Page 68 of The Purrfect Rival

Rust signaled Hezron, then launched forward in a blur of speed. His partial shift happened mid-stride—muscles expanding, senses sharpening, claws extending from human hands. Beside him, Kalyna moved with matched purpose, her own fox attributes manifesting as she wove complex illusions that multiplied their apparent number.

Shouts of alarm erupted as guards spotted their approach. Simultaneously, Hezron’s team burst from the eastern perimeter, roaring challenges that sent several of Boz’s followers scattering in panic. The coordinated attack created instant chaos—exactly as planned.

Rust tore through the first line of defense with brutal efficiency, his lion strength amplified by righteous fury. These were the same forces that had attacked the Foxworthy homestead, that had hurt Kalyna. His claws found vulnerable flesh, his enhanced speed making him nearly untouchable as he carved a path toward the center.

Kalyna operated differently but with equal effectiveness. Her illusions disoriented defenders, making them strike at phantom targets while she slipped past their guard. Where he brought raw power, she contributed precision—fox magic sliding between the cracks of their enemies’ defenses.

Rust sensed her every move, their awareness merged into a singular tactical mind. When a follower lunged at her blind side, he was already pivoting to intercept. When his advance was blocked by a magical barrier, her illusion created a false opening that drew the mage’s attention, allowing him to strike from an unexpected angle.

At the northern point, Echo and Lucella had reached the artifact. Elder Willow’s counter-spells momentarily neutralized the protective wards, allowing Echo to dart forward. His fingers closed around the tainted pinecone-shaped talisman just as one of Boz’s mages spotted the attempt.

“The charm!” the mage shouted, redirecting a blast of green energy toward Echo.

Lucella reacted instantly, throwing herself into Echo’s path. The spell struck her squarely in the chest, sending her flying backward with a cry of pain that cut through the battle noise.

Echo hesitated, torn between the mission and his fallen comrade. In that moment of distraction, a second mage flanked him, wresting the artifact from his grasp then retreating into the chaos.

Rust cursed under his breath, redoubling his efforts to reach the center. Kalyna matched his urgency, her illusions growingmore elaborate as they pushed forward against mounting resistance.

At the ritual’s heart, Boz rose to his feet. His transformation had progressed further—face elongated into a grotesque mockery of lion features, muscles bulging unnaturally beneath his ceremonial robes. When he spoke, his voice carried the hollow resonance of tainted magic.

“Too late, cousin,” he called, eyes fixed on Rust. “The convergence has begun.”

The moon reached its zenith directly above the circle. Boz raised his arms, channeling power through the artifacts at each cardinal point. Green energy surged upward, forming a dome over the entire ritual site. The air grew heavy, charged with malevolent purpose.

“He’s creating a magical sink,” Elder Willow called, her frail voice carrying unexpected power. “It will drain all shifter energy within range!”

Rust felt it immediately—a tugging sensation at his core as though some essential part of him was being siphoned away. Beside him, Kalyna staggered, her fox attributes flickering as the ritual began stealing her magic.

“The four artifacts,” she gasped, fighting to remain upright. “We need to break the circuit.”

Rust searched the area for the mages. “Hezron,” he shouted, “the southern mage!”

His lieutenant understood instantly, redirecting his lions toward the artifact positioned at the southern edge. Rust signaled Echo, who had regained his feet and now dragged Lucella to relative safety. “Western point! We’ll take east and north!”

They split up, each targeting one of the power points. Rust charged toward the eastern stone, where a mage channeled energy through a tainted dragon scale. The man saw himcoming, panic flashing across his face as he hastily erected a shield.

Too late. Rust slammed into the barrier with his full weight, lion strength shattering the hastily constructed defense. His claws closed around the dragon scale, crushing it despite the painful heat that seared his palm. The artifact crumbled, one point of the ritual circuit disrupted.

Her magic still recognized the charm’s original purpose even though dampened by Boz’s ritual. As her fingers touched the tainted relic, crimson light sparked beneath the sickly green overlay.

The ritual faltered, its energy fluctuating as two of the four anchor points failed. Boz howled in rage, abandoning ceremony in favor of direct action. He leaped from the central platform, body fully shifting into a monstrous form—larger than any natural lion, his mane writhing with dark energy, claws leaving smoking gouges in the stone where they struck.

“You’ve ruined everything!” he snarled, charging toward Rust with unnatural speed.

SIXTY-SIX

Rust braced for impact, shifting further toward his lion form to meet the threat. They collided with bone-jarring force, rolling across the ritual ground in a blur of fangs and claws. Despite his enhanced strength, Rust found himself matched—Boz’s tainted magic lending him power beyond normal shifter limits.

Razor claws raked across Rust’s chest, drawing blood that sizzled against the dark magic. Pain lanced through him, but he used it, channeling the sensation into fighting fury. His jaws snapped at Boz’s throat, missing by millimeters as his cousin twisted away.

“She’s made you weak,” Boz taunted, circling for another attack. “A fox-claimed lion. An abomination.”

“You’re the abomination,” Rust growled, sensing Kalyna moving to flank Boz from behind. “Desecrating sacred magic for power.”

“Power is our birthright!” Boz lunged again, his twisted form moving with unnatural agility. “The Leonids should rule Enchanted Falls, not dilute our line with lesser species!”

Rust met the charge head-on, no longer fighting with calculated precision but with primal rage. Their bodiescrashed together, claws tearing, teeth seeking vulnerable points. Through his bond with Kalyna, he felt her alarm at the savage exchange, her fox magic reaching toward him despite the distance between them.

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