shadow creatures with fangs and claws, giving Asher a much-needed reprieve.
“Aurora!” Xander’s voice was a balm to my soul, even in the chaos of battle. “Are you alright?”
“Focus on the fight!” I called back, not daring to take my eyes off Ryder. “We’ve almost got him!”
Indeed, Ryder was showing clear signs of fatigue. His movements were slower, his attacks less precise. The dark aura surrounding him flickered like a candle in the wind.
“Aiden,” I said, an idea forming. “Remember what we did in the cave? Let’s try it again, but bigger.”
My brother nodded, understanding immediately. We reached for each other, our free hands clasping as we had in our earlier experiments. But this time, instead of gentle exploration, we poured everything we had into our connection.
Everything around us seemed to disappear as our energies combined and grew stronger. Light and darkness mixed, creating complex shapes in the air. I could feel the deep connection of our shared family history flowing through us, with all the strength of our ancestors coming together in this instant.
With a shared cry, we released our built-up energy. A cage of pure light erupted around Ryder, trapping him in a prison of our combined power.
For a moment, all was still. Ryder stood frozen within our magical construct, his eyes wide with disbelief. In a burst of anger, he started to struggle against being trapped.
The cage made of light started to break, with dark lines spreading through it as Ryder used all his remaining power. With a final, explosive burst of power, he shattered our construct, the backlash sending Aiden and me stumbling backwards.
But the effort had cost him dearly. Ryder swayed on his feet, his once-immaculate appearance was now disheveled and haggard. Without a word, he turned and fled deeper into the forest.
“After him!” Asher shouted, already in pursuit. “We can’t let him escape!”
Aiden and I exchanged a glance before following, leaving Xander and the pack to mop up the remaining shadow creatures. We hurried through the bushes, with twigs hitting our faces while we tried to stay close to Ryder.
We suddenly entered a little open space and saw Ryder right in the middle of a quickly drawn magical circle. Dark energy crackled around him as he chanted in a language I didn’t recognize.
“He’s trying to open a portal.” Aiden gasped, recognizing the spell.
Desperation fueled us as we made one last attempt to stop him. Aiden and I clasped hands once more, pouring every last ounce of our power into a final, massive surge of energy.
The clearing lit up like daybreak as our attack raced towards Ryder. For a heartbeat, I thought we had him. But just as our light was about to strike, a tear opened in the air before him.
With a final, triumphant look over his shoulder, Ryder stepped through the portal. It closed behind him, and our attack went through the air where he had been just a moment ago without hitting him.
“No!” I shouted, dropping to my knees because I was tired and upset. We were so close!.
Aiden’s hand on my shoulder steadied me. “We’ll find him again, Aurora,” he said softly. “This isn’t over.”
Asher knelt beside us, his expression grim but determined. “He’s right. Ryder may have escaped for now, but he’s weakened. And we know what he’s capable of now. Next time, we’ll be prepared.”
We walked back slowly to where we had left Xander and the pack. What we saw was a situation where they had won, but it was a careful win. The shadow creatures had been defeated, and amidst the pack of werewolves, I could see several unfamiliar faces other prisoners freed from Ryder’s compound.
Xander rushed to meet us, pulling me into a fierce embrace. “I thought I’d lost you,” he softly said, his words against my hair.
“I’m alright,” I reassured him, relaxing into his embrace briefly before stepping back. “But Ryder escaped. We need to”
My sentence was interrupted by a far-off, threatening noise. The ground under us shook a little, and a shiver went down my spin. Every supernatural sense I possessed suddenly screamed in warning.
I turned, my eyes drawn to the horizon where a strange, sickly light was beginning to grow. The very air seemed to thicken, charged with an energy that set my teeth on edge.
“Aurora?” Aiden’s voice was tense. “Are you feeling that?”
I nodded, unable to look away from the unsettling event. “Something’s approaching,” I whispered, my voice almost drowned out by the strengthening wind. “Something big.”