The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 174

Sixty-Seven: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

When Cora turned to Tobias for the second time, something in me snapped. I had watched those spikes impale him, watched him pull himself back up, and watched as he fought with everything in him to get to me. He wanted to fight for and protect me, and my need to do the same was just as strong.

For a split second, when the pain of being skewered to the ground hit me, I thought I had lost him. My vision went red, and I was ready to take down the entire mountain.

Then he got up, and I felt like I could breathe again, but I turned my anger to Cora.

I couldn't stop myself if I wanted to. Her ward wasn't breaking as quickly as I hoped, and I knew everyone was exhausted already. As much as I hated to admit it, she was winning. She was so strong from the fresh pull of power from Rona and was only a few hits away from killing one of our people. She had already been close to drowning most of them.

The risk of her ensuring the first to fall would be Tobias was too high. She knew losing my mate would weaken, if not kill me.

Instead, my legs carried me forward until my shoulder dug into Cora's torso, and my arms wrapped around her back. Touching her felt like playing with fire, burning my skin, but when the darkness surrounded us, I knew it was worth it.

The world flickered around us, and my stomach clenched when the familiar feeling of darkness surrounded us.

'What are you doing?" Cora asked as we stumbled and struggled to regain our footing after I tackled her. She gripped me tightly like a child who didn't want to be put down.

'You shouldn't have hurt my mate," I replied, knowing there were so many more reasons behind her death today, but my mind was on the man back in the Sanctum with a gaping chest wound.

Her eyes were wide as she looked around, and I smirked at the unease I saw when she felt them. The shadows.

The low rumble of excited growls through the darkness made the hair on my neck stand up. I had several wounds still bleeding, and the memory of one of the creatures sliding its tongue over my shoulder blade had my heart beating faster.

'You shouldn't have killed those spell casters." My statement was met with her jaw clenching as I grabbed one of her arms and forcefully pried it away from me. It was quite literally a shot in the dark that she wouldn't be able to use her powers here. But even if she could, if I could get her off me and get out of here, she would be stuck. "You shouldn't have killed Rona and the witch in the mountains." "I deserve a trial!" Cora screeched, suddenly no longer as confident as she used to be. We both knew I wouldn't let her out of here. As soon as she was back on Earth, she would go back to wreaking havoc and trying to kill everyone that didn't agree with her or that she could steal power from.

’I'm sure you recognize this place. You don’t deserve the air currently in your lungs, let alone a trial. I am your prosecutor, jury, and judge." My fingernails dug into her arm, puncturing the skin as I held it down and away from me. She may have been more powerful after taking Rona's magic, but I was physically stronger from training every day.

"But not my executioner?" She twisted her arm, grabbing at my forearm but unable to get a firm hold.

’You know what this place is." I felt victorious when she struggled even more, desperate to cling to me. I could feel the hot breath on the back of my neck and the overwhelming presence of the creature.

It took everything in me not to flinch away, knowing whatever it was, it had tasted my blood before and had enjoyed it. I dreaded the moment it would run its long and rough tongue along my skin. But it didn't.

Instead, I could feel its body vibrating as the rumble of excitement grew louder from behind me.

'You can't leave me in here!" Her voice cracked as she yelled, and a cruel laugh ripped free from my chest.

'Oh, Cora. After everything you did. I'm not planning on just leaving you in here. Walking away from you while you're heart is still beating would be a mistake. You think you shit gold with your holier-than-thou attitude...

consider yourself a sacrifice, then. An offering. I'm not your executioner. He is."

Cora's scream echoed through the darkness as I stepped away, my back grazing the chest of the creature behind me before I launched my foot into her chest. Her fingernails ripped the skin on my forearm as she fell to the ground, but I pressed my lips together as I watched, praying to the Goddess that I didn't make a mistake by letting her go. There was always the chance of the creature attacking me since I was closest.

The rush of air at my side and the sudden chill on my back let me take a deep breath of relief, knowing the creature had moved around me.

I watched with horror as the dark shadow took on a shape between us as a giant claw stabbed through Cora's chest.

The second the organ was ripped free, the panic set in. Shadows from all around grew closer and louder as chunks were bitten out of Cora's flesh and torn from her body.

I knew if I stayed, I would be next.

My eyes closed as I tried to focus on The Sanctum of Light and Tobias. I needed to get back to him.

Humid air washed over me, and I fell to my knees before opening my eyes, my fingers lacing with the grass. Every part of my body hurt.

"Joselin!" Tobias's deep voice yelled, and I heard him stumbling toward me. My eyes opened, and my head snapped up to see him just as his giant Lycan form crashed to the ground beside me and pulled me to his chest.

It was bloody, and dirt was matted into the wet fur, but I pressed my body into his further, gripping the back of his neck with one hand as I listened to his heartbeat.

'She's dead. Let's go home," I whispered, but the others heard and gathered quickly. As soon as Aurora's hand touched my back, I let the warmth of the white vastness welcome me before the world around us faded back into view.

The rows of beds were empty, and there was a flurry of movement as the doctors and healers in the infirmary guided everyone to one to be treated.