Chapter 3 - The Sanctuary of Iron and Blood
Reena scrambled backward on her elbows, scraping her skin against the raw stone. Standing over her was a towering rogue lieutenant, his face scarred, a deadly wolf-bane blade held high.
“A wolfless pest protecting a monster infant,” the rogue sneered, lifting his blade. “Your death will make my master very rich.”
“Not today,” Reena spat.
Gathering every ounce of remaining strength, Reena grabbed a fallen heavy brass sconce from the wall and swung it with all her might into the assassin’s kneecap. The rogue yelled in pain as his leg buckled. Reena didn't wait; she scrambled to her feet, threw herself into the vault chamber, and slammed the massive iron lever down.
CLANG!
The heavy steel doors shut with a deafening thud. Runes of absolute sealing flared along the edges of the vault door as seven giant iron deadbolts slid into place. Outside, the rogue smashed against the door, shouting curses, but the metal was impenetrable.
Reena collapsed against the sealed door, sliding down to the floor, wheezing for air. She was safe inside the vault, but the cost was devastating.
The small room was lit by faint blue crystals embedded in the stone ceiling. Samuel was crying hysterically now. The sensory overload of the battle and his panic had triggered an unprecedented magical surge. The blue electrical aura around his tiny form grew into a blinding tempest.
“Ahhh!” Reena screamed as the binding spell violently pulled the toddler’s surging energy into her own body.
Black veins flared across Reena’s hands and neck. She felt as though liquid fire was being poured directly into her heart. Her vision flickered wildly. She was absorbing too much power at once—far beyond what her human physiology could sustain.
“Samuel... stop... please...” she sobbed, holding the baby close despite the burning agony.
If she let go of him, his own magical tempest would rupture his internal organs. If she kept holding him, her own heart would explode.
“I won’t leave you,” Reena choked out, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. “I don’t care if I was brought here as a sacrifice. I love you, Samuel. You are my son!”
She pulled the child to her neck, embracing him fully, surrendering her body to the tide of deadly magic. She closed her eyes, preparing for her heart to fail.
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Then, something inside Reena shattered.
Deep within her soul, in the dark, silent space where a wolf spirit was supposed to sleep, a blinding golden light burst forth. The ancient binding magic had reached a critical mass. Instead of destroying her human core, the sheer volume of royal Alpha magic forced her dormant, ancient bloodline to awaken!
