The atmosphere was light and warm, and I felt a sense of belonging I hadn't experienced in a long time. I was surrounded by laughter, friendship, and a growing bond with Cassian.
But just as I began to feel truly happy, a chilling howl pierced through the air, echoing from the distance. It was a sound filled with pain, raw and heart-wrenching, freezing the laughter in our throats. The bone-chilling howl echoed through the trees, sending a shiver down Eden's spine. The sound resonated with an anguish she had never experienced before.
"Did you hear that?" I whispered, my heart dropping as fear washed over me.
Cassian's expression turned serious, his eyes scanning the shadows of the trees through the window. "Yeah. Leo and I will go check it out."
In that instant, the warmth of the afternoon faded away, replaced by a cold, foreboding dread. We all left the house, looking at the forest clearing near our border, where we heard the howl. Leo and Cassian were quick and were there in an instant. Mira and I walk up. "Oh dear…this is concerning," Mira says, and it is indeed concerning as we are now looking at a wolf bloodied and battered. Much worse than the man from last night. The pack had already gathered around a fallen werewolf, and chaos reigned. Cassian stood in the center, his commanding voice attempting to calm the storm.
"Eden!"
I turn my head and see Elvion below a tree on the side, holding his bleeding arm. He was standing near the edge of the clearing, his silver hair slightly disheveled, his usually calm expression twisted in pain. His arm bled freely from a jagged wound.
And yet, no one reacted to him. No one saw him.
I gasp, covering my mouth. Mira turns to me. "What? What happened?" she asks, concerned. I look at her. "It's Elvion, he's here. He's bleeding too," I whisper, and her eyes widen as she covers her mouth. "What the heck is going on? Go on, help him. I'll watch out." She follows me and covers me with her body as I kneel down and pick up Elvion's small frame. I put him on my lap, and I tear a small piece of cloth from my shirt. He was looking rough beside the blood that was oozing from his left arm.
"What happened to you, Elvion? I haven't seen you in days, and you turn up like this," I tell him, trying my best to keep my voice soft. Being surrounded by werewolves is no easy feat; our sensitive hearing makes it impossible to not hear everything, and I don't exactly want people to think I'm thinking to air.
"There's a disturbance in the forest. Creatures... they're not right. And then—" Elvion paused, his breath coming in quick bursts, "Then I saw it. A fae with red eyes and fangs. It was battling this werewolf. That fae…. that th-thing! I don't even think it's a fae! Faes don't look like that," He exclaims
"Tell me later how you ended up like this. You're losing too much blood," Eden urged, her instincts kicking in. It wasn't easy to tie a small cloth into an elf's arm.
There was more noise coming from the crowd now. The pack fighters surrounded Cassian and Leo as they ordered them to scan the perimeters, hoping to find the culprit. There were also pack doctors trying to give first aid to the wounded werewolf, who turned out to be one of the pack's patrols.
Is this an attack against the pack? Is that the way this is happening?
Impossible. No werewolf would be able to hurt an elf except if it's also a magical being. Emrys says, and she was right. Elves and other magic creatures are pretty much like ghosts and invisible for non-magic folk. So the fact that Elvion was hurt means it was a magic folk. But who?
I look down at Elvion again on my lap. His eyes were starting to close now.
My mind raced. I knew I had to help Elvion, but how would I do it? My makeshift bandage wasn't holding. Elvion was too small. Just then, Mira coughs, and I look at her. It turns out Cassian and Leo were walking towards us with solemn faces, and I try to keep Elvion safe as I try to not look suspicious to Cassian.
"Go back to the house, Eden. You'll be safer there," Cassian's voice was gentle, but there was no mistaking the firmness behind his words. His protectiveness both comforted and irritated me.
What a bad timing. Emrys say. Tell me about it.
I bit my lip, glancing at Leo, the pack beta who had always been like an older brother to me, so he knew what I was. His eyes flicked between her and Mira, sensing something was off, though he hadn't seen the elf.
Mira coughs, "Cassian, can you help me with something in the house? I think it will help the battered man to heal." Before Cassian could say anything else, Mira was already pushing him towards the path to the house. When they were enough, I immediately looked at Leo.
"I need to help Elvion," I say to Leo, my voice tight, my heart hammering in her chest.
Leo's brow furrowed in confusion, then realization dawned. He had seen my strange connection to the forest spirits before—he trusted my instincts. I pick up Elvion carefully and Leo helps me up. We hide Elvion between us by standing closer together.
"Be quick about it," he murmured, his gaze darting toward the crowd and the other pack members who were cleaning up the mess before he discreetly guided me away from the crowd further into the forest, where we were invisible to the others.
