Chapter 42 THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
CHAPTER 42: THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
Luna wakes up screaming.
I'm holding her shoulders, trying to keep her from thrashing, when Elder Mara pushes through the crowd.
"Move," the old woman snaps.
She presses gnarled fingers to Luna's temples and mutters something in a language I don't recognize. Luna's eyes flutter closed and her body goes limp.
"She'll live," Mara says. "But that kind of possession leaves scars."
"He was inside her head," I say, my voice shaking. "How is that possible?"
"The prophecy created a bond. Blood calls to blood even when that blood is corrupted."
Magnus doesn't wait for Luna to fully recover. He's already shouting orders, calling warriors to the main hall. Within minutes the space is packed with bodies, all of them armed and angry.
Beta Kira stands in the center, her face a mask of barely controlled fury.
"We go now," she says, her voice cutting through the noise. "Every second we waste is another second my daughter suffers."
"And every warrior we throw at him untrained is another body to add to his collection," Magnus counters. "We need strategy."
"Strategy?" Kira's laugh is bitter and broken. "He gave us thirty six hours. There's no time for strategy."
"There's always time," Magnus growls. "That's what separates us from animals."
"My daughter is not an acceptable loss."
"No one said she was."
The argument escalates fast. Voices overlap, people taking sides. The pack splits right down the middle.
I look at my group. Kieran's jaw is clenched so tight I'm worried he'll crack a tooth. Alaric stands perfectly still, the way he does when he's calculating odds. Cassian's hands are fisted at his sides. Zev's eyes glow faintly, unfocused.
"What do we do?" Sofia whispers to me.
I don't know.
Magnus slams his fist on a wooden table. The crack of impact silences everyone.
"We vote," he says. "All in favor of immediate rescue."
Half the hands go up. Kira's is first.
"All in favor of strategic planning."
The other half raise their hands. It's dead even.
Magnus looks at me. "You're the prophecy twin. You break the tie."
My throat goes dry. "What?"
"Your choice. We rush in and maybe save one girl but definitely alert Marvin that we're coming. Or we take time to prepare and give him what he wants, more victims for his weapon."
"That's not a choice," I say. "That's a death sentence either way."
"Welcome to leadership," Magnus says coldly.
Luna struggles to sit up, her face still pale from the possession. "Thalira?"
Everyone is staring at me. Waiting.
I think about Sage dying in our arms. About the corrupted wolves. About the girl bound to that altar in the vision.
"We split up," I hear myself say.
Magnus frowns. "Explain."
"Half of us go for the rescue. The other half prepares to attack his main lair." I look around the room. "He wants us rushing in blind. So we give him half of what he wants while the rest of us plan how to actually stop him."
Kira's expression shifts. Hope flickers there, dangerous and desperate.
"It could work," Reyna says quietly. The tracker twin steps forward. "A small team moves faster. Less chance of detection."
"And if the rescue team dies?" Magnus demands.
"Then the preparation team finishes the job," I say, hating how cold it sounds.
There's a long silence. Then Magnus nods slowly.
"Fine. But I choose who goes where."
"No," I interrupt. "I choose. It's my plan."
His eyes narrow but he doesn't argue.
I look at my group. This is going to hurt.
"Rescue team is me, Kieran, Luna and Reyna."
Alaric's face goes completely blank. Cassian's flames flicker around his clenched fists. Zev's eyes snap into focus, burning green.
"Absolutely not," Alaric says.
"You're not going without me," Cassian adds.
"That's a suicide mission," Zev finishes.
"I know," I say quietly. "That's why I need you three here. If we fail someone has to stop him. And you're the only ones powerful enough to burn that weapon completely."
Cassian shakes his head. "There has to be another way."
"There isn't. You know there isn't."
Kieran steps beside me. "She's right. A small team has the best chance."
"And if something happens to her?" Alaric's voice is deadly quiet.
"Then you burn everything," I say, meeting his red eyes. "You burn the mines, the weapon, Marvin, all of it. You don't stop until there's nothing left but ash."
"Thalira—"
"That's my decision."
Magnus clears his throat. "The preparation team will be Alaric, Cassian, Zev, Morgana, Sofia, Rafe and myself. We'll gather weapons, map the tunnels and plan entry points."
"I want to go with the rescue team," Kira says.
