Chapter 23:The Serpent’s Curse

The Mississippi's brackish waters lapped at Rowan's boots as she stared into the abyss. The world tree's absence left her hollow—no more whispers, no more visions. Just the relentless hum of the serpent's voice in her mind: *"The bridge is broken. The stag stirs."*

Ethan stood beside her, his skin faintly scaled, eyes glowing silver. Since Cahokia, the serpent's influence had grown—he flinched at saltwater's touch, hissed in his sleep. "It's getting worse," he said, voice strained. "I can feel her… wanting."

Rowan didn't respond. She couldn't. Not when her own hands trembled with the memory of the spear's power. "We need to find MacLeod," she said finally. "He's the key to stopping this."

Grampa snorted. "Kid, MacLeod's dead. The serpent ate him."

Moira stepped forward, her Druid robes rustling. "Not dead. Transformed." She unrolled a scroll—MacLeod's face, twisted into a hybrid of antlers and scales, stared back. "The serpent kept him alive. She's using his Cernunnos blood to anchor her power."

Lachlan paled. "If she merges with a stag-blooded host… she'll become invincible."

Rowan clenched her fists. "Then we destroy the host."

They tracked MacLeod to a flooded cave beneath New Orleans—a network of tunnels once sacred to Choctaw snake spirits. Bioluminescent algae clung to the walls, casting an eerie glow. At the chamber's heart, a stone altar pulsed with green energy—MacLeod lay atop it, his chest rising and falling in unnatural rhythm.

"Welcome, bridge,"* a voice hissed. The serpent emerged from the shadows, her form fluid, half-human, half-serpent. *"I've saved him for you."*

MacLeod's eyes snapped open—green and silver, split by vertical pupils. "Join us, Rowan," he growled. *"The stag and serpent will rule as one."*

Ethan staggered, clutching his head. *"No…"*

Rowan raised the Blood Vessel of Lir. Its runes flickered weakly—her Awen power had faded with the world tree. *"You're not a god,"* she spat. *"You're a parasite."*

The serpent laughed. *"Says the girl who traded her soul for a cause."* She coiled around MacLeod, merging with his body. *"Watch your dragon burn."*

Ethan screamed. His scales erupted, wings tearing through his shirt—Níðhöggr's form, but his eyes remained human. *"Run!"* he roared.

Rowan hesitated. The serpent's tail lashed out, striking Grampa in the chest. He fell, blood pooling. Moira knelt beside him, hands glowing. *"Go!"*

Rowan grabbed Ethan's arm. *"Fight it!"*

Ethan shook his head, fangs elongating. *"I can't…"*

The serpent's voice slithered into Rowan's mind: *"You want to save him?"* She materialized behind Ethan, her hand plunging into his chest. *"Then take his place."*

Rowan's vision blurred. She saw the serpent's memories—eons spent trapped beneath Cahokia, hunger for freedom, hatred of the stag. *"We're not enemies,"* the serpent said. *"We're siblings."*

Rowan gasped. *"Cernunnos…"*

The serpent nodded. *"The stag and the serpent. Balance."* She gestured to MacLeod. *"He sought to unseat me. Now he'll be my throne."*

Ethan collapsed, scales receding. Rowan caught him, tears stinging her eyes. *"What do you want?"*

The serpent smiled. *"A new bridge. One who understands sacrifice."* She pressed a claw to Rowan's forehead. *"You'll wear the stag's mark… and mine."*

Rowan screamed as energy surged through her—antlers sprouting from her skull, scales rippling down her arms. The world tree's roots erupted from the ground, binding MacLeod. *"No!"* he roared.

The serpent coiled around Rowan. *"Balance demands a price."* She plunged into Rowan's chest, merging with her body.

Rowan's mind fractured. She was Rowan, the serpent, the stag—all at once. The world tree's voice echoed: *"The bridge must die."*

She turned to Ethan. *"Kill me."*

Ethan froze. *"I can't—"*

Rowan kissed him, tasting salt and iron. *"You must."* She pressed the Blood Vessel of Lir into his hand. *"Destroy the serpent… and the stag."*

Ethan raised the dagger. *"I love you."*

He plunged it into her heart.

Light erupted. The serpent's spirit shattered, MacLeod's body crumbling to dust. Rowan collapsed, antlers dissolving. Ethan caught her, sobbing.

Moira approached, her hands glowing green. *"She's alive… but changed."*

Rowan opened her eyes. The world tree's roots had retreated, but the serpent's mark lingered—a silver scar on her forehead. *"The balance is restored,"* she whispered. *"For now."*