Elemental Heir | ✔️

Chapter 36

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(Dristan's POV)

Frozen. Stuck.
Helpless.

I was rendered completely and utterly fucking helpless. I couldn't even speak.

If I had been able to speak, I would've been able to stop her. I would've been able to warn her of the danger she was unknowingly putting herself in. Why... Fucking hell, why hadn't I mentioned this to her before?! But how was I to know? No, I couldn't have known... No one could've known just how powerful she was. It was too much.

Too much magic.
Too much power.
She was going to drain herself.
And I couldn't even warn her.
Helpless.

No, no, no...
Stop, stop, stop...
Danger, danger, danger...

My dragon begged, inside of my mind, for me to intervene. To do something, anything. But even he knew that we could do nothing. Nothing, besides watch in silent horror, as our mate unknowingly drained herself dry.

All magic had limits. We magical beings had a deep well of it inside of us, a well of magical power, but that well had a bottom. And when you took too much out at once, if you drained that well too quickly... It could potentially kill the user. It was the only other way we could die, aside from silver.

I should've fucking told her...
This is all my fault...

I watched, in motionless quietude, as she pulled my sword out of the pack leader's bloody chest. The sword fell to the ground with a dull thud, at the same moment that she let go of her hold on the power she'd been using to keep everyone motionless.

As the cocoons of earth instantly crumbled away from the frozen wolves, their pained, piercing cries suddenly filled the air. Several of them collapsed to the ground, holding their arms to their chests in agony, as they gasped for air. She'd broken many of their bones, but I did not know how long we would have before they healed. Before they attacked.

I sucked in a lungful of air as I was released from her magic, and I stumbled forward, momentarily stunned by the sudden reanimation of my body.

"Brenya!" I gasped, tripping toward her on unsteady legs, my arms outreached. She moved to face me, but she stumbled, falling to the side, as her strength was sapped.

"Dristan...?" She whispered, her brows furrowing.
And then her body went limp.

I lunged as she fell, catching her in my arms just before her body could collide with the ground. Desperately, I pushed her wild hair out of her face. My breath was erratic, my blood pounding in my veins, as I searched her pale face.