His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 130: Snowstorms & other Magicks. (1)

The chill of the night seemed to crawl beneath my skin as the carriage moved slowly through the snow-covered road. The storm had come out of nowhere, fierce and unrelenting, and the wind howled against the windows like some wild beast. I could feel it biting at my skin, even inside the carriage.

I couldn’t tell if this was nature crying out in anger or if the High Fae had returned and discovered me missing. I didn’t know Cazimir’s powers or Asa’s, but I was sure Pyrrhus and Elwin couldn’t wield snow. I shook my head. Now that I knew of these creatures, I was already starting to think every little thing was caused by them.

’We are everywhere.’ Is what they said. Glamours used to disguise themselves, to hide their ears, their distinguished features if any and their magick.

My wolf growled a little in response to my thoughts. She wanted to kill them. I got the sense she wanted to kill any that had caused me harm. Caused us harm. It was a long list and one that would end up suiting the High Faes’ needs of wiping out court.

I internally shook my head to my wolf. No to killing everyone. She huffed.

A low groan snapped my attention to the man lying next to me, bloodied and unconscious in the carriage. His body was covered in layers of blankets, his breathing shallow, his face pale. Cohnal sat on the opposite side, also injured but in better condition than Soren. His face was bruised, and his right arm was bound with a makeshift sling, but the injuries weren’t as critical as the ones Soren had sustained.

Cohnal passed out as soon as he was moved from the inn to the carriage. He saw me and even in his slightly drug-induced state, managed to mind link Eryx before unconsciousness dragged him back into recovery. The sling would be off tomorrow, and any internal injuries could possibly be the next day. I saw the wounds from large thorns scratched up the side of his face and winced, remembering the cold and aloof High Fae who seemed to prefer plants to any communication with the Fae, let alone a Were.

My gaze fell back on Soren. His wounds were not healing like the typical recovery time. He’d been beaten to an inch of his life with aconite in his system, preventing his wolf’s powers from helping and weakening him further. We managed to get the local healer to him but this trip was risky right now.

Soren had cracked ribs, possibly broken bones puncturing his lungs from the sound of his breathing, and his heartbeat was so slow. Deyanira had caused this. My eyes closed at the sudden blood lust shedding claws through my nails at her name alone. When I heard my gloves tearing because of them, I snapped out of it.

"These are brand new," I murmured quietly to my wolf. "We will get her. Not yet. Don’t waste your rage on her."

My wolf settled but she seemed to be a vicious little thing. I liked it. I needed it.

I stroked the side of Soren’s head, worry making me pray to the Goddess silently. I’d already lost one friend tonight; wherever he may be, I didn’t want to lose another.

The urgency of the situation hit me like a weight every time I looked at Soren and Cohnal. We were so close to safety—so close to getting back to the palace—but the storm caused the carriage to move slower. The snow deepend, the wind whipping harder, the sound of hooves sinking into the white blanket of snow, the wheels struggling, to move.

We couldn’t keep going much longer. It would be too dangerous.

"We have to stop," Alaric’s voice came through the crack in the door, sharp and firm. I turned, seeing his silhouette standing outside, his figure outlined against the heavy white curtain of snow. "We can’t risk it. We can’t see anything out here."

I nodded, my mind already calculating how much longer we would be stranded. The storm was intensifying, and it would be far too risky to push forward in these conditions. As much as I hated to admit it, stopping might be our only choice.

If we couldn’t move in this weather, then the High Fae couldn’t--I hoped. I couldn’t taste the magick I’d become accustomed to in the short time I spent with the Fae. So it was Mother Nature herself crying out in rage. I felt her pain.

Cohnal grunted from across the carriage, his voice hoarse. "Should we find shelter? There’s a cabin near here, a few miles out, but the snow’s coming down hard." He glanced at me, his eyes narrowed in concern. "We can try for it. But Soren—"

"I know," I said softly, the weight of the moment pressing on my chest. "He’s burning up. The fever’s worse." I didn’t like the idea of staying in another cabin. I had a horrid feeling that it might be the one I’d fled from-- Impossible, but I still feared it.

