Page 116 of Wedded Witch
With a final, desperate push, I send the magic forward, meeting Morfran’s power head-on. The two forces collide, and for a moment, the world is nothing but brilliant purple light and inky black shadow, locked in a deadly dance.
And then, slowly, the darkness begins to retreat.
Morfran roars in fury, his form flickering as the light consumes him, pushing him back, back into the shadows from where he came.
The battle isn’t over. But for now, we’ve won this round.
I collapse to my knees, trembling, exhausted, but alive.
The storm isn’t over. But I’m ready for the next strike.
We all are.
RI
The ground tremblesbeneath my boots, a violent shudder that echoes through every nerve in my body. I grit my teeth and scan outside, eyes darting between the writhing shadows where Morfran’s dark magic slithers away through the air like venom.
He’s stronger than I anticipated—stronger than any of us prepared for.
How? He’s been banished to the Underworld for centuries and now suddenly he has the strength to break free and battle us to our knees?
“Ri, we need a plan!” Kel shouts from my left, his voice cutting through the chaos of my mind. I barely acknowledge him, my focus fixed on the swirling mass of energy gathering around Morfran as he retreats to the edge of the woods and readies his next attack.
I glance at Swyn, standing behind Mavis and Oland, her face pale but resolute. The connection between us pulses like a live wire, her worry sinking into my bones.
I lock eyes with her for the briefest second before turning to Oland and Mavis.
“Protect her,” I order, my voice rough with urgency. “Do whatever it takes. Morfran can’t get to her.”
Oland opens his mouth, ready to argue, but he stops himself, his gaze flickering to Swyn before he nods. Mavis, standing firm at his side, gives me a knowing look, her grip on her staff tightening. “We’ll keep her safe,” she assures me, though there’s an edge to her words. She knows this fight is far from over, and keeping Swyn out of harm’s way is becoming harder by the second.
Kel and Sol are already moving, their bodies tense, prepared for what’s coming. I can feel the pull of the transformation as the three of us shift our stances, syncing up, our shared bond snapping into place like a coiled spring ready to be unleashed.
“Now,” I growl, the command slipping from my lips with instinctive force.
In an instant, the world around us blurs as our bodies merge into the massive, hulking form of the Cerberus.
Three heads, three minds working as one.
It’s raw power, and it feels like fire coursing through every muscle, every sinew as we bound out of the house, chasing the enemy down.
Morfran snarls, his eyes blazing with malevolence as he unleashes a torrent of dark magic. It hits us full force, a searing wave of agony that rocks our massive frame, but we hold steady, pushing through the pain.
Kel’s fury rips through the bond, a growl tearing from his throat. Sol, ever the optimist, presses forward, guiding us through the pain. And me—I focus. Every nerve, every fibre of my being zeroes in on the one task at hand.
We charge.
Morfran’s magic slams against us like a sledgehammer, but we push back, snapping and tearing through his defences with the brutal efficiency of a predator.
Each head moves in sync, biting and striking, forcing him on the defensive as we shred the darkness that attacks us.
The ground shakes beneath our weight, dust and debris rising as we crash into him, driving him back. He howls, his form flickering like a shadow, but we don’t let up.
Every strike is calculated, every bite meant to cripple him. This has to end now—before he can strike again, before he can hurt Swyn.
But Morfran is a force of pure darkness, and he fights back with everything he has. His magic lashes out, a whip of blackened energy that cracks against our sides.
We stagger but don’t fall, our determination holding us upright. One head strikes, teeth sinking deep into his shoulder. Another bites at his arm. And the third—mine—clamps down on his throat, silencing the dark incantations spilling from his lips.