Chapter 141

Hannah

Gemma and Sebastian were already waiting in the gardens when we arrived. As I approached, I saw that Gemma had the spell book in her hands and she was studying it carefully. I couldn’t help but notice how nervous she looked. I couldn’t blame her for being nervous. This was a huge thing she was doing, and it was incredibly dangerous.

Sebastian on the other hand didn’t look worried; I admired his bravery, and it made me feel confident that we will be able to do this mission with ease. Gemma started to make a large circle with the sage as the sun completely set and the full moon came into view. I knew time was running short and within a few hours, the vampire king would start his ritual as well.

I stood beside Sebastian who wrapped an arm around me, holding me close to him. We watched as Gemma lit a match, throwing it at the sage that she sprinkled around the ground. Before our eyes, the sage lit up into beautiful orange and blue flames. I gasped, taking a step back as the heat of the fire made its way into our direction.

The flames were large and nearly engulfed Gemma. For a moment, I was worried she was hurt. But Sebastian, once again, didn’t seem as worried. I soon saw Gemma emerging from the flames. She looked unharmed; she even looked exhilarated. She walked toward the pale of water and sprinkled the black rose petals into the water. The petals floated across the top of the pale; it was glistening under the illuminated light of the moon.

She lifted the pale and walked over to the ring of fire she created. She took in a sharp breath in and gazed up at the moon.

“Moon goddess,” she breathed. “We need your help and your energy. We are to open the portal from both sides, and we need your protection now more than ever. I ask of you to keep the dark spirits away and keep our lands safe.”

Once she finished saying those words, she began pouring the water into the flames, causing dark clouds of smoke to emerge from the ring of fire. The smoke went directly into the sky, and I watched in amazement as it reached up toward the moon. It smelled of burning leaves and lavender.

She was saying something in Latin that I couldn’t understand; I knew it must have been a spell from the book. I thought the fire would go out from the water being poured on it, but to my surprise, the flames grew more intense. I saw the blue fire rising and causing us to sweat. It was not only growing larger, but it was getting hotter as well.

I took an unsteady step away, unsure of what was happening and how wary we should be. Sebastian stood his ground; it was like he’s seen this before. He was watching Gemma in amazement, and I saw the reflection of the blue flames lingering in his eyes.

I felt a surge of energy and a light breeze brushing across my features, cooling me from the intensity of the fire. I breathed in, feeling a wave of calm washing over me. It was like the moon was growing even more intense and soothed away all things that caused me fear and discomfort.

It must have been the moon goddess; she was here, and she was providing us with her energy. I closed my eyes, soaking in every drop of energy that was given to me. For once, since I lost my wolf, I was finally feeling strong again. I no longer felt defenseless; I felt like I could take on the world and protect our kingdom.

I smiled up at the moon as its rays tickled my features. I wondered if Sebastian felt as incredible as I did at that moment. Glancing over at him, I saw that he was also looking up at the moon. That gave me the answer I needed. I reached over and grabbed a hold of his hand; I didn’t want to let him go. I wanted him to know that I was here with him no matter what happens.

He returned my gaze and gave me a confident smile, squeezing my hand gently. Sebastian then frowned, looking down at Wrenley. I realized at that moment that she was crying. I didn’t even realize how frightened she was; she wasn’t feeling the same energy surge as we were; she was terrified. Her tears glistened on her features and her body trembled.

I held her tightly, keeping her shielded from the events of what was going on around us. I didn’t want her to see any more of this. I shushed her gently, kissing the top of her head.

The louder that Gemma got with her Latin chanting, the more intense the flames and the heat grew. She looked over at me and noticed that Wren was in distress. She pointed at us; her hand shaking in the process. She was still chanting in Latin and not explaining what she needed. But she didn’t need to use words to tell us what it was we needed to do. Sebastian already knew exactly what she was trying to say.

He grabbed the moonstone scepter that he tucked away in his back pocket and revealed it to me. I saw that the moonstone was glowing; it seemed it was glowing to match the flames and the words that Gemma was chanting. The green crescent emblem that Lila had given me was still attached and glowing as well.

Sebastian took a step closer to me, holding the scepter close to Wren. It continued to glow even more, which worried me. I didn’t like it being so close to Wrenley. I remembered how I felt when I first touched the scepter and that was not something I would ever wish on anybody. Especially not my child. But Wrenley didn’t need to touch the scepter. It was her tears that we needed.

I glanced over at Raya who gave me a wary look; she was looking frightened since the beginning, but she remained quiet and in the background. I took in a deep breath and brought Wren toward the scepter. She continued to cry because of everything that was going on around her. I kissed her head gently to soothe her; I didn’t want her upset and it broke my heart that she was. A couple of tears strayed from her eyes and dripped off her chin.

I watched as it landed on the scepter, soaking into the glowing and illuminating light. As soon as the tears made contact with the moonstone, it began to glow even more. Sebastian winced in pain and dropped the scepter to the ground; the power was almost too much for him to hold in his bare hands.

A ray of light emerged from the moonstone and shot up toward the moon. I watched it with amazement, but there was still a lot of worry within me. The blinding light that we saw when our wolves were taken was returning and I found it difficult to keep my eyes open.

“Hannah!” I heard Raya’s voice; she sounded distant, but I knew she was within reach. “Where are you?!”

She couldn’t see either because of the blinding light.

I unstrapped Wren from my chest and ran in the direction of her voice.

“Keep talking!” I told her as I fought through the pull of the scepter. It was pulling me toward it; I could feel my wolf’s energy from within the scepter and it was making my body want to run toward it instead of away from it. “I need to hear your voice to find you!”

“I’m over here!” She exclaimed. “I can’t see anything!”

I finally saw her faint image through the lights, and I reached Wren to her.

“Take her to safety, Raya!” I ordered. “Keep her safe and keep yourself safe!”

I saw the panic and the worry in her eyes, but she didn’t argue with me. She grasped Wrenley tightly in her arms and held her close. I saw tears welling up in her eyes.

“Please be careful, Hannah,” she whispered.

That was the last thing I heard before everything went black.