Chapter 11
Regina’s world had shrunk to fevered shadows and a fire that burned beneath her skin. The poison coursing through her veins was unlike any ordinary sickness; it pulsed with Morrigan’s magic, seeping into the marrow of her bones, sinking its claws into her very soul. She had tried to fight it. She had clawed and screamed against the sickness eating her alive, but it was winning. And now, she was helpless.
Selene knew time was running out.
The scent of damp pine and wet earth surrounded them as she urged her horse forward, Regina slumped against her back, barely holding on. The dirt road beneath them stretched endlessly, weaving through thick forests that seemed to close in around them. Overhead, storm clouds rolled in, the air charged with the promise of rain. Each gust of wind sent leaves spiraling around them, whispering secrets only the trees could understand.
Regina groaned against her, her breath hot and ragged against Selene’s shoulder. She was getting worse.
“We’re almost there,” Selene muttered, half to Regina, half to herself. The compound was still miles away, hidden beyond the dense wilderness, but she had no choice but to keep pushing forward.
Lightning split the sky ahead, illuminating the path for only a fraction of a second before plunging them back into darkness. The sound of thunder followed, rolling across the valley like a war drum. The storm would hit soon. They had to get to Calder before then.
Another pained whimper from Regina, softer this time. Selene felt the faintest stirrings of panic tighten in her chest. She had seen powerful magic before, had fought against forces that sought to unravel the world, but what Morrigan had done to Regina was something far worse—it was personal. It was a curse laced with cruelty, meant not just to kill but to break her completely.
A flash of movement caught Selene’s eye.
She turned her head sharply, scanning the trees. Nothing but shifting shadows. But something was there. Watching.
A trick of the light? Or something darker?
She didn’t have time to dwell on it.
The road curved sharply, leading them toward the river crossing. The bridge ahead was narrow, slick from the mist that had settled over the valley. As they reached the halfway point, the horse reared suddenly, spooked by something unseen. Regina slipped from the saddle.
Selene barely caught her before she hit the ground.
Cursing under her breath, she lowered Regina carefully, her weight heavier than it should have been. Her limbs were ice-cold despite the fever raging beneath her skin, and her breathing had grown more shallow.
“Stay with me,” Selene urged, shaking her slightly.
Regina’s eyelids fluttered open, glassy and unfocused. “Hurts…”
“I know,” Selene said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. “But you have to hold on.”
A deep chuckle echoed through the trees.
Selene’s grip tightened on Regina instinctively as she turned to face the sound. A figure emerged from the shadows at the edge of the bridge, draped in darkness, their face obscured by the hood of a long cloak. The air around them crackled with magic—familiar, wrong.
Morrigan.
Selene stood slowly, keeping herself between the sorceress and Regina. “You’re persistent,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension coiling in her muscles.
Morrigan tilted her head, as if amused. “And you are a fool if you think you can outrun me.”
Selene reached for her blade, but Morrigan lifted a hand, stopping her with a mere flick of her fingers. The magic pulsed through the air, unseen but suffocating, pressing against Selene’s lungs like a vice.
“She’s already mine,” Morrigan said, her gaze flicking to Regina’s barely conscious form. “You think you can save her? That Calder can save her?” A cruel smile played at her lips. “You’re too late.”
Selene didn’t waste time with words. She moved. Fast.
Steel flashed as she swung her dagger, aiming for the throat.
But Morrigan was faster.
A blast of dark energy struck Selene square in the chest, sending her flying back onto the slick wooden planks of the bridge. Pain flared through her ribs, stealing her breath as she struggled to push herself up.
Morrigan took a slow step forward. “You’re stubborn. I admire that.” Her voice was almost playful. “But you should know by now—nothing can stop what’s already begun.”
Regina let out a sharp gasp, her body convulsing violently. The black veins crawling across her skin darkened, pulsing with unnatural energy. The poison was accelerating.
Selene’s heart pounded. They were out of time.
With a desperate burst of strength, she lunged forward, grabbing Regina and hauling her onto the horse. She didn’t wait for Morrigan’s next move. With a sharp command, the horse bolted, galloping down the path at full speed, mud spraying from its hooves.
Morrigan’s laughter followed them, cold and unrelenting.
The compound was still miles away. And Selene wasn’t sure if Regina would make it that far.
But she had to. There was no other option.
The storm above finally broke, rain lashing down in sheets, soaking them within seconds. The winds howled through the trees, their branches bending and snapping under the force. The road ahead blurred under the downpour, turning to sludge beneath the horse’s pounding hooves.
