Chapter 84 The Voices Within
Mara woke to arguing. Loud arguing. But not from outside. From inside her head.
"She needs to eat! Needs to restore energy! Let her wake up!"
"She needs more rest! The binding damaged her! Waking now risks permanent harm!"
"You just want control! Want to keep her suppressed! I see through you!"
"And you want to consume! Want to feed! I see through you too!"
"ENOUGH!" Mara shouted. In her mind. In her soul. "Both of you shut up! I am awake! I am in control! And you both follow my rules or get locked away! Understood?"
Silence. Blessed silence.
Then Ash spoke. Quieter. "Apologies. Valdris and I were... discussing optimal recovery strategies."
"You were fighting. Like children. Like idiots. How am I supposed to control two ancient entities if you cannot even control yourselves?"
"We are adjusting," Valdris said. "Learning to share space. Share attention. Share existence. It is... difficult. We are used to being alone. Being the only voice. Now there are three voices. It is crowded. Uncomfortable. Strange."
"Get used to it. This is reality now. Three of us. Forever. We make it work or we all die."
"Dramatic. But accurate."
Mara opened her eyes. Zevran sat beside her bed. Watching. Worried. He smiled when he saw her awake. "You were asleep for eighteen hours. I was starting to worry."
"Eighteen hours? That is too long. What happened while I slept?"
"Kieran woke up. He is weak. Confused. But alive. The shadow suppression left him damaged. Luna is treating him. Says he will recover fully. Eventually."
"What about the city? The repairs? The preparations?"
"Ongoing. Marcus and Brutus handled everything. The warriors are rested. The walls are stronger. We are ready if Demetrius returns. If anyone returns."
"Good. That is good." Mara sat up. Her body ached. Everything ached. But she was functional. Alive. Herself. "I need food. Need water. Need to see Isla. Make sure she is okay."
"She is fine. Training with Luna. Insisted on learning advanced techniques. Says she needs to be ready. Needs to protect you since you are carrying two fragments now. Her words."
"She worries too much."
"She is your daughter. Worrying is genetic."
Mara ate. Bread. Cheese. Dried meat. Simple food but it tasted like heaven. Her body was starving. Desperate for fuel. For energy. For anything.
Both fragments stirred. Hungry too. But for different things. Ash wanted emotions. Wanted conflict. Wanted intensity. Valdris wanted experiences. Wanted sensations. Wanted life.
"Later," she told them both. "After I handle immediate concerns. After I make sure everything is stable. Then you both get what you need. But only if you behave. Only if you cooperate. Deal?"
"Deal," they said together. Synchronized. Harmonious. It was unsettling. But also encouraging. Maybe they could work together. Maybe this would not be a disaster.
She visited Kieran. He was in the healing ward. Pale. Thin. Weak. But awake. Aware.
"Mara," he said. His voice rough. Damaged. "You took it. Took the shadow. Freed me."
"I did. How do you feel?"
"Empty. Strange. Lighter but also wrong. I carried Valdris for so long. He was part of me. Part of my identity. Now he is gone and I do not know who I am anymore."
"You are Kieran. The man who fought a thousand-year curse. Who helped save the kingdom. Who sacrificed his freedom to keep everyone safe. That is who you are. Nothing else matters."
"It feels like something matters. Something missing. A hole in my soul where Valdris used to be."
"That will fade. Given time. Given healing. You will find yourself again. I promise."
"What about you? How are you managing? Two fragments is not normal. Not survivable. You should be dead or insane. But you seem fine. How?"
"I am not fine. I am barely holding on. But I hide it well. Pretend I am strong. Pretend I am in control. Because everyone needs me to be. Because showing weakness means panic. Means fear. Means collapse."
"That is exhausting."
"That is leadership."
"I do not envy you."
"Neither do I."
She left Kieran to rest. Went to find Isla. Found her in the training yard. Sparring with Luna. Moving fast. Skilled. Dangerous.
"Mother!" Isla stopped. Ran over. Hugged her tight. "You are awake! I was so worried! You slept so long!"
"I am fine. Just needed rest. The binding took a lot out of me."
"How is it? Having two fragments? Is it terrible?"
"It is... complicated. They argue constantly. Fight for attention. Fight for control. But they also cooperate sometimes. Help each other. Help me. It is too early to say if this works. But for now I am managing."
"If you need help. If you need someone to talk to. Someone to understand. I am here. I carried a fragment too. I know what it is like."
"You carried one for days. I will carry two forever. There is a difference."
"Then I will learn. Will adapt. Will be here whenever you need me. Because that is what family does. We survive together. We endure together. We face impossible things together."
Mara felt tears in her eyes. "When did you become so wise?"
"I learned from the best. From a mother who dies repeatedly but keeps coming back. Keeps fighting. Keeps protecting everyone she loves. That takes more than strength. That takes wisdom. And I am trying to inherit both."
They hugged. Held each other. While around them the city rebuilt. Warriors trained. Life continued. Despite the battles. Despite the losses. Despite everything.
That afternoon Mara called a council meeting. Everyone attended. Luna. Marcus. Brutus. Riven. Even Kieran, carried in on a stretcher. Too weak to walk but insisting on being present.
