"Because that's what you are. And that's what makes you vulnerable to its influence." Cade's arms were still around her, and Lyra could feel the tremor in his hands that suggested his wolf simmered just beneath his skin. "The stronger your connection to the founder magic becomes, the more attractive you are as a power source."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning we need to get you away from here before it tries again." Cade finally released her, though he stayed close enough to catch her if she tried to return to the water. "And meaning the seal is weaker than we thought."
As if responding to his words, the glow in the pool pulsed once more, then began to fade. Within moments, Hush Falls looked like nothing more than an ordinary waterfall reflecting ordinary moonlight.
But Lyra could still feel the entity's attention like a weight against her skin, and she knew this was far from over.
"The party," she said suddenly, remembering the crowd of guests back at the inn.
"Will understand," Cade said firmly. "Nothing's more important than keeping you safe."
The words held more weight than a simple statement of protective duty, and when Lyra looked up at him, she saw something in his green eyes that made her heart skip.
"Cade," she started to say.
"Later," he said, but his voice was gentler than it had been in days. "Right now, we need to get you somewhere that thing can't reach you."
As they retraced her steps toward the inn, Lyra couldn't shake the feeling that the evening had changed more than just her relationship with the town's supernatural community.
It had also changed something fundamental between her and Cade, whether he was ready to admit it or not.
11
CADE
The emergency council meeting was called for seven AM the morning after the Hush Falls incident, which meant Lyra woke to find half the supernatural community already gathered in the town hall parking lot by the time she arrived with coffee she definitely needed and answers she definitely didn't have.
She'd spent a restless night at The Moonbeam Lodge, her dreams filled with glowing water and voices that called her name with hungry patience. Every time she'd started to drift off, she'd felt that pull again—the same compulsion that had nearly drawn her into the pool. The founder's sigil on her palm had pulsed steadily all night, like a heartbeat that wasn't quite in sync with her own.
Now, walking into the council chamber and seeing the grim faces of people she'd been laughing with just hours before, Lyra felt the weight of responsibility settling over her shoulders like a lead blanket.
"Miss Whitaker," Elder Ruth said without preamble. "Please, sit down. We have a great deal to discuss."
The formal arrangement from her first council meeting had been abandoned in favor of a more urgent configuration. Chairs were arranged in a loose circle, with Elder Ruth presiding but not dominating. Sheriff Torres sat to her right, looking like she'd been up all night coordinating some kind of supernatural emergency response. Councilman Bradford was there, along with several faces Lyra didn't recognize but who radiated the kind of authority that suggested they were important in ways she didn't understand yet.
And there was Cade, sitting directly across from her with an expression that gave nothing away but eyes that tracked her every movement.
"The incident at Hush Falls last night represents a significant escalation," Ruth began, her knitting needles clicking steadily as she worked on a scarf in shades of gray and silver. "The Mistbound has never been able to project its influence beyond the immediate vicinity of the falls. The fact that it could call to you from the inn suggests the seal is deteriorating faster than we anticipated."
"How much faster?" Lyra asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Hard to say precisely," said the woman Lyra didn't recognize, who had the kind of sharp intelligence that suggested she was used to being the smartest person in the room. "I'm Dr. Elena Vasquez, professor of supernatural history at Asheville University. I've been researching the original binding for the past fifteen years."
"And?"
"And based on what I witnessed last night, I'd estimate we have weeks rather than months before the Mistbound achieves enough freedom to begin hunting again."
The words hit the room like stones dropped in still water, creating ripples of tension that Lyra could feel even without magical sensitivity.
"Hunting how?" Sheriff Torres asked, though her tone suggested she already suspected the answer.
"The same way it hunted before the founders contained it," Dr. Vasquez said grimly. "By draining the life force from magical beings until only empty husks remain. The fog incidents we've been seeing around town aren't random weather phenomena—they're hunting expeditions."
Lyra felt the blood drain from her face. "People could die because of what I did."
"People could die because an ancient entity is trying to break free from a prison that was always meant to be temporary," Ruth corrected firmly. "Your awakening of the rune accelerated the timeline, but it didn't create the problem."
