116

116

RAVEN

“Your vitals are normal, but we can still see the goddess-blood merger moving around,” Dr. Evren removes the stethoscope from my chest. “Three days of unconsciousness after such a huge power awakening would be standard, according to the ancient sources.”

“Normal for texts that are centuries old,” I grumble, pulling my legs over the edge of the bed. "How reassuring."

"Raven." Kael's voice catches my attention toward the entrance where he's standing --incredible relief somewhat dries up his stormy gray eyes. "How are you feeling?"

“I feel like I’ve been hit by lightning and stampeded by a herd of elk.” “Same,” I say, taking his hand. The second our skin meet, sense I his emotions as if they were mine; love, concern, fierce protectiveness and, underlying it all, an aching worry over something he’s not yet told me.

"What's wrong?" “What’s wrong?” I prompt, my oversensitive senses reading the waves of anxiety emanating from him.

“We need to have a talk,” he says, glancing meaningfully at Dr. Evren. "Privately."

As soon as we’re alone in our chambers, Kael splaying open documents across the desk — maps, letters, photographs. His jaw tightens and his finger jabs toward red signs scrawled on a number of pieces of land.

"We managed to get intel on how we could overwhelm the castle of Thane," he starts, his voice somber. "It's worse than we thought. Six packs having known Shadowmere sympathizers within their leadership. For years, some have lived there.”

I hunch over the papers, and through my newfound abilities I feel the evil pulsating from each site circled. “They have been waiting for this a long time.”

“Decades, as near as we can figure. And now that your goddess-blood has been called forth, they think it’s either their greatest moment about to dawn or their blackest threat.

A sharp knock interrupts us. Eira sticks her head into the doorway, the familiar mischievousness wiped from her face.

“The council calls for an emergency meeting,” she declares. "They're... riled up about the latest happenings."

"Let me guess," I say, as I brush off my dress and stand up. “They believe I’m too dangerous at the moment.”

‘Elder Matthias specifically asked for you,’ Eira insists. “He was aggressively insistent.”

Kael’s hand finds mine and squeezes lightly. “We will take whatever they have to say together.”

"Luna Raven," Elder Cressida says, her tone as cold as the winter wind. "Recent…" His eyes narrowed as if the word tasted bad to him. "Transformation. It distresses the pack.
"Concerns?" "Me too," I parrot, and feel annoyance roil in my chest. "I helped save this pack. I was able to save all our people.”

“By releasing powers we do not comprehend,” adds Elder Tobias. “Powers that might be used against us.”

“You were awoken with the goddess-blood in you,” Elder Matthias whispers softly, his pale blue eyes boring into me. “Power that we have never seen in our lifetime. We have to weigh the consequences."

"What implications?" Kael whispers, his tone a low and dangerous growl. "Are you insinuating that my mate poses a danger to the pack?"

“We’re proposing, then,” Elder Cressida continues, “that perhaps we should restrict her access to pack intelligence until we understand her new capabilities.”

I can hardly hear what they say next. I keep my eyes trained on Elder Matthias, my goddess-blood enabling me to probe more deeply at the feelings he's struggling so hard to mask from view. I’ve got images in my head — secret meetings, conspiratorial murmurs, papers getting passed in the dark.
My breath catches. Matthias is providing intelligence to our enemies. For years.

"Raven?" Kael's voice sounds distant. "You've gone pale."
I have to concentrate on this moment and this conversation, though I can feel myself spinning from this revelation. "I'm fine. Just exhausted from the awakening.”

"We may need to end this meeting," says Elder Matthias, standing up. I chuckled."Luna could so use more time to get over it.”

No," I answer fast, locking my stare with his. For an instant, I see panic flicker over his face, before he regains his composure. "I believe that we need to raise these concerns at this point. "Could it be the return of lack-of-transparency-as-a-service regarding pack security?
The word ‘transparency’ hits him like a punch. His guilt shoots up so suddenly, I have to struggle to keep from gasping out loud.

"Of course," he manages. "Maybe, such arguments are best made within more focused conversations. They can be complicated by too many voices.”

You got it,” I say, getting up carefully. “Kael, is it possible to have a private conversation with Elder Matthias after this one? I want to bounce some pack security ideas off someone of his... prowess, I guess.

The word ‘experience’ turns Matthias’ face the color of ash. He knows. Somehow, he knows that I do know.

"That would be… fine," he says carefully.

A youth with Matthias’s eyes, shackled in a dark cell. A letter asking for information in exchange for the life of his son. Years of secret thefts, communicated through coded messages and midnight rendezvous. And most recently, very specific plans for an assault on Nyxhowl territory.

I snatch my hand back, battle to keep my face indifferent while Matthias looks up at me with desperate, haunted eyes.
“Tomorrow night,” I murmur the words out before I can stop them.

"What about tomorrow night?" Kael asks, moving to my side.
"Nothing," I say quickly. "I just... I need some air."

My heart races as I exit the council chamber, Kael’s concerned inquiries trailing me into the hallway. But I can't tell him yet. Matthias has been a father to Kael since his father died. The betrayal will kill him.

First, I need proof. Tangible evidence that even Kael can't refute.

Inside, the place where Matthias sleeps and rests is stark and simple—a lifetime of military order is followed here in the way everything is so meticulously arranged. But my new powers lead me to inconsistencies, to locales where strong feelings have imprinted themselves.

