CHAPTER 459: WAIT FOR IT!

No matter what Shelby did, she could not shake free of the invisible hold on her.

Like a slow-motion scene from a nightmare, she watched the deadly liquid drift toward her parted lips.

’It’s over!’

It shimmered ominously under the light, a harbinger of doom for both her and the unborn child she so desperately wished to protect.

’IAN!!!!! I- I’m s-oorry....’

Helplessness. Frustration. These emotions wrapped around Shelby like a suffocating shroud, especially after the cruel loss of that intoxicating surge of power. Shelby had no time to regret the loss... for she did not understand its origin, and she did not have time to contemplate that.

She had tasted that power, wielded it for the briefest moment....and now, when she needed it most, it was gone. It was never hers, to begin with, but that did not stop the wish ... the wish that if she had it, she would do away with all of them!

Then, another emotion crept in.... rage. It all built up inside Shelby, swelling to the point of bursting .... until it did. Shelby had never felt such rage in her life, and to add to this, it was a compounded effect with other emotions.

A single tear slipped down her cheek, then another, and another. Shelby hadn’t meant to cry, hadn’t even realized she was crying, but the sheer helplessness of it all ripped through her like a jagged blade. She did not want to satisfy them with her weakness, but it was too much!

A raw, desperate sob caught in her throat, trembling on the edge of release. The Faefolks watching barely understood what was happening, but they felt ... the weight, devastation, and quiet plea embedded in each crystalline tear. Some even found themselves echoing her emotions... which was bizarre, but that was not all.

Because something even stranger started happening....

It began as a pull—an odd, unnatural tugging at their hearts.

The male Faefolks in the room stiffened, their hands curling into fists at their sides. Some swallowed hard as if their throats had gone dry. Others felt an unfamiliar ache in their chests, something instinctive, something wrong.

"Why does this feel like - " one of them started, but he couldn’t finish.

It was unnatural, and the perfect word was that it was Bewitching.

A temptation so subtle yet so consuming, as if those tears from the human were meant to lead them on, to ensnare them.

The Time witch grinned, her jagged, discoloured teeth gleaming in amusement. Of course, she understood. She had a hunch about what the human girl had unknowingly awakened, but she believed that it was no match for her! At that moment, her big sister’s words echoed in her mind, but she just turned to her sister and grinned mockingly....

The Timeless Witch mouthed a few words to her little sister, but it would take a short while before the words registered in her mind...

Another Fae noticed this abnormal reaction of the Timeless Witch as he had been watching steadily.

Meanwhile, Shelby remained unaware. She was drowning in her own torment, her body trembling as she tried to bite down on her lip, but even that action was daunting. She tried and failed ... to suppress the sob that finally broke free.

A small sound, yet it sent an invisible shiver through every man present.

The atmosphere shifted. Thickened.

At that moment, Shelby was no longer just a human ... she was a victim.

She was also something else.

On the sidelines, the Faes sucked in their breath, their reactions a mix of emotions. Some unaffected ones were clearly pleased, their expressions barely concealing their satisfaction. Others frowned in quiet discontent, but they remained motionless, aware that they were no match for that wretched witch and, most importantly, dared not go against their incoming king!

But even with this, something had changed. They had seen Shelby’s potential, which went against all their belief of what humans were. The brief, shocking display of her power had shifted the tide ever so slightly. Conflicting words of whispers spread like wildfire:

"She held her own against the witch... How? She’s just a human!"

"I felt it ... strong, terrifying."

"If only she had more control..."

"This isn’t right. The child ... it has done no wrong!"

Yet, among them were the fence-sitters, those who weighed self-preservation against morality. Among them was Ash! She clenched her fists around the wheelchair’s handle.

Ash didn’t like the human girl’s hold over her son, and she had to agree with the Timeless Witch on this one. But that did not mean that she liked the direction that this was unfolding. She found herself questioning why she was standing by and watching all of that. It all felt wrong. As a mother herself, she couldn’t ignore it. And yet ... her son, Simon, had given his orders. She had always followed his wishes... but ...

Just as Ash hesitated, torn between duty and conscience, something flickered in the corner of her vision.

A shadow.

Familiar. Unmistakable.

Ash’s breath hitched. Her fingers twitched.

