Chapter 68 The Hunt Begins II
They found the next village three days later. Same thing. Everyone dead. Everything burned.
Then another village. And another.
"He is moving west," Riven said. "Toward the capital. Toward our home."
"No. He is moving toward Isla." Mara felt ice in her veins. "He knows she is there. Knows she is weak. He is going to kill her to hurt me."
"We need to warn them! Get back before he arrives!"
"It is too late. We are five days away from the capital at full speed. He is only two days ahead of us. He will get there first."
"Then we run faster! We do not stop! We—"
Three howls echoed across the forest. Short. Sharp. Distinctive.
"That is Kade's group!" Luna said. "They found something!"
They ran toward the sound. Found Kade's group standing in a clearing. Looking at something on the ground.
A message. Written in blood. On a white cloth.
"Come to the Broken Peaks. Alone. Or your daughter dies. - Marcus"
"It is a trap," Luna said. "Obviously."
"Of course it is a trap. But what choice do I have?" Mara stared at the message. "He has Isla. Or he is about to have her. I have to go."
"You cannot go alone! That is what he wants!"
"I know what he wants! But if I bring others, he kills Isla! I have to go alone!"
"Then we follow at a distance. Hide. Wait for an opening. Then we attack when he is distracted."
"He will sense you. He is enhanced. He has better senses than normal wolves."
"Then we mask our scents. Use Nyra's magic. Something. Anything. But we are not letting you face him alone."
Mara wanted to argue. But she knew Luna was right. Going alone was suicide. She needed backup. Even if Marcus sensed them. Even if it made things worse.
"Fine. But you stay back. Far back. Only come in if I signal. If I do not signal, you stay hidden. Understood?"
"Understood."
They traveled to the Broken Peaks. A mountain range in the far west. Rocky. Desolate. Perfect place for an ambush.
Marcus was waiting at the summit. Standing in the open. No weapons. Just confidence.
"Moon Wolf! You came! I am impressed! I thought you would send others! Let them die in your place like you always do!"
"Where is my daughter?"
"Safe. For now. She is with my siblings. The loyal ones. The ones who want you dead as much as I do."
"How many?"
"Enough. More than enough. But you will never see them. Because you are going to die here. Today. By my hands."
"You can try."
"Oh, I will do more than try. I will succeed. Because you are weak. Exhausted. Carrying Oblivion's fragment inside you. I can smell it. Feel it. You are barely holding on."
"I am holding on well enough to kill you."
Marcus laughed. "Brave words. Let us see if you can back them up."
He charged. Faster than before. Stronger than before. He had been training. Getting better. Preparing for this moment.
Mara barely dodged his first punch. It cratered the ground where she had been standing.
She countered with her own attack. Golden light blazing. But Marcus was ready. He blocked it. Deflected it. Sent it back at her.
The light hit Mara in the chest. She flew backward. Crashed into rocks.
"Pathetic! Is this the best you can do? The legendary Moon Wolf? The one who killed my mother? You are nothing!"
Mara stood slowly. Blood dripped from her mouth. The fragment inside her stirred. Whispered.
"Use me. Use my power. You cannot win without me."
"No. I can win. I will win. Without you."
She attacked again. This time using pure physical strength. No magic. No power. Just skill.
She landed three hits. Marcus took them. Barely flinched.
"Better. But still not enough."
He grabbed her throat. Lifted her off the ground. Squeezed.
Mara felt her vision darkening. She was dying. Again. For the fourth time.
The fragment screamed inside her mind. "USE ME! LET ME OUT! I CAN SAVE YOU!"
"No..."
"THEN DIE! DIE AND LET EVERYONE YOU LOVE FOLLOW!"
Mara's hand went to her knife. The one Isla had tried to give her. The one she always carried.
She stabbed Marcus in the side. He roared. Dropped her.
"You actually hurt me! How wonderful! Now I can hurt you back without feeling guilty!"
He kicked her. She flew across the clearing. Hit more rocks. Felt ribs break.
"Signal them," the fragment whispered. "Signal your friends. Let them help."
"No. They will die. He is too strong."
"Better they die than you. You are more important. The world needs you."
"The world needs me to be good. To be strong without using evil. I will not let you out."
Marcus walked toward her. Slowly. Enjoying her suffering. "Any last words, Moon Wolf?"
