Chapter 26

*Aria*

The day passed in fragments.

My body went through the motions of training—strike, dodge, shift, breathe—but my mind was elsewhere. Every heartbeat echoed with the knowledge of what was to come. Tonight, the ritual. Tonight, I would unlock what slept inside me. Or I would break trying.

Even my wolf felt it. Restless. Focused. She didn’t pace. She watched. Waited.

It was Amy who found me first.

She approached softly, her arms full of fabric. Her presence always came with the scent of clover and fireweed, a strange mix of gentleness and strength. She smiled as I paused mid-punch, sweat rolling down my spine.

"The forest has been... giving me things," she said with a little shrug as if that were normal. "Bits of silk, vine, bark that feels like velvet. Threads of light caught on the trees. It’s been leading me."

I raised a brow. "Leading you where?"

She held up the garment she carried. It was simple and beautiful—deep black with silver thread embroidered in twisting, ancient runes. The neckline was wide, edged in the delicate shapes of moonflowers.

"To this," she said. "Your dress for tonight."

I stared. "Amy, it’s beautiful."

"The forest wanted you to have it." Her eyes twinkled. "And this is just the start. You’ll need something for the Moonlight Ball. The Summit."

I blinked. I hadn’t even thought that far.

"I’ll take care of it," she said, reading my hesitation. "You don’t worry about that. Between me and the forest, we’ll figure it out."

Later, I went to the river alone. I wanted a moment before whatever I would face tonight.

I stripped and stepped into the cold water, letting it wash away the sweat, the fear, and the fragments of my past. I scrubbed at my skin until it stung until I could feel the rhythm of the forest settle against my skin again.

When I emerged, clean and shivering, there was something waiting for me.

Nestled among my clothes and the dress Amy had made was a crown.

It was woven from branches and vines and decorated with soft green leaves and wildflowers. But it shimmered faintly. As I picked it up, I saw that beneath the bark and the blossoms were stones—crystals. They pulsed faintly with light like they held tiny pieces of Moonfire.

The weight in my chest shifted. This wasn’t just decoration. It was a gift. A mark.

The forest’s chosen.

I dressed slowly. The gown fit perfectly, like it had grown for me. I left my hair down, wind-blown and wild. I placed the crown atop my head and whispered a silent vow.

I would not falter.

I would not fail.

Not tonight.

I would make sure that my mother's sacrifice was worth it.

When I stepped into the clearing, the air changed.

They were all there.

Sera stood in the center, a bowl of smoke rising beside her. Ronan. Corren. Talon. Amy. Dozens of wolves in their human skin and others half-shifted, golden eyes reflecting the firelight. They didn’t speak. But they watched. Waiting.

I walked barefoot through the ring of standing stones, the earth warm beneath me. The moon was rising. Full and bright.

Sera’s voice was low and rhythmic.

"Tonight, we call the blood. The moon. The memory. Tonight, the heir will rise."

Whispers filled the clearing. Everyone making vows, pledges, promises to the Goddess.

I stepped into the circle and knelt before the fire. Sera drew symbols across my arms in ash and pollen. Her hands trembled as she pressed a mark to my brow.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes."

The smoke thickened. Spices. Resin. Old magic.

And then everything burned.

Not my skin. My soul.

I gasped as the world tilted, the clearing vanishing. I fell forward—but not into the fire. Into shadow.

I stood in a field. Night pressing against the sky. Screams in the distance. A battle. Fire. Wolves locked in combat. Blood soaking the earth.

In the center—my mother.

Lyriana.

She was radiant, even bloodied and pale. Her hand rested over her swollen belly. Her other hand clutched a blade.

She wasn’t fighting.

She was running.

Behind her, two figures stood their ground against a dozen attackers.

One fell.

The other turned. Lifted Lyriana into his arms. He was older, grey in his beard. Eyes sharp with grief. He carried her off the field.

"Her guardians," I whispered. I knew it in my marrow.

Another scene. A cave. My mother weak. Her hands glowing. Chanting words in a tongue, I’d never heard. The light from her body moved into mine—a tiny form wrapped in red-stained linen.

She kissed my brow.

I knew what would come next, but it didn't make it any easier.

I watched her light leave her in that kiss and watched my mother die.

I screamed. The pain I felt was inconceivable.

The vision shattered.

I was back in the clearing.

My body arched backward as the power tore through me. My skin burned with silver light. The crest on my shoulder glowed—no longer a mark, but a brand. A claim. A promise.

The forest howled.

Wolves lifted their heads to the sky and joined it.

Sera knelt beside me, her eyes wide. "It’s done."

I sat up slowly, the crown still on my head. It was heavier now. I reached up and touched it. Where bark had once been, silver fire glinted. The vines had hardened. The flowers had turned to glowing crystals.

"It transformed," she whispered. "Still of the earth. But forged in fire. Just like you."

Still on my knees on the ground, I looked around at my people.

And as one, they bowed.

All who were able to go down on their knees just as I was.

Some cried. Some rejoiced.

The glow that was surrounding me arced out like gentle moonlight reaching for a friend.

Gasps ran out as my light covered everyone around me.

Everyone in the clearing dedicated themselves.

Not to royalty.

To magic reborn.

To me.

And I dedicated myself to them.