Chapter 159 Chapter 158

Chapter 159 Chapter 158
Aloria.

Everyone stills immediately.

Kairos and Draven both turn in the direction of the woman, their eyes widening in recognition.

"Agatha?" Draven mutters. "The Moon Priestess. What's she doing here?"

Agatha walks deeper into the hall, her gaze fixed straight ahead, while her rod makes a definitive sound as it strikes against the polished marble flooring in the council room. Her almost-silver hair is packed into a neat braid behind her head, and despite the wrinkles etched into her face, she looks much younger than I had expected.

Draven and Kairos stand straighter, their gazes fixed on her as she moves closer to us, the faint markings on her arms and legs catching the light in the room and emanating a faint glow of their own.

Many of the nobles and high-ranking officials rise to their feet, lowering their heads as she walks past them. The woman barely acknowledges them. She just keeps her gaze straight ahead, staring at the king, who's still standing on the dais, his chest puffed out with fury.

Agatha, the Moon Priestess, is the most important figure in the entire werewolf realm, second only to the king. Once she's close enough, Kairos and Draven bow to her, offering their greeting.

I remain standing, my feet rooted to the ground, watching as everything unfolds, my heart racing in my chest.

Finally, the tension bleeds from the king, and he clears his throat, some of the rage receding from his eyes as he makes to address the priestess.

"Your Holiness..." he starts, his voice gruff but laced with an undercurrent of respect. "What brings you here today?"

The priestess stares at the king, then at the gathered nobles and officials, allowing the silence to settle and become charged before she speaks.

"I came for the girl..." she announces, her voice low and clear, yet it carries through the entire room.

A hush settles instantly, many exchanging bewildered looks.

I stand frozen, my eyes slowly widening, my brows shooting up into my hairline.

Agatha slowly looks at me, pointing a finger at me.

A soft gasp ripples through the hall.

"The demon...?!" a noble asks, confused. "What has she done to you?"

"It's not about what she's done to me. I came for what you're about to do to her," Agatha says, her voice gathering strength. She turns around, her gown sweeping the ground. "An execution... Really?" she asks, sounding befuddled.

"She is an abomination!"

The king cries out, indignant. His body starts to tremble with fury once more.

"The records and laws that govern the realm state that! She doesn't deserve to live!"

"Perhaps..." Agatha says, giving a light shrug of her shoulders. "If she has committed crimes of such magnitude that earn the right to be killed."

The king furrows his brows at those words, taking a step forward.

"What are you saying, Your Holiness?" he growls, his voice gravelly.

"I am saying that though she might be a hybrid and a threat to our kind, this girl standing before us has no intention of being such."

Agatha takes a step forward, her gaze spanning the entire hall before she speaks again.

"In fact... she has done more for this realm by eliminating the threat to our existence. Malachyr."

At the mention of that name, shocked gasps and cries take over the entire room, many people murmuring among themselves and pointing back at me.

My heart threatens to burst out of my chest, but I wear a calm expression, refusing to falter.

Not here. Not now.

Draven and Kairos continue to stand beside me, acting as silent, vigilant sentinels.

"What do you mean? Did... she kill Malachyr?" an elder asks, rising to his feet, a look of confusion on his face.

"Yes..." Agatha answers as though it's a matter of fact. "It was the deal the Moon Goddess struck with the alphas on their quest to save her from the clutches of Malachyr." In a lower, much grimmer voice, she adds, "Only a succubus can kill another succubus."

She points to me again.

"Aloria here was handed the weapon that would destroy Malachyr, and she obeyed the instruction. That alone exonerates her from your decree of death," she announces.

Everyone's eyes widen in surprise and partly in fear. The murmuring grows even louder, more frantic.

"How is that even possible? She truly saved the realm?! Is there a witness for this?!" are some of the questions being asked.

"You there!" An old, high-ranking noble points to Kairos, his face still contorted in distrust. "Can you confirm if this is true? Did this... really kill Malachyr?"

"It is true..." Kairos answers, his tone level as he holds the noble's stare.

Draven steps forward and shows them the dagger I had used in killing Malachyr. The silver blade is embedded with moon markings and runes. Numerous gazes stay fixed on it.

"This is what was used to end Malachyr. We know it happened because we were there. We journeyed through the demon realm, and we have moon marks to prove it," Draven adds, revealing the moon mark on his wrist.

Everyone looks at the weapon and the moon mark in disbelief, the murmuring now transforming into a loud clamor as voices meld together.

"They journeyed to the demon realm?!" one voice cries out.

"And survived?!"

"That's a foolhardy thing to do!" a shrill voice cries out.

Yet, the reward of their quest is staring at them in the face. I am here, and so are the alphas, alive and well, while Malachyr isn't.

A warm feeling starts spreading through my chest, but it's immediately smothered out.

This is still far from over.

The king lets out a deflated breath, settling back into his seat, while the queen reaches out to caress his arm. He glares at us for a moment before speaking.

"Even if we all agree that she killed Malachyr, she's still a hybrid... a succubus hybrid at that."

He stares pointedly at the priestess.

"You know the succubus nature. You know how they sustain themselves. If they begin to feed from us werewolves... that's another catastrophe waiting to happen!" he growls through clenched teeth.

The words hit me like a mace to my chest, my breath hitching. But I force my expression to stay calm and collected even as my hands ball into fists.

"You might be right..." Agatha begins, her voice still calm and controlled, but carrying through the entire room, forcing everyone present to listen. "Unmonitored feeding by a hybrid succubus can form several unwanted bonds with the werewolves she feeds on, and she can gain power, strength, and energy from it."

Before the murmurs can rise, Agatha cuts in again.

"But that's just what it is. An unmonitored feeding."