Mara looked up at him. Blood covering her face. Body broken. But eyes still defiant.
"Yes. One word."
"What?"
"Now."
Fifty wolves appeared from hiding. All attacking at once. Overwhelming Marcus with sheer numbers.
He roared. Fought back. But there were too many. Too fast. Too coordinated.
"You betrayed me!" he screamed at Mara. "You said you would come alone!"
"I lied. Funny how that works."
Marcus threw wolves left and right. But they kept coming. Kept attacking. Wearing him down.
Finally, Sera appeared. She jumped on his back. Wrapped her arms around his throat. "Brother. Please. Stop this. Stop the killing. Mother is dead. Let her go."
"Never! She took everything from us! Our mother! Our purpose! Our future!"
"She gave us freedom! She gave us choice! Why can you not see that?"
"Because freedom without purpose is meaningless! Mother gave us purpose! Gave us direction! And now we have nothing!"
"Then find a new purpose! Build instead of destroy! Create instead of consume! Be more than Mother's weapon!"
"I cannot! This is all I know! All I am!"
"Then let me help you learn! Let me show you another way! Please, brother. I do not want to kill you. But I will if I have to."
Marcus stopped fighting. Went still. "You would kill me? Your own brother?"
"To save innocent lives? Yes. I would. Just like I killed Dante."
"Dante believed in Mother. He was loyal. He was strong."
"He was a slave. Just like you are. Slaves to a dead woman who never loved us."
"She did love us!"
"She loved what we could do for her! Not who we were! There is a difference!" Sera's voice cracked. "Please, Marcus. I am begging you. Stop. Come with us. Let us find a new way. Together."
Marcus was quiet for a long time. Then he spoke. "Where is Isla? The Moon Wolf's daughter?"
"She is safe at the palace," Mara said. She had managed to sit up. Ribs screaming. "You never had her. That was a lie to draw me out."
"Yes. A lie. But an effective one. You came. That is all that mattered."
"So what now? You kill me? My friends kill you? We all die here?"
"No. Now I make a choice. A choice Mother never gave me." Marcus looked at Sera. "If I stop. If I come with you. What happens?"
"You work. You rebuild. You help fix what Mother broke. You earn forgiveness."
"And if I cannot earn it?"
"Then you try anyway. Because that is what good people do. They keep trying. Even when it is hard."
Marcus thought about it. Then he threw Sera off his back. She hit the ground hard.
"No. I cannot do it. I cannot betray Mother. Even if she is dead. Even if she was wrong." He looked at Mara. "But I will not kill you either. Today. Consider it mercy. Mercy for sparing my sister."
"Where are you going?"
"Somewhere far. Somewhere I can think. Decide who I am without Mother. Without purpose. Maybe I will find a new way. Maybe I will come back angrier. I do not know. But for now, I leave."
He jumped. Flew over the assembled wolves. Landed on a lower peak. Ran.
No one chased him. Everyone was too shocked. Too confused.
"Should we follow?" Luna asked.
"No. Let him go. He is not our enemy anymore. Not right now. Maybe someday. But not today." Mara tried to stand. Failed. "Can someone help me? I think I broke several bones."
Riven and Zevran—who had apparently followed despite orders—ran to her. Helped her up.
"You are an idiot," Zevran said. "Facing Marcus alone."
"I was not alone. I had fifty wolves with me. I just let him think I was alone."
"Still an idiot."
"Probably. But an alive idiot. That is what matters."
They traveled back to the capital. Slowly. Carefully. Mara's ribs needed time to heal.
When they arrived, Isla was waiting. Healthy. Strong. No sign of Marcus's other siblings.
"You are okay!" She ran to her mother. Hugged her gently. "I was so worried!"
"I am fine. Broken ribs. Bruised ego. But alive."
"What happened with Marcus?"
"He let me live. Chose mercy over revenge. Then he disappeared."
"Will he come back?"
"Maybe. Probably. But not soon. He needs time. Time to figure out who he is. What he wants. We will deal with him if he returns. Until then, we focus on rebuilding. On healing. On living."
"Can we finally have peace now? Just for a little while?"
Mara looked at her daughter. At Zevran. At all the wolves who had fought beside her. Who had bled for her. Who had survived against impossible odds.
"Yes. We can have peace. For a little while. We earned it."