Chapter 70
“Calder…,”
My chest burned. It wasn’t a glow; it was a brand. The pain dug sharp claws into my ribs and refused to let go. It felt like invisible hands were wrapping around my lungs. Squeezing. Stealing air one shallow, jagged breath at a time.
I looked down. The Lunar Mark on my skin flickered like a dying lightbulb. The silver-white glow sputtered. It was weak. Uneven.
"No," I whispered. My voice was a thin thread. "Not now. Please, not now."
Panic hit me like a freight train. My vision swam in dizzy circles. My heart beat so fast it felt like a drum solo in my throat. I tried to pull in a deep breath.
Bad idea.
The air scraped down my windpipe like I was swallowing handfuls of broken glass. I felt the cold sweat breaking out across my forehead. My skin went clammy.
"Calder—"
My voice cracked. I hated how small I sounded. I hated being the Luna with the fancy glowing tattoo who couldn't even stand up. My knees gave out.
The world tilted sideways. The stone floor rushed up to meet my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the impact.
Strong hands grabbed me.
"I've got you, Selene! Look at me!"
Calder’s voice sounded far away. It was like he was calling from the bottom of a deep well. His arms wrapped around my shoulders. They were solid. Heavy. He held me with a grip that said he wasn't letting go even if the world caught fire.
"I can't... I can't breathe, Calder," I gasped, my fingers clawing at his chest.
"Yes, you can. Focus on my voice. Just my voice!" he commanded, but I could hear the tremor in his own breath.
The ritual's energy surged again. It didn't flow through me like a stream. It tore at me like a rabid animal. It was eating me from the inside out.
My breathing turned into shallow gasps. Dark spots crept into the corners of my eyes. I looked down again.
The Mark was gray. Dead.
"Calder, it's gone," I wheezed. "The Mark... it's dark."
"It is not gone!" he roared, though his eyes widened in horror as he looked at my skin. "I won't let it be gone!"
The air changed. The wind stopped. It didn't fade away. It just froze. The silence grew so thick it pressed against my eardrums until they popped.
Then the air began to twist. It curled in on itself, forming a vortex above the ritual circle. The center was blacker than a starless night. It pulled at my hair. It tugged at my skin like it wanted to peel me apart.
The ground rumbled. It was a deep, deliberate vibration.
A sound rose from the earth. Low. Ancient. Wrong. It crawled up my spine and settled in my marrow. My teeth chattered so hard I thought they would break.
"What is that?" someone screamed.
The panic in the circle was thick. I didn't answer. I knew.
The curse wasn't just breaking. It was throwing a tantrum. It was fighting back with everything it had. Dark energy spilled out of the vortex like oily smoke. It smelled like rot. It smelled like old blood and decay.
Around the circle, the warriors began to fall.
One by one, the fighters dropped. Big men who could bench-press cars were hitting the dirt.
"Hold the line!" a commander shouted, before his own knees buckled and he hit the stone with a sickening thud.
Strong women were clawing at their throats like they were drowning on dry land. Some screamed. Others just went silent as their eyes rolled back.
Maeve shouted commands. "Stay in your positions! Do not break the circle!"
But her voice was swallowed by the roar of the vortex. The symbols carved into the stone began to flicker and crack. The power lines were fracturing like thin ice.
A young girl near Maeve collapsed. She was barely ten years old. She curled into a ball, sobbing.
"Make it stop! It hurts! My head hurts!" she wailed.
Her voice stabbed into my heart. "Calder, the children... we have to stop this," I managed to say.
"I can't stop the ritual now, Selene! If I break it, the energy will vaporize everyone in this clearing!" Calder yelled over the wind.
The dark aura tightened around the circle. It pressed against my ribs until I couldn't expand my lungs. I choked. My fingers trembled against Calder’s arm.
He pulled me closer. I felt his heartbeat against my cheek. It was fast and steady.
"Stay with me," he growled. "Don't you dare close your eyes!"
"I'm trying," I whispered, but my head felt heavy. "So tired..."
"No! You do not get to be tired!" His voice was fierce. He sounded like he was trying to command the universe to back off.
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