Chapter 12: Chapter twelve

Raven's POV

The first rays of sunlight crept through my curtains as I stared at the ceiling, sleep having abandoned me hours ago. My mind kept replaying yesterday's training session with Kael, how the guards had looked at me with doubt in their eyes.

She will be next.

The note Kael had received haunted me, though he thought I hadn't seen it. I wasn't stupid. The way his face had changed, how quickly he'd burned it—something was wrong.

I kicked off my sheets and stood, stretching my sore muscles. My body ached from yesterday's training, but it was a good ache. The kind that promised strength to come.

"Time to show these people who they're dealing with," I muttered to myself, pulling on a simple tunic and pants.

Two guards stood outside my door, jumping to attention when I emerged.

"Good morning, Your Highness," they said in unison, their eyes carefully avoiding mine.

"Morning. Where can I find the library?"

They exchanged glances. "The main library is in the east wing, Luna."

"Lead the way."

The library was massive, shelves stretching toward the vaulted ceiling. An old man with spectacles perched on his nose looked up from his desk, surprise flickering across his face.

"Luna," he stammered, bowing deeply. "How may I assist you?"

"I need books on Obsidian Spire's history. The complete history."

His hands fidgeted with his sleeve. "Of course. We have the official chronicles..."

"Official?" I raised an eyebrow. "Are there unofficial ones?"

"N-no, Your Highness. Just... some records are kept separate. For preservation."

"Those are exactly the ones I want."

He swallowed hard. "I would need Alpha Kael's permission—"

"I am the Luna of this pack," I said, keeping my voice level but firm. "Does that count for nothing here?"

The librarian's shoulders slumped. "As you wish, Luna. Please wait here."

He disappeared into a back room, returning with three leather-bound volumes that he placed on the table with trembling hands.

"These are what we have available," he said, not meeting my eyes.

I nodded, knowing he was lying but choosing not to push—yet. "Thank you. I'll return them when I'm finished."

Walking back through the winding corridors with the books clutched to my chest, I nearly collided with a young woman turning the corner.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, steadying herself. Her eyes widened. "You must be Raven!"

I studied her face—heart-shaped, with sharp green eyes and fiery red hair. Recognition dawned. "And you're Eira. Kael's sister."

A wide smile split her face. "The one and only! I just got back from visiting the allied packs." She glanced at the books in my arms. "Light reading?"

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. After days of cold stares, her warmth was a welcome change.

"Just trying to understand my new home."

Eira linked her arm through mine as if we were old friends. "You won't find the real Obsidian Spire in those dusty books. Come have tea with me—I'll tell you what you really want to know."

Before I could protest, she was pulling me toward a sunlit sitting room overlooking the gardens.

"So," Eira said once we were settled with steaming cups, "how are you finding married life with my grumpy brother?"

I nearly choked on my tea. "It's... complicated."

"That's Kael in a nutshell." She laughed. "Has he shown you his brooding face yet? The one where his eyebrows do this?" She demonstrated, scrunching her face comically.

I laughed despite myself. "Several times a day."

"He wasn't always like that, you know." Her voice softened. "When we were kids, he used to sneak me treats from the kitchen. He'd distract the cook while I grabbed cookies." She smiled at the memory. "Everything changed after Aeliana."

The name hung in the air between us.

"What really happened to her?" I asked quietly.

Eira's eyes clouded. "It's not my story to tell. But it broke something in him." She leaned forward. "You're different, though. I can tell. You push back."

"I'm trying," I admitted. "But sometimes it feels like I'm fighting the entire pack."

"The council giving you trouble?"

"How did you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "Those ancient fossils? They're so set in their ways they've practically turned to stone. They hated me too—too loud, too opinionated for a proper Alpha's sister."

"What did you do?"

"Proved them wrong. Over and over." She winked. "Which is exactly what you're going to do."

Our conversation was interrupted by a soft knock. A servant entered, placing a folded note on the table beside me.

"From your handmaid, Luna. She said it was urgent."

The servant bowed and left. I frowned, opening the note.

Beware the shadows within the Spire. Not all is as it seems. —A friend

My blood ran cold. I showed it to Eira, whose playful expression instantly vanished.

"We should tell Kael," she said, all trace of humor gone.

