CHAPTER 196: CHAPTER 196: FIRE AT THE RIVER BEND

Lorraine’s POV

The moon hung low and thin across the heavy clouds above us. The night air was cold, the kind that stung when you breathed too deeply, but we pressed on through the woods anyway, following the narrow, muddy trail Cyrin had told us would lead straight to the river bend.

Varya led in front, torch in hand, her posture unshaken even in the wind. Her boots splashed lightly through shallow puddles as she walked. Alistair was close behind her, eyes sharp and scanning the trees for any sign of movement. Felix followed after him, muttering to himself occasionally, while I brought up the rear, clutching my cloak tighter to fight off the chill.

Each step we took sounded too loud in the thick silence of the forest. Every crack of a twig, every rustle of the leaves above, made my heart jump just a little faster.

It had been hours since we snuck out of the academy. Hours of walking, of silence and cold, of trying not to think about what might happen if Astrid found out, or worse, if we didn’t find Kieran.

The thought of him, somewhere out there alone, gnawed at me. The last time I saw him, the grief in his eyes was enough to splinter my chest. The Queen’s funeral had broken something in him, I could feel it even before I collapsed. And now, he was missing, vanished without a word, without his guards, without his crown.

"What if we don’t find him?" Felix asked suddenly

"We will," I said quickly, too quickly. My voice echoed off the trees, sharp and defensive. "Kieran is strong. He’s the strongest person I know."

Felix gave a short, humorless laugh. "The Alpha King was the strongest person everyone in the kingdom knew too," he said softly. "And now he’s dead."

Varya froze mid step. Her torchlight flickered across her face, revealing her narrowed eyes and clenched jaw. She turned around slowly to face Felix. "Are you with us or against us, Felix?" she asked, her tone calm but dangerous.

Felix blinked, startled. "I just think that...."

Alistair placed a hand on his shoulder before he could finish. "Maybe keep your thoughts to yourself for now," he said flatly. "Let’s just walk in silence."

Felix’s lips pressed into a thin line as he nodded, muttering something under his breath that none of us caught.

We continued in silence after that, the only sounds being the wind whistling through the trees and the steady flow of the river growing louder the closer we got.

When we finally reached the river bend, it was almost a relief. The moon broke through the clouds for a fleeting moment, casting pale light on the shimmering surface of the water. And there it was, the van.

Just as Cyrin had said.

It was parked beside the riverbank, its dark frame half covered in mud and moss, as if it had been waiting for us all this while.

"There," Varya said, pointing at it. "That must be the one."

We all quickened our pace, our boots squelching in the wet earth. For the first time that night, hope flickered inside me. Maybe this would finally be the start of getting Kieran back.

But just as we were about to reach the van, something inside me twisted. The faint, metallic scent that drifted through the air wasn’t from the river. It was..... different. Familiar. Wrong.

"Wait," I said sharply.

Everyone halted immediately.

I inhaled deeply, trying to make sense of the scent that now filled my senses. It wasn’t just one. It was dozens, no, hundreds. The air was thick with it.

"Can you smell that, Varya?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Varya turned her head slightly, sniffing the air. Her expression hardened. "There are people nearby," she said.

Alistair nodded grimly. "A lot of them."

Felix’s eyes darted around nervously. "People? What people? What’s going on?"

Varya stepped in front of him protectively, her body tensing. "You stay behind me, Felix," she said in a low, commanding tone. "I think things are about to get messy."

Before Felix could respond, a sound came from the woods, branches snapping, footsteps crunching in rhythm. My heart dropped.

From the shadows, figures began to emerge one by one. Their movements were precise, coordinated. I could see their dark armor glinting under the moonlight, the blood red insignia carved across their chests.

Crimson Hunt.

My stomach clenched. There were so many of them, at least a hundred, maybe more, spreading out, surrounding us in a slow, deliberate circle.

"These people never stay dead, do they?" Alistair muttered under his breath as he drew his blade. "I thought we wiped them out at the Lunar Crest battle."

"Crimson Hunt has far more soldiers than anyone realized," Varya replied, her eyes flicking across the dark shapes closing in on us. "The ones at the academy were just a fraction. The rest must have regrouped."

"But why are they here?" Felix whispered. "How did they even find us?"

No one had an answer. The circle was tightening fast.

I could feel the tension in the air and it was suffocating. My blood pulsed hot beneath my skin, the faint hum of my powers beginning to stir. It was as if my wolf sensed danger and was clawing to be let out. My fingertips tingled, and the faint white light began to flicker at the edge of my vision.

No. Not now.

Astrid’s voice echoed in my mind. Using your powers will kill you faster.

I couldn’t. Not here. Not yet.

My gaze darted around frantically, searching for a way out. The woods were thick, too many of them on every side. Varya and Alistair could take some down, maybe even half, but not a hundred. Not with Felix here.

The van.

"The van!" I blurted out suddenly. "Everyone, get inside! Now!"

They didn’t hesitate. We all sprinted toward it. I reached it first, yanking open the side door and jumping in. Felix scrambled in after me, followed by Alistair, and finally Varya, who slammed the driver’s door shut and jammed the key into the ignition.

"Go, go!" Felix shouted. "Start it!"

Varya twisted the key, once, twice, but the engine sputtered lifelessly.

"Come on!" Alistair growled. "Start the damn thing!"

"I’m trying!" Varya snapped, twisting again, but the van only groaned.

Outside, the sound of boots grew louder. They were closing in fast now, shadows moving against the firelight of their torches.

"Varya!" I yelled. "Hurry!"

She slammed her palm against the steering wheel, frustration flashing in her eyes. "It’s not starting!"

Through the windshield, I saw the Crimson Hunt soldiers spreading out in front of us. Their armor gleamed red and black beneath the torchlight, their faces hidden behind iron masks.

One of them barked an order, and several soldiers stepped forward, each holding a burning torch.

My pulse spiked.

"What are they doing?" I whispered.

Varya’s gaze followed mine. Her voice came out tight, grim. "I think...." she swallowed hard, "I think they want to set the van on fire."

Felix gasped, pressing back into his seat. Alistair’s hand went to his sword hilt, ready for a fight he knew we couldn’t win.

And me....

I could feel it again. The burning. The power under my skin, begging to be unleashed. It thrummed inside me, restless, dangerous, whispering that it could save us if I’d only let it.

But if I did, if I used it again, I might not survive this time.

Outside, the soldiers raised their torches higher. The flames flared bright, reflecting in their eyes. The smell of smoke drifted toward us, mingling with the cold scent of the river.

They were going to burn us alive.