Trust From Within - Book 3 Daughter of a Monster Series

Chapter 41- Balance Must Be Maintained

We all walk over to the portal, but before anyone finishes their goodbyes Tara runs over, blood covering her hands and tremors wracking her frame. "Guys, it's Regina."

Karn, Cole and I follow Tara over into a patch of trees. She leads us over to a body laying on the ground. "I don't know what's wrong. She's bleeding, I think internally, but I don't know. There's no obvious signs of trauma."

We surround her, Karn running his hand through the air over her body, his magic scanning her for injury. I can feel it though, and by the look on Cole's face, so can he.

She's dying.

Her magic is almost not there, completely drained, almost dead itself, and the strain of that has hurt her physically. This isn't like repression, it's something worse. Something more horrific.

"Someone's used her magic up, and her own energy," Cole whispers, brushing some curls out of her pale face.

"Stacy did," I reply, equally as quiet. "She must've had some sort of connection to Regina, used up all her magic fighting me. She kept getting these power bursts, but.... I had no idea."

"What happened to Stacy?"

"I've taken care of her, she won't be bothering us again," Tara replies darkly, an unfamiliar glint in her eye.

Cole curls his arm around me as Karn finishes his scan. "There's nothing I can do. She's completely worn out, only has a few minutes, at most. We should bring her to the brothers. They would want to see her go, especially Brine."

We nod and Karn bends over, picking her up with a grunt, his side still tender from being stabbed. I grab everyone and teleport them all back to the portal. When we appear, Regina opens her eyes.

Dad stumbles forward, Notch letting him go from their hug as Dad drops down next to where Karn is placing Regina. "Regie?"

"Brine," she breathes out. "Did we win?"

"Yeah, we won, we did it. You did it," he assures her, fresh tears spilling as he takes her hand. "You can rest now."

"Use me... my soul. Trade places... with the one... who loves," she rasps cryptically.

"Brine? What does she mean?" Mum asks, placing a hand on his shoulder. Regina's eyes roll back in her head, but she keeps breathing, if shallowly. Dad stays silent.

"Do it, Brine," Mariko answers instead. "Trade her."

"But... what about the rest of you? Karn, your daughter? Or Notch?" Dad's brown eyes search for Karn, worry and fear painted clearly on his face.

"I'm where I'm meant to be, brother," Notch answers. "I have a place here, Kathryn's here, and Renna. I know Cole and Gaby are left with you, but I trust you with them. They have their family."

"And I will get to Jay in the end," Karn answers. "We still don't know if you'd be able to make it to Sana."

"Do it, Brine," Mariko encourages.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine," the wolf answers. "Be happy with your mate, give your daughter a mother."

"Dad? What do they mean? What does Regina mean?" I ask frantically, a wave of anxiety cresting in my gut. "What does she want you to do?"

"You remember how I said Stacy would have to trade a soul for a soul?" he asks. "Otherwise the balance would be off and it could destroy the universe?"

"Yeah."

"Regina knows she's dying, she's offering herself as a trade."

"For who?" Mum's eyes meet mine and understanding blossoms in me. "For Mum?"