Chapter 392
Chapter 392
After enduring twenty agonizing minutes, I finally reach my limit. I don’t care if it annoys her—I have to know what’s happening. “Elara?! Can you hear me? What’s going on?” I call out, my voice trembling slightly but trying to stay steady. Only silence greets me. I hold my breath, counting one heartbeat, then another. “Elara!” I force calm into my tone, fighting the rising panic.
Suddenly, her voice cuts through the quiet, sharp and frustrated. “What? We’re in the middle of something, and the three of you are just standing there. This isn’t easy, and your help would be appreciated, but none of you seem willing to step up p>
I blink in disbelief. “What do you mean? We can’t get to you. Since we arrived, the three of us have been huddled together p>
“No, you haven’t. We’ve been trying to dismantle this damn totem while you all lounge around the cars, waiting.” Her words sting.
“Elara… I’m right behind you. You’re trapped inside some kind of bubble or barrier. We’ve been trying to reach you for half an hour.” My voice is urgent.
“Ben, we’ve been at this for nearly two hours, and you haven’t even moved from the cars.” Her tone is sharp, almost accusing.
“What?!” I shout, stunned.
“What what?” Dev asks, confused. I repeat what she said.
“Elara, you haven’t been in there for more than thirty minutes. I only lost sight of you briefly when the three of us jumped out of the car. And since when have we ever minded our own business? None of us would just stand by and let you do all the work. What totem are you trying to take apart? I can’t get any closer. Can you turn around and look at me p>
She glances over her shoulder, but not directly at me her gaze drifts off toward the SUVS we arrived in. Annoyance radiates from her, clear as day.
“Whatever you’re seeing, it’s not me. Ask Brianna and Marietta what they see. I’m right behind you. Please, just tell me what’s going on. Clearly, some kind of magic is messing with us p>
Her silence stretches on, too long and heavy. My wolf is restless, itching to burst through whatever barrier holds her. I tell Jax and Dev about my plan to charge forward, but before I can move, a purple-white glow begins to shimmer around the women in front of us. Instinctively, we step back, shielding our eyes. They still appear to be huddled over something.
“Must be some kind of frozen image,” I mutter.
“So what the hell is happening now?” Jax asks, stepping closer to me.
“No clue,” I reply, eyes locked on Elara despite the blinding light. “But get ready to grab them. They either dismantled something or triggered something p>
“Why does it feel like the second option?” Dev asks, his voice tight. “This whole place is making me sick p>
I nod grimly. The light flickers, making it hard to focus. I hear a crackling noise, like ice cracking on a lake as winter thaws. “It’s coming p>
“What’s―?” A sudden sound, like gravel tumbling, is followed by a flash of purple light. I try not to blink, but my eyes betray me.
The next thing I feel is a sharp tap on my face-not gentle at all. “Hey! Sleeping beauty. Get your ass up.” I look up into a pair of dark green eyes. “We have some things to discuss. Your napping isn’t helping p>
I groan, rubbing my temples as I sit up, my head spinning. I glance at Jax and Dev
to see if they’re down too, but no luck-they’re busy talking with the witches. “Why am I the only one on the ground p>
“No idea. You were out cold when we got back here p>
“Where did you go?” I ask, sitting up straighter despite the dizziness.
“We had to separate the pieces of the totem left here. Something about control and compulsion. To break it, we needed to create space between the elements so Brianna could counter the hex with a spell. We’ll have to return and place other hexes to keep dispelling it p>
“That still doesn’t explain why I passed out and no one else did p>
Brianna’s calm voice cuts through. “It’s your incomplete lie to Elara. She’s a conduit for the magic here, and there’s a lot of it p>
We both look at her, stunned. How does she know about our mate bond?