As soon as we were out of sight, I kneeled again and put Elvion on the ground. His pale face was lined with pain, and a dark stain of blood soaked through his sleeve.
"Eden, it's time," Elvion's voice was strained, his usually melodic tone edged with desperation. "The fae heal with light. You can do it.
My stomach twisted. I've read about it, but I never thought it could be something I can do because I'm only half. I bite my lip and look at him. "But... I've never healed anyone before. I don't even know if I can."
"You can put your palm beside me," Elvion urged, his voice softening as he placed his uninjured hand on my palm. "Focus. Imagine the light inside you. Feel it move toward the wound."
I hesitated, my mind swirling with doubt. What if I couldn't do it? What if I failed him? I look at his bleeding arm and back at his face again.
The trust in Elvion's eyes strengthened my resolve. I have to. I owe it to him. I took a deep breath, and my hands hovered over the bleeding wound, trembling. I closed my eyes, summoning every bit of focus I could muster, visualizing the warmth, the energy of the forest flowing through me.
Nothing.
My heart sank. "It's not working—" This can't happen… I can't… I can't help. This is beyond me.
Focus, Eden. Elvion needs you. You can't break down now.
"Try again," Elvion said softly. "Don't force it. Let it flow."
I bit my lip harder and took another deep breath, relaxing my body. I imagined the white light within me, the soft glow of the forest spirits I often saw jump around the forest, the way their gentle energy moved through the trees. The way their sparkle put a gleam on the leaves and grass. Slowly, I felt it—a tingling warmth spreading through my fingers, faint at first, then stronger. A soft white glow emerged, flickering uncertainly at the tips of my hands.
I opened my eyes in surprise as the light grew brighter, focusing on Elvion's wound. The blood began to slow, the jagged edges of the injury knitting together under my glowing hands.
The wound closed, leaving only a faint scar where it had been. I exhaled, a mix of exhilaration and disbelief flooding her chest.
"I did it..." I whispered, my voice full of awe. "What the fuck was that, Eden?" Leo says in awe.
Elvion smiled though his face was still pale. "I knew you could."
"Have you always been able to do that?" Leo asks, his eyes wide looking at me, and I shake my head. "I never knew I could. I've only read about it but I didn't think I could have it in me" I say as I look at my hands in disbelief.
"Did that light beam heal Elvion?" Leo asks as he kneels beside me, his eyes fixed on the spot where the light was directed. He waves his hand over the area, and sure enough, his fingers slip right through Elvion, prompting a soft giggle from the elf.
"Hey, hey! Tell him to stop, that tickles!" Elvion laughs, now looking noticeably better. I chuckle and gently grab Leo's hand, pulling it away. "It tickles him, so cut it out. And yes, somehow I did heal him," I explain, smiling. Leo quickly pulls his hands into his lap, eyes wide. "Oops, didn't realize he was there" he shrugs
"I'll ask Elvion what happened. This can't be brushed off anymore," I said, and he nodded.
I pulled back, still amazed by what had just happened. The joy of discovering this power was tempered by the urgency of the situation. "What happened out there? Who attacked?"
Elvion's expression darkened. "Unseelie fae," he said gravely. "They struck while one of your pack patrollers was patrolling the borders. They know your kind can't see them, and they're taking advantage of that. Darkness is spreading through the forest. We've already started evacuating our homes. That's why I haven't been able to come."
My blood ran cold. "Evacuating? Is it that bad?"
Elvion nodded grimly. "Worse than you think. They're growing bolder and more dangerous. You need to be prepared."
Before I could respond, I felt a presence behind us—a familiar, commanding presence that made my stomach twist. Cassian.
"Eden?" His voice was sharp with concern. "What are you guys doing?"
"Fuck" Leo exclaims as he stands up and turns around quicker. My breath hitched in my throat. We hadn't even heard him approach. Too invested with what Elvion was saying and I guess Leo was still preoccupied with what just happened. I spun around, my heart racing. Cassian's intense gaze locked on me, his brows drawn in confusion. His eyes flicked to where Elvion stood, but there was nothing there for him to see—only air. But he saw me talking to it.
Fuck, what do we say? Emrys was panicking, too, which is rare because she's like my confident alter ego.
My mind raced, trying to come up with an explanation, but my mouth was dry, my heart hammering in my chest. How could I explain what he couldn't see? How could I make him understand?
"I..." My voice faltered. Cassian's eyes darkened with suspicion, and I knew I had only moments to decide how much to reveal.
But the words wouldn't come. The air between them three hung thick with tension caught between two worlds.
And for the first time, Leo and I were like kids again panicking and thinking what to say.