Chapter 7: Bring Her In Pieces

(Olivia's POV)

As we entered, the cabin was too quiet.

For now, quiet is nice.

If you had been through my predicament the past few hours, quiet will also be wonderful to you.

We rested.

Then it became too quiet.

It was no longer the kind of quiet that made you feel safe and tucked away from the world.

No, this silence pressed on my chest like a heavy stone, squeezing out my breath.

Even the woods outside, usually alive with the hum of insects or the faint rustle of leaves suddenly felt unnaturally still.

I leaned against the edge of the tiny kitchen counter, watching Thalia move around the room with an intensity I didn't dare interrupt.

She kept her voice low, muttering words I couldn't quite make out, her hands tracing glowing sigils on the walls. It made my wolf restless, pacing in the back of my mind.

Jay stood by the door, arms crossed, his posture tense as if he was ready to bolt at any second. He hadn't said much since Thalia had warned us not to leave the cabin.

"Something's out there," she'd said earlier, her green eyes flicking to the windows as if expecting something (or someone) to come bursting through.

That was hours ago, and we were still here, sitting ducks in a magically hidden cabin in the middle of nowhere.

I crossed my arms, trying to ignore the way my fingers trembled.

"Are you going to tell us what's really going on, or are we just supposed to sit here and wait for whatever's out there to find us?"

Thalia didn't look at me. She finished drawing a sigil on the wall and pressed her palm to it, whispering something under her breath. The glowing lines flared brighter for a moment before fading, leaving the faint scent of burnt herbs in the air.

Finally, she turned to face me, her expression unreadable. "Ephraim," she said, like the name alone was supposed to explain everything.

Jay frowned. "Who the hell is Ephraim?"

I glanced between them, my unease growing. The name didn't mean anything to me, but the way Thalia said it… like she was trying not to let her fear show.

"The coven's headassassin," she said simply.

I blinked. "Wait. Assassin? The coven has assassines?"

"Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a Coven supposed to be related to witches?... Then what the hell are they doing sending assassins running about"

Thalia gave me a withering look. "You think witches just sit around chanting and brewing potions all day? Of course, we have assassins. Ephraim is one of the best. If they've sent him, it means they have known about your powers even before I learnt of it.

They want you, Olivia, and they're not going to stop until they have you."

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. "Why? Why are they hunting me? I'm one of them…or, I guess, part of me is. Why would they send someone like this Ephraim guy after me?"

Thalia's expression softened, just for a moment. She glanced at Jay, then back at me.

- - -

"Because you're not just a witch, Olivia. You're a hybrid. That makes you dangerous. To them, you're an anomaly.

You see...In the world of witchcraft, magical energy typically works like a limited resource drawn from your environment. Normally, witches can only cast light enchantments because the magical energy in their immediate environment is most times limited.

When you want to perform powerful spells, there's a dangerous alternative: tapping into your own life energy.

Life energy is sacred and finite. Once you use it, it cannot be restored. For witches, using life energy is an absolute last resort because doing so can literally kill you. Every witch has a fixed amount of life energy, and only they understand how to access it.

But you're different.

Unlike other witches, your unique hybrid nature creates an extraordinary phenomenon.

During your recent transformation up until a few hours ago, you've been unconsciously burning through your life energy at an alarming rate.

Normally, this would have killed you instantly.

However, your werewolf side appear to have developed a miraculous workaround. Your hybrid nature seems to have made you capable of regenerating life energy much like you would heal a typical wound. This means you can potentially tap into powerful magic without the fatal consequences other witches would face.

Your body has essentially discovered a magical loophole that breaks every known witch theory about life energy conservation.

- - -

Now that's the kind of power you have…it's something they can't control. And if they can't control you, they'll either lock you away or…"

She didn't have to finish the sentence. I got the message loud and clear.

I shook my head, my stomach churning. "This is insane. I didn't ask for any of this."

"No," Thalia said, her tone sharp. "But it doesn't matter. You have it, and now you have to deal with it."

Jay stepped forward, his jaw tight. "So what's the plan? Are we just supposed to wait here until this guy shows up and hope for the best?"

Thalia shot him a glare. "I'm working on it."

"Work faster," he snapped.

They are at each other's necks again… but I couldn't bring myself to intervene. My mind was spinning, trying to process everything.

Ephraim.

Assassin.

Threat.

I'd thought I was finally starting to understand what I was, but this? This was a whole new level of messed up.

I walked over to the window, staring out at the forest. The sun was setting, casting long shadows through the trees. For a moment, I thought I saw something move between the trunks but when I blinked, it was gone.

"Don't," Thalia said sharply.

I turned to find her watching me, her expression hard.

"Don't what?"

"Don't let your guard down," she said. "Ephraim is like a lunatic hunter. He's probably already out there, watching, waiting and learning."

I am literally shaken right now. I stepped back from the window, wrapping my arms around myself.

Jay moved to stand beside me, his presence grounding me in a way I couldn't explain. "We'll keep her safe," he said, his voice low but firm.

Thalia arched an eyebrow. "We'll see."

