Chapter 188

DANE

The chains creaked, the runes flashing brightly as I pulled against them with every last shred of strength I possessed. Aurora’s faint cries echoed in my head, pushing me on. The bond between us glowed with pain and fear, but there was something else – there, beneath it all, stronger: determination.

“Hang in there, Aurora,” I said with clenched teeth.

The power I’d sucked from the engagement bond moved through me, wild and volatile. I had no idea how much longer I could hold it in, but I did know I needed to try. My fingers dug into the glowing links, the runes moving against my skin.

“Come on,” I growled, the strain tearing at my muscles.

The chain snapped on one final surge, the runes' light dying out like a candle. I buckled in my knees but caught myself, the signs of adrenaline and ultimate power coursing through me.

“Dane!” Aurora’s voice came, weak but alive.

I turned to see her slumped against the wall, her wrists bound in glowing cuffs. Trajan and Evander lay not too far off, their breathing shallow. Their bodies bearing the accursed runes of the Nameless.

“Don’t move,” I said, my voice firm.

Aurora’s eyes went wide as I drew closer to her. “Dane, what are you doing? You’ll hurt yourself!”

“I’ve got this,” I assured her, though my hands were shaking like leaves as I reached for the cuffs.

The instant my fingers came into contact with them, a surge of dark energy coursed through me, sending me stumbling. But I didn’t let go. I reached out and grasped the bond between us, that flicker of hope which refused to die.

The cuffs cracked and then shattered, falling off her wrists. She slumped against me, and I grabbed her close against the warmth of me.

“Are you okay?” I whispered.

She nodded weakly. “We need to get Trajan and Evander out of here.”

I turned to them, their faces pale, their breathing labored. The marks on their bodies pulsed in time with the runes on the walls, feeding off their strength.

“Stay with Aurora,” I told her, setting her gently against the wall.

She tried to protest, but I silenced her with a look. “Trust me.”

I knelt beside Trajan and laid my hand atop one of the marks. The energy was cold and relentless, leaching his strength on every pulse.

“Trajan,” I said, my voice low. “I’m going to break this, but you need to fight with me.”

His eyes fluttered open, pain etched upon his features. “Do it,” he rasped.

I focused again, drawing on that same power which had broken my chains. It resisted immediately – the mark flared bright – but I pushed back against it, placing everything into it.

The mark dimmed and then was gone, leaving Trajan gasping for air.

“Evander next,” I said, moving swiftly.

It was the same process, the same struggle, and when the mark finally faded from Evander’s body, he groaned and sat up, his hand clamped on my shoulder.

“We need to move,” I said, pulling him to his feet.

Aurora was on her feet already, though a little unsteady. “What about Piper?” she asked urgently.

My heart clenched, for I’d felt her through the bond – a faint flickering presence that rapidly faded.

“I had the feeling she was here, but don’t worry, we’ll find her,” I promised.

As we worked our way deeper through the twisting corridors, the sounds of distant footsteps reached us, growing louder with each second that passed. The Nameless’s forces were closing in.

Then I heard her: Piper’s scream tore through the air, raw and desperate.

“This way!” I yelled, directing the group in the direction of the noise.

We burst into a darkened chamber where Piper was about to be chained against a stone pillar, almost fainting but alive. Holden stood before her; his eyes were wild with rage.

“Here you are?” he growled; his gaze snapped to us.

I didn’t waste any time. The energy I had gathered launched forward in a big wave, hitting Holden and sending him stumbling backward. He shouted, fighting against it, but it was enough to drain him.

“Get her out of here!” I yelled to Aurora, who rushed forward with Trajan and Evander.

As they freed Piper, Holden’s gaze locked onto me, twisting with fury.

“You’ll regret this,” he spat, launching himself at me.

I met him head-on, our bodies colliding in a brutal clash of power. The shadows around him lashed out, but I fought back, using every ounce of strength to keep him at bay.

Behind me, I heard Aurora’s voice. “We have her! Dane, let’s go!”

With a last burst of energy, I pushed Holden back and won myself some precious seconds.

“Go!” I yelled, whirled, and ran towards them.

We ran down the corridors as the angry yelling of Holden vibrated from behind. We could see the exit – but so could the forces of the Nameless.

“We are not going to make it!” Trajan panted.

“We will,” I said resolutely, even as the doubt in my mind still chewed at me.

We were just reaching the edge of the forest when suddenly Warrick appeared, crawling with panic and fear on his face.

“Warrick,” Aurora spat.

“I’m on your side!” he shouted desperately, but none of us stopped to hear him out.

As the Nameless’s creatures closed in, Warrick wheeled to face them, his blade flashing in the dim light.

“Go! I’ll hold them off!”

I hesitated for a moment, but Aurora grabbed my arm. “Dane, we can’t stay!”

Reluctantly, I turned and ran with the others, Warrick’s shouts fading into the distance.

We didn’t stop until the safety of Broken Ridge wrapped around us. Piper dropped to the ground, breathing weirdly, and Aurora turned to her, eyes ablaze.

“Explain,” she said.

Piper looked up; her face was an odd tapestry, mixed with guilt and anger.

“I don’t understand him, honestly; he’s just betrayed me."

"I didn’t trust him. I never did. But well, he saved us, didn’t he?"

Aurora’s gaze softened slightly, but her voice remained firm. “Warrick betrayed us, Piper. And now he’s paying the price.”

Piper’s hands clenched into fists, her voice trembling with fury. “He was a liar, but he didn’t deserve this. I’ll make the Nameless pay for everything.”

Trajan and Evander sat nearby, their faces pale, the marks on their bodies faint but still visible.

“It’s not over,” Trajan said, his voice low. “Those marks… they’re still there. Still connected to him.”

Evander nodded grimly. “He’s not done with us yet; how can we get these marks out?”

The pack closed in, faces carved by frowns and doubts. A rumble of discontent passed its way through the group, all trust in Aurora now shaken.

“She’s too reckless,” someone whispered.

“We can’t keep following her blindly,” another added.

“I think it’s time for us to make a major decision.”