Free Web NovelChapter 223: Chapter 223
Caden’s POV
I stood there for a few seconds, still blocking her path, my mind running through every possible outcome and not liking any of them.
Gunnar’s breathing behind me was almost gone and I could hear it clearly now because the room had gone too quiet. Leslie wasn’t even moving anymore. She was just watching, waiting, and that alone told me how bad things had gotten.
I clenched my jaw and looked at Carian again. Everything about this felt wrong. She shouldn’t even be here. The fact that she was standing in front of me, speaking, moving, looking exactly like she used to-it didn’t sit right with me at all.
But none of that mattered if Gunnar died while I stood here arguing.
I exhaled slowly, then stepped aside.
"Do it," I said, my voice low and firm, even though I didn’t trust her. "But if you try anything else-"
"I won’t," she cut in, already moving past me.
I didn’t finish the sentence, but she already knew what I meant.
I turned immediately, my eyes following her every step as she walked toward the bed.
Even as I gave her space, my body stayed tense, ready. I didn’t trust her now, and I hadn’t trusted her even when she was alive. None of us did.. freёweɓnovel.com
Cane especially.
If Cane had been here instead of me, there was no way he would have moved aside this easily. He would have found another way, forced something, anything, rather than let her get this close to Gunnar. His dislike for her wasn’t subtle. I never fully understood where it came from, but I knew it was real.
As for me, I had my own reasons for hating her. And I wasn’t about to forget them now.
Carian reached the bed and stood beside Gunnar, looking down at him for a brief moment. Her expression didn’t change much, but there was something focused in her eyes now, like everything else had disappeared and only him mattered.
I moved a little closer, not too close but enough that I could step in if needed.
Leslie stayed where she was for a second, then slowly shifted to stand closer to me instead of the bed, like she didn’t want to be directly in Carian’s space.
Carian reached for Gunnar’s shirt and pushed it up carefully, exposing his chest just below his neck. His skin looked worse now, dull and cold, and his breathing was barely visible.
She lifted one of her hands and hovered it over his body for a second before lowering it slowly, her fingers brushing lightly against his chest. Then she moved her hand down along his stomach, tracing a line before bringing it back up again.
That was when I spoke.
"If you’re here to obsess over him again," I said sharply, my voice cutting through the silence, "you’d better stop right now, Carian."
Her hand paused for just a second.
Then she continued like she didn’t even hear the tone in my voice.
"I’m not here for that," she said calmly, not looking at me.
"You’ve said that before," I replied. "Doesn’t mean I believe you."
She didn’t respond to that. She just adjusted her position slightly and placed both of her hands flat against Gunnar’s chest, right over his heart.
Her palms pressed down firmly.
Then she closed her eyes.
At first, nothing happened.
Then she started speaking.
The words were low, quiet, and not in any language I recognized. It wasn’t something I had ever heard before, not even close. Each word came out one after the other, like she had said them many times before.
Her hands didn’t move from his chest. Instead, they pressed down harder as she continued, her fingers spreading slightly like she was trying to hold something in place.
The air in the room changed.
I felt it before I understood it. It got colder fast.
The temperature dropped enough that I could feel it on my skin immediately. Leslie shifted beside me, her arms crossing instinctively like she was trying to keep warm.
"What is she doing?" Leslie whispered, her voice tight.
"I don’t know," I answered, not taking my eyes off Carian.
The words she was chanting started to pick up speed. Still clear but faster now. Her voice grew a little louder, not shouting but stronger, like it was carrying more weight with each word.
Then the windows rattled.
I turned my head slightly toward the side of the room. The glass shook hard, like something had just hit it from outside.
Another sound followed.
Thunder. Loud.
Leslie grabbed my arm immediately. "Caden-"
"I see it," I said quickly, my eyes already back on Carian.
The sky outside had changed. It had gone dark in seconds, like night had dropped in the middle of the day. Another flash of lightning lit up the room briefly, sharp and bright, followed by another loud crack of thunder that made the walls feel like they shook.
Carian didn’t stop.
Her voice kept going, steady, focused, like none of it affected her at all.
Her hands pressed even harder against Gunnar’s chest now, and I could see the tension in her arms as she held that position.
Then the rain started.
It came down hard immediately, hitting the windows in heavy drops that sounded like they were being thrown against the glass. The noise filled the room quickly, mixing with the thunder that kept rolling overhead.
Leslie stepped closer to me, almost pressing into my side now. "This isn’t normal," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "This is not normal at all."
"I know," I replied, my own voice tight.
Another flash of lightning lit up the room, and for a split second, I saw Carian’s face clearly again.
Her eyes were still closed, her expression focused, but there was something else there too. Something intense.
Her chanting changed slightly. The words became sharper, more forceful, like she was pushing harder with whatever she was doing.
"Caden..." Leslie said again, gripping my arm tighter now.
I didn’t respond.
I was watching Gunnar. Waiting for something. Anything.
Carian’s hands pressed down again, harder than before, and her voice rose just a little more as she spoke the next set of words.
The wind outside picked up, strong enough now that I could hear it pushing against the building. The windows shook again, louder this time, and the rain only got heavier.
"This is insane," Leslie muttered.
"Stay behind me," I said, my voice low.
She didn’t argue. She moved fully behind me now, her hand still gripping my arm like she didn’t want to let go.
Carian didn’t stop.
Her voice kept going, her hands still locked in place on Gunnar’s chest, her entire focus on whatever she was doing.
Another loud crack of thunder hit, closer this time, and the light flickered for a second.
Then....the door slammed open.
I turned immediately, my body reacting on instinct, ready for anything.
Cane stood there, his chest rising fast, his eyes sharp as they scanned the room. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"What the hell is going on here?"
