Chapter 40 THE DYING SHE-WOLF
CHAPTER 40: THE DYING SHE-WOLF
We've been running for hours when Luna suddenly stops.
"Wait," she gasps, holding up a hand.
We freeze. The forest around us is too quiet.
"What is it?" Kieran asks, his body already tensing.
Luna's nose wrinkles. "Blood. Fresh."
We follow her through the trees until we find her.
A girl, maybe nineteen, stumbling between the trunks like a broken doll. Her clothes are shredded and hanging off her in strips. Dark burns cover her arms and legs, the kind that don't come from regular fire.
When she sees us she falls to her knees.
"Please," she whispers. "Please don't let him find me."
Sofia rushes forward with Morgana right behind her. They ease the girl down gently while the rest of us form a protective circle.
"We've got you," Sofia says softly. "You're safe now."
The girl laughs and it sounds like breaking glass. "Safe? No one's safe."
Up close the damage is worse. Bite marks cover her shoulders. Her wrists are raw from restraints. And carved into her collarbone are symbols that make Morgana go pale.
"Dark magic," Morgana whispers. "Old dark magic."
The girl's eyes find mine. They're ice blue and completely hollow.
"You're her," she says. "One of the moon twins."
Luna kneels beside her. "What's your name?"
"Sage. I'm from the Eastern pack." Sage coughs and blood flecks her lips. "Was from the Eastern pack."
"How long ago did he take you?" Alaric asks gently.
"Three days. Or maybe four. Time stopped meaning anything down there."
My stomach churns. "Down where?"
"The mines. Abandoned iron mines in the Northern mountains." Sage's breathing gets more labored. "He has a whole setup. Tunnels that go on forever. Chambers where he keeps us."
"How many?" Kieran's voice is deadly quiet.
"When I escaped there were seven others. But he takes more every few days." Her hand grabs Luna's wrist desperately. "You have to stop him. Please."
"We will," Luna promises. "I swear it."
Sage's eyes lose focus for a second then snap back. "The weapon. He's building something."
The temperature seems to drop.
"What kind of weapon?" Zev asks, his voice strained.
"Made from us. Our bones. Our blood. Our essence." Sage shivers violently. "It pulses. Like it's alive. He feeds it with every kill."
Sofia's hands shake as she tries to wrap Sage's wounds with cloth from her pack. "What does it do?"
"I don't know. But it's almost complete. He said three more and he'll be ready."
Three more girls.
Three more deaths.
Cassian runs a hand through his hair. "Where exactly in the mines?"
"Deepest chamber. Follows the main shaft down, then branch left at the first split. Keep going until you can't go further." Sage coughs harder this time. "But it's a maze down there. He'll hear you coming."
"Let him," Kieran growls.
Sage's eyes find mine again. "He talks about you. Both of you. He's obsessed."
"What does he say?" I ask even though I'm not sure I want to know.
"A prophecy. He kept repeating it. The twins who split the moon." She looks at Luna. "He said he's waited his whole life for you."
Luna's face goes completely white.
"What prophecy?" I demand. "Luna what is she talking about?"
But Luna won't meet my eyes.
Morgana speaks quietly. "I've heard of it. Ancient text. From before the great wars."
"Tell me," I say.
Morgana closes her eyes and recites:
"When moon splits in two and shadow learns to bleed, the daughters of starlight will rise or concede. One born to the wild, one born to the tame, together they'll end him or burn in his flame."
The words hang in the air like a curse.
"That's us," Luna whispers. "The prophecy is about us."
"How long have you known?" My voice comes out sharper than intended.
"Since I was eight. The pack elders told me." Luna finally looks at me and there are tears in her eyes. "They said I'd meet my twin one day and we'd face a great evil together."
"And you didn't think to mention this?"
"I hoped it was wrong. I hoped—"
"You hoped what? That if you ignored it it would just go away?"
Sage makes a choking sound. Sofia tries to give her water but most of it runs down her chin.
"Listen to me," Sage gasps, grabbing my hand now. Her grip is surprisingly strong. "He's not what you think. He's not just a killer."
"Then what is he?" Alaric asks.
"He's a weapon too. Someone made him. Shaped him. Turned him into this." Her breathing gets shallower. "In his lucid moments he begs for death. He doesn't want to be what he is."
"That doesn't excuse what he's done," Kieran says coldly.
"I know. I know. But if you're going to stop him you need to understand." Sage's eyes are starting to glaze over. "The weapon and him are connected. Destroy one and the other falls."
"How do we destroy it?" I ask urgently.
"Phoenix fire. It's the only thing that can burn dark magic that old." Her eyes find Cassian. "But you have to burn all of it. Every piece. Every drop of blood he's collected. If even a fragment survives it'll rebuild."
Cassian nods grimly. "I can do that."
"One more thing." Sage's voice is barely a whisper now. "He can feel you coming. Through the bond. The prophecy created a connection between you and him. He's inside your heads and you don't even know it."
My skin crawls.
"How do we break the connection?" Luna asks desperately.
"You don't. Not until one of you is dead."
Sage's eyes close. Her breathing stops.
Sofia checks her pulse and shakes her head.
We sit in silence for a long moment. Then Kieran starts digging.
We bury her in a small clearing where wildflowers grow through the grass. It feels inadequate for someone who suffered so much but it's all we can offer.
Luna places a smooth stone on the grave. "May you run free in the next life."
We're about to leave when Luna gasps and grabs her head.
"Luna?" I reach for her but she's frozen.
Her eyes go completely white.
"He's in my head," she chokes out. "Thalira he's showing me—"
Her body goes rigid and suddenly I'm seeing it too.
Through Luna's eyes. Through the twin bond.
A vision slams into both of us.
A dark chamber lit by sickly green light. A girl bound to a stone altar, barely conscious. And standing over her is a man.
He's tall and lean with dark hair and eyes that glow the same unnatural red as the corrupted wolves. His smile is gentle, almost kind, which makes it so much worse.
He looks directly at us. Like he knows we're watching.
"Hello sisters," he says softly. "I can feel you getting closer. Good. I've been waiting so long to meet you."
He runs a finger down the bound girl's cheek. She whimpers.
"I have everything prepared. The weapon is nearly complete. Just two more offerings and I'll be ready." His smile widens. "Are you ready for me?"
The vision cuts off.
Luna and I both collapse, gasping.
"What did you see?" Kieran demands, catching Luna before she hits the ground.
Alaric steadies me, his hands cold on my arms.
"Him," I breathe. "We saw him."
"And?" Cassian prompts.
Luna's voice shakes when she answers. "He's not what we thought. He's not just a serial killer."
"Then what is he?" Morgana asks.
I meet Luna's eyes and I see my own terror reflected back.
"He's our brother."