Canton was standing guard to his liege knowing fully well that while the royalty was immersed in finding his energy, it was possible that his powers may flow unhindered and cause him harm. He would have to then pull him out of the trance. Moreover he was afraid that if his powers harmed Ensmoire, the dragon would eat him alive. The thought made him shudder and he inched closer to Daryn who was deep in his trance.

An hour later a white light emerged from the center of his forehead and it hovered there in the form of a circle. Perhaps he didn't know about it because he stayed absolutely calm, his eyes closed and his shoulders straight. Suddenly he started chanting words that were never heard of, neither they were of the local dialect of Ixoviya, nor the local language he spoke. The words were of ancient dialect, one Canton had heard long back when he was performing a ceremony for Sedora. At that time, Sedora had started chanting this language with her eyes pulled back in her head. She was praying the dark spirits for agelessness. Canton moved away from him and started at the sorcerer.

The words kind of pulled magic from the air. Canton held his chest and leaned in front as if he was about to become breathless. What was Daryn doing?

Daryn continued to chant the words not even knowing whether he was doing it or not. Red lights shot with bolts of yellow in them from his hands that were held up. They cascaded down like waterfalls towards his hands and then spiraled towards his head and further down to his torso.

"Daryn!

" Canton shouted. But he wasn't listening.

The red lights surrounded his body like a burning spider web. They crackled and sparked around him as if protecting him as if now they were the blood coursing through him.

By this time, Dawn had rushed back to him.

"What is happening?

" she asked Canton as her mind froze. She leapt towards him when Canton didn't answer and there was a confused look on his face.

"Daryn!

" she screamed and lunged forward but Quetz stopped her with his wings and she couldn't do anything against the strong force that withheld her.

"Let me go!

" she shoved and pushed and scratched Quetz's wings hoping she could fight against the mighty power of her dragon to reach her mate. But Quetz only dragged her further.

"Daryn! Open your eyes!

" she screamed.

The red lights now spilled all over his body whirling and babbling like water in a storm rigged ocean until he was fully immersed in them.

"You have to pull him out of his trance!

" She yelled at Canton.

Canton was mesmerized. He had never seen this kind of magery in his life. The man sitting in front of him was a supreme sorcerer.

"I can't do that, my liege!

" he replied in a hoarse voice.

"The magic needs to complete itself.

"

The red lights began to pulse as if they were his heartbeat. Their color changed to orange and then a lighter yellow until only small remnants of red remained near his heart. All at once the yellow lights crackled as bolts of silver infused it and her husband was swallowed in the lights. A boom crackled and the white and silver lights began to leave Daryn and separated from him. The white lights flooded almost half of the Ensmoire before they retreated and formed the silhouette of its owner and Canton saw the outline of the werewolf in those lights with sharp claws and fangs. The edges of the lights materialized giving him a recognizable form.

Dawn felt like screaming as her body felt the need to rush to her husband. She couldn't understand what she was seeing. She wanted to retch, she wanted to cry. Her instincts were clamoring her to protect her husband.

"Come back Daryn!

" she shouted.

Quetz shushed her through their mental link. 'Daryn has been able to separate his spirit from his body. You can't stop this process. Let's just hope that he is able to pull the spirit back in the body.

Dawn gasped in his clutches. Quetz was thankful that he had held his rider tightly in his wings while Canton—he was kneeling on the ground in front of the spirit of Daryn.

"My liege,

" he whispered in reverence.

Daryn gave him a cold look through the hollow of those eyes. Behind him, over the heart of his body red lights were throbbing while he was still sitting in the same position.

Dawn let out a whimper and Daryn looked up at her. He floated towards her and brought his hand to her face. She could feel the coldness that touched her skin. It made her shudder.

"Wife…

" he said and stroked her cheeks.

"You are my mate…

"

Tears began to stream down her face. Her husband was so attached to her even when his spirit left his body. Now she understood what it meant that he would follow her in death too.

"I am…

" she whispered.

"Don't be afraid…

"

Her lips trembled as she tried to suppress a shriek.

Daryn returned to his body and once again the red lights sprawled all over his body like a spider's web. The spirit was sucked into it. The process reversed and soon only Daryn's corporeal form was left. As if starved of air, Daryn gasped heavily and opened his eyes, which were red. He coughed heavily and was on his haunches and palms as if reeling under a nauseous attack.

Quetz left Dawn who darted to him. He followed her closely behind. Canton too came over. Dawn was on her knees as she stroked and patted his back. He was profusely sweating and wheezing.

"Dawn!

" he said.

"Dawn, wh— what was that.

" Another heavy bout of cough stopped him from speaking. His face was red.

"Don't talk,

" she chided him.

"Relax.

"

For what looked like eternity, Daryn managed to sit with his back rested against the Eoben. When he looked at Dawn, he said,

"I felt as if I was about to die. I thought I had left this realm and was about to enter a different one. And when that happened, the only thing that I wanted was to see you again.

"

Dawn wiped her tears and stifled a sob. This is what it felt like if the mate left. Her heart was ripped apart, robbed of love and warmth. She lunged at him to hold him tightly.

"Daryn, don't do that again.

" Her shoulders shuddered as another sob ripped through her. He wrapped his arms around her and then looked at Canton. Dawn cradled in his lap and held his chest so tightly as if she wanted to merge in his body.

Feeling his rider's emotions, Quetz wanted to wrap his wings around them and that's what he did. He sat right next to them and enveloped them in the warmth of his wings like they were two pearls in a shell.

When emotions settled, Quetz removed his one wing just enough for them to see Canton who was standing like a curious cat.

"What happened Canton?

" asked Daryn.

"My liege, you are a Lykae from your father's side and now you have awakened the sorcery in you. The combination is lethal. You were able to separate your body from your spirit. This is very dark magic and one, which is banned in the Lore. It is used to fight dead.

"