Chapter 16

Raven’s POV

I tightened the leather straps on my forearm, pulling them until they bit into my skin. Pain was a good thing. It reminded me I was still here, still fighting. Still breathing.

The war drums outside had slowed, but their beat still vibrated in my chest. The whole camp felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for something. Waiting for me.

I looked at my reflection in the polished silver mirror. The face staring back was different from the girl who had once lived in Moonveil Haven. That girl had been defiant, yes, but she had also been naive. I wasn’t sure what I was now—just that I couldn’t afford to be weak.

A knock at the door made me flinch.

“Come in.”

Eira slipped inside, shutting the door quickly behind her. She looked tired. We all did. But there was something sharp in her expression, something urgent.

“We don’t have much time,” she said. “Darian’s men are getting restless. If you’re going to do this, it has to be now.”

I swallowed hard. My mouth felt dry, like I had swallowed ash.

“I know.”

Eira hesitated. “Are you sure about this? Because Kael—”

“I don’t have a choice.” My voice came out steadier than I expected. “This isn’t just about Eira anymore. If we don’t act, Darian will keep coming. He won’t stop until the prophecy is fulfilled the way he wants.”

Eira bit her lip, glancing down at my hands. “You’re shaking.”

I looked down. She was right. My fingers trembled against my thighs, no matter how tightly I curled them into fists.

“Doesn’t matter,” I muttered. “Fear doesn’t change the plan.”

She studied me for a moment, then sighed. “Here.” She reached into her belt and pulled out a small dagger. “It’s silver-tipped. Not enough to kill outright, but enough to slow someone down if you need it.”

I took the dagger, testing the weight of it in my palm. “Thanks.”

She nodded, but didn’t move.

“What?” I asked.

Eira hesitated. Then, to my shock, she grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a tight hug.

“Don’t die,” she muttered into my hair.

A laugh bubbled out of me, shaky but real. “No promises.”

She pulled back, rolling her eyes. “You and Kael are both so dramatic.”

I smirked. “It’s part of my charm.”

Her expression sobered. “Seriously, though. Be careful.”

“I will.”

Eira gave me one last look, then slipped out the door. I exhaled slowly, turning back to the mirror.

Moon’s Daughter. That’s what the prophecy called me. But I still didn’t understand what it meant.

I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders and headed out.

The tunnels beneath the Spire were damp and cold, the air thick with the scent of earth and old magic. Lysandra waited for me at the end of the passage, her silver-streaked hair pulled into a tight braid.

“You’re late,” she murmured.

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re acting like we had an appointment.”

Lysandra ignored me. “Are you sure about this plan?”

“You sound like Eira.”

“That’s because Eira is smart.” She crossed her arms. “This is dangerous, Raven.”

“So is sitting around waiting for Kael to fix everything.”

Lysandra’s lips thinned. “This isn’t just about Kael. This is about you. About what you are.”

I clenched my jaw. “And what is that, exactly?”

Lysandra sighed, her gaze softening. “You’re more than just an Alpha’s daughter. More than Kael’s Luna. The power in your bloodline isn’t just for decoration, Raven. It’s ancient. And it comes with a cost.”

I swallowed, my throat tight. “What kind of cost?”

Her eyes flickered with something unreadable. “You’ll see.”

I exhaled sharply. “Great. That’s comforting.”

Lysandra smirked, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I didn’t say it would be easy. Just that it’s necessary.”

I shook my head. “I should go.”

She grabbed my wrist before I could turn away. “Be careful, my girl.”

Something in her voice made my chest ache. It almost sounded like goodbye.

I squeezed her hand once, then slipped into the shadows.

The plan was simple: infiltrate Darian’s camp, get to Eira, and end this on my terms.

Simple didn’t mean easy.

The camp was alive with movement, figures slipping in and out of torchlight. My pulse thundered as I crouched low, moving between the crates near the outer perimeter.

I had spent the last few days studying Darian’s defenses, watching the patrols, memorizing their rotations. I knew where the weak spots were.

Now I just had to make it inside before Kael realized what I had done.

A pair of guards passed nearby, speaking in hushed tones.

“Did you hear?” one of them murmured. “The Alpha’s in a mood.”

“When isn’t he?”

The first guard chuckled. “True. But this time, it’s because of the girl.”

I froze.

“She’s still refusing to cooperate,” the guard continued. “He’s starting to lose patience.”

The second guard scoffed. “Maybe she’s not as strong as she thinks she is.”

I moved before I could think, sweeping my dagger across the first guard’s throat. The second barely had time to gasp before I drove my knee into his stomach, sending him to the ground.

He wheezed, struggling to draw breath. I crouched beside him, pressing my dagger against his neck.

“Where is she?” I whispered.

His eyes widened. “I—I don’t—”

I pressed the blade harder. “Wrong answer.”

He gulped. “North wing! Second tent near the command center!”

I knocked him out before he could scream.

I’m coming, Eira.

I slipped through the camp, my heart pounding. The war drums had picked up again, the sound thrumming through my veins like a second heartbeat.

The tent was just ahead.

I took a slow breath, gripping the dagger tighter.

Then I stepped inside.

Eira was bound to a wooden chair, her wrists raw from struggling. She lifted her head as I entered, her green eyes blazing.

“Took you long enough,” she rasped.

I smirked. “Sorry. I got held up.”

