Chapter 32 Searching for Ghosts
Kian's POV
I found Nyx standing in the courtyard the next morning, exactly where I expected her to be. The ancient being was looking out over the castle grounds, her violet eyes reflecting the morning sunlight.
"You knew," I said, not bothering with pleasantries. "You knew about Lana's mother. You knew Elara was alive."
"Yes," Nyx said simply.
"Why didn't you tell her?"
"Because it wasn't my secret to tell," Nyx said. "And because Elara asked me not to."
"So you let Lana believe her mother was dead?" I demanded. "You let her grow up thinking she had no one in the world, when all along her mother was alive?"
"I let Lana grow up alive," Nyx said, finally turning to face me. "That's what mattered."
"Lana is furious," I said. "She's barely controlling her power. She feels betrayed by you as much as by her mother."
"I know," Nyx said. She began walking toward the castle. "Where is she?"
"I don't know. She left before dawn. Didn't tell anyone where she was going."
We found Lana at the edge of the forest, sitting beside a massive tree that had been split down the middle by her power. The destruction around her told the story of her grief.
"Is she here?" Lana asked, her voice flat. "Did Nyx bring my mother to explain herself?"
"No," Nyx said. "I came to tell you the truth."
Lana's head snapped up, and her eyes were blazing. "The truth? You've been lying to me. How do I know anything you tell me is truth?"
"Because I'm about to prove it," Nyx said. She remained perfectly calm. "Sit. Listen. And then decide what you want to do."
Lana hesitantly settled back against the broken tree, her jaw clenched.
Nyx began to speak. "Your mother came to me when she was very young. She already understood that she was different, that her power marked her as dangerous. I taught her how to control it, how to hide it."
"And then?" Lana asked, her voice hard.
"And then she met your father. She thought that love would be enough to keep her safe. But when you were born, when she felt your power awakening, she understood that hiding was no longer possible. At least not permanently."
"So she abandoned me," Lana said bitterly.
"She gave you a chance," Nyx corrected. "When your father died in that battle, she had to choose. She could have revealed herself, could have tried to protect you openly. But she understood what that would mean. The Council would have hunted you both. You would never have had a moment of safety. So instead, she made herself a ghost."
"But she was watching me," Lana said, her voice cracking slightly. "The letter said she was watching me."
"She tried to keep distant," Nyx said. "To protect you from her presence, to ensure that you could have at least some chance at a normal life. But as you grew older, as your power became more apparent, she got closer."
"Why didn't you help her?" Lana demanded. "If you're this ancient being with all this power, why couldn't you help her find a way to be with me?"
"Because I lost contact with her," Nyx said, and for the first time, I heard something like sadness in her voice. "About five years ago, she went into such deep hiding that I could no longer reach her. She said the Council was getting too close, that she'd sensed their searches narrowing in on her."
"And you just let her do that?" Lana asked.
"I respected her choice," Nyx said. "Just as she respected mine, all those years ago, when I promised to watch over you from a distance."
Lana stood abruptly, moving away from the broken tree. "The Council has been searching for her for years" she said quietly. "Why does the Council care so much about finding her?"
Nyx exchanged a glance with me. "Because if they find her, they can use her as leverage against you," Nyx said. "Your mother is your weakness. They understand that. If they capture her, they can force you to do whatever they want."
Lana turned back to face us, and her expression had hardened. There was still anger there, still betrayal, but something else had emerged underneath it. Determination.
"Then we need to find her first," she said. "Before the Council does. We need to find her and bring her here."
"That's not…" Nyx started to say.
"That's exactly what we need to do," Lana interrupted. "The Council is still gathering their forces. I strongly believe they won't attack for now. They'll be here in days? That's just a camouflage to try and scare us and disorganize us.. They won't attack for now. We have time."
I nodded slowly. That had been the latest report I got last night. Lana was right. The Council wouldn't rush back into battle unprepared. They'd lost warriors. They'd lost momentum. They'd be taking their time to assemble something larger, something they believed would be unstoppable.
