Cursed By Blood, Bound By Power

er body pulsing with power, her senses razor-sharp, the world around her magnified to an almost unbearable level. The shaman's words still ec

neath her feet seemed to hum with the energy coursing through her. She could hear every whisper of the wind outside

nsation of being so acutely aware of everything around her unnerving. She could hear the faintest pulse of her blood, feel the power coursing through her

ill wasn'

ng exhilarating. There was freedom in this form, freedom to move, to fight, to unleash the rage that had been building inside her since the death

the woman she was and the beast she was becoming. The line was thin, and the temptation to cross it was so strong,

she said, her voice a mixture of frustration and uncertainty. "I can feel the power-it

s lips tightened, but he said nothing, as though allowing her to process t

r thoughts. "What you need is understanding. This power, the beast within you-it is not just a cur

heart. She had heard this before-she was not a monster, not just a weapon. But it w

to hear. "Why am I the one with this power? The K

id not choose you, Sylva. Your blood chose you. Your father's magic chose you. You are not just an accident of fate

e, and the storm that had begun to gather inside her. She wanted to scream, to tear at the walls and shout h

gh her heart still beat fast. "But what if I'm not ready for

for the power we inherit, Sylva. But we all must decide if

in the quiet of this chamber, standing on the edge of what could be a future of unimaginable power, she wasn't su

t you. Not only your control but your resolve. You must face it, Sylva. The beast inside you will try to bre

the moon again, of allowing the werewolf inside her to take control, sent a

ulnerability she had buried for so long threatened to spill out, but s

g like approval. "I will show you the way

. The thought of facing the full moon again made her heart race, but it also gave her a str

as a force, a weapon, a ruler in the making. She ha

f the torch. "Prepare yourself, Sylva. The moon will reveal the truth of wh

g in the circle of ancient runes, the silence thick around

would