Page 142 of A Sunwoven Ascent

“Call to her sister. To Elarwyn. And then… they will all come.”

A sound broke through the stillness. Movement at the edge of the grove, somewhere within the bramble. Another gust swept through the branches, and Cillian turned just in time to see a familiar white shape emerging.

A wolf.

“Kaldrek?” he called.

No answer.

“Kaldrek, is that you?”

Alia’s voice dropped. “Something is wrong. We need to go.”

The air shifted as a cold wind curled around them, and the shadows began to gather. Blackness twisted between the trees, like smoke taking form.

“They’re here,” Cillian said, stepping forward. “Kaldrek! Look out!”

The first creature lunged. Cillian threw himself over Alia, driving her to the ground as the others closed in. Dark shapes circled them now, cutting off any clear view of Kaldrek.

“Stay behind me,” he said.

Light flared in his palms as he thrust it outward. He had scarcely practiced such a thing, yet the power answered as if it had always known what to do. The creatures recoiled, shrinking from it.

Good.

Through the shifting darkness, he caught sight of Kaldrek, standing near the tree, staring upward as though in a trance. No shadows touched him.

“Kaldrek, what the hell?” Cillian shouted, forcing more light into his hands to drive the creatures back.

He was not ready for this. He did not know how long he could hold it. Each pulse of magic cost him more, each breath growing heavier. If it failed, they would strike. And if it came to it, he would have to shift. But he would do it to protect her.

Cillian held his ground, pushing the light again and again, each effort draining him further.

“You are tiring,” Alia said behind him. “Please, let me.”

Light gathered in her hands just as another wave of shadows surged forward. Then a vicious growl split the grove, followed by the sharp crack of shifting bones as Kaldrek changed.

And the darkness fled. It slipped back into the trees, dissolving into the night as quickly as it had come.

Cillian stood frozen, breath caught in his chest. What was that? They had never retreated before. For a moment, only silence remained beneath the Solwyn Tree.

“Are you well?” Cillian asked, breath unsteady.

“I’m fine.” Kaldrek dragged a hand across his jaw. “Cillian, take her back. Warn the others. I need to reach the packs. Make sure everyone at the manor is safe.”

Cillian did not argue. He turned and ran for the carriage.

Chapter 56

The moment Kaldrek shifted and left Duskwood Manor behind, the night air struck him sharp and clean. He ran toward the Shaw estate, damp ground yielding beneath his paws, cold air filling his lungs. At last, the ballroom’s suffocating formality had fallen away. No silk. No polished manners. No careful smiles.

Only movement.

Only instinct.

This was where he belonged.

He cut across the fields toward the encampment, letting the rhythm of the run clear his mind. The pack was waiting, and he needed to check on them before returning to Evelyne.