AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Just how smart did your father make these wolves of his?” he questions in disbelief.
“They’re just as smart as a human and as cunning as any wolf.”
Oberon bites his lip as he surveys our options, which aren’t many. When he finally does look at me, his expression is apprehensive.
“I can kill these wolves before they kill us,” he says but his words hold a note of warning, “but you won’t like the consequences and you’ll need to hold onto me tight, so you aren’t caught in the spell. Do you understand?”
“What are you going to do to them?”
Oberon scoffs as he pulls off his shirt, revealing a series of brands that run from his shoulders to halfway down his arms. They’re symbols I don’t recognize, and I can only assume they represent some sort of dark fae magic.
“You’ll see it for yourself soon enough. Now get behind me and hold onto my waist tightly. I haven’t performed this spell in years so I might be a bit rusty, but I’ll do my best to keep you out of its range.”
“That’s not very comforting,” I grumble while walking behind him. After I have my arms wrapped around his torso, he chuckles.
“You shouldn’t feel comforted because I’m not entirely sure what will happen. Either I’ll kill the wolves, or I’ll kill us all.”
“I would rather not die today,” I say tartly. “We still need to confront my father about disabling your ship.”
Oberon spreads his legs slightly apart and clasps his hands together.
“You’re sure it was Eldon who sabotaged my ship?” He begins to swirl his hands, rubbing his palms together. A faint red glow appears, growing brighter and bigger as he continues to weave his spell.
“Who else would be so arrogant? He was frightened you would go through with your threat to destroy us if I didn’t marry you.”
“Fear is the point of threats,” he says without an ounce of apology. “Your father thinks too much of himself, and a threat was the only way I could ensure his cooperation.”
“And if he had called your bluff?”
Oberon’s hands slow and I feel him tense under my touch.
“I would have done exactly what I promised, Emily.” He turns his head and looks at me. “I don’t make threats lightly, and I always keep my word, even if the consequences mean destroying a whole world. None of us are safe while your father remains in power. It’s our time to rule the fae and bring the light and dark back together. We need each other. We can’t survive separated.”
He faces forward again and quickens the motions of his hands.
Wolves begin to howl all around us.
“They’re closer,” I whisper as the spell Oberon is preparing to cast begins to crackle as small bolts of lightning flash between his palms.
“You should close your eyes,” he warns before pulling his hands away from each other. A swirling red ball of light filled with lightning floats in between them. “I’m not exactly sure how powerful this spell will be. After encountering the source of magic on that planet we found, all of our spells have been supercharged. This spell was already dangerous in its primitive form. I have no idea what it will do now that it’s been given an upgrade.”
“Do you think this is the smartest thing you should be doing then?” I have to question his tactics because I’m rightfully scared now.
The whine of his spell raises to a new level, echoing off the walls of the ravine.
“We have no choice,” he yells to be heard over the cacophony. “Close your eyes, Emily, and pray that we survive this.”
I do more than close my eyes. I also bury my face in Oberon’s back and tighten my hold around his waist. I have no idea what’s about to happen, but I try to prepare myself for anything, even death.
Dying wouldn’t be that horrible of an outcome. In fact, a small part of me might even welcome it. I would finally be reunited with Mark in whatever afterlife awaits us. Will he remember me after so much time has passed? Will he still love me as I do him? Or can we still love others in death as we do in life? Passing over into the realm of the dead is one of life’s last mysteries that we can only solve when life slips out of our grasp. Not even those who are brought back remember what it was like to be dead. Those memories are lost once they’re reanimated, never to be regained until we leave this world for good.
The howling of the wolves has stopped to be replaced by guttural snarls. Although I’ve been told to keep my eyes closed, instinct makes me look, but I instantly wish I had heeded Oberon’s advice.
Surrounding us on all sides are at least twenty of the snowy white wolves my father created. Their primal blue eyes are filled with anger as they bare their teeth and viciously snap at us. The only thing that seems to be holding them at bay is Oberon’s spell.
“Come closer, you cowards,” he taunts. “Let me end the cursed lives you have once and for all.”
One wolf pads toward us in a low crouch. It must be the pack leader because all the wolves follow his lead. Once they get within five feet of us, Oberon lets out a guttural war cry and makes a quick swiping motion with his hands, releasing the spell like a tidal wave of magic. Now, I see why he had me hold onto him because the center of the spell acts as a calm focal point.
