Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 389

My hands tremble against the frozen earth. The corruption no longer yields so easily to my touch. Each pull of taint feels like dragging a boulder through mud; I’m exhausted.

Stop. Selene’s command rings sharp in my mind. You’re exhausted.

She’s right. You need to pull back now.

The corruption fights my attempts to draw it in, thick and viscous. My earlier confidence crumbles as my magic strains to pull in more corruption. It’s hungry.

Sweat trickles down my spine despite the bitter cold.

I try to pull away, but the corruption clings like tar. My arms shake with the effort to break free. The magic inside me churns, no longer the smooth current it was before.

Get up. Selene’s teeth close gently on my coat sleeve. I’ve cleared a lot of space, and it’s no longer unsafe for her to be by my side. Let go.

"I’m trying." Panic edges into my voice. The corruption wraps tendrils around my magic, and my magic grabs onto it like a starving child. "It won’t let go."

Focus. Grimoire’s presence wraps around my mind. Your magic belongs to you. It is under your power. You are in command.

The corruption pulls harder. My vision blurs at the edges. The buzzing under my skin turns to needles of ice.

Fight it, little witch.

I close my eyes, concentrating on Grimoire’s voice. On Selene’s steady presence. On Lucas waiting for me back at Wolf’s Landing. On Lisa who needs me strong and whole.

On all of Westwood, who have come to accept me as their Luna.

The corruption’s hold wavers.

I yank my hands back from the earth, falling backward into the snow. My chest heaves as I gasp for air. The magic inside me whirls like a storm, making me dizzy; if it were truly sentient, I’d describe it as angry.

Breathe. Selene presses against my side, her dog-breath in my face as she licks me desperately. Just breathe.

I stare at my trembling hands. Selene’s right; I am glowing. The light beneath my skin pulses erratically, matching the chaos of my stored magic.

"What happened?" My voice comes out raw. "It was so easy, and then it just wasn’t."

You reached the denser corruption, as I warned might happen. It will seem effortless until you’re lacking energy, and then it’s like walking through knee-deep mud. You did well, but your control still needs work.

Good thing they were both there for me.

Now that you’ve experienced it, things will be easier the next time. You’ve never encountered an amount of corruption you can’t cleanse on your own. It’s understandable to falter in the face of its power. Grimoire’s words are a soothing balm in my tired head. Now, we should return. You need to eat and recoup your power. We should return in two days, before it grows too much.

Vanessa’s cool fingers press against my wrist, her frown deepening. "Your pulse is racing. How do you feel?"

"Tired." Despite trying to project a strong front, I yawn around the word.

"You’re clammy." She presses the back of her hand to my forehead. "And pale as fresh snow. You need to drink some water."

Huh. Water. I didn’t drink a single sip during that entire process.