Cursed Lycan's Scarred Mate
Chapter 111: Triune Circle Ritual [2]

Chapter 111: Triune Circle Ritual [2]

Orion grounded his feet into his part of the formation, forcing himself to remain stable.

There was an unusual occurrence with the energy flow.

As much as he attempted channelling the energy between himself, Lady Morgana, and Lord Eldric, he noticed there was a subtle break in the chain.

A gap in the chain of magic allowed some of the energy to leak through it.

Something was terribly wrong.

The glow of the Triune Circle flickered, and the energy became unstable.

Orion’s chant faltered for a split second and his eyes widened in alarm.

"Something’s off," he said, gritting his teeth when the bulk of the energy seemed to rebound, setting a redirecting path towards him.

Lord Eldric’s keen gaze snapped to Lady Morgana as he tried to distribute his focus between banding the energy together and helping Orion channel it.

""The circle—it’s been tampered with," Lord Eldric growled, barely able to speak over the deafening crackling sound of the unstable energy flow.

Vivian’s body began to convulse once the energy became chaotic and the symbols on her arms and body blazed painfully with an unnatural light.

Ronan refused to remain idle as a spectator, stepping forward again but the Triune Circle formed an outer barrier of thick energy, which prevented him from entering it.

"Stay back!" Lady Morgana shouted, urging the Lycan Alpha to maintain his distance.

This couldn’t be happening for a third time.

He couldn’t fail Vivian again.

Now that she was right before his eyes, there would be no excuses as to why he couldn’t save her.

Ronan, who promised himself he wouldn’t unleash his beastly side for a while, decided to embrace his Lycan skin without hesitation.

While he shifted, forcing his beast to the forefront of his mind and body, Orion stumbled back as the backlash of the unstable magic hit him, nearly knocking him over.

The energy wound around him, threatening to burn through his flesh as he grinded his teeth to suppress the pain.

Another backlash was on its way.

Noticing the energy’s trajectory, Lord Eldric’s gaze widened with fear.

This couldn’t be happening.

If he didn’t act quick, then Orion would be in grave danger.

"No!" He shouted over the chaos, immediately abandoning his position and skidding across the Triune Circle to a halt on his knees a few feet away from Orion.

Raising his right hand, Lord Eldric redirected the surge of energy away from Orion and with his left hand, he erected a barrier of golden light to shield the young coven master.

The force slammed into Lord Eldric instead and he cried out in pain as the magic seared through him, wounding around his body like a coil. His eyes flashed like white orbs of light, his body arching in a painful way.

"Eldric!" Lady Morgana’s voice carried over with panic, but she couldn’t stop chanting without risking a complete collapse of the ritual.

Caelum’s monstrous roar sounded as he clawed at the outer barrier of energy, fighting to make a path through it relentlessly despite the magic burning through his body.

Pain was insignificant.

He needed to get to Vivian as soon as possible.

He couldn’t risk losing her when she was right before his eyes.

With Caelum clawing at the barrier, he dropped down onto all fours and broke the lines of the Triune Circle with his claws.

It was a risk and a gamble and it might result in a severe backlash, but it was the only way to stop the ritual from spiralling further out of control.

The moment the lines were broken, the circle shattered with a deafening crack and the glowing runes snuffed out immediately.

The backlash exploded outward, throwing everyone to the ground.

The chaotic flow of energy dissipated without a trace, leaving cracks in the walls and ground.

Vivian collapsed, holding onto her chest as her body went limp finally. The symbols on her arms smouldered faintly but they were still intact and as prominent as they were before.

Caelum allowed Ronan control again, reverting to their human skin. Ronan scrambled to his feet as he rushed to Vivian’s side, dropping to his knees as he gathered her into his arms.

"Vivi, please..." Ronan pleaded, his voice almost on the verge of shaking. "Please wake up. For me, princess."

He didn’t want to accept the unthinkable.