And there it is behind a loose stone in the hearth. Coded-letter, the linemaps pinpointing our weak points, any most damning of all, an itemized list of Kael's patrol routes over the last 6 months.

I open up the latest letter, my hand trembling. The words blur in front of me as I read about the projected attack upon Nyxhowl lands—tomorrow night, and to coincide with the new moon when my goddess-blood will be at its thinnest. They have been watching and learning, biding their time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

The letter specifies everything: who is on what guard duty, how the evacuation will be conducted, even which safe houses the non-combatants will use. Information that one could only have if one had total access to our meetings.
Footsteps resound the hallway beyond. I hurriedly stuff the letters into my own dress and walk toward the window, like I’ve just been looking at the view.

"I was waiting for you to come around."

Matthias’s voice makes me turn around. He’s at the door, shoulders slumped with defeat, terrible sadness in pale eyes.
"How long have you known?" I ask, my hand going to where the letters press into my ribcage.

“From the time you touched my arm, in the council chamber. “Your newfound powers, they’re more powerful than you know. He walks into the room, closing the door behind him. "I felt you in my memories. Saw what you saw."

"Your son," I whisper. "They have your son."

“Had,” he says through a broken voice. "David died three months ago. But they sent me the pictures, kept making me believe… I found out only yesterday.”

The truth strikes me like a physical blow. "Then why—?"

"It's not like stopping now will bring him back. And it was because they made it very clearly known what would happen to everyone I love if I tried to back out. He looks me in the eye, appealing for comprehension. They've got people all over, Raven. In each pack, each council, each rotation of guards. This is bigger than you,” he said.
"The attack tomorrow night—"

"Would happen if I helped or not. At least it lets me try to keep the casualties down.” He moves towards his desk, extracting from it a secret drawer. “I have tried to figure out a way to alert Kael without signing all our death warrants.”
“We can keep you safe,” I tell him. "Kael can—"

“Kael cannot guard everyone they threaten to harm. And they know exactly where the pressure points are.” He takes from a pocket a small vial of silver liquid. "Liquid silver. Enough to kill a goddess-blood wolf, when applied properly.”
My heightened senses are shouting that this is danger, danger, but I remind myself to chill out. "Are you threatening me?"

“I’m giving you a choice,” he says, ruefully. "Come with me, quietly, and I swear I'll see the attack, on Nyxhowl be averted. ‘Say no and your family dies tomorrow night … two limbs too weak to save them.”

“There’s another possibility,” I warn, my goddess-blood starting to flow with a protective rage. “I could just pull you over now.

"You could try. But I’ve had decades to plan for every eventuality.” He removes a small device, a communication crystal. "Let one word from me, and the attack takes early place. Tonight while your good people sleep in their beds."

The trap snaps shut on me with horrifying precision. He has thought of everything, prepared for every potential reaction. The worst part is that I can feel how much he really doesn’t want to be doing it — the guilt and the self-hatred are real.
But it doesn’t change the fact that he’s about to sell me out to our enemies.

"What happens now?" I ask, stalling for time as I think of a way to reach out to Kael through the bond.

“Now, we leave here together. You will say you are presenting me at the outer defenses if anyone inquires. We'll have a nice talk about pack security as we move toward the border." His fist clenches around the communication crystal. “And if you do tell anyone or use your powers against me, hundreds of werewolves will be murdered because you made the decision to do so.

I close my eyes thinking about the burden of the impossible decisions. I attempt to message Kael through our mate-to-mate bond, to warn him, anything. But the connection seems muffled, dulled by something that I can’t quite place.

“Crystals were interfering,” Matthias offers, noting my focus. Sewn inside your dress when you were unconscious in the infirmary. You goddess-blood is strong, but its never had to work through direct interference before.”

This betrayal hurts more than a flesh wound. He has planned this even starting the moment I woke up, he's used all he has to make sure I couldn't run away or seek help.

"Shall we go?" he says, to the door, with the hangdog expression of a man shuffling to his own hanging.

I get up and follow him to the hallway and my mind is racing with different scenarios. The letters inside my dress feel like they’re searing into my skin—proof of his betrayal that Kael has to see, if only I can find a way to get them to him.

As we walk through the Spire, guards nodding respectfully to their Elder as we make our way, I catch a whiff of something familiar in the air. Eira’s scent, a trace but fresh.

She was here. This corridor, only a few minutes ago.

Hope flickers in my chest. If Eira is aware that something’s not right, that she’s put the tracking on us, or she’s flew ahead to warn Kael.

“Don’t,” Matthias whispers, as if he can read my face. "She's not going to be a problem much longer."

The suggestion chills me to the bone. "If you hurt her—"

“I won’t need to, if you’re helpful.” He steers me to a side exit that opens directly into the vehicle bay. "My co-conspirators are quite thorough in their preparations."

Outside in the night air, I spot them — three figures standing by a black SUV, shrouded in darkness, their faces obscured. I can practically see the old magic and darkness wafting off them in waves, causing my goddess-blood to physically recoil in response.

“The Moon’s Daughter,” one says, and has an accent I’m not sure which one. "At last."

Matthias's hand comes to rest on my elbow, guiding me along to the vehicle. “Just so you know,” he whispers, “your cooperation saves lives.”