Page 8 of Thankful for You
“I don’t understand,” I said, my voice wavering slightly. “Why would they do this? What could they possibly gain from corrupting the ley lines?”
Griff’s jaw tightened, and he looked away, his eyes clouded with a mix of anger and pain. “Power,” he said after a long pause. “They always wanted more power. More control over the magic in this town. And the ley lines—well, they’re the key to everything.”
I stared at him, my mind racing. This was bigger than I thought. If Griff’s pack was responsible for corrupting the ley lines, it meant they were a direct threat—not just to me, but to everyone in Charcoal City. And Griff… he was caught in the middle.
Before I could respond, a sharp jolt of magic surged through me, sending me stumbling backward. I gasped, clutching at my chest as the energy flared wildly inside me. It felt like a lightning strike, sharp and chaotic, and I couldn’t get a grip on it.
“Iyonna!” Griff was at my side in an instant, his hand gripping my arm as I struggled to regain control. His touch grounded me, but the magic was still out of control, crackling through the air like static.
“It’s happening again,” I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut as I fought to contain the power. “I can’t stop it.”
Griff’s grip tightened, and his voice was low and steady. “Breathe. Focus on the ley lines. Try to pull the energy back in.”
I tried. I really did. But the more I focused, the more I realized something was seriously wrong. The magic I was pulling from the ley lines wasn’t just unstable—it was wrong. Dark. Tainted. Like it had been twisted into something unrecognizable.
“I can’t…” I choked out, my hands shaking as I fought to keep the power contained. “Something’s wrong, Griff. This isn’t normal.”
Griff cursed under his breath, his eyes scanning the woods around us. “Damn it,” he muttered. “They’re here.”
“Who?” I managed to ask, even though the magic was still flaring and my whole body was trembling with the effort of keeping it under control.
“The hunters,” Griff said, his voice tight. “They’ve been tracking me. I thought I’d lost them, but they must’ve followed me to Charcoal City.”
Supernatural hunters. Of course. That’s why the tension in the air had been so thick since Griff showed up. And now, they were closing in on us.
Griff pulled me to my feet, his grip steady but urgent. “We have to go. Now.”
I tried to move, but the magic still surged through me, like a tidal wave crashing over everything in its path. “I can’t… I can’t just leave! My magic—”
“We don’t have a choice,” Griff cut in, his voice rough but determined. “If they catch us here, they’ll take us both down. You won’t be able to fight them off if your magic’s this unstable.”
He was right, of course. But the idea of running—of leaving behind everything I’d built, everything I’d worked for—made my stomach turn. I’d always been the one in control, the one who handled things. Now I was barely hanging on, and the idea of being hunted by supernatural bounty hunters was too much.
But Griff didn’t give me time to argue. He pulled me along, his strong hand wrapped around mine as we tore through the trees. The ley lines thrummed beneath us with corrupted energy.
We ran for what felt like forever, my heart pounding in my chest, the magic swirling chaotically inside me. But no matter how far we went, that sense of danger never left. It was like a shadow clinging to us, growing darker with every step.
Finally, we stopped in a small clearing, hidden from the main road. Griff’s chest heaved as he caught his breath, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of pursuit.
“They’re close,” he muttered, his voice low and tense. “But I think we bought ourselves a little time.”
I leaned against a tree, my legs trembling with exhaustion. “How… how long have they been after you?”
“Months,” Griff admitted, his jaw tight. “They’re not just after me, though. They want control of the ley lines. They want power.”
I swallowed hard, my mind spinning. ‘And your old pack? Are they working with the hunters?”
Griff hesitated, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite read. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “But if they are, we’re in more trouble than we thought.”
A shiver ran down my spine. If the hunters and Griff’s old pack were working together, that meant they had access to the ley lines. And if they were corrupting them on purpose, there was no telling what kind of power they were after—or what they’d be willing to do to get it.
“We need to figure this out,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “We need to stop them before it’s too late.”
Griff nodded, his gaze locking onto mine. “We will. But first, we have to survive the night.”
The weight of his words settled over me, but even through the fear, there was something else. Determination. Resolve.
Together, we could face whatever was coming. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the danger lurking in the shadows was only the beginning.