I was ready to sprint to Leonardo, to cling to him as if my presence alone could shield him from harm, but they arrived before I could move. They leaped through the windows, shadows trailing the rogues like predators drawn to chaos.
The Fae.
Their skin glowed with an otherworldly luminescence, a halo of immortality. Sharp, pointed ears framed faces so flawless they seemed sculpted by the hands of gods. My breath caught, and dread settled deep in my chest. There were too many of them, far more than we could hope to withstand.
Sofia and Enrico, unyielding in their courage, reacted without hesitation. They charged two male Fae with a determination that would have been admirable under less dire circumstances. Clad in pale clothing that might have marked them as part of the Air Court, they moved with uncanny grace-until one conjured a fireball that barely missed scorching Sofia’s hair. She dodged, only to be thrown backward when he unsheathed a blade that defied logic with its sheer size.
Lavinia acted swiftly, yanking Laura beneath the dining table and away from the storm of rogues and Fae that had turned the house into a battleground.
Emiliano stood amid the chaos, flames licking up his arms like living creatures. They crackled and lashed out, snapping at anything that dared approach. Noemi and Graziana had shaken off their shock, the fear in their eyes replaced with fierce determination.
Graziana, to my surprise, wielded her magic with precision and control. Her power danced like a blade in skilled hands, cutting through the air as if it were an extension of herself. Meanwhile, crimson seeped through Leonardo’s shirt, staining it with blood. His expression betrayed no pain, but I could feel the toll his injuries were taking on his magic.
My fear wasn’t for myself or even Leonardo-it was for our mortal friends and family. Sofia bore cuts along her face, and Enrico cradled an arm bent at an unnatural angle. Nearby, Chiara had shifted into her wolf form, lunging at a Fae warrior who answered her ferocity with hands ablaze.
There were too many. Too many Fae, too many rogues.
The memories hit me like a punch to the gut-chestnut eyes drained of life, a loss I thought I’d buried. My heart raced, pounding in time with the chaos around me. The elements surged, their whispers brushing against my mind, tugging at my hair, begging to be wielded. They offered their strength, their fury, if I would only let them in.
The fear inside me transformed into something primal. Spirit magic-an untamed force that rose like a wave, filling every cell of my body. As I turned, I saw Alpha Attilio shielding Lavinia from a Fae woman whose cruel beauty was a weapon in itself.
Spirit magic coursed through me, unbidden and unstoppable. But even as I harnessed its power, panic gripped me. My friends-werewolf and human alike-had no way to defend themselves against the Fae. All the High Lord’s power I carried meant nothing if I couldn’t protect them.
Instinct took over.
Dropping to my knees, I slammed my fist against the marble floor. Pain shot through my hand, the bones likely splintering under the force, but the surge of earth magic answered my call. The ground trembled and groaned, a deafening crack splitting through the air as the marble fractured.
The floor beneath us splintered, chunks of stone crumbling into a growing chasm. Cement and debris scattered like leaves in a storm. I extended a hand toward the Fae woman holding Lavinia, summoning vines that erupted from the ground. Dirt sprayed in every direction as they coiled around her limbs, dragging her toward the pit. She struggled, her strength nearly overwhelming mine-until Lavinia bit into her arm.
The Fae woman screamed, her fury echoing as she toppled into the darkness.
But before I could breathe, pain seared behind my eyes. Marinella’s laugh filled the room, no longer confined to my mind.
I turned sharply and froze.
Leonardo stood before me, but it wasn’t his gaze I met. Hovering over him, like a specter of death, was Marinella.
The shock in Leonardo’s pale eyes mirrored my own as her obsidian blade plunged into his chest.
Pain tore through my soul, a searing agony that mirrored his wound. Ice and frost spilled from him, while spirit magic erupted from me in a raw, devastating wave. My world faded to black as the magic consumed me.
When my eyes fluttered open, the chaos around me was blurred and distorted. Shouts and sobs mingled in a cacophony of sound, though I couldn’t distinguish their source. My eyelids felt like sandpaper, each blink a new wave of pain. Something cold splashed against my face, sliding down my neck and shirt.
“If you want Leonardo to live, stop fighting me.”
Emiliano’s voice, sharp and unyielding, snapped me to attention. His grip on my shoulder was firm as he poured water over my face, washing away the grime that coated my skin.
As my vision cleared, the devastation became sharp and unrelenting. The house was in ruins, a skeleton of what it had been. But all I saw was Leonardo.
He lay just a few feet away, death creeping across his features. His skin was a pale that bordered on blue, the color of endings.
A dry sob escaped my throat as I crawled toward him, ignoring the sting of cement shards embedding in my palms.
“You can still save him,” Emiliano said urgently, his voice carrying the crackling intensity of fire. “But you need to focus.”
Somewhere deep inside, I knew the truth-if Leonardo died, I would follow. Our bond was too strong, our souls too intertwined.
Emiliano’s voice burned through my haze. “Your flame can heal him. It’s the only way.”
Without waiting for a response, he drew a knife from his boot and sliced open Leonardo’s shirt. My stomach twisted at the sight of the wound-a jagged, angry tear leaking dark, viscous blood. The decay spread beneath his skin, reaching toward both of us.
And I knew, without question, that if I faltered now, we would both be lost.