"No," Magnus says firmly. "You're too emotionally compromised. You'll get people killed."
"She's my daughter."
"Which is exactly why you're staying here."
Kira looks like she wants to fight but she doesn't. She just nods, tears streaming down her face.
"The rescue team leaves in an hour," Magnus announces. "Use that time wisely."
The crowd disperses slowly. My group clusters around me immediately.
"This is insane," Sofia says. "You're going to get yourself killed."
"Maybe," I admit. "But I'm going anyway."
Morgana grabs my hand. "Come back. We just became friends. I refuse to lose you now."
I squeeze her fingers. "I'll do my best."
They drift away to prepare, leaving me alone with the boys.
For a moment no one speaks.
Then Kieran pulls me aside, away from the others.
"Hey," he says softly.
"Hey."
His hands cup my face, thumbs brushing my cheeks. "Come back to me."
"That's the plan."
"I'm serious Thalira. I've already lost you four times. I can't do it again."
"You won't," I promise even though I have no idea if that's true.
He kisses me. It's desperate and fierce and tastes like goodbye.
When he pulls back his eyes are bright. "I'll see you in thirty six hours."
"Thirty four now," I correct weakly.
He steps away and Alaric takes his place.
"Don't be a hero," Alaric says.
"I'm not trying to be."
"You're walking into a trap to save someone you don't know. That's the definition of hero behavior."
"Then I guess I can't help myself."
His hand slides into my hair, pulling me closer. "If you die I'm burning the entire Northern territory to the ground."
"That seems extreme."
"I'm a vampire. Extreme is what we do."
He kisses me softer than Kieran but no less intense. When he releases me there's blood on his lip from where his fang caught.
"Be smart," he whispers. "Please."
Cassian is next. He doesn't say anything at first, just pulls me into a hug that nearly cracks my ribs.
"If it goes wrong you run," he finally says into my hair. "You don't try to save everyone. You don't sacrifice yourself. You just run."
"I can't promise that."
"Try anyway."
His kiss tastes like smoke and desperation. When he lets go his hands are shaking.
"See you on the other side," he says.
"The other side of what?"
"Whatever hell you're about to walk through."
Zev is last. He stands a little apart, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"You already know what I'm going to say don't you?" I ask.
"You're walking into a trap. He's going to try to get inside your head. And you're going to fight him anyway because that's who you are."
"So what's your advice?"
"Trust your instincts. When he talks and he will talk don't listen to the words. Listen to what's underneath. He's broken and broken things are predictable."
"You say that like it's simple."
"It's not. But you're not simple either." He steps closer. "The bond between you and him goes both ways. If he can get in your head you can get in his. Use that."
"How?"
"I don't know yet. But you'll figure it out. You always do."
He doesn't kiss me. Just touches his forehead to mine for a long moment.
"Don't die," he whispers. "I'm tired of watching you die."
"I'll try my best."
An hour later the rescue team stands at the edge of pack territory. It's full dark now, the kind of darkness that makes you feel like the world has ended beyond your line of sight.
Reyna shifts into wolf form. Luna does the same. Their eyes glow in the night, twin points of silver light.
Kieran stays human for now but I can see his wolf just beneath the surface.
"The mines are six hours north," Reyna says. "We'll make better time if you ride."
"Ride what?" I ask.
Luna huffs, which I think is wolf for get on.
I climb onto her back carefully. Her fur is thick and warm. The moment I'm settled she takes off running.
The forest blurs around us. Trees become shadows. The ground disappears beneath Luna's paws. Kieran runs beside us, keeping pace easily. Reyna leads, her nose to the ground.
Two hours in we slow.
Reyna stops at the mouth of a cave. The entrance is barely visible, hidden behind overgrown vines and fallen rocks.
"Here," she says, shifting back to human. "This is the eastern entrance to the mine system."
The smell hits me. Copper and rot and something chemical that burns my nose.
"He's close," Luna whispers, shifting back as well.
Reyna kneels, examining something on the ground. When she stands there's blood on her fingers.
"Fresh trail. Less than an hour old."
My heart hammers. "The girl?"
"She's alive." Reyna's expression darkens. "But so is he. He's not hiding anymore."
"Because he knows we're coming," Kieran says.
"Because he wants us to come," I correct.
Luna looks at the cave entrance. "Once we go in there's no turning back."
"Then let's not waste time."