Chapter 17: The Witch’s Wrath
Melissa’s POV
As Lyra’s derisive laughter reverberated through the night, tension was high in the air. On the opposite side of the fence, she stood with her witches ready and their fire burning. Kane’s eyes were steely determined, and his jaw was clenched.
With a voice like thunder, Kane answered forcefully, “You know my answer, Lyra.” “We refuse to give up.”
Lyra cocked her head and grinned icily and menacingly. “So, Alpha, you’ve decided to die.”
She flicked her wrist, sending a surge of dark energy in our direction. With a wave of his hand, Kane ordered his soldiers to charge.
“Hold your ground, everyone! With a powerful voice, he yelled.
With their spells illuminating the battlefield like a sick, lethal storm, the witches poured in. With claws and teeth against magic and rage, our pack confronted them head-on. The air was filled with the crackling of fire, roars, and yells of combat.
With my heart racing, I remained beside Kane and repelled the witches who approached too closely. My instincts and my will to keep the pack safe guided every action I took.
The altercation was chaotic. Through the smoke, wolves scuttled, their strong bodies crashing into witches who flung energy blasts and summoned shields. A witch was knocked to the ground when I swung my claws in retaliation after dodging a bolt of fire that was headed for my head.
“Kane! I yelled as I saw him engaged in combat with two witches simultaneously.
“I’m all right! He yelled back, dodging the other witch’s attack and pushing one of them into the ground.
We weren’t okay, though. Our pack was having trouble keeping up with the witches’ overpowering magic. We seemed to defeat one witch after another, their spells devastating our fortifications.
Kane’s Beta, Ethan, sprinted by me, his eyes burning with resolve despite his blood-stained fur. “We require reinforcements! He shouted.
“No reinforcements are present,” Kane snarled in a sombre tone. “The only thing between them and the sanctuary is us.”
I felt a twinge of terror. With so much on the line, we couldn’t lose this battle.
A tall witch with piercing green eyes and a menacing aura appeared out of the smoke amid the confusion. Her lips formed a ruthless smile as she fixed me with her gaze.
“So, you’re the famous Melissa,” she replied in a contemptuous tone. “Let’s check to see if you are as strong as they claim.”
She blasted me with dark energy before I could react. The force of the attack grazed my shoulder as I ducked just in time.
“You’ll regret that,” I murmured, maintaining my calm despite the panic roiling inside of me.
I felt the usual surge of power from the relic around my neck and sought it. However, as I released its energy, a new event occurred. It was a living force that twisted and surged like a raging storm, not only light and energy.
The witch’s eyes widened in surprise as she stumbled back. “What… Who are you? She growled.
I had nothing to say. It was too wild, too much energy. It threatened to engulf me as it burned through me. The witch fell to her knees as I struck out with it, but the effort was too much.
I lost my eyesight and collapsed on the ground, unable to breathe. Suddenly, Kane stood beside me, his voice urgent but far away.
“Hey, Melissa! Remain with me!”
“I… Even though it seemed like a lie, I managed to say, “I’m fine.” I could hardly contain the power that was still roaring within me.
Her final words, “You can’t control it,” stuck in my head even after the witch had left and fled into the turmoil. It will ruin you.
Lyra’s voice broke over the din as the conflict continued. “Enough!”
She stepped forward with something in her palm, and the witches retreated to her side as the battle suddenly ceased. It was a dark, menacing talisman with glowing runes engraved on its surface.
With a sarcastic tone, Lyra remarked, “This is my gift to you.” “A reminder of the future.”
The talisman was thrown into the centre of the battlefield by her. As soon as it struck the earth, everyone was forced backwards by a surge of sinister energy.
Kane’s eyes narrowed as he hissed. “What did you do?”
Lyra grinned. “You’ll see in due time. Alpha, have fun with your win. It won’t endure.
The cursed talisman and the faint smell of blood and smoke were all that remained after she and her witches disappeared into the darkness.
The talisman was back at the sanctuary, sitting in the middle of the main hall, its dark energy throbbing menacingly. Kane was the only one who dared not touch it.
His voice was stern as he stated, “We must destroy it.”
Ethan gave a headshake. “What it can do is unknown to us. If you destroy it, things can get worse.
I took a step forward and gazed at the talisman. Its energy seemed off, like a poison leaking into the atmosphere. There was something else, too, something that filled my heart with terror.
I put a hand on my stomach and said, “Kane.” “It’s… It has to do with the infant.
His shocked eyes widened as he turned to face me. “What are you saying?”
“I sense it,” I murmured, my voice quivering. “The curse of the talisman… It is depleting our children’s vitality.
Everyone in the room stopped talking and stared at me in shock.
As Kane gazed at the talisman, his expression grew stern and his jaw tightened. Then, with a determined tone, he stated, “We’ll figure out how to break the curse.”
But what if we are unable to? I muttered, fear threatening to take over.
With a ferocious resolve in his gaze, Kane turned to face me. “We will,” he firmly stated. “I will not allow you or our child to suffer any harm. I promise.
The talisman pulsed once more, its black energy intensifying as Kane’s words lingered in the atmosphere. I felt cold when I heard a child’s wail reverberating through the church. Time was running out, and the curse was only getting started