Chapter 38: Things that hunt kings

The growl came again.

Closer.

Much closer.

The ruined palace trembled.

Dust drifted from broken pillars.

Cracks spread across ancient stone.

Lena's pulse hammered.

Every instinct screamed that something was wrong.

Not normal wrong.

Not mysterious vision wrong.

The kind of wrong that made predators run.

And everyone present looked afraid.

Even Seraphine.

Especially Seraphine.

The realization hit hard.

Because until now she'd seemed untouchable.

Ancient.

Powerful.

Certain.

Now she looked... worried.

The growl echoed through the ruins.

Low.

Deep.

Massive.

Something moved beyond the tree line.

Too large to be human.

Too fast to be an animal.

Jacob visibly paled.

The kneeling students began shaking.

One of them actually started crying.

Lena noticed.

And that terrified her.

Whatever was coming...

The students knew what it was.

Seraphine stepped forward.

The air around her shimmered.

Silver light crawled beneath her skin.

The first genuine display of power Lena had seen from her.

"Leave."

The command echoed across the ruins.

Not directed at Lena.

Directed at the darkness.

The darkness answered.

Another growl.

This time louder.

Closer.

Mocking.

The forest exploded.

Trees shattered.

Ancient trunks snapped like twigs.

Something emerged from the shadows.

Lena stopped breathing.

At first her mind couldn't process what she was seeing.

The creature was enormous.

Larger than a truck.

Covered in black fur that seemed to absorb moonlight itself.

Its eyes glowed silver.

Not the same silver as Seraphine.

Darker.

Colder.

Hungry.

A wolf.

A gigantic wolf.

The largest thing Lena had ever seen.

The creature stepped into the clearing.

The ground shook beneath its weight.

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

The wolf's gaze swept across the ruins.

Across Jacob.

Across the students.

Across Seraphine.

Then settled on Lena.

The world seemed to stop.

Recognition flashed inside those silver eyes.

Not curiosity.

Recognition.

Like it knew her.

Like it had always known her.

A horrible memory stirred somewhere deep inside her mind.

Silver wolves running beside a laughing child.

Protecting her.

Guarding her.

Following her.

The memory vanished before she could grasp it.

The wolf took another step.

Then another.

Seraphine's expression hardened.

"You shouldn't be here."

The wolf ignored her.

Its eyes never left Lena.

Then something impossible happened.

The creature bowed its head.

The entire clearing froze.

Jacob stared.

The students stared.

Even Adrian looked shocked.

The wolf lowered itself slightly.

Not submission.

Acknowledgment.

Respect.

Like a knight greeting royalty.

Lena felt sick.

Because once again...

Some part of her understood exactly what it meant.

Seraphine noticed.

Her face darkened.

"Don't."

The warning came immediately.

The wolf finally looked at her.

A deep rumble escaped its chest.

Not fear.

Not aggression.

Disgust.

Pure disgust.

The emotion was unmistakable.

Seraphine's eyes flashed silver.

The ruins shook.

"You failed."

The words cracked like a whip.

The wolf's ears flattened.

For a second Lena thought it might attack.

Instead...

The wolf changed.

Silver light erupted from its body.

Bones shifted.

Muscles contracted.

The massive creature began shrinking.

Twisting.

Reforming.

Lena stared in disbelief.

Seconds later a man stood where the wolf had been.

Tall.

Broad shouldered.

Dark hair.

Silver eyes.

A scar running across his jaw.

His gaze immediately found Lena.

The familiarity hit her instantly.

Not because she'd met him.

Because she'd seen him.

In memories.

In flashes.

Standing beside a throne.

Guarding a doorway.

Watching over a child.

The realization made her head spin.

The man looked at her.

And smiled.

A small smile.

A relieved smile.

Like he'd finally found someone he'd been searching for.

"Princess."

The word echoed across the ruins.

Lena nearly groaned.

Not again.

Not another person calling her princess.

Apparently everyone in the supernatural world had attended the same dramatic dialogue classes.

The man actually laughed.

A real laugh.

The sound surprised her.

It felt... normal.

Human.

Unlike everything else tonight.

Then his expression turned serious.

"You need to leave."

Seraphine immediately stepped forward.

"No."

The single word carried enough force to shake the air.

The man's eyes narrowed.

The warmth vanished.

Instantly.

"You're still trying to claim her."

Claim.

Lena hated that word.

Nobody seemed interested in asking what she wanted.

Everyone just kept talking about her.

Around her.

Over her.

The frustration finally boiled over.

"Enough."

Silence.

Every head turned toward her.

Good.

Finally.

"Somebody explain what is happening."

Her voice echoed through the ruins.

"I'm tired of half answers."

Nobody spoke.

Lena pointed at the wolf man.

"You."

Then at Seraphine.

"You."

Then Caleb.

"Especially you."

Caleb actually looked guilty.

Which was impressive.

She hadn't known he was capable of guilt.

The wolf man rubbed his neck.

Seraphine crossed her arms.

Neither seemed eager to speak.

Lena's patience snapped.

"Fine."

She pointed at the wolf man.

"Who are you?"

The answer came immediately.

"My name is Orion."

At least that was a normal answer.

Progress.

"Why are you here?"

Orion's expression grew serious.

His gaze shifted briefly toward the forest.

Then back to her.

"Because something else is coming."

The ruins fell silent.

Lena closed her eyes.

Of course.

Of course something else was coming.

Why have one ancient nightmare when you can have two?

She opened her eyes.

"Define something else."

Nobody laughed.

Bad sign.

Very bad sign.

Orion looked toward Seraphine.

Then toward the broken throne.

Then finally back at Lena.

And for the first time since arriving...

Fear appeared in his eyes.

Real fear.

The kind that couldn't be hidden.

The kind that changed everything.

When he spoke, his voice was quiet.

"There were three royal families."

The mark on Lena's wrist immediately burned.

"The Moon Court."

Seraphine.

"The Wolf Court."

Orion.

The mark pulsed again.

Then Orion's face darkened.

"And the Court of Ash."

The moment those words left his mouth...

Every light in the ruins died.

Moonlight vanished.

Silver flames vanished.

Everything.

Darkness swallowed the palace.

Complete.

Absolute.

Terrifying.