Let Them Kneel (kaelani and Julian) novel Chapter 79

Kaelani burst through the chamber doors, her sneakers skidding against the stone as she tore into the corridor beyond.

The hall stretched endlessly before her—cold, dimly lit, lined with heavy doors and high arched ceilings that swallowed sound. She didn’t stop to think. Didn’t dare.

Behind her, claws scraped. Snarls erupted. The guards had shifted—and they were gaining fast.

She glanced back, heart racing.

They’re so close she can hear their heartbeats.

Her wolf stirred within her, wild and restless.

How do I bring her out?

Two doors appeared on the right. She veered toward the first, nearly crashing into it, hand fumbling for the handle.

“Shift,” she gasped, eyes locked on the blur of wolves charging closer.

Locked.

Panic surged.

She sprinted to the second door.

“Emerge,” she whispered—desperate now, the word trembling off her tongue.

Still locked.

A snarl split the air. One of the wolves lunged.

She spun toward it, both hands flying up on instinct, bracing for the brutal impact of claws and teeth.

But it never came.

Violet light erupted from her palms.

A sudden crackle of energy rippled through the corridor, catching two wolves mid-leap and slamming them into the wall behind her. Stone fractured. They crumpled to the ground with a pained yelp.

Kaelani stared in disbelief, chest heaving.

Then she looked past them—more beasts, more snarls. The rest were coming.

She bolted down the corridor again, legs moving forward like a race car switching into high gear, accelerating instantly.

“Fae powers,” she muttered, half in awe, half in fright. “Stick with the fae powers.”

She continued down the long hallway, heart thundering, every breath scraping her throat raw.

Find a way out. Just find a way out.

The snarls behind her grew louder—closer. She dared a glance over her shoulder.

They were gaining.

Another fork appeared ahead—arched halls splitting in two directions. She veered left on instinct, her thoughts scattering like leaves in a storm.

A sharp turn.

She ducked into the corner—no door, no cover, nowhere to hide.

They were too close.

“No—” she whispered, eyes squeezing shut, praying for a miracle.

A rush of cold air swept over her skin.

The shadows thickened—no longer just dim, but cloaking, almost sentient. Darkness rippled around her, and her form blurred, the edges of her body flickering like heat waves against the stone wall.

The wolves thundered past—snarling, blinded, confused.

Kaelani stood frozen, wide-eyed.

What just happened?

She looked down—her hands were visible again, trembling slightly, violet sparks dimming beneath her skin. The shadows faded as quickly as they’d come.

She didn’t stop to question it.

There was no time.

Papers flew. Screams rang out.

Kaelani ducked as one wolf leapt over a desk beside her, smashing through it with a snarl. She twisted sharply to avoid the impact, but another wolf closed the gap—fast.

Before she could pivot, a heavy, muscled body slammed into her side and sent her airborne.

Crack.

She hit the wall with a crushing blow, the force knocking the wind from her lungs. Stars danced in her vision. Pain bloomed sharp across her ribs as her body crumpled to the floor.

She blinked—

The wolves were surrounding her.

Closing in. Eyes gleaming with hunger and orders. She pressed her back to the wall, gasping, hands trembling.

At least she put up a good fight, she thought to herself.

Her fingers scraped at the surface behind her—then froze.

A pulse. Warm. Familiar.

The same surge of energy that had flung the wolves away from her.

Before she could think, light erupted beneath her palm—violet and wild.

And then—

She wasn’t there anymore.

She stumbled backward—no, downward. Her body pitched as gravity shifted beneath her feet.

A staircase.

She barely caught the railing before tumbling down the steps.

She looked back. The wall was solid. No door. No crack. Nothing.