Chapter 146
Serafine POV
I draw in a sharp breath. I have to do this, I have to fight this alone, and the weight of that knowledge is heavy. My pulse is frantic, and James is standing
there, smiling, waiting for me to make my first move.
I will, just not right now. I turn instead to face Xander and Killian, and force my voice to be steady.
“You all need to leave, now,” I say quietly, but firmly. I try to hold back the desperation that’s hidden beneath everything.
Xander’s response is immediate. “Absolutely not!” he growls. His eyes darken, and he shifts closer. The tension ripples off him, and I can see he’s going to fight this hard. “There’s no way that I’m leaving you here alone with him.”
Shaking my head, I watch him, knowing I have to make this decision even if he hates it. “You don’t have a choice. This is not something that you can fight, Xander. No swords, claws or fangs will help.”
He has to understand that he has to realise that nothing he can do will help.
Killian shifts and looks at me. He moves closer carefully. “You can’t honestly think that we’ll just leave you here alone, Serafine. No, you’re our Luna, we won’t leave you alone in this. We agreed to work together, we’re a team.”
I look at him, and then at Xander, the ache in my heart deepens. “Not this time,” I whisper. I hate that I’m having to do this, but they have to leave. “This is magic, something none of you have. Gideon and James are woven into the threads. The magic is part of them now. If you attack him physically, you’ll damage the threads even more. We’re fighting to save the land, but all that will do is endanger everything we’re fighting to save. Your weapons and your wolves are no help.”
I get it, they are used to fighting everything. They are used to being the ones to protect, but they can’t do this.
A dark laugh echoes through the chamber from behind me, and it sends a chill down my spine. James is standing there, his eyes darkening further the more Gideon holds onto him. The smirk on his face grows colder.
“You should heed her words,” Gideon says. His voice sounds os strange coming from James’s lips. He sounds so confident. “You wolves are nothing here. My magic would tear you apart before you even get close enough to stroke.”
Xander snarls fiercely. The sound echoes around the chamber, and he moves, stepping closer. I can see it, he’s ready to lunge.
“Xander, please,” I plead. I can’t let him do this, I can’t let him risk himself, not when it’s a death sentence. “You have to go, right now. Take Killian, the team and leave. Let me handle this.”
“No!” He grates out. “What the hell, Serafine, that’s not happening.” His eyes blaze, and I continue to plead with him using my eyes. “Do you honestly believe that I’m going to just walk away and let you do this alone? You really believe that I’ll just abandon you here, with him?”
“You’re not abandoning me,” I argue. “You’re giving me a chance to do this because I’m the only one who can. Please, Xander, I can’t protect you if you’re here. Your presence makes Gideon stronger, it gives him leverage, and I won’t allow that.”
Xander shakes his head, refusing to listen, his gaze holds me with fierce determination. “I won’t leave you here to face him alone. I won’t watch from a distance while you sacrifice yourself!”
Fear pulses through me, and I know he won’t listen, he won’t do what I ask, so I have no choice but to make him. I raise my hand, and the threads of magic respond instantly to my silent command. They flare and weave, building an unbreakable barrier between me and Xander.
He jerks backwards, shocked by the force. “Serafine! Take it now, now!”
His voice echoes loudly against the stone walls, and I watch as his fists slam into the barrier.
“No,” I whisper, closing my eyes and hating that I have to do this. “I can’t,” I say, feeling tears prick the corner of my eyes. “I’m sorry, Xander, but n’t.”
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09:13 Thu, 26 Jun
Chapter 146
“Why?” he roars. I can see the pain now in his expression, his voice breaks beneath the weight of this. “Why are you doing this?
“Because I couldn’t protect some people in my life. I had the power to and I falled, Xander,” I whisper. My throat tightens, but I force myself in speak
I lose you, I lose everything.” “But, I will protect you, Killian and our people. You’re what matters most, and if i
He stares at me, and I hate the way he’s looking at me, like I’ve hurt him. His chest heaves as he struggles to break through the barrier, I didn’t want to do it this way, but he left me no choice.
Killian’s voice cuts through the tension. He looks at me, but I see respect in his eyes. “Serafine, please. There has got to be another way, you can’t do this
alone.”
I have to, why can’t they see that or understand it? I look at him briefly, and my heart aches. “I wish there was, but there isn’t. Gideon chose this place for a reason. The threads here are strong and corrupted. One wrong move and we risk more than just ourselves.”
James laughs behind me, and I can hear Gideon’s amusement in it, almost mocking us.
Xander’s fists press harder against the barrier, his voice ragged now. “I can’t leave you.”
He can. “You have to,” I whisper. My heart breaks watching the agony settle deep into his expression. “Xander, you have to trust me, and trust that I’m strong enough for this. Let me protect you, just this once.”
The silence thickens sharply between us, it’s strained and painful, and filled with unspoken words. I watch as he shifts back, and I can see how much pain that causes him. The defeat and fear in his eyes almost shatter everything within me, but I hold steady and refuse to give in.
“Come back to me,” he says roughly. His voice is low and raw, and his eyes are bright with desperation and pain. “Whatever you have to do… just ensure that you come back.”
I nod slowly, breathing deeply, forcing calm into my trembling voice. “I will.”
I watch him turn reluctantly and nod to Killian, and both of them glance back one final time. Smiling, I nod at them, and watch them disappear into the dark hall with the guards following.
Once I know they aren’t coming back, I turn slowly to face James and Gideon. My heart aches, and my magic flares. It’s prepared for a fight I know will likely consume us all. I have to try, though.
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