All Chapters of CHOSEN LAST: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Sage’s POVThe woman standing between me and the ritual’s center point moved with obvious combat training, shifting her weight forward the moment she registered my hesitation. I had no formal fighting skills, nothing close to what Marcus or Ethan possessed, but exhaustion and desperation combined into something reckless within me.“I don’t want to fight you,” I said, buying seconds while I searched frantically for any alternative approach. “You don’t understand what they’re actually planning. This ritual could destroy protective magic throughout the entire region.”“I understand perfectly,” the woman said, her expression carrying cold conviction rather than any hesitation. “Guardian magic has controlled and limited us for generations. Tonight, we finally break free from that outdated restriction.”She lunged forward before I could formulate any proper response, and I barely managed to dodge sideways, her hand grazing my shoulder as I stumbled away from the direct hit. Panic flooded th

Sage’s POV The kitchen fell silent as Marcus’s words settled over us. Millbrook, defenseless. Hostile forces already massing. The parallel to Vanessa’s death, to everything that had started this entire nightmare five years ago, felt impossible to ignore.“We need to help them,” I said immediately, though exhaustion still lingered somewhere beneath my determination. “If they’re facing exactly the kind of attack that killed my sister, we can’t simply stand aside and let it happen again.”Ethan’s expression carried careful calculation despite his obvious concern. “Millbrook isn’t formally allied with Redhollow,” he said. “We have friendly relations, certainly, given my contact there who first warned us about boundary tensions. But sending our own fighters, our own resources, into another territory’s crisis carries significant risk and complexity.”“Ethan,” I said, meeting his eyes directly. “Their guardian failed. Their boundary is completely gone. If we don’t help, people are going to

Sage’s POVThe forest seemed to grow colder around us as Eleanor’s words settled fully into my understanding. A great-aunt with genuine guardian training, someone my own grandmother had spent years fighting against, someone who might now be orchestrating this entire regional crisis.“What’s her name?” I asked, my voice barely steady despite my effort to maintain composure.Eleanor’s expression carried genuine reluctance. “Margaret,” she said finally. “Your grandmother always called her Maggie, back when they were still close, before everything eventually turned devastating between them.”“How did they become enemies?” Sarah asked. “Sisters don’t typically end up on opposite sides of something this significant without considerable history.”Eleanor settled onto the same rock formation she had used during our previous conversation, gathering her thoughts carefully before continuing. “They were both trained as guardians initially,” she explained. “Twins, actually, though most people neve

Sage’s POVThe room fell into stunned silence as Marcus’s words settled over us. Days, not months. Whatever careful preparation we’d been methodically developing suddenly felt hopelessly inadequate given this drastically compressed timeline.“How certain are your scouts about this timeline?” Ethan demanded, his composure fracturing slightly despite his attempt to maintain authority.“Reasonably certain,” Marcus said grimly. “They’ve observed significant resource gathering, additional coalition members arriving from multiple territories, preparation that suggests something considerably larger and more imminent than routine strategic planning.”I felt panic building steadily within my chest, understanding that whatever methodical training and preparation we had been developing over recent days had suddenly become an unaffordable luxury given this accelerated timeline.“We’re not ready,” Sarah said, voicing exactly what I feared. “Sage’s guardian training remains incomplete for something

Sage’s POVEthan skidded to a stop just inside the chamber’s threshold, his eyes wide with alarm as he took in the strange, pulsing energy visibly radiating between Margaret and myself. “What do I do?” he called out, clearly recognizing the danger without fully understanding its exact nature.“Stay back!” I gasped, pain lancing through me with renewed intensity. “This connection, it’s between us specifically. I don’t know what happens if someone else interferes.”Margaret stumbled slightly, her composed authority continuing to crack under whatever strain we had both triggered. “Your Alpha shows wisdom in his caution,” she managed, though her voice carried obvious strain. “Interference now could prove catastrophic for everyone present.”I forced myself to focus despite the mounting agony, understanding we had reached some critical juncture that required decisive action rather than continued uncertainty. “Margaret,” I said, pushing through the pain. “You said this resonance cuts both di