“Holy Moon Goddess, Mara, that was fucking epic!”
I smile, still a bit excited, but I stumble back. Wow... My body feels strange, I guess the electric shock didn't leave me completely fine, after all. I feel tingling all over, and there are white dots in my eyes when I blink. I need to close and open them several times to make sure I'm not about to go completely blind.
“Mara, are you alright?” asks Nora, sounding worried.
I nod, but I might need a moment to get back to reality. That was... brutal. Did I seriously just conjure a lightning bolt? That was awesome! I chuckle, still in that strange thrill, but I know I also need to get back to the fight. I focus on my breathing, and on what I see to get back there. The golem has been simply blasted apart, the remnants of its legs still standing there, a bit of dark smoke coming out... Well, that's done. I wipe the mud off of me, and the girls shake themselves too. Selena carefully approaches that thing to sniff it, but just from the burnt smell, I'm sure that thing is done, at least for now.
“Well, looks like you literally fried that thing…”
"Yeah... I might need some time before doing that again, though," I confess.
“Don't overdo it, Mara,” says Nora.
Just as Nora said that, a terrible rumbling resonates under our feet. Again? I crouch down, ready for anything, but the ground just keeps vibrating, and I have no idea what's going to happen this time. Another golem? The two wolves come closer to me, Selena growling loudly, ready to attack whatever comes at us. I try to calm down, but my body is still feeling strange from the previous attack. I try to focus on my inner fire, but... it's sort of extinguished right now. Shit, did I really overdo it?
“Mara, watch out!”
I jump to the side as Nora yells, rolling down in the mud just in time to avoid the large gap that opened right where I stood a second ago. I feel another rumbling under me, and I have to roll again to ignore a large fist of clay emerging from the ground. What the heck now…? All over, the ground is starting to open and close like giant mouths trying to swallow us whole. I can't be trapped now! I'm tired as hell, but I still try to keep moving. This is the only way to avoid those things and the giant fists that emerge from the ground all around us.
I glance to the side, but Nora and Selena are doing much better. Their wolves are quick and using their instincts to know where to jump next. It might finally be time I shape-shift... However, something feels strange. I glance up as the thunder is seriously picking up, but the dark aura is still just as thick and getting larger. It's spreading like a mist all around us, and I don't like that at all...
“What's the situation on the other side?” I ask Selena after another jump to safety.
She glances my way, and jumps again to avoid another hole trying to grab her. We can't seem to get closer to Ravena, those things are keeping us at bay...
“Apparently, not getting any better. Your witch friend had to pull her fire back as the human chicks began acting crazy and trying to actually burn themselves. There are more wolves in the area, though, so it's turning into an all-out war on the other side…”
“The guys are doing okay,”adds Nora.“Damian said they are winning over that bear, for now…”
She and Selena exchange a glance, but I already know what they are thinking. Even if they suffered real damages, their husbands would probably keep quiet about it for as long as they can. They don't want to worry each other, we just all need to focus on our fight... I'm dying to mind-link Liam, but I'm scared I'll distract him at the wrong moment, and I can't afford that. I have to stay focused and finish this fight right here.
...How, though? She's managed to keep all three of us at bay, and although one of us manages to get closer at times, she gets twice as violent in that zone until we have no choice but to back away. We haven't been able to get closer than an arm's length, and that's not enough... While I'm still thinking, something violently hits me from behind. A rock. Damn it!
“Mara, don't stay there, keep moving!”
“I know, I know…”
I run before another gap opens under me, and manage to avoid another rock flying my way. Oh, for Moon Goddess' sake! I can't think and focus on the ground and my surroundings at the same time! I jump again, and glance at Ravena. Oh, hell... She's losing blood. From her eyes, nose, mouth. This really can't be good... I don't like this at all. The curse is going to kill her at this rate!
“Selena, Nora, I need to get there now!”
“What the hell do you think we’ve been trying to do?!”
I want to roll my eyes, but Selena's right. However, this is not working. We can't keep running around like this; the longer the curse keeps using Ravena as a vessel, the faster she'll die. She may be one bitch of a witch, but she doesn't deserve to be killed like that. I can always make her pay for all that crap later... I keep running, trying to think of another plan. What do I have left? My fire is practically exhausted, and I won't be able to replenish it anytime soon. There isn't enough water for me to control, and I'll definitely kill myself if I try summoning another lightning bolt. Unless....
“Nora, Selena, I think I'm going to do something really, really risky.”
“If you say it like that…”
I'm not lying, though. This might be one rather suicidal move, but... it might also be the only one that will work right now. I take a deep breath, and at the next move, I jump into my wolf form. It's so easy, I land on all fours, running to get away from the next gap trying to swallow me. I growl, a bit excited, and shake my body. Well, my wolf seems in good shape... I use her inner strength and summon my power again. Come on, get back at it. We have conjured much more fire than that before... A warm feeling invades my stomach, and I feel it. That blue flame perking up in the darkness. It's small, but very excited, like a spark ready to get much bigger and explosive. I run again, excited. I need to charge up more... I keep running, fast. I don't stop anymore to be careful of the ground. I just keep running and jumping, fast, faster. I only focus on my inner fire, the adrenaline and those little sparks now running through my whole body. They are still blue, but such an intense light that they could also be white and blinding. Hard to tell. I don't stop to analyze it, though. I just focus even more to get that feeling rushing through my whole body.
“Mara...?”
“I'm going to make a run for it,” I say, “and I'm not going to stop!”
“You're going to get yourself killed!”
“No. I won't stop. I'll charge and use my power to destroy any obstacle.”
