Her Immortal Mate (Brides of the Vrakken #3)

10. Mae

10

MAE

T he cave mouth gapes like a wound in the mountainside, dark and forbidding against the sky. I pace along the perimeter, scanning the tree line while keeping one ear trained on any sounds from within. Nothing but echoes so far.

A patch of silvery leaves catches my eye near the cave entrance. I crouch down, running my fingers over the familiar serrated edges. Moonwort - perfect for reducing fever. The rich, earthy scent reminds me of the greenhouse back in Munich.

"Just stay within sight," I mutter to myself, remembering Eike's concern before he disappeared into the darkness with the others.

I work my way along the rocky ground, filling my satchel with useful finds. The vegetation here is different from what's around the camp, but my training helps identify similar properties. A cluster of deep purple flowers yields potent pain-relieving seeds. Fuzzy orange moss that could help stop bleeding.

The rough stone scrapes my palms as I climb up a small outcropping, spotting what looks like fever-bark growing in a crevice. Its pale blue inner flesh has saved more than a few lives in the medical wing.

"If you're planning to wander off, I should remind you there are worse things than vrakken in these woods."

I whirl around to find Dominik emerging from the cave entrance, wings folded tight against his back.

"I'm staying in sight. Just gathering supplies while I wait." I hold up my partially filled satchel. "Better than standing around doing nothing."

He nods, scanning the treeline. "They're still searching. Might be a while yet."

"Found anything useful?"

"Nothing yet. But Eike seems certain." He looks to Raina. "Keep watch. I should head back in."

I return to my methodical gathering, though my eyes dart more frequently to the cave mouth now, wondering what they're finding in those dark depths.

A flash of movement catches my eye - shadows shifting unnaturally between the trees. My breath catches as I spot the telltale violet glow of dark elf magic.

"Raina-"

"I see them." Her pale features harden as she draws her blade. "Get inside. Now."

"But-"

"Move!" She shoves me toward the cave entrance. "Dominik! We have company!"

I stumble into the darkness, my heart hammering. Behind me, Dominik bursts from the shadows, wings unfurling as he races past. The clash of steel rings out, followed by shouts and the crackle of magic.

Where did everyone else go? The tunnel branches ahead, curving deeper into the mountain. My fingers trail along the rough wall as I run, trying to remember which path Eike took.

Something shifts in the air - a ripple of energy that makes my skin tingle. The stone beneath my palm pulses with an alien warmth. I jerk back, but the sensation follows, building like static before a storm.

The tunnel walls shimmer, veins of light threading through the rock like liquid silver. The very air feels charged, alive. My next breath fills my lungs with pure energy that sets every nerve ending ablaze.

"What the-"

My foot catches on uneven ground. I pitch forward, bracing for impact - but instead of stone, I fall through empty space. Colors explode behind my eyes as reality twists sideways.

I hit the ground hard, gasping. The cave floor beneath me thrums with power, sending waves of sensation up my arms. Crystalline formations stud the walls, pulsing with their own inner light.

"Mae?"

Eike crouches beside me, his wings casting shifting shadows in the ethereal glow. His silver eyes are wide with concern.

"How did you- where are we?" I manage, still trying to catch my breath.

"You found the wildspont." He helps me up, steadying me as the foreign magic continues to dance across my skin. "Though not quite how I planned to show you."

"Dark elves - they found us." I grab Eike's arm, my words tumbling out. "Raina and Dominik are holding them off, but-"

"How many?" Raziel materializes from the shadows, wings unfurling.

"I saw at least five, maybe more in the trees."

Brinda's lips curl into a predatory smile. "Perfect. I was getting bored down here."

The three vrakken exchange glances, some unspoken communication passing between them. The wildspont's energy crackles through the air, making my skin prickle.

They dive back through the portal, and I follow on their heels. But they don't have to go far before they find the dark elves. The veins of light in the cave walls pulse faster, almost like a heartbeat as the first scream pierces the air.

Rounding the corner, I see Raziel move like liquid shadow, faster than I've ever seen a vrakken move. His wings snap out, catching one elf across the chest and sending them flying into the cave wall with a sickening crunch.

"Behind you!" Brinda calls out. Her magic manifests as crimson threads that wrap around two elves, yanking them off their feet before they can complete their spell.

Eike tears through their ranks like a force of nature. The wildspont's energy flows through him, turning his usual calculated movements into something terrifyingly graceful. An elf raises their hands, violet magic gathering - but Eike is already there, crushing their throat.

"Is that all?" Brinda sounds disappointed as she kicks a fallen elf. "I expected more of a challenge."

"There's another group coming," Dominik says as he rushes in, Raina on his heels. But already, I see the magic of the caves helping heal him as wounds stitch closed before my eyes. "I count eight."

"Good." Eike's wings stretch wide, silver light dancing along the edges. "Let them come."

The next wave crashes against them like water on rocks. The vrakken move in perfect sync, the wildspont amplifying their natural abilities to devastating effect. Bones snap. Blood sprays. Magic flares and dies.

It's over in moments. The tunnel floor is littered with broken bodies, their violet eyes now dull and lifeless.

And I see now how the wildspont could save all the vrakken.