This ritual was a terrible mistake.

He should have stopped her from going through with it.

Once again, she was hurt, and he was powerless to do anything about it.

For how much longer would he keep failing her?

For how much longer would she suffer and endure pain because he couldn’t be the mate she needed?

Vivian’s eyes were closed, her body overheating because of the energy she received earlier. There were still faint traces of the magic surrounding her body, which felt lifeless in his arms.

His thumb brushed over her cheek, searching for any signs of movement or consciousness.

He pressed his ear to her chest, hearing a faint heartbeat, which gave him some relief but her breathing had stilled.

Ronan tilted Vivian’s head back, pinched the bridge of her nose and pressed his mouth over hers. He blew air into her lungs, hoping to make her breathe again. Each breath, he tried to pace himself correctly, but the urgency in him was stronger.

’Please wake up. Please wake up,’ Ronan prayed fervently until finally, Vivian’s eyes snapped open wide and she inhaled a deep breath, gasping for air.

Ronan breathed a sigh of relief and clutched her body close to his chest.

"Ronan," Vivian whispered, her voice weak.

"I’m here," the Lycan Alpha said softly, offering her a strained smile. "Are you hurt? Do you feel pain anywhere?"

Vivian nodded listlessly, her body aching from the strain of the failed ritual.

Lady Morgana staggered to her feet, her face pale as she clutched at her midsection, her eyes slightly hazy. She searched for Lord Eldric, who was slumped against a damaged wall, his breathing laboured.

Orion, groaning from the aftereffects, clawed his way to Lord Eldric’s side. He never imagined that the stoic, always disgruntled Ashenhold coven leader would risk his own life to save his.

It left a bad, unsavoury aftertaste in Orion’s mouth.

He dragged his body across the floor until he reached Lord Eldric, forcing himself to sit up.

The older man’s body was larger but Orion gathered him into his arms, cupping his face. The scars on Lord Eldric’s face looked more painful than before and his brows furrowed.

"You saved me." Orion murmured, barely holding back tears. He was never one who shed tears easily, but Lord Eldric’s sacrifice and selflessness were enough to warm his heart.

Weren’t they always at each other’s throats?

Weren’t they constantly disagreeing with each other?

And didn’t Lord Eldric despise him for his unorthodox ways?

So why did he save him?

"You could have broken the circle and saved yourself," Orion spoke with strain, pressing his forehead to Lord Eldric’s. "I owe you my deepest apologies... and all the gratitude I can spare."

Lord Eldric’s eyes fluttered open.

"You are young and foolish." The Ashenhold Coven Leader mumbled weakly. "You have much ahead in life to live for."

When Lady Morgana reached the two of them, she kneeled beside Lord Eldric. She placed her hand over the region of his heart, using the last bits of her magic to assess his condition. Orion looked at her with concern, pensively anticipating an answer.

"He’ll be fine," Lady Morgana revealed with a relieved sigh. "I can repair his energy points and then he just needs to rest."

Orion sighed with relief too, embracing Lord Eldric against him.

"Please don’t ever do that again," Orion pleaded, his teeth gnashing together. "This wasn’t a simple anomaly."

Lady Morgana clenched her fists as she surveyed the chambers. The intricate markings of the Triune Circle were marred and the faint traces of its tampering were now visible.

Her magenta eyes burnt with fury.

"This was sabotage," she declared, her expression dark. "The circle was tampered with."

Lord Eldric’s gaze shifted lazily to her.

"By whom?" He asked.

"I don’t know," Lady Morgana admitted, her jaw taut. "But whoever did this knew exactly how to destabilise the circle and we need to investigate it immediately."

Orion’s gaze turned sharp and cold as he remembered the previous day when he chanced upon Soran idling by the Triune Circle.

As much as he didn’t want to hurl accusations, it would be foolish not to suspect Soran.

"I might know who did it," Soran said, earning the other two’s attention.