Chapter 71 The council’s decision
"You used the fragment? Are you insane?"
The council chamber exploded with angry voices. Mara had been back from the Northern Wastes for exactly three hours. Three hours of yelling. Accusations. Demands for explanations.
"I had no choice!" Mara slammed her fist on the table. "Kieran was going to kill us! The shadow was taking over! I did what I had to do!"
"You promised to never use that power!" Marcus pointed at her. "You promised it would stay locked away!"
"I promised to try! Not to succeed! There is a difference!"
"The fragment is stronger now!" Kieran stood beside her. "I can feel it. See it. The darkness inside her has grown. If she uses it again, it might take her over completely."
"Then maybe she should not be queen!" A wolf named Thaddeus, not the Soul Weaver, a different Thaddeus—stood up. "Maybe she is too dangerous! Too unstable!"
"I never wanted to be queen!" Mara shouted. "You forced this on me! Made me responsible for everyone! And now you complain when I do what is necessary?"
"Necessary? You could have died! Let the shadow take you! Better you than risk the fragment escaping!"
"Get out."
Everyone went silent. Looked at Mara. Her eyes were glowing. Not golden. Not silver. Pure white. Like the Shadow King's eyes.
"What did you say?" Thaddeus asked quietly.
"I said get out. You think I should die? That my death is acceptable? Then you do not belong on this council. Leave. Now. Before I throw you out."
"You cannot kick me out! The council voted me in!"
"And I am queen! I outrank the council! So when I say leave, you leave!"
"This is tyranny!"
"This is survival! Now GET OUT!"
Power exploded from Mara. White light that filled the room. Thaddeus was lifted off his feet. Thrown through the door. Crashed in the hallway.
Everyone stared at Mara. At the white light still radiating from her body. At the eyes that looked nothing like hers.
"Anyone else want to question my decisions?" Her voice was layered. Multiple voices. Just like Kieran's had been. "Anyone else think I should have died?"
No one spoke. No one moved. They were terrified.
"Good. Meeting adjourned. Everyone leave. Now."
They scrambled out. Practically ran. Only Luna stayed behind. And Zevran. And Kieran.
"Mara?" Zevran approached slowly. "Are you okay?"
"I am fine." But her voice was still layered. Still wrong.
"No you are not. The fragment is taking over. Right now. I can see it."
"I said I am fine!" She spun on him. The white light flared. "Do not question me! Do not doubt me! I am doing my best!"
"I know you are. But you need help. Let us help you."
"How? How can you help? You are normal! Powerless! Weak!"
Zevran flinched. "I see. The fragment is talking now. Not you."
Mara blinked. The white light faded. Her eyes returned to normal. "What? What did I say?"
"You called me weak. Powerless. That is not you talking. That is Oblivion."
"No. I would never—" She looked at her hands. They were shaking. Glowing faintly. "It is getting stronger. I can feel it. Every time I use power, it grows. Takes more control."
"Then we lock it down. Use the same seals we used on Kieran. Bind it. Control it."
"That will not work," Kieran said. "The fragment is part of her now. You cannot seal part of someone without sealing all of them. She would lose her abilities. Her strength. Everything that makes her the Moon Wolf."
"Then what do we do?"
"I do not know. This is beyond my knowledge. Beyond anyone's knowledge."
"There is one person who might know," Luna said. She had been quiet until now. "The Soul Weaver. Thaddeus. The one who separated the fragment from Isla. Maybe he can help."
"He left," Mara said. "Said his debt was paid. That he was going home."
"Then we find him. Bring him back. Make him help."
"How do we find someone who does not want to be found?"
"We ask the Moon Goddess. She sent him before. She can tell us where he is now."
"The Moon Goddess does not just answer questions. She only appears during emergencies."
"This is an emergency!" Luna gestured at Mara. "Look at her! Her eyes keep changing color! Her power is unstable! The fragment is taking over! If that is not an emergency, what is?"
"She is right," Zevran said. "We need divine help. And we need it now."
"How do we contact her?" Mara asked. "I do not have a direct line to goddesses."
"The shrine. The one where you got Aiden's tear. The Moon Goddess has always answered prayers there."
"That shrine is three days away. On foot. With an army marching on the city in six weeks. We do not have time."
"We make time. Because if the fragment takes you over completely, Demetrius will be the least of our problems."
Mara wanted to argue. But she felt the fragment stirring. Felt Oblivion's consciousness pressing against hers. Trying to take control again.
