Chapter 145 Chapter 145
Chapter 145 Chapter 145
Earlier
Zyran’s POV
Hayley found us before breakfast.
She walked into the training yard holding the small piece of paper she'd discovered inside Stanley's pendant.
“Dad knew the way.”
Damon took it from her.
“Where did you find this?”
“Inside the pendant.”
Ariel immediately came closer.
“You opened it?”
“It clicked when I touched the symbol.”
Damon looked at Zyran.
“Convenient.”
“Or intentional,” Zyran replied.
Ariel studied the writing.
“Stanley knew someone might need this.”
Hayley folded her arms.
“Then let's figure out where it leads.”
Damon looked towards the practice grounds.
“Today.”
Ariel frowned.
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“We don't know how long we'll be gone.”
“That's why we prepare properly.”
Mark approached carrying two rolled maps.
“I've already spoken to the scouts.”
Damon glanced at him.
“And?”
“The route to Moonless Mountain is clear for now. But the northern pass has been watched recently.”
“By whom?”
“Unknown.”
Damon nodded.
“Then we don't use the northern pass.”
Ariel spread one of the maps over a wooden bench.
“The old route begins here.”
She pointed to a narrow trail.
“It crosses the valley, then goes around the western ridge.”
Hayley leaned over the map.
“That's the third entrance.”
“Yes.”
“Why did Drake avoid it?”
“Because the path changes after sunset.”
Leo appeared behind Hayley.
“How does a path change?”
Ariel looked at him.
“The ground shifts.”
Leo considered this.
“Can it shift us somewhere useful?”
Kai followed him into the yard.
“That's not how roads work.”
“You don't know that.”
“I know enough.”
Damon looked at both boys.
“Pack your things.”
Leo's eyes lit up.
“Really?”
“Yes. But don't pack your entire room.”
“I wasn't going to.”
Kai looked at him.
“You were.”
“I need options.”
“For what?”
“Clothes.”
Kai shook his head and walked away.
Damon laughed.
“I'll miss that argument.”
“You'll hear it again when we get back,” Hayley said.
“If we get back,” Mark muttered.
Everyone looked at him.
He shrugged.
“Just being realistic.”
Hayley smiled.
“That's why we need you.”
Mark nodded.
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
“You should.”
Damon turned to Ariel.
“Who stays behind?”
Ariel answered immediately.
“Several senior warlocks, including Rowan. They can maintain the Order and keep Wales and Ares contained.”
“And Celine?”
Mark's expression tightened.
“Still missing.”
Hayley's smile disappeared.
“We're leaving while she's out there?”
“We're not going to chase her,” Ariel said. “Not yet.”
Hayley looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because Celine is looking for Dylan.”
Dylan, who had been standing quietly near the entrance, finally spoke.
“Let her.”
Ariel turned.
“No.”
“She'll come eventually.”
“And that's exactly why you shouldn't go looking for her.”
Dylan crossed his arms.
“You don't get to decide everything for me.”
Ariel's face tightened.
“I am your mother.”
“And I didn't know that for most of my life.”
Silence followed.
Damon glanced at me.
Neither of us interrupted.
Dylan looked away.
“I'm going with you.”
Ariel's voice softened.
“I know.”
He gave a short nod.
“Then we're settled.”
Hayley looked between them.
“We leave at first light tomorrow.”
Damon nodded.
“No delays.”
PRESENT
By evening, the Order had been divided into groups.
The first would remain behind.
The second would guard the prisoners.
Our group would travel to Moonless Mountain.
Ariel chose Mark to lead us through the old routes.
Damon packed enough weapons for a small army.
Hayley checked her bow twice.
Dylan said nothing while sharpening his blade while Leo watched him for several minutes.
“Do you always look that serious?”
Dylan glanced at him.
“Usually.”
“Why?”
“Because I have things to think about.”
Leo nodded.
“Fair.”
Kai handed him an arrow.
“You dropped this.”
Dylan looked at it.
“Thanks.”
Kai smiled.
“You're welcome.”
It was simple.
No awkward speech and no forced acceptance.
Just an arrow being returned.
I watched Hayley watching them.
She didn't say anything.
Damon walked over and placed a hand around her waist.
“You're thinking too loudly.”
She looked at him.
“You can't hear my thoughts.”
“I can read your face.”
I joined them.
“She has the same expression she gets when she wants to solve something immediately.”
Hayley sighed.
“You two are becoming irritatingly observant.”
“It's a skill,” Damon said.
“It's annoying,” she replied.
“Also a skill.”
She laughed.
I kissed her forehead.
“Get some sleep.”
“Bossy.”
“You like it.”
“Sometimes.”
Damon grinned.
“Progress.”
Morning came quickly.
The portal room was ready and Mark held the moonstone in his palm.
Ariel stood beside him with the map.
Damon and I checked the weapons one final time.
Hayley had her bow across her back while Dylan stood beside her.
The twins were arguing quietly about who would carry the food.
“I should,” Leo said.
“You'll eat half of it.”
“I won't.”
“You will.”
Ariel looked at them.
“Give it to Mark.”
Both boys immediately stopped.
Mark raised an eyebrow.
“Why me?”
“Because neither of them trusts the other.”
Leo smiled.
“Exactly.”
Mark shook his head.
“I've made a mistake joining this family.”
Hayley laughed.
Damon looked around at us.
“Everyone ready?”
One by one, we nodded.
Mark placed the moonstone on the ground and the portal opened.
We stepped through.
Cold air struck my face.
Moonless Mountain stood ahead.
Its peak disappeared into thick clouds.
Ariel unfolded the map.
“According to Drake's notes, the entrance should be…”
She stopped.
Hayley looked at her.
“What?”
Ariel pointed ahead.
There was a stone arch between two trees.
No path led to it.
Dylan walked closer.
“That's not on the map.”
Mark looked at the pendant in Hayley's hand.
The symbol had begun to glow faintly.
Damon moved beside her.
“Then we're in the right place.”
Ariel stared at the arch.
“No.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
She shook her head.
“This wasn't here when Drake showed me the route.”
A sound came from beyond the arch.
Three slow knocks against stone.
Everyone froze.
Then a voice came from the darkness.
“Drake should have warned you about the second guardian.”
The pendant went cold in Hayley's hand.
And the arch opened.