Chapter 34: Breaking the Spell
"Get down!" Kael shouted as Jace lunged at him with incredible speed. The cave shook with their impact. Rowan pulled Liana behind a stone wall just as shadow-fighters swarmed forward. "We need to get out!" a fighter yelled as black arrows flew through the air. Liana's heart pounded against her ribs. This wasn't Jace—not really. His eyes spun with darkness as he slammed Kael against the wall again.
Blood dripped from Kael's mouth, but he refused to fight back with full strength. "I won't hurt you, brother," Kael groaned. Jace's laugh was hollow and wrong. "Then you'll die." Celeste watched from the shadows, her smile growing with each blow Jace landed. "Beautiful, isn't it? The strongest link broken by blood magic." Golden light sparked at Liana's fingers. She stepped out from behind the wall. "Liana, no!" Rowan reached for her, but she was already moving. Her light burst forward in a bright flash, hitting Jace square in the chest.
He froze mid-attack, his body shaking as darkness fought against her power. "Get him!" Kael ordered, attacking his brother while he was stunned. Three fighters rushed forward with enchanted chains—the same kind used for rogues during the full moon. Jace thrashed and howled as they bound him. "You can't break my spell," Celeste hissed, backing away from Liana's light. "His blood is mine now." Liana advanced, her golden glow spreading. "We'll see about that." Suddenly, the cave opening exploded. Backup warriors flooded in, causing enough chaos for Kael to hoist the struggling Jace over his shoulder. "Fall back!" he ordered. Rowan grabbed Liana's arm, pulling her toward the exit as their warriors made a protective circle. Shadow-fighters closed in, but Liana's light kept them at bay. "This isn't over," Celeste called after them, her voice strangely calm. "You're just bringing the darkness home with you."
The Alpha's house buzzed with tension. In the underground cells, Jace fought against his restraints, his eyes still swimming with black energy. He'd tried to attack three pack members during travel. "What's wrong with him?" Talia whispered, standing beside Liana as they watched through the strengthened glass. "Blood magic," Elder Mira said, appearing behind them. Her wrinkled face looked even older with worry. "Celeste has bound his will to hers by mixing their blood." Kael paced the observation room, his face dark with rage and worry. "How do we break it?" Elder Mira touched the glass dividing them from Jace. "The old ways. We must remove her blood from his system and replace it with something stronger." "Luna blood," Rowan realized, looking at Liana. Liana felt her wolf stir inside her—the old Luna spirit that had chosen her as its vessel. "My blood can heal him?" "It can," Elder Mira nodded seriously. "But entering a blood bond with someone corrupted... the darkness might flow both ways." "You mean I could end up like him?" Liana asked, her voice small. "Or worse," the elder admitted. "Like Celeste." Silence fell over the room. Through the glass, Jace snarled, his face twisted with hate as he spotted them. "I'll do it," Liana decided, ignoring the protests that quickly erupted around her. "He would do the same for any of us."
The ritual room smelled of sage and moonstone dust. Jace lay strapped to a stone altar, still fighting against his bonds. His veins pumped black beneath his skin. "You don't have to do this," Kael said softly, standing at Liana's side. She squeezed his hand. "Yes, I do." Elder Mira drew a circle of salt and crushed herbs around the altar. "Once you enter his thoughts, you must find his true self. The darkness will fight you." Liana nodded, her throat dry with fear. "We'll anchor you," Rowan promised, taking her other hand. "If you feel lost, follow our bond back." Liana took a big breath and stepped into the circle. Jace's eyes tracked her movement, hate burning in them. "Dirty omega," he spat, using words the real Jace would never say. "My master will tear you apart." Ignoring the sting of his words, Liana placed her hands on his temples. Elder Mira began chanting, her voice rising and falling in an ancient beat. The moonstone dust glowed blue around them. "Your blood to his," the elder directed, passing Liana a ceremonial dagger. With shaky hands, Liana cut her palm. Blood—golden-tinged with her Luna power—welled up. She let it drip onto Jace's forehead as Elder Mira continued muttering. The moment her blood touched him, Jace screamed. His back arched off the altar, pushing against the restraints. Liana pressed her bleeding hands against his heart and closed her eyes. The world disappeared. She stood in darkness. Cold, endless darkness that whispered with whispers she couldn't quite understand.
