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Mercy’s throat tightened. The intensity in Elyria’s voice made it clear that this wasn’t a threat. It was a promise—more than that, it was a sacred vow.
Mercy swallowed, trying to keep her voice steady. “Last night, I learned that fae blood holds immense power for other supernatural creatures… and even humans. Is that why the witch and the vampire were holding you? To use your blood?”
Elyria’s expression shifted again, the calm mask giving way to something darker. “Yes,” she said, her voice quiet but laced with venom. “The witch and the vampire were preparing for a blood moon ritual. They had begun draining my blood, bit by bit, in order to empower themselves. Fae blood has a potency that no other magic can match. The witch sought to strengthen her magic, and the vampire…” Her gaze turned accusatory, shifting from Mercy to the others in the room. “He sought something even greater than immortality.”
Mercy’s heart raced as Elyria’s words sank in. The blood moon ritual—an ancient, forbidden practice designed to siphon the life force of powerful beings, to gain their strength, their magic. It made sense, but the sheer brutality of it sent a wave of revulsion through Mercy.
“You brought them here?” Elyria’s voice snapped like a whip, her eyes blazing with fury as she looked directly at Hunter and the others. “To torment me further?”
The accusation hung in the air like a death sentence. Mercy’s pulse quickened, and she saw Hunter stiffen behind her. His expression was tense, and for a moment, the room felt as though it might explode with the weight of Elyria’s rage.
“They will not harm you again,” Hunter said, stepping forward, his voice steady but firm. “We have them locked in cells. They can’t touch you now.”
Elyria’s lips curled into a bitter smile, her eyes flashing with dark amusement. “As if that will stop them.”
A ripple of unease swept through the room. Mercy glanced at Hunter, her stomach knotting with dread. Elyria wasn’t wrong. She had already witnessed the extent of the witch’s power—and the vampire’s cunning. Locking them away might not be enough to keep them from unleashing whatever dark magic they were plotting.
Before anyone could respond, a sudden crash reverberated from outside the room, followed by the sound of shouts and hurried footsteps. Pandemonium broke out in the hallway, the noise growing louder by the second.
Mercy’s heart leaped into her throat, adrenaline surging through her veins. She shot a glance at Hunter, who was already moving toward the door, his hand reaching for the hilt of his dagger.
“Stay here,” Hunter said sharply, his voice laced with authority as he glanced back at her and Elyria. “I’ll check it out.”
But before he could take another step, the door burst open, and Adriana stumbled into the room, her face pale and bloodied. “They’ve escaped,” she gasped, clutching her side. “The witch and the vampire—they’ve broken out.”
The room plunged into silence, the words hanging heavy in the air. Mercy felt her heart skip a beat, her blood turning cold.Escaped? How?
Hunter’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing with deadly intent. “Where are they?”
Adriana staggered forward, her breath ragged. “They’re in the abbey… moving toward the courtyard.”
Mercy’s mind raced, her stomach knotting with fear. If the witch and the vampire had broken free, then no one in the abbey was safe—not Elyria, not the others. And if they reached the courtyard, where the abbey’s defenses were weakest, they could escape into the surrounding wilderness and be lost to them forever.
Hunter didn’t hesitate. “Stay here,” he barked at Mercy and Adriana again, his voice hard as steel. Then he turned and bolted toward the door.
Mercy wanted to follow, to help, but something kept her rooted to the spot. She glanced at Elyria, who sat motionless at the table, her eyes gleaming with an eerie calm.
“They will not escape,” Elyria murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “Not from me.”
Mercy felt a shiver crawl down her spine as Elyria’s words echoed in her mind. There was no fear in the fae-shifter’s voice, no panic—only the cold, unwavering certainty of someone who had already calculated her next move.
The fae would have her justice.
Mercy stood there for a moment, torn between following Hunter and staying with Elyria. Her instincts told her that whatever happened next, they were in for a battle unlike any they had faced before.
Mercy’s pulse hammered in her ears as the weight of the situation settled around her. The air in the room, once thick with the energy of Elyria’s presence, now buzzed with the frantic chaos coming from the hallway. The fae’s calm was unsettling, but even more unnerving was the certainty in her words. ‘They will not escape. Not from me.’
Mercy’s heart raced. She wanted to believe that Hunter and Colby’s men could contain the situation, but Elyria’s statement hung in the air like a death sentence. The witch and the vampire—they had broken free. And if they could break free of the dungeon, they could break through anything.
Her mind whirred as she tried to make sense of it all. How could they have escaped? Adriana’s protective spell had been woven tightly around the witch’s cell, and the vampire had been bound in silver. Yet somehow, they had found a way to breachtheir containment.Magic,Mercy thought grimly. The witch’s magic had to be involved.
Adriana’s voice broke through her thoughts, low and urgent. “Mercy, we have to stay with Elyria. If they’re after her again, they’ll come here.”
Mercy’s breath hitched. She turned to face Adriana, seeing the same fear reflected in her friend’s eyes. Adriana wasn’t one to panic easily, but the gravity of the situation was clear. The witch and vampire wanted Elyria for her blood, for her power. They had already come so close to draining her before Hunter and Colby had intervened. They wouldn’t stop now—not with the blood moon looming.
“I know,” Mercy said, her voice tight. “But we can’t just sit here and wait for them to show up. We need to protect her.”
She glanced at Elyria, who had not moved from her seat. The fae-shifter’s eyes glowed faintly, her expression serene, as if the chaos erupting around them didn’t matter in the slightest. It was as if Elyria knew that no matter what happened, she held the upper hand.
