Chapter 19 The Eclipse of Blood and Bone
The war room was too quiet. The only sounds were the fire popping in the hearth and the soft hum of the monitors. Maps of the northern woods covered the table, messy with red ink marks that looked way too much like the blood still drying under my fingernails.
Cassian stood at the head of the table. His knuckles were white from gripping the wood so hard. He’d thrown on a black shirt but hadn’t stayed to button it, leaving the fresh scratches on his chest from our earlier fight visible. Every few seconds, his golden eyes flicked to me, making sure I was still there, still breathing.
"The Eclipse isn’t just a weapon, Aria," Kael said, pacing back and forth. "We listened in on the Syndicate’s radios. It’s a serum a mix of silver and wolfsbane. It shuts down the shifter gene instantly. If they hit us with it, we don’t just lose our strength. We lose our wolves forever."
The air in the room felt like ice. For us, losing your wolf was worse than dying. It was like having your soul ripped out.
"They want to make us human," I whispered. "Weak. Easy to kill."
Cassian let out a low, angry growl that made the glasses on the side table rattle. He walked over to me, his presence so big the room felt tiny. He ran his hand into my hair, tilting my head back so I had to look him in the eye.
"They won’t get close enough to use it," he promised. His voice was rough and thick with the need to protect me. "I’m moving Leo to the inner rooms. I want him under guard twenty-four-seven. And you"
"Don't even say it, Cassian," I snapped. My eyes flashed. "If you think you’re locking me in a tower while you go out there, you’ve forgotten who I am."
"I haven't forgotten," he said. He moved his hand to my jaw, his thumb brushing my lip. "But I can’t breathe when I think of you being a target again. My wolf... the bond is screaming at me to hide you."
"Then tell your wolf to listen to mine," I said, stepping closer into his heat. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I spent my life being a tool for the Syndicate. I won’t be a trophy for you. I’m your Luna. Let me lead."
Cassian groaned and closed his eyes. He was fighting his own instincts. Finally, he leaned in and kissed me hard a kiss that tasted like salt and adrenaline. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me so close I could feel his heart hammering against mine.
"Fine," he breathed against my lips. "But stay where I can see you. If I lose you, Aria, I’ll burn this whole mountain to the ground."
"You won't lose me," I promised.
Suddenly, the doors burst open. A young scout stood there, pale and out of breath. "Alpha! The sensors at the Red Gorge are down. There's a fog coming in... a green fog."
"The Eclipse," Kael hissed, grabbing his axe.
"It’s starting," I said, my heart turning to stone.
We ran to the stone walls of the fortress. Below us, the valley was disappearing under a thick, glowing green mist. It crawled up the hills like a living thing. Through the haze, I saw the lights of a dozen Syndicate trucks. They weren't hiding anymore. This was a full-scale invasion.
"Archers, to the walls!" Cassian shouted. His voice carried across the courtyard. "Gas masks on! Don't breathe that mist!"
I climbed to the highest point of the wall, pulling my daggers. Down below, I saw the Director. He was standing on top of a truck, holding a remote. He looked up, found my eyes, and smiled.
He pressed the button.
Canisters shot into the air, screaming as they flew over our walls. They didn't explode with fire; they hissed out clouds of thick gas. In seconds, the courtyard was a green maze. I heard men coughing and the sound of wolves whimpering as the serum hit their lungs.
"Aria!" Cassian’s voice called out, sounding strained.
I dove off the wall, sliding down a hanging banner to hit the ground. I had to get to the air vents. If the gas got into the ventilation system, the whole pack was done for.
I ran through the green fog, my eyes stinging. A soldier jumped out at me, but I didn't slow down. I ducked under his gun and drove my blade into his armor. I was a ghost again, moving through the mist like I belonged there.
I reached the control room just as the Director’s voice came over the pack's radio.
"Give me the boy and the girl, Cassian," he sneered. "And I’ll give you the antidote. Otherwise, watch your people turn into nothing."
I looked through the window. Cassian was surrounded by six fighters. He was moving slowly the gas was getting to him. He was fighting like a demon, but he was losing.
I looked at the lever that controlled the vents. If I opened them, it would clear the courtyard and save Cassian, but it would suck the gas straight down to where Leo was hiding.
My hand shook over the handle. My heart was breaking.
"Aria! Do it!" Cassian roared. He could feel my fear through our bond. He took a hit to the shoulder, silver blood spraying. "Save the boy! I’ll find you!"
"No!" I screamed.
I didn't pull the lever. Instead, I looked at the main gas tank on the back of the Syndicate's truck. If I destroyed the source, the fog would stop.
I turned and sprinted toward the truck. I wasn't just a sister, and I wasn't just a Luna. I was an assassin.
I jumped onto the back of the truck. The Director looked at me in shock, but I didn't give him a chance to speak. I drove my dagger into the tank and threw a lit flare into the leaking fluid.
"For Leo," I whispered.
The world went white.