Chapter 9 Power Unleashed

Time slowed to a crawl. The silver bolt hung in the air between us, death made manifest in cold metal. I could see every detail-the intricate engravings along its shaft, the way moonlight caught the deadly tip, the certainty in the hunter's pale eyes.

Then something inside me *snapped*.

Power erupted from every pore of my body, not silver this time but pure white light that turned night into day. The bolt disintegrated before it could touch me, reduced to glittering dust that scattered on the wind. The hunter's confident expression crumbled into shock as he was thrown backward by the force of the blast, his body slamming into a tree with a sickening crack.

"Aria!" Luca's voice seemed to come from very far away. I could feel his hands on my shoulders, but the connection felt distant, muffled by the roaring in my ears.

The light was everywhere now, pouring out of me like a river that had finally broken through its dam. Trees bent away from the force of it, their leaves shriveling and falling like snow. The very air seemed to vibrate with energy that I couldn't control, couldn't stop.

"You have to calm down," Luca was saying, his voice urgent but gentle. "Aria, look at me. Focus on my voice."

I tried, but the power was singing in my veins, promising everything I'd ever wanted-revenge against those who'd hurt me, protection for those I loved, answers to all the questions that had been tearing me apart. All I had to do was let go completely, let the light consume everything in its path.

"That's not you," Luca said firmly. "The girl I know wouldn't hurt innocent people. The girl I love fights for others, not against them."

*The girl I love.*

Those words cut through the chaos in my mind like a blade. I latched onto them, used them as an anchor to pull myself back from the brink. Slowly, gradually, the light began to fade. When it finally died completely, I collapsed to my knees, gasping.

"What was that?" I whispered, staring at my hands in horror. They looked normal now, but I could still feel the echo of that terrible power thrumming beneath my skin.

"That," said a new voice, "was a glimpse of what you're truly capable of."

We both spun toward the sound. A woman stepped out from behind another tree-not one of the hunters, but someone I'd never seen before. She was tall and elegant, with silver hair that gleamed in the moonlight and eyes the color of winter storms. Something about her seemed ancient, timeless.

"Who are you?" Luca demanded, moving protectively in front of me.

"My name is Selene," she said calmly. "And I'm here to help Aria learn to control her gifts before she accidentally destroys half the continent."

"Another trap," I said bitterly. "How many more people are going to crawl out of the woodwork claiming to know what's best for me?"

Selene's expression softened with something that might have been sympathy. "I know you have no reason to trust me. But look around, child. Look at what your power just did."

I followed her gaze and felt my stomach drop. The clearing where we stood looked like a bomb had gone off. Trees were stripped bare, their trunks blackened and scarred. The ground was scorched in a perfect circle around where I'd been standing. Even the hunter who'd tried to kill me was gone-not dead, but simply... not there anymore.

"Did I-?" I couldn't finish the question.

"He's alive," Selene said quickly. "Transported somewhere else entirely, but alive. This time. Next time..." She shrugged. "Your power is growing exponentially. Without proper training, you'll lose control completely."

"And I suppose you're offering to train me?" Luca's voice was skeptical.

"I'm the only one who can." Selene moved closer, and I noticed she walked with the same predatory grace as the werewolves, but something about her was different. Older. More dangerous. "I was there when the first Moonbound learned to harness their abilities. I helped write the original prophecies."

My breath caught. "How old are you?"

Her smile was enigmatic. "Old enough to remember when your bloodline was created. Young enough to still believe it can fulfill its true purpose."

Explosions echoed from the direction of the mansion, followed by more gunshots. The battle was getting closer.

"We need to move," Luca said urgently. "The hunters will send reinforcements."

"Indeed." Selene gestured toward the deeper forest. "There's a place I know where we'll be safe. Where Aria can begin to understand what she truly is."

"What if this is a trap?" I asked. "What if you're working with my mother, or the hunters, or-"

"Then you'll blast me into another dimension," Selene said matter-of-factly. "But right now, I'm your best hope of surviving the next twenty-four hours without accidentally starting an apocalypse."

She had a point. The power inside me felt like a caged animal now, pacing restlessly just beneath the surface. I could feel it responding to my emotions, growing stronger with every spike of fear or anger.

"Okay," I said finally. "But if you try anything-"

"You'll turn me into cosmic dust. Yes, I'm aware of the risks." Selene's eyes twinkled with what might have been amusement. "Now come. We have much to discuss and very little time."