This was Jace's mind—or what was left of it. "Jace?" she called. Her voice echoed weirdly. Something moved in the shadows—a small flashing light. Liana followed it, each step feeling like going through thick mud. The darkness pushed against her, trying to shut her up. "Liana..." The weak voice came from ahead. She pushed forward faster until she found him—the real Jace—curled up in a small ball of light, looking younger and more vulnerable than she'd ever seen him. "You shouldn't be here," he whispered, his green eyes clear but frightened. "She'll find you." "I'm taking you home," Liana reached for him. As their hands touched, memories burst around them—not Jace's memories, but Celeste's. Liana gasped as images filled her mind: A house deep in the woods. An old woman teaches a young Celeste to mix potions. "Our bloodline has waited centuries for revenge against the Alpha triplets." Celeste studying ancient books. "The curse on Rowan's line was put by your ancestor. It's your duty to finish what she started." Darius teaching Celeste to fight. "When the time comes, you'll take all three of them. Their power belongs to us." Liana pulled away, shocked. "Celeste is descended from the witch who cursed Rowan's bloodline!" The darkness around them pulsed angrily.
A shadow shaped like Celeste emerged, reaching for them with hooked hands. "You've seen too much," the shadow hissed. Golden light burst from Liana's chest, surrounding her and Jace. The shadow shrieked, backing away. "Come on," Liana pulled Jace to his feet. "Follow me out." The darkness fought them every step. Tentacles of shadow wrapped around Jace's legs, trying to drag him back. Liana's light burned brighter, separating them. "I can feel her in my blood," Jace gasped as they ran through the mental scenery. "She's still there." "Fight her," Liana pushed, pulling him toward a pinpoint of light that had to be the way out. "Remember who you are!" They were almost there when the shadow caught up. It wrapped around Liana's throat, choking her. "If I can't have him, I'll take you instead," Celeste's voice whispered in her ear. Cold darkness seeped into Liana's blood. Her golden light flickered. "No!" Jace roared, grabbing the shadow. "You don't touch her!" To Liana's surprise, Jace's hands glowed with a silver light—different from her golden power but just as bright. The shadow screamed as he tore it away from Liana. "Get out!" Jace yelled, holding the thrashing darkness. "I'll hold her off!" "Not without you," Liana grabbed his arm. Together, they leaped toward the light. Liana gasped, her eyes flying open as she stumbled back from the altar. Kael caught her before she could fall. On the stone table, Jace convulsed. Black liquid oozed from his mouth, nose, and ears—Celeste's altered blood leaving his body. His back arched one final time before he fell, still as death. "Is he—" Talia couldn't finish the question. For one terrible moment, nobody moved. Then Jace coughed, his chest heaving as he drew in a shaky breath. When he opened his eyes, they were clear green again—his eyes, not Celeste's fake. "You did it," Rowan breathed, squeezing Liana's shoulder. Jace blinked, looking around in confusion. "Liana?" She rushed to his side, tears running down her face. "I'm here." His hand found hers, squeezing weakly. "I saw... everything." "Rest now," Elder Mira urged, but Jace shook his head. "Can't rest," he repeated, struggling to sit up. "She's coming. Her plans... I can see pieces..." "Celeste?" Kael leaned closer. Jace nodded, his eyes haunted. "She's collecting an army for the Blood Moon. But that's not all." He looked directly at Liana. "She knows about your bloodline. About the power you carry." "How?" Liana whispered.
"Because," Jace swallowed hard, "when you purged her from me, something... changed. I can feel it." He held up his hand. Silver light—the same she'd seen in his mind—flickered between his fingers. "I can sense dark magic now," he said, voice trembling. "I can see glimpses of her plans." "A side effect of the purging," Elder Mira murmured, amazed. Jace grabbed Liana's arm, his eyes wide with haste. "You don't understand. She's not working alone. There's someone else—someone worse—pulling the strings." "Who?" Kael demanded. Before Jace could answer, he gasped in pain. Silver light raced up his veins, and his eyes rolled back. "Jace!" Liana cried. His body went stiff, then relaxed. When he opened his eyes again, they glowed silver for just a moment before returning to green. "The darkness is coming," he whispered. "And it knows your name, Liana."