Chapter
249
The cave offered little comfort, its damp walls and narrow confines amplifying the tension between Elyra and Dain. Matthew, still weak from his injuries, lay wrapped in a makeshift blanket near the flickering fire. Elyra sat by his side, her hand lightly resting on his arm. "We can't keep running like this," Dain muttered, pacing the limited space. His frustration was palpable, his protective instincts at war with their vulnerability.
"We don't have a choice," Elyra replied quietly. "Not until we figure out how to fight back."noveldrama
Suddenly, a faint noise outside caught Dain's attention-a rustling, barely audible. His body tensed. "Stay here," he whispered, grabbing a sharpened stick before slipping into the shadows near the cave's entrance.
The attack was swift and calculated. A guttural growl echoed from the forest as shadowy figures descended. Elyra barely had time to reach for Dain before a piercing scream-Matthew's scream-shattered the air.
"Matthew!" Elyra cried, rushing outside just in time to see Jason and the red-eyed woman dragging Matthew's limp form into the darkness. His axe lay abandoned, blood smearing its handle.
Dain grabbed Elyra before she could run after them, his grip firm. "It's a trap. You know it is."
Elyra's voice trembled with desperation. "We can't leave him. He's all we have left."
Moments later, a haunting laugh reverberated through the forest. The red-eyed woman stepped into the moonlight, her presence suffocating. "You have something I want," she said, her gaze flicking between Elyra and Dain. "And now, I have something you care about." "Let him go!" Elyra shouted, her silver eyes blazing with fury.
"Come to me," the woman replied, her tone deceptively sweet. "Or he dies."
As quickly as they had appeared, the red-eyed woman and Jason vanished, leaving only the axe and their ominous threat behind.
Elyra sank to her knees, clutching the axe as tears streamed down her face. "We have to save him," she whispered.
Dain crouched beside her, his jaw tight. "If we go, we need to be ready. This won't be like before."