Trapped in the Stone

The cave walls trembled as the alpha wraith's roar rolled through, deep and guttural, shaking dust from the ceiling. Lila clutched her axe, her scratched shoulder aching with every breath. Shadows danced at the entrance—tall, skeletal shades with glowing red eyes, their claws scraping the stone. Beyond them, the wraiths' green eyes flickered in the dark, circling like vultures. The air stank of rot and smoke, thick enough to choke on.

Kade leaned against the wall beside her, his chest heaving, blood seeping through the rag she'd pressed there. His gray eyes stayed sharp, fixed on the entrance, knife ready in his trembling hand. "We're boxed in," he muttered, his voice rough but steady. "No way out."

"We'll make a way," Lila said, forcing strength into her words. She didn't feel it—her legs shook, her heart raced—but she couldn't let him see that. Not now. The baby kicked hard, a jolt that steadied her. She had to fight. For both of them.

Mara stood near the cave mouth, her bow drawn, arrow notched. Her silver hair gleamed in the faint torchlight from a rogue's hand. "Hold the line," she barked, her scarred throat tight. "Shades first, then wraiths. We don't break."

Sasha gripped her sword beside her, blood crusted on her bandaged arm. "Easy for you to say," she snapped, her green eyes flashing. "Your outpost's gone. My people are dying."

"Cry later," Mara replied, firing her arrow. It streaked through the dark, sinking into a shade's chest. The thing hissed, black ichor dripping, but didn't fall. It stepped closer, claws glinting.

Ryn crouched nearby, hatchet in one hand, a stolen spear in the other. Her wrist was bruised from the last fight, but she didn't flinch. "They're too many," she said, her voice low. "We can't take 'em all."

"We don't have to," Mara said, nocking another arrow. "Just hold 'til dawn. Shades hate light."

"Dawn's hours away," Tor growled from the back. He braced a spear against the wall, his bald head slick with sweat. Blood streaked his face from a cut above his eye, but he stood tall. "We'll be dead by then."

"Then fight better," Mara shot back, letting her arrow fly. It hit another shade, this one stumbling but still advancing.

Lila tightened her grip on her axe, glancing at Kade. "You good to move?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, pushing off the wall with a grimace. "Good enough. Stay with me."

The shades charged—all five of them, claws slashing, red eyes blazing. Mara fired again, dropping one with a shot through its skull. Sasha swung her sword, cutting another's arm off—it screeched, black blood spraying, but kept coming. Ryn threw her spear, pinning a third to the ground, while Tor roared and stabbed the fourth. Its claws raked his chest, tearing his shirt, but he drove the spear deeper, pinning it.

The fifth shade lunged at Lila. She swung her axe, catching its shoulder. The blade bit deep, and it staggered, but its claw swiped at her. Kade shoved her aside, taking the hit—fresh blood bloomed on his arm. He stabbed its throat, twisting the knife until it collapsed, gurgling.

"You okay?" he panted, wiping his face.

"Yeah," she said, her scratched shoulder burning. "You're not."

"Still breathing," he replied, managing a weak grin.

The wraiths roared outside, their green eyes closing in. The alpha's massive shape loomed behind the shades' bodies, its spiked back scraping the cave mouth as it pushed forward. Rogues braced spears and axes, kids huddling at the back, whimpering. Lila's stomach twisted—they wouldn't last long like this.

Mara blew her horn, the sharp note cutting through the chaos. The wraiths flinched, shaking their heads, but the alpha didn't stop. It smashed its paw against the entrance, stone cracking under the blow. Dust rained down, and a rogue screamed as a rock pinned his leg.

"We can't hold it!" Sasha yelled, slashing at a wraith that slipped past the alpha. Her sword caught its flank, but it lunged again, forcing her back.

"Then we don't," Mara said, grabbing a torch from the wall. She thrust it at the alpha, flames licking its face. It roared, rearing back, giving them a heartbeat to breathe. "We need a plan."

"Plan's surviving," Kade said, limping forward. He wiped blood from his knife, his chest heaving. "That thing's after Lila. We use that."

"What?" Lila spun on him, her voice rising. "You're not tossing me out there!"

"Not tossing," he said, meeting her eyes. "Drawing it off. I'll go with you. Lead it away."

"No," she snapped, stepping closer. "You're half-dead already. I'm not losing you."

"You won't," he said, his voice firm despite the pain. "Trust me."