"We need to discuss the future," Mara began. "Demetrius will return. Maybe not today. Maybe not this month. But eventually. And we need to be ready. Need to be stronger. Need advantages we do not currently have."
"What kind of advantages?" Marcus asked.
"Alliances. Other kingdoms. Other packs. We reach out. Offer partnerships. Mutual defense treaties. Trade agreements. Whatever it takes to build a coalition. To have allies when the Sun God's champion returns."
"That will take time. Take diplomacy. Take resources we barely have."
"Then we make time. Find diplomats. Allocate resources. Because fighting alone gets us killed. Fighting together gives us a chance."
"What about the fragments?" Brutus asked. "You carry two now. Does that change our strategy? Our tactics? Our capabilities?"
"It changes everything. I am stronger. Faster. More dangerous. But also more unstable. More risky. I can turn a battle. Win fights we should lose. But I can also lose control. Become the threat we are fighting against. So we plan for both. We prepare for me to be asset and liability. We have contingencies for if I fall. If I fail. If I become what everyone fears."
"That is grim."
"That is realistic. Now. Other concerns. The goddess. She has been quiet since I broke her blessing. Since I defied her. That silence worries me. Gods do not forget. Do not forgive. She will respond eventually. We need to be ready for divine retribution."
"How do you prepare for a goddess?" Luna asked. "How do you fight something that powerful? That eternal?"
"You do not fight gods directly. You undermine them. Reduce their followers. Reduce their faith. Reduce their power. Gods are only as strong as belief makes them. If people stop worshiping. Stop praying. Stop believing. Gods fade. Weaken. Become mortal. Become killable."
"You want to kill the Moon Goddess?"
"I want options. Want leverage. Want the ability to negotiate from strength instead of weakness. The goddess uses us. Manipulates us. Sacrifices us for her games. That needs to stop. Either she respects us. Treats us as equals. Or we find new gods. Better gods. Or no gods at all."
The council murmured. Shocked. Frightened. Talking about killing gods was heresy. Blasphemy. Unthinkable.
But also necessary. The goddess had proven herself untrustworthy. Selfish. Dangerous. Worshiping her blindly was foolish. Suicidal.
"That is a long-term plan," Mara continued. "For now we focus on immediate threats. On Demetrius. On the Sun God's expansion. On protecting our people. The divine problem waits. Builds. But does not demand immediate action."
"Yet," Ash whispered in her mind. "The goddess listens. Knows everything you say. Knows your plans. Your thoughts. Your rebellion. She is coming. Soon. Very soon."
"Let her come. I am not the same person she blessed. Not the same person she controlled. I am stronger now. Darker now. More dangerous. If she wants to fight, I will fight. And this time I might win."
"Overconfidence is dangerous."
"So is fear. I choose confidence. Choose strength. Choose defiance. Because bowing to gods has cost us too much. Taken too much. No more. From now on we stand as equals or not at all."
The council meeting ended. Decisions made. Plans formed. Everyone left with purpose. With direction. With hope.
But Mara felt something else. Something cold. Watching. Waiting.
The goddess was indeed listening. And she was not pleased.
That night, as Mara slept, a dream came. But not a normal dream. A visitation. Divine. Intentional. Threatening.
The Moon Goddess appeared. Beautiful. Radiant. Furious.
"You dare," she said. Her voice cold. Deadly. "You dare defy me? Question me? Plot against me? I gave you everything. Saved you multiple times. And this is how you repay me? With rebellion? With blasphemy?"
"You gave me chains," Mara replied. "Dressed as gifts. You manipulated me. Weakened me. Nearly got me killed. All to maintain balance. All to keep your rival in check. You used me. Like you use everyone. And I am done being used."
"You forget your place. You are mortal. Temporary. Weak. I am eternal. Infinite. Absolute. I can unmake you with a thought. Erase you from existence. Destroy everything you love. Remember that before you speak to me with such disrespect."
"Then do it. Unmake me. Erase me. But know this. I carry two fragments now. Two pieces of Oblivion. If I die, they escape. They spread. They consume. You lose control of them. Forever. So killing me costs you. Hurts you. Makes your position weaker. Maybe you should remember that before you threaten me."
The goddess went silent. Mara had her. Had leverage. Had power the goddess could not ignore.
"You have changed," the goddess said finally. "Become something I did not anticipate. Something dangerous. I should have eliminated you when you were weak. When you were controllable. Now you are neither. And that complicates things."
"Good. I hope I complicate everything. Make all your plans harder. Make your manipulation impossible. Because mortals are done being your toys. Done being sacrificed for divine games. We deserve better. Demand better. And we will fight for better. Even against you."
The goddess smiled. Cold. Cruel. Frightening. "Then let us see how long you survive such defiance. How long before the fragments consume you. Before the darkness wins. Before you become the monster everyone fears. I give you three months. Then you fall. Then you prove me right. And then I take the fragments from your corpse. Use them for my own purposes. Purposes that benefit me. Not you. Not anyone else. Just me."
She vanished. The dream ended. Mara woke gasping. Sweating. Terrified.
Three months. The goddess gave her three months.
Then war began. Not with Demetrius. With heaven itself.