Chapter 27 Secrets in the Dark
Mara woke to someone screaming.
She jumped up, heart pounding. It was still dark. The middle of the night.
The screaming came from outside the stone circle. From the camp where the other wolves were sleeping.
"Zevran!" Mara shook him awake. "Something is wrong!"
They ran together toward the camp. Other wolves were already awake, running around in panic.
"What happened?" Zevran demanded.
"Someone is missing!" Luna called. "Kira's daughter! She was sleeping in her tent and now she is gone!"
"Maybe she just went to relieve herself," Mara suggested.
"We checked everywhere. She vanished." Luna's face was pale. "There are no tracks. No signs of struggle. She just disappeared."
"Spread out!" Riven ordered. "Search the entire area! She cannot have gone far!"
Wolves scattered in every direction, calling the girl's name.
"Lyssa! Where are you?"
"Lyssa, answer us!"
But there was no response. Only the sound of the wind through the trees.
Mara transformed into her wolf form. She used her enhanced senses to search for any trace of the missing girl.
There. A faint smell. Something wrong. Something dark.
"This way!" Mara ran toward the smell.
She found Lyssa at the edge of a cliff. The young wolf girl was standing perfectly still, staring down at the rocks far below.
"Lyssa!" Mara called. "Step back from the edge!"
The girl did not move. Did not even blink.
Mara approached slowly. "Lyssa, can you hear me?"
"She cannot hear you," a voice said from the shadows. "She is mine now."
A woman stepped into the moonlight. She was beautiful and terrible. Her skin was pale as death. Her hair was white. Her eyes were solid black.
"Who are you?" Mara demanded.
"I am Selene."
Mara's blood ran cold. "That is impossible. Selene is dead. Prince Ronan killed her ten years ago."
"My body died. But my spirit lingered. Trapped between life and death. Unable to move on." The ghost of Selene smiled. "Until tonight. Tonight I finally found the power to take form again. To walk among the living."
"What did you do to Lyssa?"
"Nothing permanent. Yet. She is under my control. If I wish, I can make her jump off this cliff. Or I can release her. Your choice." Selene's black eyes gleamed. "But everything has a price."
"What do you want?"
"Answers. Truth. Justice." Selene floated closer. "I was murdered. My life was stolen. And Zevran was blamed for it. I want to know why. I want to understand what I died for."
"Ronan killed you because he was afraid Zevran would be a better king than King Darius. If you married Zevran and had children, Ronan's claim to the throne would be threatened."
"So I died for politics. How typical." Selene laughed bitterly. "And where is Ronan now?"
"Exiled. Banned from all packs. Living alone in the wilderness."
"Good. He should suffer." Selene looked at Lyssa. "But suffering is not enough. I want revenge. I want blood."
"You cannot have revenge. You are a ghost. You cannot kill anyone."
"Cannot I?" Selene touched Lyssa's shoulder. The girl's eyes went completely black. "I can possess the living. Control their bodies. Make them do terrible things. Watch."
Lyssa started walking toward the cliff edge.
"Stop!" Mara lunged forward.
Selene raised her hand. Invisible force slammed into Mara, throwing her backward.
"You will not interfere, Moon Wolf. This is between me and the ones who wronged me."
"Lyssa did nothing to you!"
"I know. But she is leverage. To get what I want." Selene made Lyssa take another step closer to the edge. "Bring me Ronan. Let me possess him. Let me make him suffer the way I suffered. Do that, and I will release the girl."
"Ronan is exiled! We do not know where he is!"
"Then you better find him. Fast. You have until tomorrow night. If Ronan is not here by then, this girl jumps. And her death will be on your hands."
"You are insane!"
"I am dead. There is a difference." Selene started to fade. "Tomorrow night. Do not be late."
She vanished. The moment she did, Lyssa collapsed. Mara caught her before she could fall off the cliff.
The girl's eyes were normal again. She looked around in confusion.
"What happened? Where am I?"
"You are safe now," Mara said. "Come on. Let us get you back to camp."
By the time they returned, everyone was gathered and waiting. Kira ran forward and hugged her daughter.
"Thank the goddess you are safe! What happened?"
"I do not know. I remember going to sleep. Then nothing. Then waking up at the cliff." Lyssa looked scared. "It was like I was not in my own body."
"You were possessed," Nyra said grimly. "By a very powerful spirit."
"Selene," Mara said. "She is back. Or her ghost is back. She wants revenge on Prince Ronan."
Everyone started talking at once.
"Selene? The one who died ten years ago?"
"How is this possible?"
"We need to leave! Now! Before she comes back!"
"Silence!" Elder Sage tapped her staff. "Mara, explain everything."
Mara told them about the encounter. About Selene's demands. About the deadline.
"We have to find Ronan," she finished. "Before tomorrow night. Or Lyssa dies."
"Ronan could be anywhere in the eastern mountains," Marcus said. "That is thousands of miles of wilderness. We will never find him in time."
"Then we better start looking now," Zevran said. "We split into groups. Cover as much ground as possible."
"I will stay with Lyssa," Kira said. "Keep her safe in case Selene tries to possess her again."
"I will help track," Riven offered. "I know the eastern mountains. I lived there for years."
"I am coming too," Mara said.
"No." Theron appeared out of nowhere. "Your training is not complete. You must stay here."
