Chapter 8: The Night of the Hunt
The Night of the Hunt
The attack came before dawn.
Howls erupted across the territory.
Blackthorn was under attack.
Shadow wolves moved between the houses.
Kael shifted instantly.
His black wolf charged into the battlefield.
Liora followed.
“Stay behind me!”
“No.”
“Liora!”
A shadow wolf lunged.
She raised her hand.
Silver light exploded.
The wolf was thrown across the street.
Everyone stopped.
Liora stared at her hands.
Kael stared at her.
Her eyes had become completely silver.
Then a voice entered her mind.
Come to the forest.
She froze.
“Liora?”
She looked toward the trees.
“I have to go.”
“No.”
“Someone is calling me.”
Kael grabbed her wrist.
The moment they touched, the bond exploded.
Both gasped.
A vision appeared.
A ruined temple.
A silver throne.
And a man standing before it.
Darius.
His eyes were black.
“You finally woke,” he whispered.
The vision vanished.
Kael tightened his grip.
“Did you see him?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“That I finally woke.”
Kael’s expression darkened.
“Then the war has already begun.”
Suddenly a horn sounded.
The Shadow wolves began retreating.
Kael watched them disappear.
Liora looked at him.
“They weren’t trying to attack the village.”
“No.”
“They were testing me.”
Kael nodded.
“Yes.”
A terrible realization settled between them.
Someone had known exactly what Liora was.
And they had been waiting for her power to awaken.
