struggled to contain the creature while a few cultist sorceresses cast their illusion magic to hold the creature down. The giant monster fought, but despite its efforts to escape, it couldn’t break free.
The cultists finally forced the monster into a metal cage at the edge of the tree line. It screamed in rage and thrashed against the bars, struggling to get through. The wolven cultists came forward and used their telepathy magic together to levitate the cage off the ground. I watched as the monster was carried into the woods, vanishing with the rest of the cultists as its cries penetrated the night.
Why was the Black Claw imprisoning monsters? It made no sense. Wasn’t their goal to let them slip into the border beyond?
They must be using them for another purpose. A dark one, no doubt.
I came out of the trees and into the meadow, changing back into a man. The Black Claw was gone— I planned to search the area for more clues.
But the crunching of the snow behind me made me freeze. I turned. My veins turned to ice as I once again came face-to-face with the White Rose.
How had she found me? She must’ve been skulking around the cave. But even then, how had she caught up with me? Wolvens were fast runners, and she couldn’t have followed me on foot.
She must have wings. Flying would be the only way a sorceress could keep up with a shifter.
Wings were a defining factor of an Arcanea. No two were the same. If I saw her wings, I’d be able to figure out who she was. But she kept them concealed, staring at me with blue eyes like mirrors.
Her look was so haunted. It sent a shiver through my spine.
“You didn’t listen when I told you to stay away,” she said. She unleashed a dagger from her side. “Looks like I’m going to have to teach you a lesson.”
She attacked before I could say anything in response. She ran at me full speed, the dagger folded at her side and waiting to strike. I took a defensive stance and withdrew my own weapon, ready to counter-attack, but as I swung she jumped over me, sailing in an arc as she flipped and landing on her feet on the other side.
I was stunned. I’d never seen anyone pull off a move like that in my life. The surprise was just enough that it gave the White Rose an opening, and she sliced forward with her dagger.
I jumped backward in the nick of time, but not enough so that I got away without any damage. The tip of her blade cut my chest, digging in. Blood scattered across the snow.
“Agh!” I stumbled. I wanted to examine the wound and see how badly she hurt me, but I didn’t have time. The White Rose began a relentless assault that I struggled to combat. Every time our blades met, something flashed in her eyes— was it hatred? Or desperation?
When she’d knocked my weapon to the side for the third time and almost cut me once again, I knew weapons weren’t going to work with this woman. She’d been taught by a master and couldn’t be bested that way. I needed to fight her with teeth and claws.
I changed into a wolven and charged. The White Rose’s eyes widened behind her mask. She scrambled away, throwing out an illusion as I leapt for her throat.
The illusion froze my limbs in place. My body became paralyzed for a few moments, and I fell to the ground like a statue of concrete.
When I hit the snow, I regained control of my motor skills, but the White Rose had gained the upper hand. Before I could get to my feet, she flung her arm out. A powerful illusion spell overtook me. It pinned me to the snow, spreading over my limbs like some kind of thick tar.
It was insanely uncomfortable. Panic swelled in me as the White Rose approached. What was she going to do with me? Was she going to kill me?
I had to fight back with magic of my own. I harnessed what illusion magic was left inside of me, and pressed against the White Rose’s spell. The sorceress gritted her teeth; she pushed her intention further down around me, though at this point, I was beginning to rise.
Once I’d managed to get back on my feet, I put all my will into breaking the spell and setting myself free. Finally, I tore the spell