I hated the way she said it.

Thalia's warning stayed with me long after the conversation ended. Somewhere out there, Ephraim 'the coven's so-called assassin' was hunting me. And if Thalia was right, he wasn't just good at what he did; he was the best.

When Jay finally spoke, his voice was sharp enough to cut through the silence. "We can't just sit here. If this guy is as dangerous as you say, hiding isn't going to stop him."

Thalia snapped her head toward him, her green eyes narrowing. "And leaving will make it easier for him to pick us off one by one. Brilliant idea, mutt."

Jay's hands balled into fists, but he didn't bite back. His jaw flexed as he turned to me instead. "Olivia, what do you want to do?"

I blinked. What did I want to do? Hell, I didn't even know what I could do. My magic was like a bomb with a faulty timer…completely unpredictable and liable to explode at any moment. And even if I somehow managed to use it, with the 'next to no control' which I have over it… what chance do I have against someone like Ephraim?

"I don't.." I started, but a sudden noise cut me off.

A sharp snap, like a branch breaking underfoot.

The three of us froze. Jay's hand instinctively grew claws. Thalia raised her hand, murmuring something under her breath as faint blue runes shimmered around her fingers.

"What was that?" I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest.

Thalia didn't answer. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes darting toward the window.

And then I felt it.

It wasn't something I could explain…not exactly. It was like the air had shifted, heavy with an energy I didn't fully understand. It left me with goosebumps.

"He's here," Thalia said softly, her voice tight with tension.

Jay is now in his werewolf form. "Then we move. Now."

Thalia opened her mouth to argue, but I didn't wait to hear it. The weight of the cabin walls, the suffocating magic, the fear crawling under my skin…I couldn't stay here. I shoved the door open and stepped out into the cold night air before anyone could stop me.

'I will come to regret that stupid decision of mine but not yet'

"Olivia, wait!" Jay was at my side in an instant, his hand gripping my arm.

Thalia stormed out after us, looking more pissed than worried. "You absolute idiot. Do you want to die?"

"We're sitting ducks in there," I said, my voice shaking. "If he's out here, we're better off moving than waiting for him to kick the door in."

Thalia muttered a curse under her breath, but she didn't argue. Instead, she stepped ahead of us, her hands still glowing faintly with magic. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you when this goes south."

Jay fell into step beside me, his eyes scanning the trees. I could feel the tension rolling off him in waves, his body coiled and ready for a fight.

We hadn't gone far when I saw it.

A faint glint of silver in the moonlight, half-hidden among the leaves on the forest floor.

"Stop," I said, my voice sharper than I intended.

Jay halted immediately, following my gaze. He crouched down, squinting at the object. "Tripwire," he muttered, brushing away some of the leaves to reveal the thin, silver wire stretched taut between two trees.

Thalia knelt beside him, her face grim. "It's enchanted. Step on it, and it'll trigger a binding spell. It's designed to paralyze whoever trips it."

I swallowed hard, suddenly hyper-aware of how vulnerable we were. "How many of these do you think there are?"

Thalia stood, brushing dirt off her hands. "If it's Ephraim? Enough to turn this forest into a giant booby trap."

Jay straightened, his eyes hard. "We need to move carefully. Stay close and watch where you step."

We pressed on, the tension mounting with every step. The traps were everywhere; tripwires, glyphs carved into trees, even small, glittering shards of crystal hidden among the underbrush. Each one was carefully placed, almost impossible to spot until you were right on top of it.

"Who the hell is this guy?" I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

"A professional," Thalia said flatly. "And a damn good one."

I felt the pain of my nail digging into my palm as I clenched my fists.

Every trap we avoided only made me feel more like prey.

Ephraim wasn't hunting us; he was herding us, driving us deeper into the forest, closer to; what? Him? A bigger trap?

A sudden pulse of energy moved through the air, making me stumble. I grabbed Jay's arm to steady myself, my head spinning.

Thalia froze, her face paling. "He's close."

"How do you know?" Jay asked, his voice low.

"Because he just disrupted my spell," she said, her tone laced with frustration. "I had a tracking ward up to sense his location, but he's countering it. He knows exactly what he's doing."

'Remember that regret I talked about here it is'

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

Jay's hand tightened on my arm, his jaw set. "Let him try. We'll make it out of this."

But even as he said it, I could hear the doubt in his voice.

As we pressed on, the tension kept increasing. My senses were on overdrive; every sound, every flicker of movement felt amplified, almost overwhelming.

And then, just as we reached a small clearing, I saw him.

A tall figure stepped out from the shadows, his presence commanding and unnervingly calm. He wore dark, lightweight armor that seemed to blend with the night, and his sharp features were framed by short, silver-streaked hair. His eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my blood run cold.

"little miss hybrid," he said, his voice smooth and steady. "the Coven demands your presence."

His voice was steady, almost casual, but there was nothing friendly about the way he looked at me.

Ephraim's eyes were sharp, and unrelenting, like he'd already calculated fifty different ways to take me down. His presence was overwhelming, every inch of him exuding control and precision.