"Where is she?" Lana asked Nyx. "Before you lost contact, where was she hiding?"
Nyx hesitated.
"Tell me," Lana said, and her voice carried the weight of her power.
"The northern territories," Nyx said finally. "A settlement called Shadowmere. It's small, barely known to outsiders. But I don't know if she's still there. She could have moved on five years ago."
"Then we go to Shadowmere," Lana said. "We find her and we bring her here."
"It will take time," Nyx said. "Weeks even"
"Do we have weeks?" Lana asked me.
I considered the reports we'd received. The Council was still fractured from their defeat. Marcus was rallying some of the outlying packs, but not all of them. Some were hesitant to commit after seeing what happened to the first assault force.
"We have time," I said. "Probably six to eight weeks before they can mount a serious second attack. Maybe longer if we're lucky."
"Then we leave," Lana said. She looked at Nyx. "You can move faster than anyone here. How long would it take you and me to reach Shadowmere?"
"Alone, traveling hard? Two weeks," Nyx said. "Three if we need to search for her."
"And the return journey?"
"Same," Nyx said.
Lana did the math in her head. "So we're looking at a month, maybe a month and a half. We'd still have time before they arrive."
"Lana…" I started.
"I'm going," she said, cutting me off. "I need to find her. And the Council is using her as leverage. If we can find her first, if we can get her here, then the Council loses their advantage."
"She's right," Sera said, appearing from behind us. I hadn't even realized she'd followed us to the forest. "It's actually strategically sound. If the Council gets their hands on Elara first, this war becomes unwinnable."
"And if something happens to you on the journey?" I asked Lana. "If you're caught between here and Shadowmere when the Council decides to move?"
"Then Nyx gets me to safety," Lana said. "She's survived longer than any of us can imagine. I trust her."
Lana walked closer to me, taking my face in her hands. "I spent my entire life not knowing if my mother was alive or dead. I won't leave her out there alone, not knowing if she's even alive now."
"I know," I said. "I understand. But Lana, if something goes wrong. "
"Then we deal with it," she said. "But I have to try. You understand that, don't you?"
I did understand. And I hated it.
"When do you leave?" I asked.
"Tomorrow," Lana said. "At dawn. That gives us time to prepare."
"I want warriors with you," I said.
"No," Nyx said firmly. "Warriors will slow us down. Speed is our only advantage out there. If we're caught, speed is what will keep us alive."
I wanted to argue, but I knew she was right.
"Then take supplies," Sera said. "And a map. And everything you might need if you have to hide."
We spent the rest of the day preparing. Lana packed carefully- weapons, supplies, warm clothing for the northern territories.
I wanted to spend every moment with her, but there was still work to be done. The castle needed to continue its preparations for the coming war. We couldn't stop that just because Lana was leaving.
That night, we lay together in our chambers, and we didn't talk about the journey or the war or the future. We just held each other, trying to ignore the weight of what was coming.
"Come back to me," I said as dawn approached. Lana was all set and ready to begin the journey.
"I will," Lana promised with a smile. "And I'll bring my mother with me."
"And if you can't find her?"
"Then I'll come back and help you defend the castle," Lana said. "Either way, I'm coming home."
I kissed her as the sun began to rise, committing the moment to memory. I didn't know when I would see her again.
At the gates, Nyx was waiting in her true form; a massive, ancient wolf with silver-streaked fur and violet eyes that seemed to see through time itself. Lana shifted beside her, her Eclipse form shimmering in the early morning light.
Sera clasped my shoulder. "She'll be fine," she said. "Nyx has protected her this long. She won't let anything happen to her now."
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
And then they were gone, disappearing into the forest like ghosts.
Alexander appeared beside me. "We have work to do," he said quietly.
"I know," I said. "We prepare as if she won't be back in time. And we prepare for the Council's second assault."
"Exactly," Alexander said. "We have six to eight weeks. That's enough time to do
something significant."
I turned back to face the castle. "Then let's make sure that when the Council comes, they find something they can't overcome.”