Chapter 34 Maera the healer
Sera's Pov
I drifted in and out of consciousness, my body no longer fully mine. Pain moved through me slowly now, like something tired of raging but not yet finished with me.
Wolfsbane lingered in my veins.
I could taste it at the back of my throat. It was bitter and metallic.
My fingers twitched. When I finally managed to open my eyes, the ceiling above me was unfamiliar. This wasn’t a cell. It was an infirmary.
Memory returned in fragments. The enforcers, the wolfsbane syringe. The way my body moved before my mind caught up. Three lives ended in moments that would replay forever whether I wanted them to or not.
I swallowed hard. “You’re awake.”
The voice was calm, it sounded frail out of old age and feminine Female.
I turned my head slowly.
She sat beside my bed, hands folded neatly in her lap. Her hair was silver, braided, and her eyes held a depth that made it impossible to tell her age. She wore no council markings, no sigils of rank, yet the air around her felt very ancient.
“Good,” she said softly. “You’re stronger than I expected.”
“That seems to be a running problem,” I murmured.
A faint smile touched her lips before fading. “Do you know how much wolfsbane they gave you?”
“I’m guessing more than necessary.”
“Enough to kill a normal wolf,” she said gently. “Enough to stop an alpha’s heart within minutes.”
My chest tightened. “And yet…”
“And yet,” she echoed. “You lived. Barely, that's for sure.”
I shifted, testing my limbs. Silver-thread bindings wrapped loosely around my wrists and ankles. Tight enough to remind me that I was still restrained, I wasn't yet free.
“Rowan,” I said.
“Yes.”
“He must be losing his mind,”
“He is furious,” she corrected calmly.
I let out a quiet breath. “Figures.”
She studied me for a long moment. Like she was studying a puzzle she already understood but wanted to confirm.
“My name is Maera,” she said at last. “I am a healer. Council-sanctioned, I am old of the oldest healers,”
“You’re here to keep me alive,” I said.
“For now,” she agreed. “And to speak truth where others choose convenience.”
I turned my face toward her. “Then tell me the truth.”
She didn’t hesitate. “What happened in that cell changed everything.”
“They attacked me.”
“I know,” Maera said. “And that truth will not matter.”
I closed my eyes briefly. “Of course it won’t.”
“Enforcers are dead,” she continued. “They aren't just mere guards. They are council enforcers. This is a potential war. Their deaths carry weight and consequences.”
“I didn’t want—”
“You didn't want this to happen, I know,” she interrupted softly. “But intent is no longer the currency being traded.”
I opened my eyes again. “Then what is.”
“Fear,” she replied.
The word settled uncomfortably in my chest.
“You are standing at the center of too many fault lines,” Maera went on. “Caden’s authority. Damien’s being the enemy. Rowan’s gradual loss of control. The council’s pride. Every step you take pulls at one of them.”
“I didn’t ask for this.”
“But it has asked for you. The goddess must see something in you, to have chosen you for this great mission.”
I stared at the ceiling, exhaustion pressing into my bones. “So what happens now?”
She leaned closer, her voice lowering. “They will stop pretending this is about fear alone. Everyone wants your power, but you don't even know your calling or the power you will.”
My fingers curled weakly against the bindings. “What calling might that be?”
“Just one word,”
“Which is?”
“A ruler.”
Silence stretched between us. Then she said, “First things first, you must choose.”
“Choose what,” I asked.
“Who you stand with,” she replied. “Which bond you acknowledge. Which power you answer when the lines are finally drawn.”
“I don't think I want to,” I whispered.
Maera’s gaze didn’t waver. “Then others will choose for you.”
A chill ran through me. “Rowan?”
“The council,” she corrected. “And they are far less patient.”
I swallowed. “You said harsher carnage would follow.”
Her expression softened, but her voice did not. “Yes. What you saw before was restraint compared to what comes next. Enforcers were a warning. The next losses will not be so… contained.”
“Who,” I asked quietly.
She hesitated, just for a breath.
“Anyone close enough to matter.”
My chest ached.
“I don’t want blood on my hands,” I said.
Maera reached out and placed two fingers lightly against my wrist. “Then decide before the world decides for you.”
She stood slowly, smoothing her robes. “Rest while you can. Your body needs it.”
“Maera, how do I decide which path to follow?” I asked.
Her eyes met mine, “You will know.”
The door closed behind her with a soft, final click.