Chapter 12
The candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows across the words that haunted Elara’s thoughts.
"He doesn’t understand yet. But he will. And when he does, it will be too late."
Her mother’s journal sat open on her lap, the ink faded but the warning as sharp as a dagger’s edge.
What had her mother meant? Who had she been talking about—Kier? Draven? Someone else entirely?
Elara traced her fingers over the words, her thoughts tangled in the past. If my mother knew something was coming, why didn’t she do more to stop it?
A soft knock on the door broke her from her thoughts.
She didn’t have to ask who it was.
Leon.
He didn’t wait for permission to enter—he never did. The door creaked open, and he stepped inside, his sharp gaze sweeping over her before landing on the journal in her hands.
“You’re still up.” His voice was low, edged with something she couldn’t quite name.
She let out a slow breath, closing the journal. “Couldn’t sleep.”
Leon studied her for a moment before exhaling through his nose. “Not surprised.” He leaned against the desk, arms crossed, his broad frame casting long shadows across the room. The dim candlelight softened the edges of his face, but his expression remained hard.
Elara knew that look. He was analyzing her, waiting for her to say something—anything—that would make sense of what had happened tonight.
She didn’t know where to begin.
“I found something,” she admitted, tapping the worn cover of the journal. “Something my mother wrote before she died.”
Leon’s jaw tightened. “Go on.”
Elara hesitated before flipping back to the passage, turning the book toward him. He took a step closer, eyes scanning the words. She watched his expression shift—first confusion, then something darker.
“She knew,” he muttered. “She knew what was coming.”
Elara nodded. “And she tried to stop it. But she failed.”
Leon exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. “Draven knew more than he let on tonight. You saw it.”
“I did.”
“And Kier—” Leon’s voice hardened. “He’s not just playing games. He has a plan.”
Elara shut the book. “Which means we don’t have much time.”
A beat of silence.
Then, softer, Leon said, “What are you thinking?”
Elara hesitated. She had spent so long running from the truth, from her mother’s past, from the weight of what it meant to be a Blackthorn. But this was different.
She wasn’t just reacting anymore.
She was deciding.
“We need answers,” she said finally. “And we’re not going to find them here.”
Leon lifted a brow. “You want to leave the stronghold.”
Elara met his gaze. “I want to find Kier.”
Leon let out a slow breath, his fingers twitching at his sides like he wanted to argue. Instead, he just said, “Then I’m coming with you.”
Elara wasn’t sure why those words made something in her chest tighten.
She should have expected it—Leon never let her face danger alone. But there was something different in his voice this time. Something that wasn’t just duty.
She swallowed. “Leon—”
“I’m not letting you go after him alone.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for debate.
And she knew, deep down, that she didn’t want to.
\---
**The Plan in Motion**
By the time dawn stretched its golden fingers across the horizon, Elara and Leon had made their decision.
Soren was the first obstacle.
Predictably, he was unimpressed.
“You want to do what?” His voice echoed through the training yard, drawing a few curious glances from the nearby warriors.
Elara crossed her arms. “You heard me.”
Soren let out a sharp laugh, running a hand down his face. “This is the worst idea you’ve ever had.”
Elara arched a brow. “That’s saying something, coming from you.”
Leon, who had remained quiet through most of the conversation, finally spoke. “We’re not asking for permission.”
Soren snapped his attention to him. “Yeah? Then what the hell do you want from me?”
Elara held his gaze. “Cover.”
Soren’s expression darkened. “You want me to lie to Draven.”
Elara didn’t blink. “Yes.”
Soren swore under his breath, pacing for a few steps before turning back to them. His gaze flickered between them, something unreadable crossing his face.
Then, to Elara’s surprise, he sighed.
“Fine,” he muttered. “But if you get yourselves killed, I’m telling everyone this was not my idea.”
Elara smirked. “Noted.”
Leon clapped him on the shoulder, the closest thing to gratitude he would offer. “Try to make it believable.”
Soren rolled his eyes. “I hate both of you.”
But he didn’t stop them.
\---
**The Hunt Begins**
The forest beyond the Blackthorn borders felt different in the early morning light—quieter, heavier.
Elara and Leon rode in silence, their horses moving at an easy pace, their breaths clouding in the crisp air.
Elara’s mind spun. Kier wouldn’t stay in one place. If they wanted to find him, they needed to think like him.
And that meant thinking about the past.
Leon watched her carefully. “You’re tense.”
She glanced at him. “I wonder why.”
His lips twitched, but his eyes remained serious. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
Elara looked away. “I know.”
She felt his gaze linger on her before he turned back to the road ahead.
They rode for another hour before the first sign appeared.
Tracks. Fresh.
Elara dismounted first, crouching to study them. “Someone passed through here recently.”
Leon knelt beside her, his scent—pine and steel—mingling with the crisp morning air. “Kier?”
Elara’s fingers brushed over the disturbed dirt. “Maybe.”
She stood, scanning the treeline. “He wouldn’t travel alone. There are others.”
Leon straightened beside her. “Then we’d better move.”
Elara nodded, but something still gnawed at her.
A feeling.
Like they were already being watched.
\---
**The Ambush**
They followed the trail deeper into the woods, their movements cautious, deliberate.
The quiet was unnatural.
Elara’s pulse quickened. “Something’s wrong.”
Leon drew his blade. “I know.”
Then—
A rustle. A shift in the air.
And suddenly, they were surrounded.
Wolves emerged from the trees—at least six of them, their eyes gleaming with menace.
And at the center of them, watching with amusement—
Kier Alden.
Elara’s breath caught as Kier smirked.
“Miss me?”