’Roman?’

Was that him? She could have sworn that she saw Roman’s silhouette drift over Shelby for the briefest moment. It was there and gone, like a phantom carried by the wind.

A gasp tore from her throat. Her body moved before she could think, beautiful wings spread out, arm outstretched, reaching as if she could stop what was coming.

The room was thick with tension, all eyes locked onto Shelby as the vial neared her lips. The flickering light somewhere caught the glint of the liquid, a death sentence for her and the child she carried. Her trembling body, the tear-streaked face ... everything about her seemed fragile, breakable. Helpless.

And then ....

CRASH!

A sharp, whizzing sound cut through the air, and in the blink of an eye, the vial exploded into fragments, its deadly contents sizzling as they splattered onto the stone floor. Gasps filled the room. No one had seen where the attack had come from .... no one had felt it.

One moment, Shelby was bound by that invisible force, her body rigid with fear. The next ...

She was gone.

In her place stood a Fae, towering as his feet hovered over the ground, his wings spread out. He was draped in dark robes, his stance wide and unyielding. Shelby was behind him then, shielded by his presence as he took on the fury of the room.... From the Time Witch, and mostly the Princes, among others. His arrival had been so swift, so unnatural, that the air itself seemed to recoil.

Shelby’s breath caught.

"Sorry, I’m late, Milady! Are you okay?" Murray asked without turning to look at Shelby. His vigilance was still up.

Hope flickered ... until the Time witch turned to him.

A knowing smirk curled at her lips.

"Who .... Are .... YOU!!!," she murmured, voice slithering with amusement.

And then, chaos erupted.

"Isn’t he supposed to be the sacrifice?" One of the old Faes voice pierced through, making the Witch gape.

"A ... mere.... Guard.... Interrupted.... my ....actions?"

She was angry, but the old Faes who had first met Murray knew that he did not have this much power when they had first met. For him to have been able to break the Time Witch’s spell was an obvious feat!

Some of them turned to look at Brian. This was the first indication that some of them were starting to believe his words from back then.

"Are .... You ... courting... death? Well.. since ... you ... are ... then... I’ll gladly... oblige!"

The Timeless Witch shook her head and sighed, but she made no move to do anything. However, if anyone had been looking closely, they would have seen her perk up a little.

A surge of invisible force struck at Murray with a vengeance. The floor cracked beneath his feet as an unseen power wrapped around his limbs like chains, tightening with merciless intent. It pulled him back toward the floor, immobilizing his wings. It had happened too fast for him to react properly. He staggered, jaw clenching as he fought against it, his muscles straining against an enemy that had no form.

But even as he was dragged down, even as his body bent under the crushing weight of the spell, his arms never wavered.

He was still shielding his mistress....

’I will protect the both of you to my last breath!’

Murray still held on strong.

His ragged breathing filled the silence. Blood dripped from his lips, but his stance never broke. He would not let them take her.

And then ....

Something changed.

The air trembled and hummed with a subtle foreign energy. The flickering torches dimmed, their flames cowering against an unseen force.

The Timeless witch whispered some spells. The lips silently pushed out deadly words. A force crashed against Murray like an unrelenting tidal wave. His body was lifted off the ground, flung diagonally with a sickening force. The impact was brutal... he slammed into the far wall, debris scattering as his form crumpled against the cold stone.

Shelby screamed.

The sound was raw, piercing. The kind of scream that scraped against the soul, sending a shiver through even the most hardened hearts. This was because she knew that with Murray gone, she was helpless. Murray had done his best, and her heart went out to him. At least, he had bought her a few, but what could Shelby do when Murray, who had trained for this, could not?

The wave of power surged toward her next, unforgiving and absolute. Shelby closed her eyes and braced for impact

Until ...

Warmth.

Strong, steady arms wrapped around her, shielding her from the impact just in time. The energy slammed against an unseen barrier, dispersing in an eerie ripple of force.

A familiar voice, deep and comforting, whispered near her ear.

"Sorry, I’m late."

Shelby gasped, her head snapping up. That voice ...

His arms tightened around her, grounding her amidst the chaos. A hand gently smoothed over her hair as if soothing a frightened child.

"You did well, my Elfin... now let me handle it."

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