I shook my head. "Not yet. He already thinks I'm weak. If I run to him with every little threat..."

"This isn't little, Raven. Someone's trying to warn you."

"Or scare me." I tucked the note into my pocket. "I need to handle this myself."

Eira looked like she wanted to argue but nodded reluctantly. "At least promise you'll be careful."

"I'm always careful."

"Sure," she scoffed. "That's why you married my brother after knowing him for all of five minutes."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Fair point."

Later that afternoon, I found myself back at the training grounds with Kael. He was dressed down in a simple black shirt that clung to his broad shoulders, a far cry from his usual formal attire.

"You came back," he noted, surprise evident in his voice.

"Did you think I'd give up that easily?"

A smile tugged at his lips. "Honestly? Yes."

"Well, prepare to be disappointed." I grabbed a practice dagger from the rack. "I'm just getting started."

For the next hour, Kael pushed me harder than before, showing me how to block attacks, where to strike for maximum damage. I felt the eyes of his warriors on us, watching my every move.

"They're staring," I muttered, wiping sweat from my brow.

"Let them," Kael replied. "Show them what you're made of."

By the time we finished, my arms felt like lead and my lungs burned, but pride swelled in my chest. I hadn't quit.

"Not bad," Kael admitted as we walked back toward the main building. "You're learning quickly."

"High praise coming from you."

He chuckled, the sound sending an unexpected warmth through me. "Don't get used to it."

"Wouldn't dream of it." I paused, gathering my courage. "Kael, about that note yesterday—"

His expression immediately shuttered. "What note?"

"The one you burned. I saw your face change."

"It was nothing," he said too quickly. "Pack business."

"You're lying."

He stopped walking, turning to face me fully. "Even if I am, it's to protect you."

"I don't need protection. I need the truth."

Something flickered in his eyes—fear? Longing? Before I could decide, a soldier approached, breaking the moment.

"Alpha, the council is waiting. The border report just came in."

Kael nodded curtly. "I'll be right there." He turned back to me. "We'll continue this discussion later."

"Will we?" I challenged. "Or will you find another excuse?"

His jaw tightened. "Later, Raven."

I watched him stride away, frustration bubbling inside me. Always later, always secrets.

That evening, with Kael busy in meetings, I made my decision. If no one would give me answers, I'd find them myself.

The key Eira had slipped me during tea ("For emergencies," she'd whispered) fit perfectly into the lock of the hidden door behind the main library. The librarian was gone, giving me free rein.

The restricted section was smaller than I'd expected, just a cramped room lined with ancient scrolls and leather-bound tomes. I lit a single lamp, careful to keep the flame low.

The first few scrolls contained nothing interesting—trade agreements, lineage records. But then I found it: a journal with the Obsidian Spire crest embossed on its cracked cover.

My hands trembled as I opened it, the pages yellowed with age. It was written in an old script, but still legible.

The sacrifice of the Nyxhowl Luna was completed as the prophecy demanded. Her blood poured over the sacred stones as the moon reached its zenith. Her power now feeds the Spire, strengthening our claim.

My stomach lurched. A Luna from my pack, sacrificed? I forced myself to read on.

The prophecy speaks of another union, generations hence. The Moon's Daughter and the Storm's Heir shall bond, but only blood will determine if peace or chaos reigns.

The words seemed to burn into my mind. Moon's Daughter. That's what Darian had called me during the attack.

I flipped through more pages, horror growing with each revelation. The Obsidian Spire's power was built on blood magic—rituals performed under moonlight, sacrifices made to strengthen their dominance.

And my bloodline was somehow key to it all.

The violet-eyed females of the Nyxhowl line carry ancient magic in their veins. When combined with the power of the Obsidian Alpha, the resulting strength could either save our kind or destroy it.

The prophecy wasn't about political alliance at all. It was about power—raw, terrible power.

A floorboard creaked outside the door. I froze, extinguishing the lamp with a quick breath. Footsteps approached, slow and deliberate.

I clutched the journal to my chest, pressing myself into the shadows. The door handle turned slowly.

My heart hammered against my ribs. Had Kael discovered me? Or was it someone else—someone who didn't want these secrets uncovered?

The door swung open, spilling light into the darkness.