The Beast And The Blessed

Fifty-Three: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

His body rose. The oversized, wooden chair fell backward with a loud crack as his feet lifted off the floor. Guards, including Tobias, quickly removed Natalie and Killian from the table. It was his job. But as I watched Cyrus rise until his knees were aligned with the top of the table, possessed by an unknown force, I had one second where I wished Tobias had rushed to my rescue instead.

I scoffed at that thought as quickly as it came to mind. We both knew that I could handle myself, even if I were feeling under the weather.

I'm sure Natalie could too, but I had way more experience with magic than her. She was strong and good with light magic, but I knew light and dark magic thanks to my time with Talia. This... was dark magic.

Cyrus's scream cut off as his head was thrown back. His veins bulged from his body, and his already pale skin turned a sickly shade of grey.

I stepped toward him. Tobias's chair between us had been pushed several feet back during his rush to get the queen out.

My hand lifted, and I slowly approached Cyrus, wanting to feel the magic at play, to taste and familiarize myself with it.

The air was thin until I reached the wall of magic, and while chaos surrounded us from the packed dining hall rapidly emptying, I couldn't hear anything beyond the angry gurgling coming from his mouth.

The magic around him was thick and suffocating. Yet, I wasted no time jumping on the table and trying to force his head down to free his airway. A thick bloodstream spilled from his mouth before the pain-filled yell erupted again. The horror in his voice was haunting...familiar.

Aurora approached from his other side, holding her hands onto his body as she began chanting under her breath.

As usual, the rest of the council had been eating in either their chambers or the private dining room, leaving us to combat this evil on our own while we waited for someone to fetch them.

Cyrus shook, his body convulsing as fat tears slid down his cheeks. His arms were out to his sides, and he flinched as if he were fighting against restraints. His arms and legs were spread, his wrists bent so his palms were forward.

I was very familiar with the position he was in.

His pale yellow eyes were squeezed tightly shut as he gasped for breath." No! No!"

A force shot from his body, sending me flying through the air. I flipped once before hitting the ground on my side.

air to push me right back up. Several

it wasn't him doing it. It was his attacker. The person who tried to drain him in his mountain. Possibly, the person who had tried the ritual during

close, yet I felt like they were further away than

lanky man made my chest ache

the table, I dumped the food onto the floor before holding the item under his

magic, she would have to face me, and I learned from the best...for a few years

blood, I

she was active in his blood, then maybe...just

when it happened to me fifteen years ago. I had felt the witches like a thread being worked

time I tried to grab it, it sent a painful stab through my head, encouraging me to chant

arching his back away from something. The sobbing cries for it to stop were layered, echoing through

of chains rattling in the distance was faint, but as I dug deeper into his blood, I could hear it more clearly with each jerk of

growling returned as multiple guards tried to form a barrier between the royal couple and Cyrus." Let

moving through him was so thick I could almost taste it, and I turned my head to glare at the guards. "Get them out

that I couldn't use the help, but without knowing what we were up against, it was almost impossible to ensure the safety of Natalie and Killian, let

hand to them, shoving her and Killian back toward the door. Killian wrapped his arm around her waist, stopping her

if you can help, the risk to you is too great." My eyes dropped down to her stomach, hinting at the reality that she very well could be carrying the heir. Even if she could help to save Cyrus, the royal line came first. It would always

I saw Natalie about to go after Agatha and Aurora that day on the battlefield before a dagger was lodged into my back. It was why they always had guards and why every time there was a threat, the pack would rise up to defend and fight for

try to save an innocent man who wasn't a member of her direct pack but was still

shut. Several guards were stunned and stood frozen as the sound of Natalie throwing magic at the barrier echoed through the room over Cyrus's begging for mercy and cries for help. There weren't many left. As soon as they realized the attack was on Cyrus and not an attack from Cyrus, they ran to take their positions in the city and castle,

If she takes down my spell, keep

both determined and uneasy about protecting the

crimson liquid boiling in the porcelain. My stomach rolled, and I looked up at Cyrus. Aurora

I turned, picking up a knife off the table, the blade glinting

poured from the wound. His floating body was tense,

bleed him out to slow their damage. The healers would be back in a moment with Aurora, and

carried over a dirty tray, one that had been holding food for the pack, and slid it noisily across the floor until it stopped a few inches short of the stream pooling from Cyrus. I dropped to my knees, moving it the rest of the way, and stuck my hands into the