Cohnal gave a grim nod, and I felt his eyes linger on Soren for a moment before he turned to look at me. "We’ll find something soon."

The carriage lurched as it came to a stop. I barely noticed it until the door swung open, revealing Alaric again, his cloak flapping wildly in the wind. His expression was unreadable as he spoke. "We’re stopping here. The cabin’s not far off. Let’s move."

Alaric must have scouted the area in the time I’d been taken. Or he just knew his lands well anyway from years of protecting it.

I nodded wordlessly and carefully manoeuvred myself around Soren to exit the carriage. The cold bit into my skin as I stepped into the snow, my boots sinking in deep. It was difficult to see beyond the immediate area, the snowstorm blinding everything around us. The night felt like it was alive, like it was closing in on me, but I didn’t have time to think about it.

Cohnal helped Soren from the carriage, his movements slow and careful as he shifted him into a more comfortable position. My heart broke every time I saw the pain written on Soren’s face. "Birgir, Arne! Help us. Beta Cohnal is too injured for this."

Cohnal gave me a look but I shot him a pointed one back. He was too injured to carry Soren.

Birgir and Arne, royal guards who never mistreated me, rushed forward. They were young, a few years younger than me, but highly trained. Perhaps their age played a role in why they never followed the opinions of others. Or they saw how Alaric favoured me even with the courts obvious distaste.

I stayed close to Soren, my hands trembling as I tried to help him stay awake, to help him stay strong. He had fought for me, once. He had been my knight, my protector. But now, he was the one needing protection. And I was supposed to be the one to give it. I’m his Alpha Princess, his master; I need to start protecting him for Calix as well.

Alaric moved ahead, scouting the path for shelter, and Cohnal stayed close, guiding Soren through the snow as Birgir and Arne carried him over their shoulders.

The storm had only grown worse. The wind howled and the snow pelted us with vicious force. It was hard to see, hard to focus, but somehow we made it to the cabin.

When we finally reached it, I collapsed against the doorframe for a moment, exhausted and chilled to the bone. The warmth inside the cabin was a welcome relief, and I hurriedly followed Soren inside with Birgir and Arne’s help.

We set him down on a sofa, and I started a fire in the hearth, trying to keep the warmth circulating. Soren’s skin was burning up, yet his body trembled with cold. Beads of sweat formed on his face, trickling down, his breath shallow and ragged. He was barely conscious, but he seemed to register my presence, his eyes fluttering open just slightly.

"Idalia..." he rasped, his voice weak, barely audible. "I’m sorry..."

I knelt beside him, brushing his damp hair from his forehead, the weight of his words sinking into my chest. "Shh, don’t talk. Just rest. You’re going to be fine." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

I wasn’t sure if I believed it. I wasn’t sure if he would be fine. What would happen to Calix if... No. I wouldn’t think that way.

I glanced toward Cohnal, who was sitting by the door, watching us. His expression was unreadable. He had been through a lot, yet I knew, even from his exhausted posture right now, that the Beta was acting as guard.

Alaric had collapsed on the bed in the joining room, ordering his men to rest and take turns on shifts. Some of the men were already settling on the ground, crossing their arms, used to life on the road.

I turned back to Soren. His body was hot to the touch, and I knew I needed to do something before it got worse. The cabin was warm enough, but his body wasn’t responding to the heat, and his fever was burning out of control.

I hesitated for only a moment before I started to undress him. His body was covered in layers of thick blankets, and I needed to cool him down, to try and bring his temperature back to something manageable. I tore a strip of cloth from my shirt and wet it in the cold snow outside the cabin, then placed it against his forehead.

I worked quickly, my hands moving on instinct, placing damp cloths against his skin, on his chest, on his forearms, anything to cool him down. But nothing was working. His breathing was still shallow, and he remained feverish, his skin burning beneath my hands.

Then, I felt it. A surge of power, a strange, wild energy rushing through my veins. It pulsed from deep within me, rushing up to the desire to protect and save Soren. It was instinctual.

Almost in a daze, I placed my hand on the black bruising, the internal bleeding at Soren’s ribs.