The Four Protectors

Fifty One

3rd Person POV

Over the next few days, friends and family arrived in hordes to protect the people they loved. There were tearful reunions and when Cassius saw those, he couldn't help but believe that this was worth fighting for even if they did lose. These people didn't need their supernatural strengths back; they only needed their families.

"Cass!"

Cassius couldn't contain a smile as Leila clambered out of her car with a couple of people whom she'd deemed trustworthy enough for this mission. She embraced him tightly before surveying the area. Rafia, Azriel and a few other warlocks had helped summon more accommodations and strengthened the wards.

But Cassius knew that it still might not be enough.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me," Cassius said gratefully.

"It's only right," she assured.

He directed her to the tents that they'd resorted to summoning as a temporary shelter. He winced but Leila didn't complain. After dropping her off, he headed off in the direction of Catherine and Azriel, who were talking to an older couple with animated smiles.

Even from the distance, he could tell that those smiles weren't real.

He'd taken all of one step towards them when he felt it. The ground itself seemed to shudder. After a moment, he realized it was a disturbance of the wards.

He turned to Azriel once more, who was already racing towards the boundary. Catherine was off as well, whisking all the humans into the house. It had been reinforced with more wards than Cassius could count. He could only hope they would hold.

As Catherine passed him, she reached out and drew him close. It was a hurried press of her lips against his, a desperate plea for him to stay safe. When she drew back, he couldn't help but take that one extra moment to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and memorize the way she looked before he was off.

When he got the boundary, the wards were still holding. Azriel and Desmond were already there alongside dozens of others. Everyone winced at the sight beyond the wards.

The Countess had brought a veritable army of traitors, people that had sat in on the meeting, even people in his own pack. The woman herself however was nowhere in sight. A dozen or so warlocks were working to take down the wards, on their side and Cassius could feel Azriel's strain to hold it.

"How long," Desmond asked.

They were outnumbered but they always knew they would be. The group before them was almost double the size that stood beside Cassius and he had no doubt that the woman had reinforcements. He stepped back reflexively, tightening his hold around Desmond's hand, as another bolt of magic attempted to take down the wards.

Sweat glistened on Azriel's forehead as he spoke.

"Not long," he said.

Cassius sought out Rafia in the crowd desperately. She was doing her part as well, barely swaying compared to Azriel, but even her power wouldn't last long. That was when Leila came running up.

"We need to take down the wards," she said.

"Are you insane," Desmond started.

"They're losing precious energy that we could be investing in the actual fight. The extra time is doing nothing but making people nervous," she countered.