Elara’s POV
Lucian’s hand in mine was real and solid. The golden thread between us hummed with a steady, warm energy. It wasn’t a voice in my head, but a knowing. I felt his resolve, his plan forming even before he spoke.
“Lyra, Aric,” Lucian said, his Alpha voice ringing with an unshakable, new authority. “Can the Stone’s energy be used as a weapon? Not to destroy, but to… to repel?”
Aric looked at the now-quiet Stone. “Its power is purification. It completely rejects a corrupted will. A focused pulse could act as a shield, pushing the tainted ones back, but it would drain the Cradle’s reserves. We could only do it once.”
“Then we make it count,” Lucian said. He looked at Kael, who was shakily getting to his feet, his eyes now empty. “You. Would you choose to die here as a pawn, or li
