Chapter 296 The exhaustion

Chapter 296: Chapter 296 The exhaustion

Kaelen’s POV

The silver was everywhere.

I could feel it in my lungs, in my throat, and in every breath I took. Each inhale burned, and each exhale was a struggle. My vision was blurry, and the edges of my sight were darkening.

I leaned against the wall, and I tried to focus. I kept whispering to myself. “I could not collapse, and I could not stop, because Talia needed me, and her mother needed me.”

But my body would not listen.

I blinked, and the world spinned around me. I blinked again, and I was on my knees. The stone floor was cold against my palms, and I could feel the silver dust biting into my skin.

"Stay awake," I whispered to myself. "Stay awake, Kaelen. You are... an Alpha, so... you have... to be strong."

My wolf stirred in my chest, weak and distant. He had been silent for so long that I had almost forgotten he was there.

"Help mate," he whispered, with his voice faint. "Help mate. She is falling."

I lifted my head, and I saw Talia.

She was standing in front of the broken cell, with her hand reaching for her mother’s. Her face was pale, and I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. But she was still standing.

Then suddenly, her legs gave out.

"Talia!" I tried to shout, but my voice came out weak.

I watched her fall, and I could not move, because my body would not obey. The silver had taken too much from me.

Talia hit the ground hard, and I heard the thud of her body against the stone.

Then her mother screamed. "Talia! Talia, no!"

Seraphina crawled out of the cell, dragging her weak body across the floor. She reached Talia and pulled her into her lap.

"Talia," she sobbed. "Talia, wake up. Wake up."

Talia did not move. Her face was pale, and her eyes were closed. She looked like she was sleeping, but I knew she was not.

Seraphina pressed her hand against Talia’s chest, and I saw her lips move. Then she started speaking out in the same old language that I had heard Talia speak. Her fingers glowed faintly, and I felt the magic stirring in the air.

"Sha’kala mor’eth," she whispered. "Vas’kala sil’verath."

But nothing happened.

She tried again, with her voice rising this time. "Sha’kala mor’eth! Vas’kala sil’verath!"

Talia did not stir. Her body was still, and her breathing was shallow.

Seraphina pressed her forehead against Talia’s, and the tears streamed down her face. "Please, Talia. Please wake up. I cannot lose you again."

I forced myself to move. I crawled across the floor, with my arms shaking beneath me. The silver was burning me, but I did not stop. I reached Talia, and I touched her face.

Her skin was burning up.

I pulled my hand back, and I felt the fear rising in my chest. She was on fire, and I knew instantly, that just like Seraphina had said, the blood magic had taken too much from her.

"Talia," I said, my voice was cracked, and weak. "Talia, can you hear me?"

But she did not respond.

Seraphina looked at me, and I saw the desperation in her eyes. "She is burning. The blood magic has drained her, and she is burning."

I looked at Talia’s face that was pale and still. She was alive, but barely. Her chest was rising and falling, but each breath was very shallow.

"We need to get out of here," I said. "We need to get her out of this silver."

Seraphina nodded, but she did not move. She could not stop holding Talia.

"Sha’kala mor’eth," she whispered again. "Vas’kala sil’verath."

But nothing happened.

She tried again, and her voice cracked. "Sha’kala mor’eth! Vas’kala sil’verath!"

Talia’s body remained still.

I reached for Talia, and I felt the heat radiating from her skin. She was burning, and I could not cool her down. I could not do anything.

"Talia," I whispered. "Please. Please wake up."

My wolf stirred in my chest, weak and fading. "We need to leave. The silver is killing her. It is killing us."

I looked at Seraphina, and I saw the tears on her face. She was still trying to cast spells, and her fingers were glowing faintly, but nothing was working. Her magic was too weak.

"She will not wake," Seraphina whispered. "She will not wake."

I looked at Talia, and I felt the grief rising in my chest. She had given everything to save her mother. She had given everything to save me.

And now she was burning.

I reached for her hand, and I felt the heat of her skin against my fingers. "I will not let you go," I whispered. "I will not let you go."

Seraphina pulled Talia closer, holding her against her chest. "My daughter. My brave daughter, please listen to the voice of your mother and wake up. Please wake up."

The darkness pressed in around us, and I felt the silver burning my skin, but I did not move.

I knew that I could not do this alone, and I needed help. I had to call for help from the others outside.

I looked up at Talia’s mother. “I have to call for help from my beta. That way we can have support to get out of here faster.”

Seraphina looked at me, and then she nodded. “Anything you can do to help please.”

I nodded, then I closed my eyes, and I reached for the mind link. It was weak, so weak that I could barely feel it. The silver was suppressing everything, but I had to try.

"Cain," I called out in my mind. "Cain, can you hear me?"

There was silence.

I tried again, pushing harder. "Cain, I need help. Talia is down, and she is burning up again after using too much of her powers. We are trapped in the dungeon right now. Please, if you can hear me, we need you."

But still, there was no sound or response at all.

I felt the despair rising in my chest. The mind link was too weak, and the silver was too strong. Malachai had indeed done a lot of damage with his silver filled land, and now, I could not reach Cain.

I opened my eyes, and I looked at Talia’s pale face. She was still burning, still unconscious, and now, it looked like she was fading.

"I cannot reach them," I said, with my voice breaking. "I cannot reach anyone."

Seraphina looked at me, and I saw the tears on her face. "Then we have to get her out ourselves."

I nodded, but I did not know how. I could barely stand, and I could barely breathe. And Talia was burning in this dungeon.

But I had to try.

"I will get you out of here," I whispered. "I promise.”