Chapter 261 The suppression 1

Chapter 261: Chapter 261 The suppression 1

Talia’s POV

We had been walking for hours when I noticed it.

My pendant, which had always felt warm against my skin, was growing heavier. Not physically heavier, but heavier in a way I could not explain. It was like the weight of the Ashen Lands was pressing down on it, trying to smother the magic inside.

I touched the pendant, and I felt the cold seep into my fingers. The warmth was fading.

Kaelen noticed my hand on my chest. "Talia? What is it?"

I looked at him, and I felt the fear creeping into my chest. "My pendant, Kaelen. It feels... heavy."

Piper moved closer, her eyes filled with worry. "Heavy how, Talia? What do you mean?"

I shook my head, trying to find the words. "I do not know how to explain it, Piper. It is like the Ashen Lands are pressing down on it. The magic inside is weakening."

Kaelen’s jaw tightened, and I saw the concern in his gray eyes. "Your mother’s magic?"

I nodded, my fingers still wrapped around the cold metal. "She put a piece of herself into this pendant, Kaelen. If the magic fades completely..."

I could not finish the sentence, because the thought was too terrible.

Kaelen reached out and took my hand, his fingers warm through the cloth. "It will not fade completely, Talia. We will find her before that happens."

I looked at him, and I tried to believe him. "I hope you are right, Kaelen."

"I am right," he said, with his voice firm and steady.

Piper reached out and touched my arm, her voice soft. "Keep holding on, Talia. We are almost there."

I nodded, but I did not know if I believed her either. I did not even know where "there" was anymore.

"We need to keep moving," Kaelen said. "We are not stopping until we find shelter."

Every step was harder than the last.

My body was heavy, my mind was foggy, and my magic was barely a flicker in my chest. The pendant hung against my skin like a stone, cold and lifeless.

I stumbled again, and this time, I could not catch myself.

Kaelen caught me before I hit the ground, and his arms wrapped around me. "Talia. That is it. I am carrying you."

I shook my head, trying to push him away. "No, Kaelen. I can walk."

"You cannot walk," he said, his voice firm. "You can barely stand."

"I am fine," I insisted.

Piper knelt beside us, with her hand on my shoulder. "Talia, you are not fine. Let him help you, please."

Jax walked over, with his voice softer than usual. "Luna, you are stubborn. I respect that. But right now, you need to let us help you."

I looked at all of them, and I felt the tears prick at my eyes. "I do not want to be a burden to any of you."

Kaelen pulled me closer, with his voice fierce. "You are not a burden, Talia. You are my mate."

Piper took my hand, with her fingers squeezing mine. "And you are my best friend, Talia."

Jax grinned, but I could see the concern behind it. "And you are the Luna who is going to walk into that fortress and save her mother. But you cannot do that if you collapse before we get there."

I laughed weakly, and the sound was strange in my own ears. "When did you become the voice of reason, Jax?"

Jax placed his hand over his heart. "I have always been the voice of reason, Luna. You just never noticed." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Piper snorted, shaking her head. "That is a lie, Jax."

"It is not a lie," Jax said, with his voice full of mock offense.

"It is a lie," Piper repeated.

I smiled despite everything. "Fine. But only for a little while, Kaelen."

Kaelen lifted me into his arms, and I felt the warmth of his body against mine. His breathing was still shallow from the silver dust, but he did not complain.

"Rest, Talia," he said. "I have you."

I closed my eyes, and I let myself rest.

I did not know how long I slept.

The world was a blur of gray sky and Kaelen’s steady heartbeat beneath my ear. His arms were warm around me, and I felt safe for the first time in what felt like forever.

Then I felt it. There was a warmth spreading through my chest, faint but familiar.

I opened my eyes, and I saw the pendant glowing. It was faint, barely a flicker, but it was there.

Kaelen stopped walking, and I felt him tense. "Talia? What is happening?"

I touched the pendant, with my fingers trembling. "I do not know, Kaelen. The pendant... it is glowing."

Piper moved closer, and her voice was filled with hope. "Is it your mother, Talia?"

I touched the pendant, and I felt a pulse beneath my fingers. It was weak, but it was there.

I pressed the pendant to my chest, and I whispered into the cold air. "Mother? Can you hear me?"

There was silence at first. The gray wind howled around us, and I felt my hope begin to fade.

Then a faint voice echoed in my mind. “Talia... I am here...”

I gasped, and the tears spilled down my cheeks. "She is here, Kaelen. She is still here."

Kaelen looked at me, with his gray eyes searching my face. "What did she say, Talia?"

I gripped the pendant tighter, and I felt the warmth spread through my chest. "She said she is here, Kaelen. She is still alive."

Piper’s eyes filled with tears, with her voice barely a whisper. "That is good, Talia. That is really good."

I looked at the pendant, and I felt the warmth of my mother’s presence. It was not much, and it was barely a flicker in the darkness of the Ashen Lands. But it was enough.