CHAPTER 110: BLOOD MAGIC

Chapter 110: Blood Magic

Liana felt like she had liquid fire running through her blood from the power.

She was thirty feet above the ground and had silver flames dancing around her.

She could feel the old magic coming to life inside her, speaking to her in a language she could understand. But something wasn’t right.

The memories would slip through her fingers like water.

The people she cared about lost their clear faces. It was weird for her to say their names. What did Jace do? Why did that name hurt her heart?

She called out again, "HARVESTER," and this time her voice sounded like a thousand storms. "YOU FEED ON FEAR. BUT I AM BEYOND FEAR NOW."

The huge creature’s tentacles writhed as it studied her. Its old eyes narrowed with something that might have been... concern?

Impossible. Nothing scared the Harvester. Down below, she could hear people shouting her name.

The sounds felt faraway, like echoes from another world. "Liana! Fight the magic!" Liana. Was that her name? It seemed... familiar.

The silver fire around her grew brighter. With each pulse of power, another piece of herself disappeared.

Her wolf spirit stirred restlessly inside her mind. Not right, her wolf whimpered. This magic... it doesn’t belong to us.

For a moment, Liana felt clearer. Her wolf was fighting the change, trying to hold onto what made them who they were.

But the old magic was stronger. It pushed her wolf aside like swatting a fly. You are mine now, the magic whispered. Forget the weakness of human feelings.

Embrace your true power. "No," Liana gasped, her voice still booming with unnatural force. "I won’t forget them."

The Harvester picked that moment to attack. Massive tentacles shot toward her like striking snakes. Each one was thick as a tree trunk, dripping with acidic slime that could melt steel.

Liana raised her hand. Silver light exploded from her hand, slicing through the tentacles like they were made of paper.

The Harvester shrieked, a sound that broke windows for miles around. Too easy, she thought.

Why is this so easy? That’s when the old Luna’s spirit appeared beside her. The ghostly figure looked exactly as she had in life - regal, powerful, but with eyes full of terrible knowledge.

"Child," the Luna spirit said quickly, "you must listen to me." "I’m busy," Liana answered, blasting another wave of tentacles into smoking chunks.

"This magic comes with a price you don’t understand yet."

Liana stopped her attack. "What price?" The Luna spirit’s face was grave.

"Every magical being you save today will be bound to you forever. Their life force will flow through you. You’ll feel their pain, their joy, their death."

"So what?" Liana said, though something cold settled in her stomach. "I can handle it."

"All of them, child. Every werewolf, every vampire, every witch, every fae creature on this continent.

Thousands upon thousands of minds linked to yours. Their feelings flooding through you every second of every day." The Luna spirit moved closer.

"The old witches didn’t tell you the full truth. This magic doesn’t just give you power over others. It makes you responsible for their very survival." Liana’s concentration wavered.

The Harvester’s remaining tentacles wrapped around her legs, burning through her jeans with acid. She barely felt the pain.

That’s bad, she realized. I should feel that. "And there’s more," the Luna spirit continued desperately.

"The magic will keep growing. It will want to consume more beings, connect more thoughts to yours. It won’t stop with this continent."

"What are you saying?" Liana asked, ripping the tentacles off her legs with casual strength. "I’m saying this magic will eventually try to connect every magical being on Earth to you. Millions of minds.

Millions of souls. All their pain and madness pouring into your head until you break." The silver fire around Liana flickered.

For a moment, she remembered Jace’s laugh. Kael’s protective hug. Rowan’s soft touch. The memories felt like warm sunshine breaking through cold clouds.

But then the magic surged stronger, burning the memories away again. Focus, the ancient power ordered. Destroy the threat. Nothing else matters.

The Harvester had withdrawn slightly, its massive form hovering uncertainly. It seemed to be waiting for something.

"Child," the Luna spirit said one final time, "if you continue down this road, you’ll save everyone today. But you’ll damn yourself forever.

Is that a trade you’re willing to make?" Liana looked down at the trapped supernatural beings. Families gathered together in terror. Children crying for their parents.

And there was Jace, barely aware but still fighting his chains. Even from this distance, she could see the purpose in his eyes. He’s fighting for me, she thought.

They’re all fighting for me. The realization hit her like a physical blow. These people loved her.

Not because of some mate bond or old prophecy, but because of who she was. Liana the omega. Liana the girl who had been ignored and forgotten. They loved her heart. And the magic was taking that away piece by piece.

"I have to finish this," she said to the Luna spirit. "I can’t let the Harvester kill them." "I understand," the Luna spirit responded sadly.

"But know this - once you fully accept this power, there may be no way back. The old magic will consume everything that makes you... you."

The Harvester suddenly moved, shooting toward the caught supernatural beings with impossible speed. Liana had seconds to decide.

Save them now and lose herself forever. Or find another way and risk watching everyone she loved die.

The silver fire around her body pulsed brighter as she made her choice. But just as she was about to release the full power of the ancient magic, something unexpected happened.

The flying babies that had been following her appeared beside the Luna spirit.

WE HAVE BEEN WAITING, they said in unison. THE FINAL PIECE IS READY. "What final piece?" Liana asked. LOOK BEHIND YOU. Liana spun around.

There, rising from the trees below, came a figure she thought she’d never see again. Someone who had died months ago.

Someone whose comeback changed everything. The Harvester froze in its attack, its ancient eyes wide with something that looked like fear.

And Liana understood that the battle she thought she was fighting wasn’t the real battle at all. What have we walked into?