Chapter 9: The Vow of Steel (The Battle of the Woods)
The celestial fire Seraphina had conjured roared toward the sky, trapped in a perfect circle around us. The heat was different from Wolfie's—it was a dry, stinging burn that felt like it wanted to peel the shadows right off my skin.
"Stay close," I hissed, my eyes scanning the perimeter.
Marcus stepped forward, his silver claymore humming. In the moonlight, he looked like a titan of muscle and rage. "You think a few days in the dirt made you a warrior, vampire? I was born for the hunt. You're just a parasite in a suit."
He lunged. The weight of the sword should have made him slow, but with Seraphina's golden light buffing his movements, he moved like a gale. He swung the massive blade in a horizontal arc, aimed directly for my neck.
I didn't dodge back. I dove forward.
"Now!" I shouted.
Wolfie didn't hesitate. She didn't shift fully—she stayed in that dangerous half-state we had perfected. She leaped into the air, her feet landing on my shoulders as I ducked. Using me as a spring-board, she launched herself over Marcus's head, her claws extending into long, obsidian daggers.
Marcus let out a roar of surprise as Wolfie's claws raked across his back. He spun, swinging the claymore upward, but I was already there. I moved with a speed that blurred the air, my own hidden daggers clashing against the silver steel. The impact sent a vibration up my arms that threatened to shatter my bones, but I held the line.
"Is that all?" I taunted, my voice a cold rasp.
From the sidelines, Seraphina's face twisted. "Enough! I will not have my champion embarrassed by a stray!"
She raised her hands, and bolts of pure white energy rained down from the sky. They weren't aimed at me—they were aimed at the ground, creating explosions of light designed to blind us.
"Drayan, eyes!" Wolfie yelled.
I closed my eyes, trusting her. Wolfie's werewolf senses didn't need light; she could smell the shift in the air, feel the vibration of the magic. She grabbed the back of my jacket, pulling me sideways just as a bolt scorched the earth where I had been standing.
"My turn," she growled.
She gripped my hands, and I felt the familiar surge of her heat. Usually, a vampire's touch would weaken a werewolf's transformation, but I did the opposite. I channeled my stillness into her, acting as a lens for her power.
Wolfie's fur turned a brilliant, icy silver. She didn't just run; she became a streak of light. She slammed into Marcus with the force of a falling star, her shoulder connecting with his chest. The "Golden Champion" was sent flying backward, his silver sword clattering into the brush.
Seraphina screamed in frustration, her wings flapping violently as she took to the air. "You think this bond makes you special? It makes you a target! Once I break one of you, the other will crumble!"
She dove toward us, her hands glowing with a supernova's intensity.
"Together," I whispered, reaching for Wolfie.
We stood back-to-back. I summoned every ounce of the shadow magic I had inherited from Drac, coiling it around us like a dark shield. Wolfie let out a howl that wasn't a cry of pain, but a command. The shadows and the silver light fused, creating a barrier that absorbed Seraphina's blast with a deafening crack.
The shockwave sent Seraphina tumbling back through the air, her white feathers singed and smoking. She landed hard near Marcus, who was struggling to get to his feet, coughing up blood.
"The wedding is in three days," I said, stepping out of the fading shadows. My shirt was torn, and my chest was heaving, but my eyes were fixed on them with a promise of death. "If you show your faces in Redpaveley again, I won't just disarm you. I'll show you why my father's name used to make the city tremble."
Marcus looked at the silver ring on Wolfie's finger, then at the way I stood protectively in front of her. For the first time, he didn't look angry. He looked terrified. He realized the alliance wasn't a political move—it was a weapon.
Seraphina scrambled up, her beautiful face distorted by a mask of pure hatred. "This isn't over, Drayan! You can't stay in the woods forever! The village will turn on you once they see what you've become!"
"Let them try," Wolfie shouted back, her voice echoing through the trees. "We are the new Redpaveley! And we're just getting started!"
The two villains retreated into the darkness, leaving us alone in the smoking clearing. The celestial fire died out, leaving only the quiet, silver light of the normal moon.
Wolfie leaned against me, her heart finally slowing down. "We did it," she whispered. "We actually fought them off."
"We did," I said, wiping a smudge of dirt from her cheek. I looked at the ring on her finger. "But they'll be back for the wedding. They'll try to ruin the ceremony."
Wolfie looked up at me, a fierce, beautiful smile on her face. "Let them come. I've always wanted a little excitement at my wedding."