Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 389 Ava: Pulling Away

My hands tremble against the frozen earth. The corruption no longer yields so easily to my touch. Each pull of taint feels like dragging a boulder through mud; I'm exhausted.

Stop. Selene's command rings sharp in my mind. You're exhausted.

She's right. You need to pull back now.

The corruption fights my attempts to draw it in, thick and viscous. My earlier confidence crumbles as my magic strains to pull in more corruption. It's hungry.

Sweat trickles down my spine despite the bitter cold.

I try to pull away, but the corruption clings like tar. My arms shake with the effort to break free. The magic inside me churns, no longer the smooth current it was before.

Get up. Selene's teeth close gently on my coat sleeve. I've cleared a lot of space, and it's no longer unsafe for her to be by my side. Let go.

"I'm trying." Panic edges into my voice. The corruption wraps tendrils around my magic, and my magic grabs onto it like a starving child. "It won't let go."

Focus. Grimoire's presence wraps around my mind. Your magic belongs to you. It is under your power. You are in command.

The corruption pulls harder. My vision blurs at the edges. The buzzing under my skin turns to needles of ice.

Fight it, little witch.

I close my eyes, concentrating on Grimoire's voice. On Selene's steady presence. On Lucas waiting for me back at Wolf's Landing. On Lisa who needs me strong and whole.

On all of Westwood, who have come to accept me as their Luna.

The corruption's hold wavers.

the earth, falling backward into the snow. My chest heaves as I gasp for air. The magic inside me whirls like a storm, making me dizzy; if it were truly sentient, I'd describe it

my side, her dog-breath in my face as she licks me desperately.

light beneath my skin pulses erratically, matching the

My voice comes out raw. "It was so easy, and then it just

corruption, as I warned might happen. It will seem effortless until you're lacking energy,

they were

of corruption you can't cleanse on your own. It's understandable to falter in the face of its power. Grimoire's words are a soothing balm in my tired head.

her frown deepening. "Your pulse is racing. How do

to project a strong

forehead. "And pale as fresh snow. You

didn't drink a single sip during that

together after the first hour

is worried sick. You've

right. But I glance around, taking in the deep purple shadows stretching across the snow. Twilight bathes everything in muted colors, the sun nothing more than a memory

it would take

the snow. "How much of the taint is left? How many more times will we have to come

"About two-thirds."

the wolves around me. Greg mutters a curse

eyes wide. "You've been working for eight hours straight and there's still

Vanessa have been there for every purification trip; they've seen how much I've done in the past. It must be a huge

was

digging through her pack. "Here. Small sips." She presses a water bottle into my hands. "Your body temperature is all wrong. We need to get you warmed up. I have some