Chapter 83: Damn it!
Warning! This Chapter contains a sensitive topic such as child deaths.
*~Caspian’s POV~*
We finally arrived at the location Lilith had given us. The moment we stepped in, the air shifted—cold, charged, almost vibrating with the residue of dark magic. Witches were present. I signaled to the others. We stayed low, alert, and ready.
Then—an arrow whizzed through the air.
I ducked instinctively, growling as it missed me by an inch. Another arrow flew, this time grazing Leon’s shoulder. And then they emerged—witches, camouflaged in dirt-toned robes, their faces marked with ash and bark. They weren’t using spells... they were fighting with Arus—nature-bound weapons.
Just like I suspected.
They were remnants of a coven, not whole. Dallia had been their tether to power—she was their anchor, the one who connected them to the spirit of the earth. Without her, they couldn’t cast properly. They were weakened. Unstable.
Which made them easier targets.
Aurora moved like fire through the chaos—five witches on her, and not a single one could land a hit. Her power wasn’t borrowed from any coven. She drew directly from nature itself. A wild witch. Very rare strong type.
Then A screech..it was a loud small tone. My eyes snapped toward the sound. A baby’s cry.
My heart slammed against my ribs. Aurora turned to me, panting. Her hand gripped mine. "Those are the babies," she whispered urgently, and then—without warning—kissed me.
A jolt of energy pulsed through me.
"Go," she said. "Now."
I nodded, and in a blink, I sprang into the trees, following the faint trail of sound. Branches scratched at my arms. My pulse thundered in my ears. I followed the cry, deeper and deeper until I—
Stopped.. right there center of the clearing... was a figure. Standing riding, half-shadowed by the low branches of a weeping willow.
And beneath him..A tree stump. With two bundles of cloth.
The babies.
My steps slowed. My hearing sharpened—one heartbeat. Just one.
No. No, no, no. There were four of us here—me, the figure, and two babies. Why was I hearing only one?
Something was wrong. The figure dropped something—a small cup. His hands trembled. He turned slowly, and my chest seized.
was the first time I’d seen him since we sealed him in the
and filled with something I couldn’t place—rage, grief, guilt... or
parted. "Caspian..." I didn’t speak. My eyes darted to
were they so
my chest as my gaze
then I bled through
exploding through my body as I shoved him backward, the weight of
two tiny bundles. Two fragile bodies wrapped in soft cloth, I dropped to my knees, hands trembling as I reached out.
baby.... There are
Their tiny chests didn’t rise. Their eyes were shut, and their skin—gods, their skin was already starting to change. A grayish tint crept into their delicate faces. Their lips
No No. No. No.
They were turning blue. Like they were—like
my balance. My vision blurred. My hands refused to stop
voice cracking. "I promised her I would bring them back.
up, throat raw, and glared
you do,
"No—this wasn’t the plan. Caspian, I swear to you, this was
roared, my voice echoing into the trees. "If you wanted revenge, you would come for me. You come for
buckled. "I never meant to hurt them! The witch—she took the powers from them. She gave them to me.
head violently, eyes wide, fingers clawing through his hair. "They weren’t supposed
I
back cracked against the bark, and I pinned him there with one hand, fury roaring through my veins.
blue. It wasn’t
of his skin. His eyes looked sunken, like the life inside him was leaking out slowly, just
just drained the babies. They’d
have drained the twins of their powers, passed them a fake or
his throat, fury
you know how much pain Hazel has already endured?
opened, but I didn’t
by a thread—and now you killed her children. Two damn babies,
hand shook as I lifted him higher. "What kind of monster
monster..." he
me alive for five years. You stole my life—my youth. While you lived—loved—mated, had children... I was rotting. Watching
again. "You think I wouldn’t lose my mind? You think if it
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P4vn9q+ZW6CR317emqGTXkzragaMZISd6VDmGBv3+RqUWCDwah1+B0tkxI+E9YtVPHkb94IMkEdjttMnMOpUM4je/aspJYOPsLXLhJ4YWFYeh12FAPci65gSIzz6E9zByt0MpKaHI1c=
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