Before I could move to untie her, a low chuckle filled the space.

“Well, well.”

Ice slid down my spine.

Darian stepped out of the shadows, his crimson eyes gleaming. “I was hoping you’d come.”

The tent flaps behind me rustled. I turned just as two guards stepped inside, blocking the exit.

A trap.

Of course.

Darian grinned. “Shall we begin?”

My fingers tightened around the dagger.

So much for simple.

I didn’t move.

Darian stood just a few feet away, his crimson eyes alight with amusement. The two guards flanking him shifted slightly, hands resting on the hilts of their weapons.

I could take them.

Maybe.

I risked a quick glance at Eira. Her wrists were bound, her face pale, but she met my gaze with steady resolve. She wasn’t broken. Not yet.

Darian tilted his head. “Not going to say anything, Raven? No clever insults? No fiery declarations of defiance?”

I forced a smirk, tightening my grip on the dagger hidden in my sleeve. “I was just giving you a moment to enjoy your dramatic entrance. Must’ve taken you hours to practice that smug look.”

His grin widened. “Oh, I like you.”

“Shame,” I said. “I hate you.”

His laugh was slow, deliberate. “You say that now, but I think we both know that you and I… we’re more alike than you want to admit.”

I snorted. “I don’t make a habit of kidnapping people, so I’d say we’re pretty different.”

Darian’s eyes gleamed. “No, Raven. I mean we see the truth. We don’t cling to foolish ideals of loyalty or blind faith in tradition.” His gaze flicked to Eira. “Unlike some.”

Eira lifted her chin. “If loyalty makes me weak, I’d rather be weak than whatever you are.”

Darian chuckled. “You always were the feisty one, weren’t you, Eira?” He turned back to me. “But you… you have potential.”

I shifted my weight slightly, inching my fingers toward the dagger. “Not interested.”

Darian sighed. “That’s the problem with your kind. Always so stubborn.” His tone darkened. “But I’ll give you one last chance, Raven. Join me. Accept your place in the prophecy willingly, and I’ll let Eira go.”

Eira stiffened. “Don’t—”

I shot her a warning look.

Darian smiled, as if he could see the wheels turning in my head. “You know the truth now, don’t you? Your mother told you, didn’t she? The power in your bloodline. What it really means.”

I hesitated.

And that was enough.

Darian moved in a blur.

One second, he was standing in front of me, and the next, he was behind me, his breath warm against my ear. I whirled, slashing with my dagger, but he caught my wrist with bone-crushing force.

“Too slow,” he murmured.

I gritted my teeth, trying to twist free. His grip tightened.

“I’ve seen this before,” he said softly. “The realization. The moment when everything you thought you knew starts to fall apart.” He leaned in closer. “You feel it, don’t you? That power inside you. You don’t understand it yet, but it’s there.”

I clenched my jaw. “Let me go.”

Darian sighed. “Fine.”

Then he threw me.

I hit the ground hard, the air leaving my lungs in a sharp gasp. Pain exploded through my ribs, but I barely had time to recover before the guards lunged.

I rolled, dodging the first strike and kicking the nearest guard in the knee. He stumbled back, cursing.

Eira shouted something, but I couldn’t focus on her. Not now.

I slashed out, my dagger slicing into the second guard’s arm. He yelped, stumbling away, but the first recovered quickly, his sword arcing toward me.

I barely dodged in time.

Darian watched, arms crossed, as if this were all a mildly interesting game.

I needed an opening. Fast.

Then—

The tent flap ripped open.

A blur of motion.

A flash of steel.

The first guard dropped, blood gushing from his throat. The second barely had time to react before a dagger embedded itself in his chest.

The bodies hit the ground.

And standing in the entrance—

Was Kael.

His storm-gray eyes were wild, burning with fury. His breathing was ragged, his hands slick with blood—whether his or someone else’s, I couldn’t tell.

For a second, the whole world stopped.

Then—

Kael moved.

Darian barely dodged in time, stepping back as Kael’s blade sliced through the air.

“You,” Kael snarled.

Darian grinned, his eyes flashing. “Ah, there he is. The great Alpha Rathmore.”

Kael’s entire body vibrated with rage. “I swear, Darian—”

“Careful,” Darian purred. “You don’t want to make a scene in front of your mate, do you?”

Kael lunged again, but Darian danced back, his movements too fast, too calculated.

“I knew you’d come,” Darian said smoothly. “You always do.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “Let Eira go.”

Darian smirked. “Oh, but that wouldn’t be fun.”

He flicked his wrist, and before I could react—

The ropes around Eira’s wrists tightened.

She let out a sharp gasp, her body tensing.

Darian’s voice was almost gentle. “You’re running out of time, Kael.”

Kael’s grip on his sword trembled. I had never seen him like this.

Darian chuckled. “You feel it, don’t you? The weight of history. The prophecy pressing down on your shoulders.” His crimson eyes slid to me. “And you, Raven… you are the key.”

My heart slammed against my ribs.

I had to do something.

I had to—

But then—

A scream split the air.

Not Eira’s.

Not mine.

Kael’s.

His body jerked, his hand flying to his side—

Blood.

A dagger protruded from his ribs.

And standing behind him—

Was Elder Thorin.

Smiling.

Kael staggered.

Darian laughed.

And just like that—

Everything fell apart.