Chapter 3 — Bound by Secrets

Kael

The world came back in fragments for Kael: the sharp sting of cold air filling his lungs, the distant crack of branches underfoot, and the pulsating ache that radiated through his battered body. His senses sharpened just enough to register the immediacy of danger. He lay in a hollow beneath the roots of an ancient tree, the damp earth pressing against his back and chilling him to the marrow. His breaths came in uneven bursts, his ribs protesting every movement.

The woman—the witch—stood just beyond him, her petite frame taut as she gripped a dagger. Her amber eyes, faintly luminous even in the shadowy grove, flicked between the darkened forest and the growing glow of the hounds’ eyes. He could feel her magic in the air, restrained but potent, like a storm building on the horizon. It brushed against his senses, irritating and intriguing him in equal measure.

Kael shifted, attempting to push himself upright. Pain knifed through his side, and he bit back a hiss. His armor, scorched and broken, pressed uncomfortably against his skin. The witch turned sharply at the sound, her hood slipping slightly to reveal more of her pale face. There was wildness in her expression—fear tempered by determination and an edge of defiance that caught him off guard.

“I told you to stay down,” she whispered harshly, her voice low but commanding.

Kael narrowed his eyes, frustration flaring despite the pain. “If they find us, neither of us is walking out alive,” he said evenly. His gaze darted to the shadows where the hounds prowled. “We need a plan.”

Her grip on the dagger tightened, her knuckles pale against the hilt. The faint glow in her amber eyes dimmed as she pulled her magic back further, as though afraid even the smallest flicker might draw the hounds closer. He noted the effort it cost her—a subtle tremor in her hands, the way her breath quickened. Restraint, he realized, not weakness.

“I’ll distract them,” she said finally, though her voice wavered just enough to betray her unease. “You stay hidden. They’ll follow me.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “That’s suicide. The hounds will track your magic. They won’t stop until you’re dead.”

She turned to face him fully, her dark hair slipping loose from its tie as her hood fell back entirely. For a moment, Kael was struck by the fire in her expression, the intensity in her luminous eyes. There was no hesitation in her stance, no room for debate.

“I won’t let them find you,” she said, quiet but resolute, the words as sharp as the blade in her hand.

Irritation sparked in Kael’s chest, cutting through his exhaustion. “I don’t need your protection,” he growled, keeping his voice low but firm. Though he regretted the sharpness of his tone, his pride refused to let the witch believe him helpless. “I’m not some wounded lamb waiting to be slaughtered.”

Her eyes narrowed at his words, but before she could respond, the forest erupted with growls and snapping branches. The hounds were closing in.

Kael forced himself upright, teeth gritted against the pain that flared through his ribs. He reached instinctively for the dagger strapped to his boot, only to curse under his breath when his fingers found the empty sheath. His weapons were gone, lost during the ambush that had left him bleeding out in the Frostshade Expanse.

The witch stepped closer, her dagger raised defensively. Her proximity allowed him to see the strain pulling at her features—the cost of her earlier healing magic evident in the pallor of her skin and the fine sheen of sweat on her brow. Yet she didn’t falter.

“Stay behind me,” she commanded, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.

Kael almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. “Not a chance.”

The first hound burst from the underbrush, its monstrous form illuminated by the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the canopy. Its sleek, black fur bristled, and its glowing eyes burned with a predatory light. The iron collar around its neck glinted, etched with anti-magic runes that Kael recognized instantly. The beast lunged, jaws snapping inches from the witch’s blade. She sidestepped with surprising agility, slashing at its flank. Her dagger glanced off its hide, leaving nothing more than a shallow cut.

Kael didn’t hesitate. He grabbed a thick branch from the forest floor and swung with all the strength he could summon. The branch cracked against the hound’s head, sending it staggering back with a yelp. The effort nearly cost him his footing. He swayed, his vision blurring, until the witch’s steadying hand gripped his arm.

“You’re in no shape to fight,” she hissed, her gaze darting to the shadows where more growls echoed. “There’s more coming.”

“And they’ll keep coming as long as they can sense your magic,” Kael replied, his voice urgent. “You need to mask it.”

Her brow furrowed. “Mask it? How—?”

“Just do it!” he snapped, though his tone was more desperate than harsh. He could feel the hunters pressing closer, their presence like a weight in the air.

The witch hesitated for only a moment before closing her eyes. She whispered an incantation under her breath, her lips moving swiftly. The faint hum of her magic dulled, the glow in her amber eyes dimming further until they appeared almost human. Yet Kael could see the toll it took on her—the way her breathing quickened and her hands trembled as she forced her magic into submission.

It wasn’t enough. Another hound lunged from the shadows, this time aiming for Kael. He tried to raise the branch again, but his injured body betrayed him, his movements too slow. Before the beast could reach him, a sudden burst of golden light flared to his left.

The witch had raised her hand, her palm glowing with an otherworldly brilliance. The hound froze mid-lunge, its snarls fading into silence as invisible chains seemed to bind its body. The light intensified, and the beast whimpered before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Kael stared at the fallen creature in shock, his mind racing. That kind of magic—it wasn’t normal. Witches were capable of many things, but this was something else. Something older, rawer, and infinitely more dangerous.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” he muttered, his voice strained with urgency.

The witch turned to him, her pale face flushed with exertion. “It was that or let it kill you.”

Before Kael could respond, a third hound emerged from the shadows, its snarls louder and fiercer than the others. The hunters’ voices grew louder too, their shouts cutting through the trees. They were out of time.

“What are you waiting for?” the witch snapped, her voice breaking through his thoughts. “Run!”

Kael hesitated for only a heartbeat before grabbing her wrist. She stumbled slightly as he pulled her forward, the two of them sprinting deeper into the forest. Every jarring step sent pain lancing through his body, but he ignored it, focusing instead on the path ahead.

“What’s your plan?” she asked breathlessly, her hood falling back as they ran.

Kael glanced over his shoulder, noticing the faint glimmer of firelight in the distance. “We need to lose them. Can you still use magic?”

“Barely.”

“Then use it wisely,” he said grimly. “We’re not making it out of here on strength alone.”

The witch nodded, her amber eyes scanning the forest. She whispered another incantation, and the trees around them seemed to shift, their shadows lengthening into an unnatural maze. Kael could feel the magic in the air, subtle but effective. It would buy them time, though not much.

Kael’s legs trembled beneath him as his strength faltered. The witch noticed, her grip tightening as she slowed their pace. “Here,” she murmured, guiding him toward a concealed alcove beneath a fallen tree. “We’ll rest for a moment.”

He sank to the ground, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. The witch knelt beside him, her expression unreadable.

“You saved me,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kael huffed a humorless laugh. “Don’t think too much of it, witch. You saved me first.”

For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then she spoke again, her words hesitant but firm. “My name is Mara.”

Kael glanced at her, his blue eyes meeting hers. “Kael,” he said finally. “And I’m no ordinary man.”

Mara’s brow furrowed in confusion, but before she could question him, the echo of the hunters’ voices returned, closer this time. The danger had not passed.

“We’ll have to finish this later,” Kael muttered, forcing himself upright.

Mara nodded, her amber eyes gleaming faintly once more. Together, they pressed on, their tentative alliance forged by necessity and bound by secrets neither was ready to reveal.