Selene clutched Regina tighter, whispering prayers she wasn’t sure anyone was listening to. Each second counted. Each heartbeat could be her last.
And somewhere in the darkness behind them, she knew Morrigan wasn’t finished yet.
The storm raged around them, the downpour relentless, but Selene barely noticed. Regina’s body grew heavier with every second, her breath uneven against Selene’s shoulder. The compound was still too far. The thought clawed at Selene’s mind, making her stomach churn. She could ride harder, push the horse past its limits, but if Regina lost consciousness entirely…
No. She couldn’t afford to think like that.
She shifted her grip, steadying Regina against her. “Just hold on,” she muttered, though she wasn’t sure if Regina could even hear her anymore.
Then Regina tensed—her entire body going rigid.
Selene barely had time to react before Regina thrashed violently, a strangled cry tearing from her throat. Her fingers clawed at Selene’s arms, her breathing sharp and panicked.
Selene pulled the reins sharply, slowing the horse before Regina could throw herself off. “Regina! Stay with me!”
But Regina wasn’t hearing her.
Her eyes, half-lidded and glazed over, stared into something unseen. And then she whispered, hoarse and broken—
“Emma?”
Selene’s blood ran cold.
Regina’s fingers twitched, reaching for something—someone—not there. Her lips trembled, her breath shuddering.
“Emma…?” she called again, voice thick with desperation. A tear slid down her cheek, lost in the rain.
Selene knew, with horrifying certainty, that this wasn’t just the fever.
Morrigan was inside her head.
And then Regina screamed.
It was a sound that cut through the storm, raw and filled with anguish. She flailed wildly, trying to escape some invisible force. Selene fought to keep her steady, but the horse reared in panic at Regina’s sudden movements.
They barely managed to stay on.
Selene had no choice—she had to stop. She pulled hard on the reins, guiding them off the path into a cluster of trees, where the storm’s fury was slightly weaker. As soon as they halted, she slipped off the saddle and caught Regina before she could fall, easing her onto the soaked ground.
Regina’s body jerked violently in her arms. “No—no, please!” she sobbed, her voice breaking. “Don’t leave me, don’t—!”
Selene gritted her teeth. “Regina! Wake up! This isn’t real!”
But Regina wasn’t listening.
Because she wasn’t here.
She was lost in whatever twisted vision Morrigan had planted in her mind.
Selene could only watch as Regina trembled in her grip, her head shaking, her lips forming words too soft to hear. Her eyes—unfocused, staring at ghosts.
And then, through the chaos, Regina spoke one word that sent a chill down Selene’s spine.
“Calder.”
Selene’s breath hitched.
Regina’s voice was barely above a whisper, her fingers grasping at empty air. “You’re lying… I don’t believe you,” she muttered.
Selene clenched her jaw. She didn’t know what Regina was seeing, but if Morrigan was using Calder’s name, it meant one thing—
She was trying to break Regina. Selene placed both hands on Regina’s sweat-slicked face, forcing her to look at her. “Regina, listen to me. You have to fight this.” Regina’s expression twisted, her gaze darting past Selene as if she wasn’t even there.
And then her entire body slackened. For one horrible moment, Selene thought she had lost her. But then Regina’s lips curled, her breath coming out in a slow, unnatural chuckle. Selene’s stomach turned to stone. The voice that came next wasn’t Regina’s.
“You’re a fool, Selene.”
Morrigan.
Selene didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the dagger from her belt and pressed the cold steel to Regina’s throat. “Get out of her,” she snarled.
Regina’s body—Morrigan’s puppet—laughed, a sound both cruel and delighted. “You always did have a soft spot for lost things,” she mused, tilting Regina’s head as if examining her own borrowed form. “But this one? She’s already mine.”
Selene’s grip tightened on the blade.
Morrigan smiled through Regina’s lips. “You think you can save her?” she whispered. “She doesn’t want to be saved.”
Regina’s body shuddered violently—and then her eyes rolled back as she went limp once more. Selene barely caught her in time. She pressed her fingers to Regina’s neck—still breathing. Barely.
Morrigan was gone. For now.
Selene exhaled sharply, her pulse hammering. This was worse than she thought. The poison wasn’t just killing Regina. It was making her believe there was nothing left to fight for. Selene gathered Regina in her arms, hoisting her back onto the horse. There was no time to waste.
She kicked the horse forward, driving it into a full gallop. The compound was still a few miles away. But Selene would get her there, even if it killed her. Because if she didn’t— Regina wouldn’t survive the night.
And worse, she wouldn’t want to.