The Messenge (Iva and Nick) novel Chapter 436

Summary for Chapter 436: The Messenge (Iva and Nick)

The Messenger werewolf novel Iva and Nick Chapter 436, by Elle Vintea read online Free PDF

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A Door Opened

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He had spent the entire trial trying to find the answer that would save Iva, searching for the stone that would grant him the power to undo the damage done to their lives. He had treated

the Velinthra as though it were the only possible path forward, because that was what the

genie had told him.

But what if the trial was not asking him to prove how desperately he wanted the Stone?

A crazy thought crossed his mind.

What if the true choice was whether he could recognize when the thing he wanted most was

no longer the thing he needed?

Caleb looked at the amber gem.

He thought of the mirror, of Iva smiling in another man’s arms, and of the promise he had

made even while his heart was breaking.

*I love her enough to let her go.*

He had meant those words.

If he truly believed them, then he could not allow his desperation to turn every decision into a

desperate attempt to control the future.

Perhaps the Velinthra could save Iva.

Perhaps it could restore her memories and free Avalon.

But perhaps there was another way.

And if the only way to discover it was to make a choice that the genies considered a failure,

then so be it.

Caleb reached out.

His fingers closed around the amber stone.

The moment he lifted it from the pedestal, every light in the Hall of Lost Hopes went dark.

A tremendous force swept through the chamber, sending the silver threads overhead

whipping against one another. The remaining stones began to vibrate, their auras flaring with

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colours so brilliant that Caleb had to shield his eyes.

The ancient voice struck the darkness like thunder.

*CALEB ADAMA.*

He stood motionless, holding the amber gem in his palm.

*IS THIS YOUR CHOICE?*

Caleb looked at the stone one last time.

“Yes.”

The room shook.

The voice became colder.

*YOU HAVE FAILED.*

A violent pressure slammed into Caleb’s chest, forcing him backward against the pedestal.

The amber stone burned in his hand, and for one terrible moment, he felt something reach

into his mind, searching through his memories as though preparing to tear them apart.

*THIS IS NOT THE VELINTRA. YOU HAVE FAILED TO IDENTIFY THE TRUE STONE.*

Caleb staggered but refused to release the gem.

“I know.”

Silence followed.

Then the voice spoke again, carrying a note of disbelief.

*YOU KNOW?*

Caleb lifted his head.

For the first time since entering the third circle, a genuine smile touched his lips.

“Yes. I know this isn’t the Velinthra.”

He tightened his fingers around the amber stone.

“It’s the stone that was rumoured to turn back time. And when I saw it, I remembered what it

might be capable of. I thought about using it to undo everything that happened to my mate,

to return to the moment when our lives began falling apart, and to fix every mistake before it

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was too late.”

His smile disappeared.

“I realized something.”

He looked directly into the darkness from which the ancient voice had spoken.

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“I don’t need the Velinthra. The only reason I searched for it was because I was forced by the

circumstances. I don’t crave its power.”

The chamber fell utterly still.

Caleb’s heart pounded as he forced the next words through his exhaustion.

“You told me I would be trapped here forever if I chose incorrectly. You told me I would lose

my chance to leave with the Stone. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I have just thrown away my

only opportunity to save my mate.”

He swallowed.

“But I refuse to spend eternity chasing a promise made by creatures who have spent every

moment trying to break me.”

He raised the amber gem.

“So you can keep your Velinthra.”

The voice erupted in a deafening roar.

*YOU FOOL!*

The walls shook violently.

The stones rose from their pedestals, spinning through the air as though caught in a

hurricane. A dark force surged toward Caleb, wrapping around his arms and legs, trying to

drag him to the floor.

He stumbled.

Chaos roared.

**CALEB! THE MEDALLION!**

Caleb’s hand flew to the protective medallion hanging around his neck, the one Melisandre

had given him before he entered the realm.

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Her warning returned to him with startling clarity.

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*If you feel yourself losing who you are, break the charm in two. It will give you a brief moment

of clarity. Use it wisely.*

Caleb seized the medallion.

For one final second, he looked at the glittering chamber, at the thousands of stones that had

promised him everything and threatened to take away his ability to choose.

Then he snapped the medallion in two.

A blinding flash of light exploded against his chest.

The darkness recoiled.

The crushing pressure vanished, and Caleb felt his mind clear with sudden, almost painful sharpness. His strength did not return completely, but the fog lifted enough for him to see the passage through which he had entered.

Ten minutes.

That was all Melisandre’s charm could give him.

He had no intention of wasting a single second.

Caleb turned and ran.

He ran with everything he had left, clutching the amber stone in one hand as the Hall of Lost Hopes erupted behind him. The ancient voice screamed his name, its fury shaking the walls, while the pedestals shattered and thousands of magical gems crashed against the floor.

**FASTER!** Chaos roared. **DON’T LOOK BACK!**

Caleb didn’t.

He sprinted toward the passage, his lungs burning and his legs threatening to give way

beneath him. Behind him, something vast and furious tore through the chamber, and the

sound of breaking stone followed him into the tunnel.

He had no idea whether the genies would allow him to escape.

He had no idea whether the amber stone could help him.

And he had no idea whether Iva would ever remember him.

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But he knew one thing with absolute certainty.

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He would not surrender himself to a realm that demanded his obedience in exchange for

hope.