Chapter 65: The Unseen Future
The changes in Isla were impossible to ignore.
She felt it in the way her body responded to the world around her, how her senses sharpened unpredictably, how her emotions seemed to run deeper than before. Sometimes, it was a simple moment: standing outside, feeling the pull of the moon in a way she never had before, or catching Damian’s scent in the air long before he arrived. Other times, it was unsettling, like the strange exhaustion that seemed to creep into her limbs when she least expected it.
At first, she brushed it off. She was still recovering. They all were. But the feeling didn’t go away. It lingered, whispering at the edges of her mind and Damian had noticed.
He was watching her more than usual, his silver eyes tracking every shift in her expression, every flicker of hesitation.
One night, as they lay tangled together in the dim glow of their chambers, he ran his fingers along her bare arm, tracing the softness of her skin.
"You’ve been different lately," he murmured, his lips brushing against her temple.
Isla exhaled, pressing herself closer to the warmth of his body. "Everything’s different now."
Damian hummed in agreement, but she felt the tension in him. "That’s not what I meant."
She tilted her head up to look at him. His gaze was unreadable, but she knew him well enough to sense the concern buried beneath his calm exterior.
"Tell me," she said softly
.
He hesitated for only a second before his hand drifted lower, resting against her stomach.
A strange jolt went through her.
"You’ve been exhausted," he said quietly. "You get dizzy sometimes and I can hear your heartbeat change when you sleep."
Isla’s breath hitched. She hadn’t realized he had been paying attention to all of that. But of course, he had.
"I’m fine," she whispered, though the words felt uncertain.
Damian didn’t argue. Instead, he pulled her even closer, his grip firm but protective. "Just promise me you won’t ignore it."
Something in his voice made her chest tighten.
"I won’t," she murmured, pressing a kiss against his jaw. "I promise."
But even as she said it, a quiet voice in the back of her mind whispered something else entirely.
She wasn’t fine.
Something was changing and soon, there would be no ignoring it.
The fortress had been restored to some semblance of order, but the air was thick with the weight of unfinished business.
Vincent’s name hung over them like an unspoken threat. Isla had felt him in that vision, and though she didn’t understand the connection yet, she knew it was there.
Magnus and Leo had been gathering intelligence, trying to track his movements, but so far, there was only silence. Until today. Damian stood at the war table, eyes scanning the map as Cassian relayed the latest information.
"He’s moving north," Cassian said. "And he’s not alone. The Elders still have their hands in this, their allies."
Damian exhaled sharply. "Then we end this before they have the chance to regroup."
Raven, standing with her arms crossed near the doorway, smirked. "You always did have a flair for the dramatic, Alpha."
Alaine, who had been reviewing reports, glanced up. "We don’t know their full numbers yet. This could be a trap."
"It is a trap," Leo muttered. "But we don’t have the luxury of waiting."
Isla, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward. "I need to be there."
Damian’s gaze snapped to her immediately, his expression darkening. "No."
She met his eyes without flinching. "Yes."
His jaw tightened. "You’re not coming, Isla."
"I have to," she argued. "I saw him, Damian. I felt him. This isn’t just another battle, it’s something else and you know it."
Silence stretched between them. Damian looked away for a moment, his fists clenching. When he finally spoke, his voice was controlled but rough.
"You stay by my side," he said. "No reckless moves. No heroics."
A small smile tugged at Isla’s lips. "I wouldn’t dream of it."
Alaine snorted. "That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one."
But Damian only sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "Then let’s finish this."
The days of travel were grueling, but the tension among them was worse.
Damian barely left Isla’s side, his protectiveness intensifying with every mile they rode. Cassian and Leo led scouting groups ahead, while Magnus and Raven ensured their warriors remained ready for anything.
Rohen had stayed back at the fortress, though Isla suspected it had less to do with strategy and more to do with his growing interest in a certain oracle.
Lucia had been strangely quiet since their departure, keeping to the shadows, her golden eyes ever watchful. When Isla had asked her about it, she had simply said, "The past and future are tangled. Be ready for either."
It hadn’t exactly been comforting.
The night before they reached their destination, Isla stood outside their camp, gazing up at the night sky.
She hadn’t told anyone yet, but something in her had started to hum again, that quiet pull of intuition that had been growing stronger.
A presence moved behind her.
"You’re thinking too loudly," Alaine’s voice came, dry with amusement.
Isla huffed a soft laugh. "Didn’t know that was possible."
Alaine leaned against the tree beside her, crossing her arms. "You and my brother are impossible, you know that?"
Isla arched a brow. "How so?"
Alaine smirked. "You’re both terrible at hiding when something’s wrong."
Isla’s fingers tightened around her cloak. "Is it that obvious?"
Alaine studied her for a long moment before sighing. "Only if you know what to look for."
Isla hesitated. Then, quietly, she asked, "Have you ever felt like your body knows something before your mind does?"
Alaine’s expression flickered, but she said nothing for a moment. Finally, she tilted her head. "You’re different lately. Not just stronger, more."
Isla swallowed. "I don’t know what it means yet."
Alaine gave a small, knowing smile. "You will."
At dawn, they moved.
The forest was thick with silence as they approached the ruins where Vincent had been seen last. Isla’s heart pounded, not just from the impending fight, but from something deeper.
They reached the edge of the clearing when Damian suddenly stiffened beside her.
"Something’s wrong," he murmured.
A sharp whistle cut through the air. Then chaos erupted. Shadows burst from the treeline, warriors, rogues, figures cloaked in the Elders’ darkness. The battle began in an instant, steel clashing, growls ripping through the cold morning.
Isla moved like instinct, her body knowing before her mind could catch up. She struck, dodged, felt the way the world bent around her and then, through the fray, golden eyes locked onto hers.
Vincent.
He stood at the far end of the battlefield, watching her with something unreadable in his gaze. Not hate. Not anger.
Recognition.
Isla’s breath caught. She knew, in that moment, that this was far from over.
It was only just beginning.