Chapter 186
AURORA
“Oh please, not now,” Dane begged within him.
I was trying to communicate with him but it’s like something happened.
Last I heard from him was a footstep was approaching and his heart was racing more and more with every step.
I just concluded in my mind that anything that wants to happen should happen.
All of a sudden, I didn’t hear anything from him again.
Oh, I hope he’s fine though.
“Was it gone?“I thought.
The frozen metal of the engagement ring still disturbed my skin as I was escorted into the grand hall of the Nameless’s stronghold.
Heavy with the darkness, the air was thick and choking.
Ancient runes etched into the walls provided the only illumination, their soft glow casting patterns across the gathered crowd of onlookers that had come to bear witness to this
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nonsense of a union.
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My dress felt heavy, its dark fabric laced with the same magic that pulsed through the ring on my finger.
It wasn’t a dress, but a shroud, a binding. Every step I took closer to the throne side felt like a step toward my doom.
Standing at the far end of the hall was Holden, his ceremonial robes showing the ominous decorations of the hall.
There was a gleam in his eye, but it wasn’t triumph directed at me. No, his gaze was fixed on the Nameless, an idiot basking in the approval of his master.
Smile, Aurora,” the Nameless’s voice coiled around my mind like a serpent. His shadowy form materialized beside me, his presence sending a chill down my spine. “Let them see your joy.”
I forced my lips into a thin, brittle smile, my fists clenched at my sides.
“Good,” he said. “Play your role well, and perhaps I’ll let precious wolves live a little longer.”
your
My heart twisted, but I managed to keep my expression well hidden.
I did what I was obliged to do–for now. Every moment that I played along was buying time for–something.
Dane’s faint presence in my mind was my anchor, a sign of hope
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even in the desolation.
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“I’m here, Aurora,” his voice whispered through the bond. “Stay strong.”
I was so glad to hear his voice but no time to ask him what happened.
I just held on to the lifeline it provided.
The Nameless raised a hand and silenced the murmurs within
the crowd.
“Today,” he rumbled, his voice echoing across the hall, “we rejoice over a union that will make us stronger over the Broken Ridge Pack and beyond.
The crowd cheered, the sound grating on my ears. Holden stepped forward, extending a hand to me.
“Luna,” he said, his voice dripping with false reverence.
I hesitated for a fraction of a second before laying my hand in his. His handshake was cold, unyielding, and I bit back the urge to pull away.
“Play along,” I reminded myself. “Just a little longer.”
Holden leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear. “You’ll come to see this as your rightful place, Aurora. By my side.”
I didn’t respond, keeping my gaze fixed ahead.
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And then the ceremony started–a lot of chants and incantations. in some language I’d never heard.
The weight of the magic in the air grew thicker, crushing against my skin until I could hardly breathe.
My mind was racing, scattered and searching for some break, some weak point in this charade.
Suddenly, a sharp light shot through the bond. It wasn’t painful, but it was enough to make me stagger. Holden’s grip tightened on my hand, his eyes narrowing.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded.
“Nothing,” I lied, steadying myself.
But it wasn’t nothing. It was Dane.
“Aurora,” his voice came through the bond, stronger than before. “I’ve found a way to fight back.”
“What are you doing?” I thought back, panic threading through my mind.
“Trust me.”
The bond pulsed again this time with a surge of power. It wasn’t just coming from Dane–it was coming from me, too. The engagement band on my finger started to heat up, the dark runes etched into it flickering crazily.
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Holden’s eyes flicked to the ring. “What’s happening?
I didn’t get a chance to reply as the Nameless’s voice thundered through the hall, thick with enraged fire.
“ENOUGH.”
The air around us hissed as the Nameless appeared on the center of the party. His gold eyes blazed hot as he fixed upon me, then moved to Holden.
“Control her,” he growled.
But Holden didn’t move. The bond between me and Dane bucked again, and I realized with a jolt that the engagement bond was glowing: Dane was siphoning its power, using it to launch a mental assault on the Nameless.
The crowd exploded into chaos. Shadows climbed up the walls, frantic, out of control. Holden’s grip on my hand and he stumbled backward, clutching his head.
“What are you doing to me?” he screamed, the tone weird.
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. All my attention was for the bond, for the power moving between me and Dane.
The Nameless roared, his form shifting and expanding as he fought to regain control. “You think you can defy me, Dane? You are nothing but a pawn!”
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But even as he spoke, I could feel the cracks spreading. The Nameless’s hold on the fortress, on the shadows, on us–it was weakening.
“Holden,” the Nameless barked. “Stop her!
Holden launched himself at me, face filled in a rage. I barely had time to react before a burst of magic exploded from the bond, hurling him backward.
The force of it threw me onto my knees, but I didn’t let go of the bond. Not now. Not when we were so close.
The Nameless turned to me then, his eyes of gold ablaze with anger. “You dare defy me?”
I met his gaze, my chest heaving. “You’ll never win,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos erupting everywhere.
His laughter then was cold, cruel. “You really think this changes anything? You have merely delayed the inevitable.”
He raised his hand, and the shadows wrapped around him now coalesced into this huge, writhing form. “I will show you the meaning of despair.”
“Rrraaaaaa, tskk, tskk“said the nameless, I could barely grasp what he was saying but suddenly the ground beneath me shook as the shadows surged forward, devouring everything in their path.
And then, everything went dark.