"Fine. We go to the shrine. But we go fast. And we take only people we trust. This stays quiet. If the kingdom finds out I am losing control, there will be panic."
"Agreed. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow at dawn. Give me tonight to prepare. To say goodbye to Isla in case—"
"Do not finish that sentence. You are not saying goodbye. You are saying see you soon. Understand?"
"See you soon. Right. I can do that."
She left the council chamber. Walked through the palace in a daze. Wolves bowed as she passed. Whispered. Stared.
"Is it true? Did she really throw Thaddeus out?"
"I heard her eyes turned white. Like the Shadow King."
"She is losing control. Becoming a monster."
Mara ignored them. Kept walking. Found Isla in her room. Reading. Safe. Healthy.
"Mother!" Isla jumped up. Ran to her. "I heard what happened! Are you okay?"
"I am fine. Just tired. The fragment is being difficult. But I am managing."
"Do not lie to me. I can see it. The way your hands shake. The way you look over your shoulder. Like something is chasing you."
"Something is chasing me. Oblivion's consciousness. It wants out. Wants control. I am fighting it. But I do not know how long I can hold on."
"Then let me help. I carried the fragment before. I know how it thinks. How it manipulates. I can guide you."
"No. I will not risk you getting infected again. I will not put you in danger."
"You put yourself in danger every day! Why is it different for me?"
"Because you are my daughter! My responsibility! I am supposed to protect you! Not drag you into my problems!"
"Your problems are my problems! We are family! We protect each other!"
"Not this time. This time I fix it alone."
"That is stupid! And selfish! You always do this! You always push people away when things get hard! Stop being a martyr and let us help!"
Mara felt tears in her eyes. "I am scared. Terrified. What if I hurt you? What if the fragment takes over while you are near me? What if I kill you and do not even realize it until it is too late?"
Isla grabbed her mother's hands. "Then we make sure that does not happen. We keep you monitored. Watched. Someone with you at all times. We do not let the fragment win."
"You make it sound so simple."
"It is not simple. But it is possible. You taught me that. Everything is possible if you refuse to give up."
"When did you get so wise?"
"I learned from the best. Now come on. Tell me the plan. What are we doing about the fragment?"
Mara explained. The shrine. The Moon Goddess. The hope for divine intervention.
"I want to come," Isla said immediately.
"Absolutely not. You stay here. Guard the city. In case Demetrius attacks while I am gone."
"You want me to defend the city alone?"
"Not alone. Luna will be here. Marcus. Brutus. All the council. All the warriors. You will have help."
"But not you. Not Father."
"No. We need to do this. Need to find a solution. Before it is too late."
Isla was quiet for a long time. Then she nodded. "Fine. But you come back. Both of you. Or I am coming to get you. And I will be very angry."
"I promise. We will come back. Or die trying."
"That is not as comforting as you think it is."
Mara hugged her daughter. Held her tight. Tried to memorize this feeling. This moment. In case it was the last.
"I love you. More than anything. More than life itself. Remember that. Always."
"I will. Now go. Get some rest. You leave at dawn."
Mara returned to her chambers. Zevran was already there. Packing supplies. Getting ready.
"I told Isla goodbye," she said. "In case the worst happens."
"Nothing bad will happen. We get to the shrine. We pray. The goddess helps us. Simple."
"Nothing is ever simple with us."
"True. But we can hope this time will be different."
They packed in silence. Then lay down together. Holding each other. Finding comfort in touch.
"What if the fragment wins?" Mara whispered. "What if I become like the Shadow King? What if I lose myself completely?"
"Then I bring you back. Like you brought me back from death. Like you brought Kieran back from the shadow. I will not give up on you. Ever."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
They fell asleep like that. Wrapped around each other. Hoping tomorrow would bring answers. Hoping the goddess would help. Hoping they would survive.
But in the middle of the night, Mara woke. The fragment was awake. Active. Pressing against her consciousness.
"You cannot resist me forever," Oblivion whispered. "Eventually you will slip. Make a mistake. Let me out. And when you do, I will never go back. I will consume you. Become you. And then I will consume everyone you love."
"That will never happen."
"Keep telling yourself that. But we both know the truth. You are weakening. I am getting stronger. It is only a matter of time."
Mara wanted to argue. But she felt it. The truth in Oblivion's words. She was weakening. Every day. Every hour. The fragment was winning.
She had to get to the shrine. Had to get help. Before it was too late.
Before she became the monster everyone feared.