CHAPTER 103: ALLIES IN DARKNESS

Chapter 103: Allies in Darkness

The Sacred Grove looked like a war. Ancient trees lay split in half, their silver bark burned black.

The holy pool where Liana first met the Moon Goddess was now cracked and empty. Even the air felt broken, charged with dangerous magic. "What happened here?" Sara whispered, her young voice shaking.

Marcus stepped through the dimensional opening last, his crystal dimming as it closed behind them.

"The Council hit this place first. They knew supernatural beings draw power from holy sites." Liana knelt beside the ruined pool, her heart hurting. This was where she’d learned about her destiny.

Where the Moon Goddess had spoken to her. Now it felt dead. "She’s not here anymore," River said barely from Talia’s arms. The little girl’s fever was getting worse. "The goddess left when they broke her altar."

"Then how am I supposed to talk to her?" Liana demanded. "You don’t," said a familiar voice from the treeline. "You talk to me." Everyone spun around, guns ready. But the person stepping out of the shadows made Liana’s blood freeze. Darius.

The evil Alpha who’d tried to kill them. Who’d supposedly died in their last fight. Who looked exactly like Marcus but with rage burning in his dark eyes. Except now, those eyes looked clear. "Hello, brother," Darius said to Marcus, his voice heavy with pain. "Sorry I tried to kill everyone. Mind control is a real problem." "You’re supposed to be dead," Kael growled, his Alpha power flaring.

"I was," Darius answered simply. "For about ten minutes. Death has a way of breaking magical chains." He rolled up his sleeves, showing arms covered in scars that looked like burned marks.

"The Council branded me when I was fifteen. Spent two hundred years making me do their dirty work while thinking I was fighting against them." "Prove it," Jace ordered, his green eyes flashing with anger.

"Prove you’re not still working for them." Darius smiled sadly and pulled something from his pocket. A small metal locket that made Elder Mira gasp.

"That belonged to Liana’s mother," the old woman breathed. "My sister," Darius said, his voice breaking. "They made me watch them kill her. Made me think it was my idea. Then they sent me after Liana because they knew I’d fail. They wanted me to push her toward the triplets." Liana felt sick.

"Everything was planned." "Not everything," Marcus said firmly. "Your mate tie is real. Your power is real. They just tried to control how you found it." A rustling in the trees made everyone tense. But instead of Council troops, dozens of figures emerged from the trees.

Liana recognized some of them - rogue dogs who’d attacked the pack before. Vampires who’d been branded as thieves. Witches who’d been exiled for performing forbidden magic. "Meet the real resistance," Darius said.

"Everyone the Council labeled as outsiders and enemies. Turns out most of us were just trying to break free from their control." A tall vampire with silver scars across his face stepped forward.

"I’m Viktor. The Council said I went rogue when I killed people. Truth is, I killed Council spies who were feeding on children." "And I’m Luna," added a witch whose hands sparkled with dark energy.

"They banished me for practicing blood magic. But I was using it to break their control spells." More voices joined in. Story after story of supernatural beings who’d been labeled as baddies for fighting back against the Council’s lies. "How many of you are there?" Rowan asked, his polite mind already working.

"Three hundred confirmed," Darius responded. "Maybe more. We’ve been hiding, gathering power, waiting for the right moment." "What changed?" Liana asked. "You did," Viktor answered.

"When you bonded with three Alphas and awoke ancient magic, you gave us hope. Showed us that the old rules could be broken." Elder Mira stepped forward, her ancient eyes studying the gathering rogues.

"I sense no untruth in them. But three hundred fighters won’t be enough against the Council’s full power." "That’s why we brought friends," Luna said with a wicked smile. The air shimmered, and three more figures appeared.

But these weren’t rogues or outsiders. They wore the white robes and golden symbols of High Council members. "Defectors," Marcus explained quickly as guns were raised.

"Council members who’ve grown tired of the lies." The first defector removed her hood, showing a face that looked carved from starlight. " I am Sera, Keeper of Dimensional Law.

For three thousand years, I’ve watched the Council trap and weaken magical beings. I will not watch them destroy entire worlds to keep power." The second defector was younger, with eyes that held the knowledge of ages. "Gabriel, Angel of Lost Causes.

The Council promised me we were protecting truth. Instead, we’ve been killing it." The third figure made everyone step back in fear. He radiated power so old and terrible that even the trees seemed to bow away from him.

"I am Death," he said bluntly. "And I’m very tired of cleaning up the Council’s mistakes." "Death is on our side?" Sara squeaked. "Death is on the side of balance," the figure revised.

"The Council has upset that balance. Too many souls trapped between worlds. Too many natural processes broken. It must be fixed." Liana felt overloaded. "So we have rogues, defectors, and Death itself. That still might not be enough."

