CHAPTER FOUR:

~Lyra's Pov

I stared back with fear into those hateful eyes that stared down at me with pride.

"Please," I begged as he wrapped his hands tighter around my neck.

"Lyra! Lyra! Let go of her now!" Jace screamed as he struggled with the magic bounds wrapped around him.

"Don't worry little girl, I will not kill you. I just need that power inside of you. Give me a minute to extract that and its over."

And then that energy slowly began to wrap around my neck. I cried out in pain as it strangled me more and more, subtly sniffing life out of me.

I think Jace shifted for I heard him howl into the night. It was not a casual howl at the moon, it was one of distress. I bet it was to alert his brothers that something had gone wrong with both of us.

"Ah, that power in its full glory," he whispered as he moved back from me. His magic bounds were still wrapped around my neck, extending towards his chest as he moved back. And then I was being drained, of my power. My wolf squirmed in my chest, against everything.

I felt like I had been caged with silver as I choked. Every ounce of energy seemed to leave my body as Malachy spread his arms and let the process continue, the energy from me going into his body. 

I could no longer stand, my legs wobbly as I lunged forward, falling to my knees as I battled with the magic bound. My wolf howled desperately inside of me as if pleading with me to do something, anything.

"Ah," Malachy said as he spread his arms and basked in it. Tears fell from my eyes and I thought that I was going to die. My eyes closed as I began to slip into unconsciousness. 

And then that light exploded behind my irises. It was hot, extremely white and blinding. 

It travelled from my skull and throughout my body, burning inside of me with a vigour I could not describe. My body filled with power and energy, strong and powerful. I did not understand it as it possessed every inch of my body

And when I couldn't take it anymore, I shifted into my wolf form. I opened my eyes and stared at Malachy. I saw everything with a shiny white hue, bright and light. 

I lunged forward, pushing against the magic ropes that held me. That unknown power bubbled over inside of me, crass and reckless, and before I could stop myself I let it go.

I went for Malachy, getting him as I morphed back into human. His eyes widened in surprise as the magic ropes around my neck loosened and his began to tighten, his power now draining into me.

I did not understand what was going on, couldn't comprehend it, but I held unto him tightly, pummelling his face as hard as I could.

He staggered back as I dealt with him until Jace was dragging me away from him. Anger burst through me, an iridescent tempo building deep inside of me. And then I let it all out, the light shining through me and cutting through the darkness like a rather sharp knife. 

Malachy and Jace flew feets away from the shiny outburst and I stood there, staring at them as I basked in the deep power flowing through me. Jace stared at me in awe while Malachy stared at me with his red eyes narrowed in shock.

"What are you?" he asked me in a voice that was filled with something that I could not place.

Fear. Maybe.

I didn’t know. But he could see it—I had won.

"Maybe we should find out," I said, charging toward him.

Malachy was swift, his movements fluid as we clashed, white and dark green light colliding in a violent burst. The impact rattled my bones, left me unsteady on my feet, but I held my ground. I had to. I was determined to take him down.

Beads of sweat formed on my face, my hair clinging to my skin as I struggled to steady my breathing. Pain seared through my side, but I gritted my teeth. I was desperate to win.

"You cannot control this power, Lyra. Let me take it away," Malachy urged, his voice smoother now, coaxing.

"Whatever this is, I’ll figure it out myself. Stay away from me," I told him, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

He shook his head, almost pitying. "All of you… you never listen. It will drain you, consume you until there’s nothing left."

"It would do the same to you if you take it," I shot back.

We stepped back, circling each other, then lunged again. The ground beneath us trembled from the force of our collision. Energy crackled in the air, whipping through the trees like a violent storm.

Malachy was failing. He struggled against me now, his grip on his own power faltering.

His red eyes burned with frustration as he stared at me. "This is far from over, little wolf," he sneered.

He chanted something low, ancient. A thick smoke erupted around us, swallowing everything in darkness. I coughed, eyes darting through the haze, but by the time it cleared—he was gone.

Silence fell over the forest, heavy and thick.

I swayed, my knees buckling. The light inside me flickered, dimming, retreating into some unreachable part of me.

Jace was suddenly there, rushing to my side. He hesitated for a moment, watching me carefully.

I forced myself to look up at him. His dark eyes were filled with worry.

"Are you alright, Lyra?" he whispered.

I swallowed hard, forcing air into my lungs. My entire body ached, my limbs felt like lead, but I nodded weakly.

“I… I think so,” I murmured, though the words felt hollow.

Jace didn’t look convinced. He crouched beside me, his warm hands steadying my shoulders. “You don’t look alright.”

I let out a breathless laugh, but it came out more like a shaky exhale. “I don’t feel alright either.”

His brows furrowed as he studied me, searching my face for something—maybe an explanation, maybe reassurance that I wasn’t about to collapse completely.

“What happened back there?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid that speaking too loudly might shatter me.

I shook my head. “I don’t know.” I looked down at my hands, turning them over, half-expecting to see them glowing. But they were just hands. Trembling, scraped, human. “I felt like I was dying, and then…” I trailed off, swallowing against the lump in my throat.

Jace’s expression hardened. “And then you turned the tables on him. Lyra, that wasn’t just power—you drained him. That’s not normal.”

I clenched my jaw, my chest tightening at the truth in his words. It wasn’t normal. It wasn’t something I had ever trained for or even knew I was capable of. And yet… it had felt natural. Like something inside of me had always been there, waiting to be unleashed.

“Malachy knew something,” I said, more to myself than to Jace. “He wasn’t just trying to take my power—he knew what it was.”

Jace’s jaw ticked, his grip on my shoulders tightening slightly. “And he was scared of it.”

The thought sent a shiver down my spine. Malachy had been desperate to control it, to strip it from me before I could understand it. But why? What was I?

I let my head fall back, staring up at the sky through the thinning trees. The moon hung there, watching, a silent witness to everything that had just happened.

Jace shifted closer, his warmth grounding me. “We need to get back. You’re in no shape to be out here.”

I wanted to argue, to insist that I was fine, but the truth was—I wasn’t. I was drained, physically and mentally. And more than that, I was afraid. Not Malachy. Not of the fight.

I was afraid of myself.

Jace helped me to my feet, his arm wrapping around my waist to steady me. I leaned into him more than I wanted to admit, my legs still weak beneath me.

As we started walking, my mind spun with the questions left unanswered.

What had happened to me?

And if Malachy was afraid of what I was becoming…

Should I be afraid too?