271- Marked by Flame and Shadow
POV Elowen Grimwald:
One of the sentinels whispered something to the eyeless elder, who nodded slightly before turning to me.
“Remain calm. Everything will be resolved justly.”
The words were cold, and their weight crushed me more than the chains I imagined I would soon feel. They stepped away, leaving me alone with my terror and my tears.
In that moment, seeing that not even the guards had been able to prevent me from being brought to that prison, I understood that perhaps not even Aldren could save me.
I was not the damn Samsara. I couldn’t be. But I doubted any of them would believe me.
At the epicenter of my despair, the mocking smile Nala had cast at me amid the flames surfaced once more in my memory. Her voice rose to accuse me. It was her. I sensed it was her plan—but how? How could she have foreseen that the pyre would ignite?
The premonition sent me tumbling into an abyss of thoughts.
I felt the true burden of what it meant to be marked as a witch. It was more than fear; it was the certainty of a death sentence delivered by men who judged according to ancient and merciless laws. An entire species could not be blamed for the disgrace caused by only one.
I would pay for Samsara’s cruelty.
“Aldren… Save me, Aldren…” I pleaded to the shadows, as if they could carry my message.
As I was carried back down the stairs in Bratvo’s arms, I prayed that the wolf I was hopelessly in love with still cared enough to hear me. To save me.
(...)
POV Nerin Talir:
In the elders’ shadowed hall, the air carried the weight of decisions that transcended lives and centuries. I held Mrs. Korlina’s arm firmly, though she had shown no resistance in coming with me.
I felt the tremor of her fragility beneath my fingers. The witch, Kehin’s grandmother, would finally confess her machinations, revealing truths that could change Elowen’s destiny.
The elders entered, their imposing and enigmatic presences filling the space. Without hesitation, I faced Korlina.
“Tell them the truth!” I demanded, my voice steady.
With tears streaming down her wrinkled face, she sobbed before opening her mouth. In her expression, a kind of regret spread, yet she also seemed certain of what she had done and of the consequences of her actions.
“I... followed the orders of my ancestors and left an enchanted necklace in the forest. Elowen found it.” Her voice was weak, but sober. “I felt the female was like me, but I thought it might be my old mind deceiving me. Then...” She swallowed hard, overcome by tears. “During one of her visits to my house, the grounds of her coffee showed me that Elowen is the daughter of a she-wolf and a warlock. The poor female has no idea. I invoked my ancestors and was able to understand everything.” She shifted, as if preparing her own defense. “I swear by the goddesses that the necklace brought her here, but it did not activate her magic. What activated it was...”
“Continue!” ordered the one without eyes.
The others remained silent. Their expressions were impassive, but I could feel the judgment in their gazes.
“Centuries ago, witches were drowned almost to death to be activated... What activated Elowen’s magic was a near-death experience, not the necklace.”
“What happened that the female nearly died, Nerin?” the one without ears questioned me.
Distressed, I could recall two situations.
“She arrived in Valmorin extremely weakened, Elder. It may have been upon her arrival. However, she was poisoned days later, so that could also have been an opportunity—or when Teneris attacked her. That is why Aldren killed him.”
Shock and revulsion swept through the room.
Without giving us any explanation, the elders ordered Korlina’s imprisonment. Sentinels appeared, pulling her toward the door.
“Nerin, Elowen will be fine, I promise...” she cried out as she was dragged away.
The old witch was still weeping, filling my heart with pity despite everything she had done. Being part of that pained me.
In a way, she had merely followed a cruel tradition of her people. She had only obeyed her ancestors’ orders. I did not doubt that she had truly grown fond of Elowen, as she always insisted to me.
Korlina was gone.
As the door echoed shut, the eyeless elder declared in my direction:
“Nerin, you know that witchcraft is punishable by death among the Tharnak.”
I knew. It was what I feared. A knot formed in my throat.
My loyalty to Aldren pulsed like a beacon through the fierce storm in my chest. Elowen needed to be saved.
“That poor pup did not choose to be a witch! Elowen is not Samsara! Aldren loves her and will not forgive you! Release her!”
Two elders exchanged glances—the one without eyes and the one without ears—both clearly uneasy with the intensity of my demand.
“And put the entire village in danger?” The question came from all three at once.
“Elowen is not a danger!” I retorted, my voice rising in desperation.
“We will deal with this matter with our son Aldren,” decreed the one without ears, attempting to close the discussion.
“No!” I took two steps forward, approaching them with my hands clasped in supplication. “He knows she is imprisoned here and is returning to Romania like a madman! Running without rest and crossing oceans in dubious jets found in haste! If anything happens to him, the blame will be yours!”
The one without ears looked at me sternly.
“No, Nerin, the blame will be yours. Everyone has been ordered to wait for Aldren to arrive so that we may proceed with the trial, seeking the best outcome.”
Furious and terrified at the thought of any harm coming to Elowen or Aldren, I exploded:
“If you hurt her, Aldren will set everything on fire—and I guarantee I will help him!”
“Nerin, calm yourself,” the one without eyes attempted, his voice more serene amid the fury.
“No, I will not calm down! Release her!” I shouted, the words pouring from my soul like fire.
“That will not happen, Nerin. Our son will understand us, for he knows and respects our laws. If you continue to insist, we will imprison you for disobedience,” declared the one without eyes, hardening his tone with conviction.
“Then imprison me. Aldren will never forgive you if you hurt her!” The certainty in my heart overflowed in every syllable.
“How can you say that with such certainty?” asked the one without ears, a trace of doubt in his voice.
If they did not yet know or suspect, the time had come for them to know. However unusual, unlikely, and unsettling, the truth was only one.
“They are fated mates, and now Aldren knows it. There is no more control over his beast once the human side accepts the bond. Anyone who touches her will die, regardless of the consequences.”
The elders recoiled, deeply struck by the implication of my words. Each of them seemed stunned, unable to conceal their surprise.
As they withdrew, I knew I would do everything within my power to protect Elowen.
For Aldren, for the love he kept in silence but which was as obvious to me as the sunrise. He had chosen her and he loved her. No one who harmed his mate would go unpunished.