Chapter 308 The stumble

Chapter 308: Chapter 308 The stumble

Talia’s POV

I saw the first hint of light on the horizon, and I felt the relief washing over me because the darkness was finally beginning to fade. The black of night was softening into a deep gray, and the stars were disappearing one by one as dawn approached over the Ashen Lands.

I could finally see my pack around me, and I looked at their faces. Piper was pale and sweating, but her eyes were determined. Jax was limping slightly, but he was still running. Silas was scanning the horizon, always watching. Cain was at the back, with his eyes fixed on the guards behind us. And Kaelen was beside me, with his hand brushing mine whenever we got close enough.

I looked at my mother, running beside me with her hand gripping my arm, and my heart clenched because her face was ashen and her lips were cracked and bleeding. She was running on empty, and every step was a battle she was losing.

"Mother," I said, and my voice was tight with worry. "Are you okay? Can you still manage?"

She nodded, but I could see the strain on her face because her jaw was clenched and her eyes were glassy with exhaustion. "I am fine, Talia. Keep going."

But I looked at her legs, and I saw them trembling with every step, and I knew that she was going to fall.

"Kaelen," I said, and my voice was urgent. "My mother needs to rest. She cannot keep going like this."

Kaelen looked at her, and I saw the sympathy in his tired eyes. "I know, Talia. But we cannot stop. The guards are still behind us."

I looked back, and I saw the torches flickering in the distance. They were closer than before, and they were not slowing down.

"I know," I said. "But I cannot watch her burn out from pushing her body too hard."

Kaelen squeezed my hand. "Then we carry her. Together."

I nodded, and I turned back to my mother. "Mother, we are going to carry you. Just hold on."

She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could speak, her leg buckled beneath her with a cry that tore through the morning air.

"Mother!" I screamed, and I lunged forward as she crumpled to the ground.

I caught her before she hit the hard earth, and I pulled her against my chest. Her body was shaking, and her breathing was ragged and shallow.

"Mother, look at me," I said, and my voice was desperate. "Please look at me."

She opened her eyes, and I saw the tears streaming down her face. "I am sorry, Talia," she whispered, and her voice was barely audible. "I cannot... I cannot keep going."

I held her tighter, and I felt how light she was because she was nothing but skin and bones. Fifteen years in a silver cage had drained everything from her, and now she had nothing left.

"Piper!" I shouted. "Piper, help me!"

Piper was beside us in an instant, and her hands were on my mother’s shoulders. "I have her, Talia. I have her."

Together, we lifted my mother off the ground, and she sagged between us because her legs would not hold her.

"Keep going," I said, and my voice was cracking. "We cannot stop."

Piper nodded, and I saw the tears on her face. "We are not stopping, Talia. We are not stopping."

Jax appeared beside us, and his voice was urgent. "Luna, let me help. Let me carry her."

I shook my head because I did not want to let go of my mother. "No, Jax. I have her."

"Luna, you are exhausted," he said, and his eyes were pleading. "Please let me do something."

"I said no, Jax," I snapped, and my voice was sharp because I was too tired and too scared to be polite.

But Silas appeared on my other side, and his voice was firm. "Luna, we can run faster if we take her. You and Piper are slowing us down."

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words would not come because I knew he was right. My arms were burning, and my legs were shaking, and I could not keep going like this.

"Fine," I said, and the word tasted like defeat. "Take her."

“Grab her other side, Jax.” Silas called out.

Jax and Silas moved in, and they lifted my mother between them. She was so light that they barely seemed to struggle.

"Thank you," I whispered, and my voice was thick with tears.

Jax looked at me, and I saw the determination in his eyes. "We are a pack, Luna. We carry each other."

I nodded feeling grateful, and I turned to Kaelen. "We need to keep moving."

Kaelen took my hand. "Then we move."

We ran, and I felt the hope rising in my chest because we were finally moving faster with Jax and Silas carrying my mother. The dawn was getting brighter, and the darkness was fading.

Then I heard a sound that made my blood run cold.

There were loud sounds of hooves. Many of them. Pounding against the hard ground ahead of us.

I looked up, and I saw them. There were lots of riders. At least a dozen of them, emerging from the darkness. Their horses were black, and their armor was silver, and I instantly knew that they were Malachai’s riders.

"Kaelen," I said, and my voice was barely a whisper. "Look."

He looked ahead, and I saw the color drain from his face. "They cut us off."

I felt the fear rising in my chest because we were trapped. The guards were behind us, and the riders were ahead of us. Now, there was nowhere to run.

"Talia," Kaelen said, and his voice was tight. "Now, we need to fight."

I looked at my pack, at my mother, at the exhausted faces of the wolves who had followed me into this nightmare. They were all looking at me, like they were waiting for me to lead them.

"Then we fight," I said firmly, and my voice was steady despite the fear. "We fight, and we do not stop until we are free."

I stepped forward, and I felt my magic stirring very faintly in my chest, but it was stronger than before, now that dawn was breaking. We were almost at the border, and the Ashen Lands were losing their hold on me.

"Stop," I commanded, and my voice carried across the distance.

The riders slowed, and I saw the confusion on their faces because they had not expected to meet with another Silvertongue.

"The Silvertongue," one of them shouted, and his voice was filled with hate. "The king wants her alive."

"Then come and get me," I said, and my voice was fierce.

“Talia, be careful.” Kaelen shouted.

I nodded without turning back. “I will.”

I opened my mouth, and I felt the power surging through my veins. I was tired, and I was scared, and I was still recovering from the blood magic. But I was a Silvertongue, and I would not let them take us.

"Fall," I commanded, and the word exploded from my mouth.

The riders’ horses stumbled, and I heard them screaming as they crashed to the ground on top of each other. The riders fell with them, and I saw the chaos spreading through their ranks.

"Run!" Kaelen shouted as he grabbed my hand. "Run now!"

I felt very weak again after using my powers again, but we ran, and we did not look back because the riders were scrambling to their feet and the guards were still behind us.

My power had not done much, but we had bought ourselves time.

And that was all we needed.