She wanted to argue, but the alpha roared again, slamming the cave mouth. More stone crumbled, and wraiths poured in—smaller ones, fast and vicious. Ryn hacked at one, her hatchet splitting its skull, while Tor speared another. Sasha fought two at once, her sword a blur, but a third clawed her leg. She stumbled, cursing.

Lila made up her mind. "Fine," she said to Kade. "But we're smart about it." She turned to Mara. "Got more of that wraith blood?"

Mara frowned, then pulled the vial from her pocket. The dark liquid shimmered red. "Little left. Why?"

"Test me again," Lila said, her voice steady despite her racing heart. "You said it reacts to power. If I've got it, maybe I can use it."

Mara hesitated, then nodded. She uncorked the vial, tipping a drop onto a flat stone. "Your blood," she said, handing Lila a small knife.

Lila pricked her finger, wincing as a bead of red welled up. She smeared it into the wraith blood, and the mix flared—bright red, then purple, smoke curling up like before. But this time, it didn't stop. The glow pulsed, spreading across the stone, and a faint hum filled the air, vibrating in her bones.

"What's that?" Kade asked, his eyes wide.

"Power," Mara said, her voice low. "Old blood waking up. Didn't expect this."

The alpha wraith froze, its green eyes narrowing. The smaller wraiths stopped too, heads tilting like they heard the hum. Lila's skin prickled, the baby kicking harder than ever. She felt it—a pull, deep in her chest, like something alive stretching awake.

"Use it," Mara said, shoving the stone into her hands. "Now!"

"How?" Lila asked, panic creeping in. The stone pulsed hotter, burning her palms.

"Feel it," Mara said, grabbing her wrist. "Push it out!"

Lila closed her eyes, her breath shaky. The hum grew louder, matching her heartbeat. She focused on the pull, the heat, the kicks in her belly. Something clicked—a spark, sharp and wild. She opened her eyes and shoved the stone forward, willing whatever it was to *go*.

A wave of light erupted—not bright, but dark purple, rippling from the stone. It hit the wraiths, and they screeched, clawing at their faces. The alpha roared, staggering back, its spikes trembling. The smaller ones retreated, some collapsing, black ooze pooling under them.

"Holy shit," Ryn breathed, her hatchet dangling.

"It worked," Kade said, a grin breaking through his pain.

"Not done," Mara warned, pointing. The alpha shook itself, flames still licking its fur, and charged again. The light had hurt it, but not enough.

Lila's hands shook, the stone dimming. "I don't know how to do it again!" she said, desperation rising.

"You don't need to," Sasha growled, limping forward. "We finish it." She raised her sword, nodding at Kade. "Flank it. Now!"

Kade moved, his knife flashing, while Sasha attacked head-on. Lila grabbed her axe, joining them. The alpha swiped at Sasha—she dodged, slashing its leg. Kade stabbed its side, black blood spraying, and Lila swung her axe at its flank, aiming for a gap in its spikes. The blade sank deep, and the wraith roared, thrashing.

Mara fired an arrow into its eye, blinding it. It stumbled, claws scraping stone, and Sasha drove her sword into its chest. Black ooze gushed, and the alpha wraith collapsed, its massive body shaking the cave as it hit the ground. The remaining wraiths howled, then fled, their green eyes vanishing into the dark.

Lila dropped her axe, panting, her scratched arm and shoulder screaming. Kade slumped against the wall, blood dripping from his knife. Sasha wiped her sword, her leg trembling but her face fierce. Mara lowered her bow, breathing hard.

"It's dead," Ryn said, kicking the alpha's corpse. "Finally."

"Not the end," Mara said, her voice grim. She picked up the stone, its glow gone. "That power—you've got it, girl. And it's growing."

Lila pressed a hand to her belly, the baby still now. "What does that mean?" she asked, fear creeping back.

"Means you're a target," Mara said, pocketing the stone. "Bigger than we thought. Wraiths, shades—something's calling them. And it's not Jaxon."

"Then who?" Kade asked, wiping blood from his face.

Mara didn't answer, her eyes distant. A rogue shouted from the entrance. "More coming! Fast!"

Lila's heart sank. She grabbed her axe, turning to see shadows moving outside—not wraiths, not shades. Human shapes, armored, carrying torches. One stepped forward, his face lit by firelight—broad, scarred, with gold eyes she knew too well.

Jaxon.

He grinned, his voice booming. "Found you, Lila. Time to come home."