Chapter 76: The Lines We Draw
Mariana’s POV
The tension in the castle had become unbearable. Every glance, every hushed conversation, felt like a test of loyalty. Alexander’s plan was already in motion, though few knew the full extent of it.
We weren’t just searching for traitors—we were forcing them to reveal themselves.
I stood beside Eva on the castle’s upper terrace, watching as the warriors below continued their training. Their movements were sharp, but the weight of uncertainty hung over them like a storm waiting to break.
“They’re ready to fight,” Eva said, her voice low. “But they don’t know who the enemy is.”
I exhaled slowly. “Neither do we.”
Eva turned to me, her expression dark. “Are you sure about this?”
I wasn’t. But doubt wouldn’t keep us safe. “We don’t have a choice.”
A rustling behind us made us both turn. Garrick strode toward us, his face grim.
“They took the bait,” he said. “Someone tampered with the false orders we left in the war room.”
My heart pounded. “Do we know who?”
“Not yet,” he admitted. “But they moved fast. That means they’re watching us closely.”
Eva cursed under her breath. “Then we need to move faster.”
Garrick nodded. “Alexander is already tightening security. Tonight, we’ll see who flinches first.”
I swallowed hard, gripping the railing. This was it.
The line had been drawn. And by sunrise, we would know exactly who was standing on the wrong side.
The hours stretched long into the night. The castle was quieter than usual, the weight of our silent war pressing down on every corridor, every locked door.
Alexander had chosen a handful of trusted warriors to watch key locations—places we suspected the traitors might try to infiltrate. The war room, the armory, the scouts’ barracks. If someone moved in the shadows tonight, we would know.
I stood near the war room with Eva and Garrick, my heart pounding in my chest. The bait had been set. All we needed was for someone to take it.
The minutes dragged.
Then—
A sound.
Soft footsteps, barely audible against the stone floor.
Eva’s eyes snapped toward the entrance, her hand already drifting toward her dagger. I caught a flash of movement beyond the dim torchlight.
A figure, hooded, creeping toward the chamber doors.
Garrick moved first, silent as a wolf on the hunt. He rounded the corner, his body tense, ready to strike.
The traitor must have sensed something, because they hesitated.
Too late.
Garrick lunged.
A struggle broke out—grunts of effort, the clatter of boots against stone. I rushed forward, but before I could reach them, the hooded figure twisted sharply and bolted.
“Go!” I shouted.
Eva was already moving.
The traitor raced through the hallways, their speed unnatural—enhanced by panic, or maybe something darker. But Eva was faster. She cut them off at the next corridor, her dagger flashing in the torchlight.
“End of the line,” she said coldly.
The figure skidded to a halt. I caught up just in time to see them hesitate—just a split second, but it was enough.
Garrick was on them in an instant, slamming them into the wall. The hood fell back, revealing—
My stomach dropped.
It wasn’t a nameless spy.
It was someone we knew.
Someone who had stood beside us in the war room.
The betrayal hit like a physical blow.
“Why?” I demanded, my voice shaking. “Why would you do this?”
The traitor’s eyes flickered—not with regret, but with something far worse.
Determination.
“You don’t see it yet, Luna,” they rasped. “But you will.”
Then, before I could react, they did the unthinkable.
They bit down—hard—on something in their mouth.
Poison.
I lunged forward, but it was too late. Their body convulsed once—then went limp.
Silence.
A cold, hollow silence.
Eva swore under her breath. Garrick’s face was grim.
I felt sick.
We had caught a traitor—only to lose them before we could get any answers.
But one thing was clear.
This wasn’t over.
Whoever they had been working with was still out there. And they were willing to die before giving up their secrets.