Chapter 259 The weakening 1

Chapter 259: Chapter 259 The weakening 1

Talia’s POV

The gray light of morning filtered through the broken walls of the tower. I had not slept, because every time I closed my eyes, I felt my magic slipping further away, like sand through my fingers.

I watched Kaelen sleep. His breathing was shallow, and the welts on his neck had spread despite the cloth. He was trying to hide how much pain he was in, but I could see it in the way his jaw clenched even in sleep.

Piper sat beside me, with her voice soft. "You did not sleep, did you, Talia?"

I shook my head, with my eyes still fixed on Kaelen’s face. "I could not, Piper. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt it slipping."

"Your magic?" Piper asked.

I nodded, pressing my hand to my chest. "It is like I am being drained, Piper. Slowly. I do not know how much I have left."

Jax stretched and groaned from across the tower. "Is it morning already, Silas? I feel like I slept on rocks."

Silas shook his head, and his voice was dry. "You did sleep on rocks, Jax."

"Exactly my point," Jax said, rubbing his neck. "My back is never going to recover from this journey."

Piper looked at Jax. "Your back is the least of our problems, Jax."

Jax raised an eyebrow. "That is harsh, Piper. I am in pain here."

"You are always in pain," Piper said.

"Because I am always suffering," Jax said.

Kaelen stirred, and his eyes opened. They found me immediately. "Talia?"

I reached for his hand. "I am here, Kaelen."

He sat up slowly, wincing as the cloth brushed against his neck. "How long was I out, Talia?"

"Most of the night," I said. "You needed the rest, Kaelen."

He looked at me, and his gray eyes narrowed. "You did not sleep, Talia."

"I am fine," I said.

"You are not fine," he replied. "I can see it in your face, Talia."

Piper stood, brushing the ash from her clothes. "We need to move, everyone. Staying in one place for too long is dangerous."

Cain spoke from the entrance, with his voice low. "She is right, Alpha. I saw movement in the distance. Someone is out there."

Jax was on his feet instantly. "Movement? What kind of movement?"

Cain shook his head. "I could not see clearly, but someone is out there, Alpha."

Kaelen stood, and I saw him sway slightly before he steadied himself. "Then we move. Now!"

I stood beside him, and I felt the weakness in my legs. But I did not fall, because Kaelen’s hand found mine.

"Stay close to me, Talia," Kaelen said.

"I will," I said, giving him a small smile.

We left the tower and walked deeper into the Ashen Lands.

The gray sky pressed down on us. The dead trees lined the path like skeletal fingers reaching for the sky. The ground was cracked and black, and the air was thick with silver dust.

I felt it with every step, and my magic was weakening. What had been a slow drain the day before was now a steady pull, like something was actively pulling the power out of me.

I stumbled, but Kaelen caught me, with his hands steady on my arms. "Talia."

"I am fine," I said, but my voice was weak.

"You are not fine, Talia," Kaelen said. "You can barely stand."

Piper moved to my other side, with her hand on my elbow. "Talia, let us help you, please."

"I do not need help," I said.

Piper shook her head. "You are being stubborn, Talia."

"I am being determined," I corrected.

Kaelen shook his head. "There is a difference, Talia. And right now, you are being stubborn."

I looked at him, and I saw the worry in his eyes. He was not trying to control me, he was scared for me.

"I do not know how much longer I can do this," I admitted, with my voice barely above a whisper. "Every step feels harder than the last, Kaelen."

Kaelen put his arm around me, pulling me close. "Then let me carry you, Talia."

"Kaelen, you are sick too," I protested.

Kaelen shook his head. "I am not sick, Talia. I am irritated. There is a difference."

Piper laughed softly despite everything. "You two are impossible, you know that?"

I smiled despite everything. "We are mates, Piper. It comes with the territory."

Jax walked beside us, his voice lighter than before. "You know, when I signed up for this journey, I did not expect to be walking through a nightmare landscape while watching my Alpha and Luna be adorable."

Piper looked at Jax. "Adorable? That is the word you are using, Jax?"

"What other word would I use, Piper?" Jax asked.

"Stubborn," Piper said. "Reckless and Insane."

Jax grinned. "Those words work too, Piper."

Silas shook his head from behind them. "Jax, you are not helping."

"I am lifting morale, Silas," Jax said.

"You are being annoying," Silas said.

Jax placed his hand over his heart. "I am wounded, Silas. Deeply wounded."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Jax, you are always wounded."

"Because I am always suffering," Jax said.

I laughed despite the pain, and the sound felt strange in the gray silence. It was good to laugh, even in the middle of all this darkness.

We walked for what felt like hours, but the landscape never changed. There was still a gray sky, dead trees, and black ground. It was like walking through the same moment over and over.

Then I saw something.

There was a piece of fabric, half-buried in the ash. It was faded and tattered, but I recognized the pattern. It was Silvertongue weaving.

I stopped walking and knelt down. My fingers brushed the fabric, and I felt a spark. It was faint, but there.

Kaelen knelt beside me, with his voice soft. "What is it, Talia?"

"Silvertongue fabric," I said, with my voice barely above a whisper. "My mother’s people made this."

Jax walked closer. "How do you know that, Luna?"

"The weaving pattern," I said, with my fingers still tracing the faded lines. "It is unique to them, Jax. My mother had a shawl just like this."

Piper’s voice was soft. "Your mother was here, Talia."

I nodded, with my fingers still touching the fabric. "She passed through here, Piper, or maybe a Silvertongue lady did, but she dropped this."

Silas crouched and examined the fabric, his voice careful. "It is old, Luna. Years old."

"She must have been running," I said, with the words coming out thick. "She must have been fleeing Malachai’s hunters, and she dropped this, Silas."