Chapter 96 CHAPTER 96
Celestine’s footsteps were almost soundless as she crossed back into the open hall, but the shift in the air announced her return long before she spoke. Lisa felt Liam tense beside her, and Ethan took a step forward, his shoulders locked, as if bracing for a blow he already sensed was coming.
The priestess stopped only a few feet away. Her pale eyes were dimmer than before, touched with something Lisa had never seen there - not fear, but a solemn weight, like she was carrying the edge of a blade meant for someone else.
“The goddess has spoken,” she said softly.
Ethan’s voice broke the silence. “Tell us. Whatever she said, tell us.”
Celestine inhaled slowly. “There is a path to save Kael… and to free Lisa from Sebastian’s pull. But the path is not gentle. And it is not without danger.”
Lisa felt her stomach tighten. Celia pressed closer inside her, as if leaning in to listen.
“The first condition,” Celestine continued, “is that Ethan must persuade the Council of Elders to allow the Fae to cross freely into the Wolf Realm. They are the rightful custodians of the realm’s passageways, and without their permission, the ritual cannot begin.”
Ethan blinked, stunned. “The council hates Fae involvement. Vaughn will explode. Half of them still blame the Fae for the tragedy seventeen years ago.”
Celestine’s gaze softened with sympathy. “Yes. Which is why the goddess calls it the first sacrifice. An offering of pride. Of authority. A test of trust.”
Ethan let out a humourless laugh. “Trust? They barely trust each other.”
Liam placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “I’ll back you. Whatever it takes.”
Celestine gave a small nod. “The second condition concerns the ritual itself. In order to restore Kael’s strength without forcing Celia to mate with him, the wolves who care for Lisa, you three, must willingly give him a portion of your power.”
Lisa’s breath faltered. “Our… power?”
Celestine lifted her hands, creating a faint shimmer of silver light between her fingers. “A Fae chosen by the goddess will serve as the channel. Using an ancient ornament - an instrument of vitality - the Fae will draw small fragments of your wolves’ essence. Not enough to weaken you permanently, but enough to rekindle Kael’s fading core.”
Liam stiffened, Kane growling faintly inside him. “You’re asking us to weaken ourselves.”
“No,” Celestine corrected gently. “She asks you to share what you have, so another may live.”
Lisa felt Celia’s silent plea throb inside her mind. “Lisa… he needs this. I can feel how close he is to disappearing.”
Lisa swallowed hard, nodding almost imperceptibly.
But Celestine wasn’t done.
“The final condition,” she said quietly, “is the one that carries the greatest risk.”
All three of them froze.
Celestine lowered her hands, the silver light fading. Her voice softened to a whisper.
“When Kael rises again, he will not rise alone. Any wolf who gives him power becomes linked to him - permanently. And because Kael is bound to Sebastian, that link may extend to Sebastian as well.”
Ethan’s eyes widened, fury igniting instantly. “Linked? As in he’ll be able to… what? Hear us? Sense us? Search our minds?”
“Not fully,” Celestine said. “But he may brush against your thoughts. He may hear fragments of your emotions. He may reach out unintentionally during moments of crisis. And he may sense Lisa again.”
“That sounds like a nightmare,” Liam muttered. His eyes shifted toward Lisa with concern so sharp it hurt to look at him. “He’s the last person who deserves access to her.”
Lisa lowered her gaze, shame and discomfort curling in her stomach. “I don’t want him in my head anymore,” she whispered.
Celia echoed faintly, “Nor do I.”
Celestine closed her eyes for a moment, as if the goddess’s verdict sat heavy on her shoulders too. “The goddess believes that bonds, once formed, are not meant to be erased. Only transformed. This link will not control you. It will not bind Lisa to Sebastian physically. But it will open a door that cannot be fully closed.”
Ethan ran a trembling hand through his hair. “So those are the options? Either Celia bonds to Kael and risks breaking Lisa’s life apart… or we give Kael power and allow Sebastian access to our minds?”
Lisa felt tears sting her eyes. “This is impossible. How are we supposed to choose that?”
Liam stepped closer and brushed his knuckles against her hand. “We’ll figure it out,” he murmured, though she could hear the tremor beneath the promise. “You’re not choosing alone.”
Celia whispered, exhaustion and longing tangled in her voice, “Lisa… if we don’t do something soon, he won’t survive another day.”
Lisa shut her eyes, fighting the panic rising inside her.
Ethan exhaled sharply, turning to Celestine. “Is there any path - any path at all - that saves Kael without giving Sebastian access to my sister?”
Celestine did not answer.
Instead, she lifted her chin and spoke with the hollow honesty of a messenger delivering a prophecy she did not want to carry.
“The goddess does not grant perfect solutions. Only the ones that preserve balance.”
Lisa’s knees weakened. Liam caught her by the elbow before she stumbled.
Ethan swore under his breath, pacing again, fingers digging into his temples. “So what - we’re supposed to invite Sebastian into our minds? After everything he’s done?”
Celestine’s gaze fell to the marble floor. “The goddess believes that sometimes the ones who have wronged must witness the parts of themselves they tried to destroy. She believes that truth - even unwanted truth - can change the course of fate.”
Liam let out a dark laugh. “You think Sebastian will change because of this? He’s not the one dying.”
“No,” Celestine agreed softly. “But Kael is. And Kael is innocent.”
Silence washed over them, deep and suffocating.
Lisa felt Celia’s trembling again - a mixture of hope and dread.
Ethan finally stopped pacing. His voice came out low, rough, but steady. “We’re not deciding this alone. The council must be told. This isn’t just about my sister or her wolf. This decision affects the whole kingdom.”
Liam nodded. “And if the council approves the Fae involvement… we’ll face the choice then.”
Celestine stepped closer to Lisa and placed a gentle hand on her cheek. “Child of the Moon, the goddess does not wish to harm you. But she cannot protect you from every consequence of a fate that began long before you were born.”
Lisa felt something inside her break - not loudly, but quietly, like a thread snapping somewhere deep.
Ethan squared his shoulders. “We’ll go. We’ll speak to the council. And we’ll pray to the goddess that the sacrifice she asks does not destroy my sister’s life.”
Celestine bowed her head. “I will prepare the sanctum for the ritual, should you choose it.”
Liam wrapped an arm around Lisa as they turned to leave, guiding her gently but firmly, grounding her even as her thoughts spun out of control. She leaned into him, her heart aching with a mixture of relief and fear.
Celia whispered, fragile and honest, “I don’t want to lose him.”
Lisa whispered back, “I know.”
Outside, the sun was still shining, warm and bright - untouched by the storms rising in their lives.
Lisa paused and looked back at the temple, feeling the shadow of the goddess’s decree settle over her like a weight she wasn’t sure she could carry.
Liam squeezed her hand.
Ethan walked ahead, already preparing for a battle with the council that he knew would not be easy.
And somewhere far away, in the Wolf Realm, Kael lay on the edge of fading - waiting for a choice that would either save him… or doom him.