Chapter 8 No Way Out

Rowan's POV

Every nerve in my body screamed for me to bolt, but there was nowhere safe to go. I was trapped. Up the creek.

Glowing eyes circled me, they seemed to glow slightly, flickering in the dim light. It was hard to make out the shapes in the dark. My wolf was going nuts in my head, wanting to take over, but I held firm. I couldn't just use muscle to win. I needed brains.

One of them stepped ahead, taller than the rest. Something was off about it.

The air around it seemed to shimmer and bend. My gut churned. My vision got weird for a second. Was it a trick? Some kind of illusion? Or something way worse?

I gripped my sword tighter, getting ready for anything. Who's there? I called out.

Silence. You could have heard a pin drop.

Then, a laugh broke the silence. It was a low, raspy sound that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

You already know, the figure said, its voice like nails on a chalkboard.

I felt a chill. Did I know? Something deep down felt like it did.

The group started to move, their glowing eyes narrowed, and their bodies got more tense like they were about to pounce.

Then, a whisper came out of nowhere!

Not from them. From right behind me.

Before I could even turn, something hit me hard. I couldn't breathe. Everything went white when I hit the ground, and my sword went flying.

My back was on fire, but I didn't have time to even think about it. Someone put a boot on my chest and pinned me down.

I struggled, gasping for air, but the pressure got worse. I couldn't breathe.

Then, a voice spoke.

It was her.

You should've stayed away, Rowan.

Elaria.

I froze. The pain, the fear, nothing compared to what I was feeling inside. Looking up, all I could see was Elaria standing over me. Her eyes were burning with what I couldn't tell. Was it anger? Pain? Or something even worse still?

Elaria? My voice barely came out.

She didn't even move. Didn't even blink. The pressure on my chest was too much.

What are you doing here? she asked, but it wasn't a question. It was a warning.

I tried to get up, but the others moved in, closing in just like a pack of wolves. My sword was out of reach. My inner wolf was quiet. The only thing standing between me and death was the woman I used to think would save me.

She bent down with her hand barely touching my throat, like she was checking my pulse.

You don't belong, Rowan. You never did.

Her words hurt worse than any sword could.

I clenched my jaw. I came because something bad is happening. Something massive. You have to listen...

I got slapped and it stung!. Before i could react, my head was throbbing. A collective animalistic growl came from the figures as they closed in .Elara signal them to stop.

Elaria stood up straight. Take him.

I was ready to fight back, but before I could even move, I was yanked up into the air by something unseen.. Shackles snapped on my wrists, and they burned like hell. Silver was what I was dealing with . A chain tightened around my throat, pulling my head back.

I fought it, but it was useless. It was going down.

Elaria started walking, leading the way deeper into the woods. Even though I tried to say something she ignored me completely, and just kept on walking.

They dragged me past bushes and trees. The air smelled like dirt, plus something else. Something ancient and old. We kept walking, and things started to feel strange. The trees looked twisted, and there were weird shadows everywhere.

Then, the whispering started back up. I was losing it

Not from the group.

From the woods.

It hit me. We weren't just in any part of the woods, but a cursed one.

And they were leading me right to the worst part.

I felt like I was being watched by something creepy. I started to breathe hard. I knew stories about places like this. Places where magic was alive and well, but hidden. I always thought they were just stories.

Now, chained up and being dragged deeper into the dark, I realized what was true. Some bad dreams don't stay away.

They're just waiting.

Elaria stopped dead in her tracks. The group froze, their eyes focused on something straight ahead. We entered the clearing. And it didn't seem darkened like the forest we went through, but untouched, which it was far from.

It was all a trick.

Energy crackled in the air. A big stone thing stood in the middle, covered in symbols I didn't know. It felt like an altar, the kind you see old movies.

My heart sank.

We weren't standing on just some cursed ground.

It was a place they sacrificed.

I turned to Elaria, my heart was beating so fast. Tell me this isn't what it looks like.

She looked at me, and for a second, I thought I saw something. Maybe she wasn't sure about all of this.

But it was gone real fast.

You should have stayed away, Rowan, she said again, but her voice sounded shaky.

Then, the chanting started.

It was a low, creepy sound.

And the ground started to shake.

A sound so deep it shook my insides sounded from the altar, and black energy popped out.

No way out.

And I walked right into it.

I could only hear pounding in my ears and couldn't breathe because of the tight boot against my chest as Elaria had no remorse and continued to watch me suffer!. She had a look on her face that i never saw before.

Did she finally see what was what, or was that wishful thinking on my behalf?

You don't get it. I said in a rasp. This isn't me...

Elaria said nothing, but her face said everything I was dreading.

There was no way out.