Chapter 19: Betrayal by Blood
The shadows swirled around them like angry storm clouds, choking out all light. Elara felt icy fingers grasp at her throat as the darkness from the false Selene’s mouth spread throughout the cave.
"Shield yourselves!" Darian shouted, his voice barely audible over the howling darkness.
Acting on instinct, Elara summoned the mental walls she had just learned to create. Silver light burst from her fingertips, creating a protective dome around the five of them. The shadows hissed and retreated, unable to penetrate the barrier.
"How long can you hold it?" Kael asked, his golden eyes reflecting her silver light.
"Not long enough," Elara admitted, already feeling the strain. Her arms trembled with effort as the shadows pounded against her shield.
Ronan grabbed her hand. "Take my strength."
She felt his power flow into her, wild and fierce. Kael placed his hand on her shoulder, adding his steady, commanding energy. Darian completed the circle, his calm presence stabilizing the connection between them all.
With their combined power, Elara pushed outward. The shield expanded violently, exploding in a burst of silver light that sent the shadows scattering. The creature wearing Selene’s face screamed, its form melting into black sludge before slithering out of the cave entrance.
"It’s gone—for now," Tobias said, checking the entrance carefully.
"But it knows where we are," Kael growled. "We need to move."
They gathered what little supplies they had and fled deeper into the network of caves. By dawn, they emerged in a different part of the forest, miles from where they had started.