Chapter 5: Kael's Warm Touch
(Aria’s POV )
“Max!”
The hunter lunged straight for my little brother, smoky claws stretched out like knives.
I screamed and thrust my glowing hands forward. Silver light exploded out of me; wild and uncontrolled. The blast hit the hunter in the side and sent it flying into the trees with a horrible screech. But the backlash slammed into me like a truck. Sharp pain exploded up my arms and chest. I stumbled and dropped to my knees.
Max froze, eyes wide with terror. “Aria!”
Kael moved like lightning. He grabbed Max with one arm, pulled him safely behind him, then dropped down beside me. His warm hand clamped around my wrist.
“Easy,” he said urgently, voice low and steady. “Breathe with the moon. Don’t fight the light, guide it.”
His touch sent that familiar warm spark through me again , electric, calming, grounding. The wild silver light in my hands steadied almost instantly. The burning pain eased into a dull throb.
I looked up at him, breathing hard. “It hurts… every time it gets too strong.”
“I know,” Kael said, his golden eyes locked on mine. “Your power is rare. It’s too much for a new body to handle yet. That’s why the hunters want you so badly.”
Behind us, Lila and the others fought off the remaining shadows. Leo’s wolf form snapped and growled, keeping the hunters at bay. The academy gate glowed just ahead with safety.
But the hunters weren’t done.
Another one broke through the line and charged straight at us. Kael stood up fast, still holding my wrist with one hand while he met the creature with his free arm. He slammed into it with raw strength, but the hunter slashed across his shoulder before Kael could push it back.
Blood welled up instantly.
“Kael!” I cried.
“Don’t worry about me,” he growled through clenched teeth. “Get Max to the gate!”
Max looked terrified but stubborn. “I’m not leaving without you, Aria!”
My light flared again, feeding off my panic. I could feel it starting to spiral out of control once more.
Kael turned back to me, his face serious even with blood running down his arm. He took both my hands in his. The warm spark turned into something stronger; a steady, grounding heat that flowed from his palms into mine.
“Listen to me, Aria,” he said, voice calm but urgent. “Your light isn’t a weapon yet. It’s a part of you. Feel the moon. Let it flow through you, not explode out of you.”
I stared into his eyes. The world narrowed to just us for a second — his warm hands, the golden glow in his eyes, the steady rhythm of his breathing. I took a deep breath with him.
The silver light in my hands smoothed out. It didn’t flare wildly anymore. It became a steady, controlled glow.
Kael gave a small, tired smile. “There you go. That’s better.”
The hunter that had attacked him hissed and backed off, as if the change in my light confused it.
Lila shouted from ahead, “Gate’s open! Everyone through, now!”
We ran the last few yards. Kael never let go of my hands. The moment we crossed the glowing runes, the cold hunter presence vanished. The gate sealed behind us with a soft shimmer.
We all collapsed just inside the academy grounds. My legs gave out completely. Max dropped beside me, breathing hard but looking around with wide-eyed wonder at the glowing paths and stone buildings.
Kael sat down heavily, pressing a hand to his bleeding shoulder. “You did good back there.”
I looked at the blood on his shirt and felt guilt twist in my stomach. “You got hurt because of me. Again.”
He shook his head. “This is what pack does. We protect each other.” His eyes met mine, softer this time. “And your light… when I touched you, it listened. That’s rare.”
The warm spark between us lingered even after he let go of my hands. My cheeks felt hot.
Lila came over, wiping dirt from her face. “We need to get you both settled. Max can stay in the younger dorms tonight. You, Aria, need training first thing tomorrow. Your power is unstable and it’s getting stronger fast.”
Max grinned despite everything. “This place is awesome! Can I learn to glow too?”
Leo laughed as he shifted back to human form. “Kid’s got spirit. I like him.”
But not everyone was happy.
Mara stood a few feet away, arms crossed, watching us with sharp eyes. “Great. Now we have two new liabilities. The glowing girl who attracts hunters like moths to flame, and her little brother who probably carries the same cursed blood.”
Kael shot her a hard look. “Enough, Mara. She saved us tonight.”
Mara smirked. “For now. But how long until her light backfires and burns one of us? Or worse brings the entire hunter pack down on the academy?”
Her words hit hard. I looked down at my hands. The silver light was calm now, thanks to Kael’s touch, but I could still feel the wild power simmering underneath.
Max leaned closer to me and whispered, “Are they mad at us?”
I didn’t know how to answer.
Kael stood slowly, wincing from his wound. He offered me his hand again. “Come on. Let’s get that light properly grounded before sunrise. And Aria…”
He paused, his voice dropping so only I could hear.
“You’re not a curse. You’re the Key. And I’m going to help you control it even if it means I get hurt again.”
His warm fingers closed around mine.
But as we started walking toward the glowing stone buildings, I heard Mara’s voice behind us, low and sharp:
“Careful, Kael. Some keys open doors… and some keys open graves.”
My light flickered with fresh fear.
And in the distance, beyond the sealed gate, I could have sworn I heard the hunters howling louder than before.