Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Nathan’s POV

I escorted Emily and Beatrice back to the witch’s cottage myself. Again. At this point, I felt like I lived there.

The moment we stepped inside, Zynair noticed the ribbon tied around Beatrice’s neck.

“I see the old witch managed to put you on a leash, too,” she muttered.

Beatrice instinctively covered it with her hand. “…Can you really remove it?”

“Yes.” Zynair’s expression softened. “But you need to stay still.”

Beatrice looked anything but calm.

Emily moved closer, taking her sister’s hand, while Titus sat near the fireplace wrapped in blankets. He looked vorse than he had earlier. Paler. Weaker. Like whatever Emily previously healed was slowly draining back out of

1. im.

I hated seeing him like that. Especially after how badly Emily had exhausted herself to fix him.

Zynair began drawing symbols in the air above the ribbon, whispering under her breath. A pale silver light

vrapped around Beatrice’s neck.

Then, the ribbon snapped apart.

Beatrice caught her breath, her eyes filling with tears.

“I’m free,” she whispered. Her hands began to shake, and she covered her mouth, sobbing. “I just… I wish Ryan

vas here.”

Emily looked devastated. “I’m going to bring him back,” she whispered.

While Beatrice cried against Emily’s shoulder, I looked back at Titus. He looked terrible, and Emily noticed it, too.

“Nathan…” Her eyes moved toward the wrapped dagger in my hands. “Please.”

Absolutely not.

No.”

Nathan.”

‘No.”

୮

Zynair sighed. “She could help him safely,” the witch admitted. “I’ve been studying the dagger further.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And?”

“I still don’t fully understand it,” her voice turned cautious. “But it doesn’t seem to harm Emily directly.”

1:40 pm P P

I let out a dry laugh.. “Doesn’t harm her? She collapsed.”

“Because she releases too much power at once,” Zynair argued. “She’s opening the floodgates instead of controlling the flow. She needs a dam, not a river.”

Emily blinked, looking intrigued. Which worried me even more.

“So if I limit the output…” Emily murmured

“The strain on your body should lessen,” Zynair finished.

Should. I hated that word.

Emily turned to me, using those impossible eyes. “Please.”

Damn it. One day that girl was going to destroy me.

I let out a long breath. “…Fine. But only a little.”

Emily’s face lit up, and that alone almost made it worth it. Almost.

She carefully took the dagger, and the ruby pulsed dark red beneath her fingers. Light spilled from her palms- gentler this time. Controlled. The energy moved into Titus, and his breathing steadied little by little. Color returned to his face. He wasn’t fully healed, but he looked much better.

When Emily finally lowered her hands, she looked tired, but she stayed on her feet. Thank the ancestors.

“See?” Zynair said smugly. “Control.”

“I wouldn’t celebrate just yet. Put it down and come on,” I muttered.

Emily ignored both of us. “I still need to stay here awhile,” she announced.

My guard went up. “…What?”

“The crystals.” Emily pointed toward the glowing dome experiments scattered around the room. “Zynair and I need to keep working. And I need this.” She pointed at the dagger.

“No.”

“Nathan-”

“You are not staying here alone with that thing.”

She crossed her arms. “I’m not a child.”

“And I’m not stupid.”

“I can handle it.”

“You said that already before passing out.”

1:41 pm PPTM

Emily glared at me hard enough to start a war. “You promised you’d contact the priestesses for me,” she shot

back.

Son of a bitch. I did promise.

I caught Zynair watching us with sudden, sharp interest. Too much interest.

“You wanted to speak to the priestesses?” the witch asked casually.

Emily looked toward her. “Yeah.”

Something unreadable flickered through Zynair’s expression before vanishing. I didn’t like that tone. Not one bit.

“Emily,” I said, keeping my voice level. “Come with me first.”

Her annoyance was back in a second. “Nathan, I am literally inside your pack, surrounded by your guards.”

“That means absolutely nothing when it comes to witches.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“You’re not staying here alone.”

“I survived a rogue kingdom.”

“And you nearly died doing it.”

She threw her hands up. “You are impossible!”

“And you terrify me!”

That made her pause. For a fraction of a second, she looked guilty. Then, she let out a loud sigh. “Fine. But only

ecause you’re being annoying.”

Zynair snorted. “You two argue like an old married couple.”

Emily pointed at the witch. “See? She gets it.”

୮

‘raitor.

Somehow, in the last days, Emily and the witch had started acting suspiciously comfortable around each other I lidn’t trust Zynair. Not even a little.

Still, Emily practically shoved both me and Beatrice out the door a few minutes later, insisting she only needed

nother hour.

I stood outside staring at the closed door in disbelief.

“…Did she just kick me out of?”

1:41 pm PPTM

Beatrice actually laughed quictly for the first time in days.

Lescorted her toward one of the residential houses where the younger, unmated wolves lived. The moment we stepped into the kitchen, Dorothy looked up from the stove.

“Nathan Blackwood,” she gasped. “Well, look who finally remembered the rest of us exist.”

“My mother spoiled me with food,” I told her.

“As she should.” Then Dorothy noticed Beatrice. Hexentire face softened. “Oh, honey…”

Beatrice shrank back, looking even smaller than before.

“She needs proper meals,” I said quietly. “And rest.”

Dorothy was already moving, her maternal instincts completely taking over.

“Sit,” she said, guiding Beatrice toward the kitchen table. “You look like a stiff breeze could blow you over, honey.

Starting today, you’re eating for two,” Dorothy said, her tone leaving zero room for argument as she slid a bowl of

warm, thick beef stew toward her.

“Eat. Every single bite.”

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