Jay stepped in front of me before I could process what was happening. He is sent flying and crashed into a tree.

"You're not taking her," he growled as he tried to pick himself up.

Ephraim didn't even flinch. He tilted his head slightly, studying Jay like he was a particularly uninteresting obstacle in his way. "Stay down, wolf. This doesn't concern you."

standing up, Jay attacked with incredible speed, his claws slashing through trees as he tried to strike Ephraim.

However, Ephraim effortlessly dodged each attack, moving so casually that it seemed almost impossible.

No matter how fast or fierce Jay's strikes were, Ephraim managed to avoid them with ease, making Jay's attempts look like 'child's play'.

Jay went flying and crashing into the trees again… I still can't see the attack responsible for that despite witnessing it twice.

Thalia moved next, stepping beside Jay. Her hands glowed with a faint blue light, her fingers curling as she prepared a spell. "You must have a death wish if you think you can waltz into my forest and pull this crap."

Ephraim's lips twitched into something that might've been a smirk, but there was no humor in it. "Your forest? How adorable. I'd suggest you stand down, rogue, before you make this worse for yourself."

I could barely breathe, my heart hammering in my chest. There was a deadly confidence about him, like he already knew how this would end. And maybe he did.

"What do you want with me?" I managed to ask, forcing my voice to steady even though I felt like I was seconds away from bolting.

His gaze shifted to me, and I instantly regretted speaking. " I want nothing to do with you. like I said, The coven demands your presence…alive if possible. But I'm prepared to settle for less if necessary."

A chill ran down my spine at the way he said it…so calm, so indifferent. Like my life was just a box he needed to check off.

Jay's growl deepened. "You're not laying a hand on her."

Ephraim sighed, almost like he was disappointed. "I was hoping we could do this the easy way. But if you insist…"

He flicked his wrist, and the air between us rippled. A series of glowing glyphs sprang to life on the ground, surrounding us in a circle. Before I could react, the glyphs pulsed, sending a wave of energy straight at us.

"Down!" Thalia shouted, throwing up a shield just in time to absorb the impact. The energy slammed into her barrier, the force of it pushing us all back a few steps.

Jay lunged forward, his claws aimed straight for Ephraim's chest.

But once again, Ephraim was faster. With a flick of his hand, a wall of energy appeared between them, sending Jay sprawling to the ground.

"Predictable," Ephraim muttered, almost bored.

Thalia didn't waste a second. She unleashed a blast of her own magic, the blue light crackling as it hurtled toward him.

Ephraim countered effortlessly, raising a hand to deflect the attack like it was nothing more than an annoying fly.

I stood frozen, my body torn between fight and flight. The air was thick with the clash of magic, the forest alive with bursts of light and energy. Jay scrambled back to his feet, his movements wild and desperate as he tried to find an opening.

"Olivia, move!" Thalia barked, her voice cutting through my panic.

I barely had time to register her words before one of Ephraim's spells came hurtling toward me. Instinct took over, and I threw my hands up, a barrier of golden light bursting to life around me. The spell slammed into it, shattering into sparks, and for a moment, everything went silent.

Ephraim's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable. "Interesting," he murmured.

"Olivia!" Jay called, his voice laced with urgency. "Are you okay?"

But I didn't move. Something inside me had shifted, a fire burning in my chest that I couldn't ignore. My magic was still unstable, still terrifying, but in that moment, it felt…right. Like it was waiting for me to take control.

Ephraim must've noticed the change because his demeanor shifted. He straightened, his posture less casual and more focused. "You've barely scratched the surface of what you're capable of," he said, his tone almost…taunting. "Come with me, and meet your kind so they can teach you how to control it. How to harness it."

"Don't listen to him!" Thalia snapped, her magic flaring again as she sent another blast his way.

Ephraim dodged it with ease, his movements precise and fluid. "Do you really think they can help you?" he asked, his gaze locked on me. "A rogue witch and a lovesick werewolf? They're only going to hold you back."

My fists clenched, anger bubbling up beneath the fear. "And you think dragging me to the coven will somehow help me? All they care about is controlling the power in me!"

Ephraim's expression didn't change. "Better them than what's coming for you if you stay on this path. You're a danger to everyone around you, little miss hybrid. Including them."

Something inside me snapped at his words. The fire in my chest flared, and before I knew what I was doing, I unleashed it. Golden light exploded outward, knocking Ephraim back a few steps and sending a wave of energy rippling through the clearing.

Thalia and Jay both stared at me, in their expressions of shock.

Even Ephraim looked momentarily taken aback, though he recovered quickly.

"Well," he said, brushing off his sleeve like nothing had happened. "It seems you're further along than I thought. No matter. This isn't over."

He raised his hand, and the glyphs on the ground flared to life again. But before he could strike, Thalia grabbed my arm, her magic swirling around us.

"Hold on," she said, her voice strained.

Ephraim's voice echoed in my mind, chilling and certain. "If you won't come willingly, I'll bring you back in pieces."

The next thing I knew, the world blurred around me, the forest melting away as Thalia's teleportation spell yanked us away.