Cursed To The Alpha

Chapter 125

'She's getting away!' I shout with urgency.

Mister Kal, a blur of motion, reappears in the heart of the room and sprints up the stairs with Pixel by his side, relentless in their pursuit of Gretchen.

Janie's eyes burn with fierce anger. She quickly redirects her focus from Gretchen's escape to Caius. With a surge of power, she levitates him off the ground, suspending him mid-air. As Caius attempts to point his staff at her, Janie's eyes darken, and the very walls surrounding them begin to crumble. With her free hand extended, she reaches out, and the staff tears itself from Caius's grasp, hurtling through the air into her waiting hand. Gripping the staff tightly, she swings it, aiming its tip at Caius.

In a breathtaking display of power, we watch as Janie summons a formidable surge of energy. Blue magic swirls from her arm and courses up through the staff she holds. With a brilliant explosion of energy, the staff unleashes a torrent of blue sparks that engulfs Caius. His form disintegrates into shimmering dust, resembling ethereal snowflakes as they descend to the ground. The sheer force of Janie's magic leaves her weakened. Her body gives in to exhaustion as she collapses and passes out.

‘Janie!’ Xander shouts.

Orelious helps to lift her. ‘She used too much power. She needs rest,’ Orelious says to Xander.

Janie slowly opens her eyes, ‘No, I have to find Gretchen,’ she mumbles.

‘No, my sweet love, you have to rest. Let us worry about Gretchen,’ Xander tells her.

‘But,’ she says.

‘Orelious,’ Xander says before she can argue. ‘Take her for a moment so I can free Warrick of the magic restraints,’ he says, passing her to him.

Imogen races over to me and hugs me.

‘I’d hug you back, Imogen, but I’m kind of chained up,’ I tell her, staring at the keys on the ground.

‘Oh, right,’ she says, ‘free you first, then hugs,’ she laughs and frees my wrists. I wrap my arms around her.

‘Thank you, and when did you become such a badass using a quarterstaff to fight and twirl through the air like that?’ I ask her.

Orelious has been teaching me,’ she blushes. ‘He wants me to be able to defend myself,’ she says.

I smile and nod at Orelious in thanks.

As Xander frees Warrick from his magic, he plunges to the ground, shifts into his human form, and jolts in pain, clasping his ribs.

‘Warrick!’ I shout and kneel beside his naked form, not blushing for the first time as I’m too worried about his wound. I put my hand over his and move it away. I cringe as I see the large gash.

Warrick grabs my hand in a desperate manner. ‘The book! Gretchen can’t be stopped by the Mystic Council anymore if they’re all dead. She will be going to the high tower to get it before she flees. We have to get the book first,’ Warrick warns.

I help Warrick to stand. He masks the pain well and shifts, running up the stairs. I stay close behind him while Xander stays on my trail. Orelious carries Janie with Imogen by his side.

As we race through the Starlight Citadel, our footsteps echo with urgency. Arriving at the foot of the stairs leading to the high tower, our hearts sink at the sight of Yilve lying motionless. Xander checks her pulse, his solemn gaze confirming her passing. Anger and determination burn within us as we ascend the stairs, where Ziggy's lifeless form is slumped against the wall.

As we enter the high tower, Gretchen has Blunder captive with her twisted magic, suffocating him. Xander wastes no time. His hand hovering over the tomb, he invokes the spell 'Incantus Articus.'

An ice sigil materialises, glowing with an ethereal brilliance, hovering above the page. Gretchen becomes engulfed in ice, interrupting her magic, Blunder falls to the ground, but it’s too late. He’s gone.

Warrick and I race past the ice-encased Gretchen, my hands snatching the coveted book from the pulpit. As the ice shatters around her, shards fly in all directions, stinging my arms and leaving a gash across my cheek. I drop to my knees, clutching the precious tome close to my chest in pain that surges through me. I turn and see Gretchen conjuring magic from her hands.

‘Give me the book, or I’ll banish you to oblivion!’ she sneers.

Warrick stands before me and snaps and snarls at Gretchen with warning, but then Xander casts his magic. Shadows swirl around Gretchen, seeking to restrain her, but she counters with a swift incantation of her own, 'Shadovexis!' The shadows expand, merging into a monstrous form resembling a rhino, charging towards Xander with unrelenting force.

In a swift act of courage, Janie rushes to Xander's side, her hands outstretched, her magic combating the darkness. The energy flowing from her hands grows brighter, overwhelming the shadow until it dissipates, replaced by radiant light. Gretchen seizes the opportunity, grabbing her broom and dashing towards the window.

Xander and Janie unleash their magic, sending powerful spells hurtling towards Gretchen, but she leaps onto her broom and soars into the air. Their magic tears through the tower's wall, causing stones to burst and rain down around us. Janie and Xander rush to the edge of the floor, their hearts heavy with disappointment as they watch Gretchen disappear into the distance.

'She got away,' Janie murmurs with disappointment as she sways from weakness.

Xander reaches out, steadying her. 'Gretchen knows we're too powerful for her now, especially with the Mystic Council gone,' he explains, his brow furrowing with concern. 'You're already weakened. You should not have confronted her again,' he scolds gently, lifting Janie into his arms protectively.

Warrick turns to me with pain and regret. Trembling, I cling to the ancient book, my arms wrapped tightly around it. He shifts into his human form and envelopes me in a tender embrace, dropping to his knees and pulling me close to his chest.

'Rose,' he whispers, with sorrow and guilt.

‘Gretchen was going to kill me, she-she gouged her finger in my throat, she was going to whip me to death,’ I cry from the trauma I just entailed and feel for the wound in my neck that has healed but left my neck covered in blood.

Warrick hugs me tighter. 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,' he murmurs, devastated by what I had endured at the hands of Gretchen.

Sobbing and shaking, I press my head against Warrick's chest, seeking comfort in his warmth. His hands rub my arms gently, trying to offer comfort despite his own lingering pain. As I sit up, my eyes shift to his burnt hands. The damage looks painful. My gaze settles on the open gash across his ribs, the wound bleeding profusely.

'We need a medic,' I sob, wiping away my tears with determination.

Xander nods in agreement. 'And rest,' he adds.

With Pixel perched on my shoulder, and despite his wound, Warrick lifts me into his arms, cradling me against his chest as I cling tightly to the ancient tome. We follow Xander, who carries Janie down the steps of the high tower with Orelious, Imogen, and Mister Kal. As we descend, a mixture of exhaustion and relief settles over us, knowing that the immediate threat has subsided for now, and we can now tend to our wounds and get much-needed rest.