Between Fire and Shadow

Chapter 12: Between Fire and Shadow

Celestine's pulse pounded in her ears as the figures of the Order of Obsidian emerged from the shadows, their dark armor gleaming under the crimson moonlight.

Lucien stepped in front of her, his muscles tensed like a predator ready to strike. Draven, on the other hand, merely tilted his head, amusement flickering in his crimson eyes. "So dramatic," he murmured. "Did you rehearse that entrance?"

The leader of the Order, a towering figure cloaked in black, ignored him. His hollow gaze locked onto Celestine. "The girl comes with us."

Lucien growled. "Over my dead body."

Draven sighed. "Why does it always come to this?"

Without another word, the air erupted into chaos.

Lucien moved first, his claws tearing into the nearest soldier. The Order fought with precision, their movements calculated, disciplined. Draven wove through them like a shadow, his blade flashing as he cut through their ranks with lethal elegance.

Celestine's breath came fast as she backed away, her fingers trembling. Then—

Pain flared in her chest. The sigil on her wrist burned, its glow intensifying as a wave of raw energy surged through her veins. She gasped, her vision blurring.

"Celestine!" Lucien's voice barely reached her through the haze.

A soldier lunged toward her, his blade aimed straight for her heart.

Instinct took over.

The power inside her exploded outward, a burst of brilliant silver light. The force sent the soldier flying, his armor cracking as he hit the chapel wall with a sickening thud. Silence followed.

Draven exhaled, clearly impressed. "Now that was interesting."

Lucien was by her side in an instant, his hands gripping her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Celestine barely heard him. The power still crackled inside her, untamed, hungry. For a moment, it felt like she wasn't entirely herself. Like something else was watching through her own eyes.

Then, as quickly as it had come, the energy faded.

Draven's smirk widened. "She's awakening."

Lucien's jaw clenched. "We need to leave. Now."

Celestine took a shuddering breath. She didn't understand what was happening to her.

But deep down, she knew one thing.

This was only the beginning.

Chapter 13: Whispers of the Past

The aftermath of the battle left a tense silence in the ruined chapel. The bodies of the fallen Order soldiers lay motionless, their obsidian armor cracked and useless. The air smelled of burnt metal and something darker—Celestine's own power still humming in the air like an unbroken storm.

Lucien didn't let go of her arm. "We can't stay here. More will come."

Draven stretched lazily, wiping a trace of blood from his blade. "Oh, let them. I rather enjoyed the warm-up."

Celestine pulled away from Lucien, her breathing uneven. "What just happened to me?"

Draven tilted his head, studying her. "Your power is surfacing, little star. And I'd say it's quite spectacular."

Lucien shot him a glare. "This isn't a game."

Celestine barely heard them. Her fingers traced the sigil on her wrist, still glowing faintly. For the first time, she wasn't afraid of it—she was afraid of what it meant.

"We need answers." Her voice was steadier than she expected. "You keep talking about my power like it's inevitable. Like I don't have a choice."

Draven's smirk didn't waver, but something flickered in his eyes. "Because you don't."

Lucien stepped in front of her, blocking Draven's gaze. "We're taking her to the Shadow Coven."

Draven arched a brow. "Oh? Visiting the witches now? How desperate."

Lucien ignored him, turning to Celestine. "They know things about the Eclipse Bloodline. If there's any way to control what's happening to you, they'll know it."

Celestine hesitated. The Shadow Coven. She had only heard whispers of them—witches who wielded magic so ancient that even the strongest creatures feared their knowledge.

Draven chuckled. "This should be entertaining."

Lucien ignored him, his silver eyes locking onto Celestine's. "We leave before dawn."

Celestine swallowed hard. She didn't know what answers the Shadow Coven would have.

But if there was even a chance to understand the storm brewing inside her, she would take it.

As they prepared to move, Celestine felt Lucien's hand ghost over her lower back, a barely-there touch meant to steady her. She turned slightly, catching the rare softness in his eyes before he masked it with determination.

Draven smirked, watching the silent exchange. "Careful, wolf. If you get too close, you might not want to let her go."

Lucien stiffened but didn't deny it.

Celestine's heart pounded—not from fear, but from something far more dangerous.

Chapter 14: Shadows and Temptations

The journey to the Shadow Coven was cloaked in silence, the air thick with tension. The deeper they ventured into the darkened woods, the more the temperature seemed to drop, the ancient trees whispering secrets in the wind. Celestine pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, though she wasn't sure if it was the cold or something else making her shiver.

Lucien walked beside her, ever watchful, his silver eyes scanning the surroundings with the precision of a hunter. Draven, however, remained at ease, his hands tucked behind his head as if he had not a care in the world.

"You're unusually quiet, little star," Draven mused, casting a glance at her. "Are you nervous?"

Celestine exhaled sharply. "Should I be?"

Draven smirked. "That depends. The witches of the Shadow Coven don't take kindly to outsiders. They may help you… or they may decide your power is too dangerous to let live."

Lucien shot him a glare. "Enough."

Celestine swallowed hard. "Then why are we going to them?"

Lucien's voice was firm but gentle. "Because they are the only ones who understand the Eclipse Bloodline."

Draven leaned in slightly, his voice dipping into a near-whisper. "And perhaps they'll tell us exactly what you are."

Celestine turned away from his penetrating gaze, her thoughts tangled in a storm of uncertainty. The sigil on her wrist had stopped burning, but she could still feel it—like a pulse beneath her skin, an unrelenting reminder of what she was becoming.

The Shadow Coven's sanctuary loomed ahead, a towering fortress shrouded in mist. Its spires stretched toward the sky like skeletal fingers, and a heavy magic pressed down on them the closer they got.

Celestine felt a sudden shift in the air—something unseen brushing against her mind. A whisper, faint and beckoning.

Come closer, child of the Eclipse.

She stumbled, barely catching herself before Lucien's hand was at her waist, steadying her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded quickly, but her heart was pounding. Draven watched her with a knowing look, amusement playing at the edges of his lips. "They're already watching."

Lucien's grip tightened slightly. "Then let's not keep them waiting."

As the heavy gates creaked open, Celestine knew there was no turning back. Whatever truths the Shadow Coven held, she was about to face them.

And she wasn't sure she was ready.