"There’s one more ally we need," Darius said quietly. "The one person who knows the Council’s magic better than anyone. Who’s studied their flaws for years." "Who?" Kael asked. "Celeste." The name hung in the air like a curse. Everyone started talking at once, voices raised in anger and disbelief. "She tried to kill us!" "She’s insane!" "She can’t be trusted!" "She’s our only hope," Darius said definitely.

"Her dark magic study wasn’t just about revenge. She was trying to find ways to break the Council’s rule. She knows their secret flaws." "Where is she?" Liana asked softly. "Council prison," Sera answered. "Held in a cell meant to drain magical power.

But with our joint strength, we could break her out." "This is crazy," Jace complained. "She’ll betray us the first chance she gets." "Maybe," Darius admitted. "But right now, she hates the Council more than she hates us. And her hate might be what saves everyone."

Before anyone could argue further, River sat up suddenly in Talia’s arms. Her fevered eyes blazed with dreams. "They’re coming," she whispered anxiously.

"Both armies. The Council found our tracks. And the outcast ones are following the dimensional energy." "How long do we have?" Marcus asked. "Twenty minutes. Maybe less." Liana looked around at their unlikely union.

Rogues, defectors, death itself, and now they wanted to add a revenge-crazed witch to the mix. "We need a plan," she said. "Right now." "Split up again," Kael offered. "Smaller groups, multiple targets."

"No," Death spoke, his voice like cold wind. "The time for hiding is over. The walls between worlds grow weaker each hour. Soon, there will be nowhere left to run."

"Then what do you suggest?" Rowan asked. Death turned his terrible look on Liana. "You must choose, Guardian. Accept your fate now, or watch everything die when the worlds collapse tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow?" Liana’s heart stopped. "You said three days!" "That was before the Council started forcing the barriers open," Sera explained quickly.

"They’re trying to push the exiled ones back to their world. But the process is pulling reality apart." River’s grip on Liana’s hand tightened. "I can see it," she gasped.

"The cracks are growing. Time is running out faster than we thought." Marcus held up his crystal, which was now pulsing quickly. "She’s right. The dimensional anchor is going crazy. Reality is becoming shaky."

"So we have less than twenty-four hours to break the barriers safely, reunite all supernatural species with their home dimensions, and save both worlds?" Jace summary. "Yes," Death confirmed. "And we need Celeste to do it?" "Yes."

"And Liana has to sacrifice her mate bonds?" Death’s eyes softened slightly. "Unless she can find another way. But I have seen the future routes. Most lead to destruction."

A huge roar echoed through the forest. In the distance, Liana could see lights moving between the trees. The Council forces had found them. "Decision time," Darius said sadly.

"Do we run again, or do we make our stand?" Liana looked at each of her mates. Kael, steady and strong. Jace, fierce and loyal. Rowan, wise and gentle.

In twenty-four hours, she might have to give them up forever. But she could also save every magical being who’d ever lived. "We fight," she decided. "But first, we get Celeste."

"The Council prison is impenetrable," Gabriel warned. "Not if we have inside help," Sera said with a dangerous smile. "I still have my access codes." "And not if we attack during the chaos," Viktor added, pointing toward the approaching lights.

"While they’re busy hunting us here, a small team could break her out." "I’ll go," Darius offered. "I know the prison layout." "And me," Luna said. "My blood magic can break her cell bindings."

"And me," Death added softly. "Celeste has been close to dying for weeks. She’ll need my power to survive what’s coming."

As the Council troops got closer, their unlikely alliance prepared to split up once more. But this time, they weren’t just running.

They were taking action. "If this works," Liana said to Darius, "if we get Celeste and she helps us break the walls safely - what happens to you? To all the rogues?" Darius smiled, and for the first time since she’d known him, it looked peaceful.

"We get to go home. To the dimensions we came from originally. Where we belong." "And if it doesn’t work?"

"Then we die fighting for freedom instead of living as slaves." The forest erupted with the sound of breaking trees as Council troops crashed through the underbrush.

Angels with fiery swords. Vampires moving like liquid mist. Creatures made of live crystal and starlight. "Go!" Kael roared. "We’ll hold them here!"

As half their group vanished through Marcus’s portal, going for the Council prison, Liana raised her hands. Power flowed through her - not just her own Luna magic, but energy borrowed from every supernatural being in their union.

The final fight was about to begin. But first, they had to free their most dangerous enemy and convince her to save the world. "This plan is insane," Talia whispered as they prepared to fight.

"Good thing we’re all crazy," Jace grinned, his eyes blazing with battle rage. In the distance, another roar shook the ground. But this one wasn’t from the Council. The outcast ones had arrived.

Now they were fighting a war on two fronts, with less than a day to save reality itself. And everything relied on trusting the witch who’d tried to destroy them all.