"A girl's life is in danger!"
"Many lives are in danger! If you do not finish your training, the Shadow King will kill everyone!" Theron's golden eyes blazed. "Let the others find Ronan. You focus on getting stronger."
"But—"
"No arguments! This is not a request!" Theron pointed at the stone circle. "Get in there and prepare for today's lesson!"
Mara wanted to argue more but she knew he was right. As much as she wanted to help find Ronan, she had a bigger responsibility.
"Fine," she muttered. "But if Lyssa dies because I was not there to help, I will never forgive you."
"Good thing I am already dead then." Theron shooed her toward the stone circle. "Now go. We have wasted enough time already."
Zevran kissed Mara quickly. "I will find him. I promise."
"Be careful."
"Always."
He ran off with Riven, Luna, and a group of other wolves. They headed east, following any trail they could find.
Mara watched them go, feeling helpless.
"Stop staring and start training!" Theron snapped. "Today we work on your light powers. You have been neglecting them."
"I have not been neglecting them. I just got new shadow powers yesterday."
"Exactly. And already you are using shadow more than light. That is a problem." Theron created a ball of golden energy in his hand. "Light is defense. Light is healing. Light is life. Shadow is offense. Shadow is destruction. Shadow is death. You need both. But if you rely too much on shadow, it will consume you."
"I know. You told me this yesterday."
"And I will tell you every day until you remember it in your bones." Theron threw the golden ball at her. "Now defend yourself! Use only light!"
Mara barely had time to react. She threw up a shield of white light.
The golden ball hit her shield and shattered it. The impact knocked her down.
"Pathetic!" Theron called. "Your light is weak! Pour more power into it!"
"I am trying!"
"Try harder!"
He threw another golden ball. Then another. Then five at once.
Mara scrambled to create shields. Some held. Most shattered.
She was getting battered and bruised.
"Why are you holding back?" Theron demanded. "You have more power than this!"
"Because I am afraid of losing control!"
"Control is an illusion! There is only balance!" Theron threw ten golden balls at once. "Now stop being afraid and FIGHT!"
Something inside Mara snapped.
White light exploded from her body. Brighter than ever before. So bright that Theron had to shield his eyes.
The golden balls disintegrated before they even touched her.
"There!" Theron said with satisfaction. "That is real power! That is what the Moon Wolf should look like!"
But Mara could not stop. The light kept pouring out of her. It was too much. Too strong.
She felt herself burning from the inside out.
"Help!" she screamed. "I cannot control it!"
"Yes you can! Focus! Remember who you are!"
But the light was drowning her. Consuming her. Just like the shadow had tried to do yesterday.
Mara realized something terrifying. Both powers wanted to consume her. Light and dark. They were not her allies. They were predators. And she was prey.
"Mara!" A voice cut through the chaos. "Listen to me!"
Shade appeared beside her. The Shadow Wolf pressed his shadow body against her glowing light body.
The two energies collided. Mixed. Balanced each other.
Slowly, the light faded. The shadow settled. Mara collapsed, gasping.
"That was close," Shade said. "You almost burned yourself to ash."
"Why did both powers try to kill me?" Mara asked weakly.
"Because you are trying to control them," Theron said. "That is your mistake. You cannot control powers this great. You can only guide them. Like a river. You do not stop a river. You redirect it."
"How do I redirect them?"
"By accepting that you are not in control. By surrendering to the flow." Theron helped her stand. "You keep trying to dominate the powers. To force them to obey. But that will never work. You must work with them. Dance with them. Let them move through you instead of trying to hold them inside you."
"That sounds impossible."
"Most things worth doing sound impossible before you do them." Theron brushed dust off her clothes. "Now rest for an hour. Then we try again."
"Again? I almost died!"
"And you will almost die many more times before you master this. That is the price of power." Theron smiled grimly. "Welcome to being the Moon Wolf."
Mara sat down heavily. Her whole body hurt. Her soul hurt worse.
She wondered how Zevran was doing. Had he found any trace of Ronan yet?
As if summoning him with her thoughts, she felt a pulse through the mate bond.
Zevran was in danger.
"I have to go," Mara jumped to her feet. "Zevran needs me."
"You are not ready!" Theron blocked her path. "Your training is not complete!"
"I do not care! My husband is in trouble!" Mara pushed past him. "Training can wait!"
She transformed and ran toward where the bond was pulling her. East. Into the mountains.
Behind her, Theron sighed. "Stubborn girl. Just like her mother."
He vanished, returning to whatever realm dead spirits inhabited.
Shade followed Mara. "I will come with you. You might need help."
"Thank you," Mara said without slowing down.
They ran through the forest, following the bond's pull. It grew stronger with each mile.
Finally, Mara heard sounds of fighting ahead. Snarling. Howling. The clash of bodies.
She burst through the trees into a clearing.
What she saw made her heart stop.
Zevran and the other wolves were surrounded by at least fifty rogues. Wild wolves with no pack. No loyalty. No mercy.
And standing at the head of the rogue army was someone Mara recognized.
Prince Ronan.
But he looked different now. His eyes glowed red. His body was covered in black markings. He smiled with too many teeth.
"Hello, Moon Wolf," he said in a voice that was not quite his own. "I have been waiting for you."