CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY - EIGHT - A PROMISE KEPT

Freya unleashed a barrage of magical attacks, but they seemed to have little effect. The beast's corrupted hide absorbed or deflected most of her spells. "Anna!" Freya cried out, dodging a swipe from the beast's massive paw. "The gem! Use the gem!" Heart pounding, Anna fumbled for the pouch containing the Nordyl gem. As soon as her fingers touched it, she felt a surge of energy course through her. Instinctively, she held it out towards the beast. A beam of pure, white light shot from the gem, striking the creature in its chest. It let out a howl of pain and fury, recoiling from the light. Where the beam touched its corrupted hide, the darkness seemed to recede, revealing glimpses of the werewolf it had once been. "It's working!" Anna shouted. "Magnus, now!" With the beast momentarily weakened, Magnus saw his opportunity. He charged forward, putting all his strength behind a single, powerful strike. His weapon found its mark, sinking deep into the creature's chest. The beast let o