Chapter 39: The Court

Darkness swallowed everything.

Lena couldn't see her own hand.

Couldn't see Caleb.

Couldn't see the ruins.

Nothing.

The laughter continued.

Soft at first.

Then louder.

Circling the clearing.

Coming from everywhere at once.

The sound crawled beneath her skin.

Ancient.

Amused.

Like someone watching children play a game whose ending they already knew.

"Enough."

Seraphine's voice cracked through the darkness.

Silver light erupted around her.

The ruins returned.

Moonlight returned.

The shattered palace became visible again.

Lena immediately looked around.

Everyone was still there.

Caleb.

Adrian.

Orion.

Jacob.

The missing students.

Nobody appeared injured.

But every face looked tense.

Very tense.

Especially Orion's.

His eyes were fixed on the shadows beyond the ruins.

Watching.

Waiting.

Lena walked toward him.

"Who was that?"

Orion didn't answer immediately.

Which was becoming a very annoying habit among supernatural people.

"Orion."

He sighed.

"The last person I wanted to hear."

"Helpful."

To her surprise, he actually smirked.

A little.

"Sorry."

Lena blinked.

A supernatural person apologizing?

That was new.

"I'll try again."

She folded her arms.

"Who was laughing?"

Before Orion could answer, Seraphine spoke.

"The Ash Court."

The warmth had vanished from her voice.

Completely.

Lena looked over.

Seraphine was staring into the forest.

Her silver eyes narrowed.

"They've found us."

Orion snorted.

"Found us?"

He pointed toward Lena.

"You started sending glowing messages across a school wall."

For the first time, Seraphine looked mildly embarrassed.

The moment lasted exactly one second.

Then it vanished.

"They already knew she was here."

"Maybe."

Orion shrugged.

"But the giant announcement certainly helped."

To Lena's surprise, Adrian laughed.

Actually laughed.

Seraphine shot him a look.

Adrian immediately looked elsewhere.

Lena stared.

Was this what these people were like when they weren't being cryptic?

Because it was honestly an improvement.

Then the laughter returned.

Closer.

The conversations died instantly.

A cold wind swept through the ruins.

The kneeling students shivered.

Jacob visibly flinched.

Lena noticed.

He'd been unusually quiet.

Which made sense.

The guy had been kidnapped.

Still...

Something felt off.

She walked over.

Jacob looked up.

His face was pale.

Exhausted.

Terrified.

"You okay?"

The question sounded stupid the second it left her mouth.

Jacob laughed weakly.

"No."

Fair.

Very fair.

Lena crouched beside him.

"Can you stand?"

"I think so."

His voice shook.

"Maybe."

She started untying the ropes around his wrists.

Jacob watched her.

Then glanced toward Seraphine.

Then Orion.

Then Caleb.

Then back to Lena.

"What are you?"

Lena sighed.

"Apparently that's the question everybody is asking."

Jacob swallowed.

"No."

His voice became quieter.

"When they brought me here..."

The ruins fell silent.

Everyone listened.

Even Seraphine.

Jacob's hands trembled.

"They kept talking about you."

Lena's stomach tightened.

"What did they say?"

Jacob looked uncomfortable.

Like he wasn't sure he should answer.

Then he did anyway.

"They said the world was ending."

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Jacob laughed nervously.

"I know how that sounds."

Lena didn't.

Because lately that sounded perfectly normal.

"What else?"

Jacob hesitated.

Then looked directly at her.

"They said it starts when you remember."

The mark on her wrist burned.

Sharp.

Brief.

Gone.

Lena cursed under her breath.

Of course they did.

Everything came back to remembering.

Every single time.

Across the ruins, Caleb suddenly stiffened.

Orion noticed immediately.

"So did I."

Seraphine noticed too.

The atmosphere changed.

Instantly.

Lena frowned.

"What?"

Caleb's eyes were fixed on the forest.

The shadows.

The darkness between the trees.

"What did you hear?"

No answer.

The tension spread through the clearing.

Orion slowly stepped forward.

"How many?"

Lena blinked.

How many what?

Caleb's expression darkened.

"Too many."

The answer sent a chill through everyone.

Even Seraphine.

Especially Seraphine.

Lena looked around.

"What is happening?"

Orion looked at her.

"The Ash Court doesn't travel alone."

That wasn't reassuring.

Not even a little.

Then they heard it.

Footsteps.

Dozens of them.

Moving through the forest.

Slow.

Unhurried.

Confident.

The sound grew louder.

Branches cracked.

Leaves rustled.

Something was approaching the ruins.

No.

Not something.

Someone.

Many someones.

The first figure emerged from the trees.

A young woman.

Beautiful.

Pale skin.

Dark eyes.

Black coat.

She looked completely normal.

Until Lena saw her smile.

The smile was wrong.

Predatory.

Cruel.

Behind her came another figure.

Then another.

Then another.

Within seconds twenty people stood at the edge of the ruins.

Men.

Women.

Young.

Old.

All dressed in black.

All smiling.

All watching Lena.

The silence became unbearable.

Then the young woman stepped forward.

Her gaze settled on Seraphine.

"My Queen."

The title sounded like an insult.

Seraphine's eyes narrowed.

"Lyra."

The woman bowed theatrically.

Mocking.

Disrespectful.

"Still alive."

Orion groaned.

"Oh great."

Lena looked at him.

"You know her?"

"Unfortunately."

Lyra grinned.

"I heard that."

"Good."

"I don't like you either."

To Lena's surprise, several people behind Lyra laughed.

Not evil laughter.

Just... normal laughter.

Like coworkers exchanging insults.

The realization confused her.

These weren't monsters.

At least not completely.

Then Lyra's attention shifted to Lena.

Everything changed.

The amusement vanished.

The smiles disappeared.

The entire group became serious.

Lyra studied Lena carefully.

Long enough to make her uncomfortable.

Then she said:

"Huh."

Lena blinked.

"Huh?"

Lyra nodded.

"Huh."

The woman looked genuinely confused.

"You are significantly shorter than I expected."

The entire ruins fell silent.

Even Seraphine looked caught off guard.

Lena stared.

Of all the things she expected...

That wasn't one of them.

"What?"

Lyra shrugged.

"We've heard stories."

She gestured vaguely.

"Ancient princess."

"Chosen heir."

"Future queen."

Her eyes moved up and down Lena.

Then she shrugged again.

"I expected someone taller."

Jacob choked.

Actually choked.

Orion turned away.

His shoulders shaking suspiciously.

Was he laughing?

The bastard was laughing.

Even Caleb looked like he was fighting a smile.

Lena couldn't believe this.

"I got kidnapped into a supernatural war and your first complaint is my height?"

Lyra pointed.

"See?"

Then she looked at the others behind her.

"She's funny."

A few nodded.

One gave a thumbs up.

Lena stared in disbelief.

For the first time since entering the ruins...

The tension cracked slightly.

Only slightly.

Then Lyra's smile vanished.

Her eyes locked onto Lena.

And suddenly the atmosphere became deadly serious again.

"We need to talk."

Nobody liked the sound of that.

Especially Seraphine.

The silver-eyed queen stepped forward immediately.

"No."

Lyra didn't even look at her.

"I'm not asking."

The wind howled through the ruins.

The mark on Lena's wrist began glowing again.

And for the first time...

Lena had a feeling the Ash Court hadn't come to kidnap her.

They had come to warn her about something.

Something that scared even Seraphine.