Chapter Twenty — Silent Messengers
1028 Words
Selene’s POV
By the time the raven arrived, the fortress had already begun to turn against itself.
Servants moved like ghosts, their eyes lowered. The air in the corridors felt heavier, as if the stones themselves were listening. Even the torches burned lower, their flames trembling against the drafts that whispered through the hall.
Malrik had always ruled with fear, but now that fear had shape — a shadow stretching long and sharp across every face that dared to look up.
Eryndor found me in the east courtyard, where frost still clung to the stone. He carried something small in his gloved hands — a sealed parchment tied with a dark ribbon.
“A raven came,” he said quietly. “No crest. It flew straight to my tower and wouldn’t land for anyone else.”
My heart quickened. “From Kael?”
“I would guess so,” he said. “But I haven’t opened it.”
I took the parchment from him carefully. The seal was simple, dark, pressed with the faint impression of a sword’s edge. Not his house sigil — a soldier’s mark, one he’d used before when he wanted words to travel unseen.
I broke it and unfolded the message.
The writing was his — sharp, decisive. Only a few lines.
The ambush was real. The Alpha and Veyra move together. Trust no one but the witch. Do not let him near her alone.
I stared at the words until they blurred.
He was alive. But he was surrounded by enemies — and worse, he’d confirmed what I’d begun to suspect. Malrik and Veyra had joined forces.
That was more dangerous than open war.
Eryndor’s voice broke through my thoughts. “What does it say?”
I hesitated. “It confirms what we feared. Malrik has grown desperate — and Veyra is feeding his desperation.”
His eyes darkened. “That explains the summons.”
“Summons?”
He nodded. “Malrik called for you. Tonight. In the high hall.”
My pulse slowed. “Did he say why?”
“No. Only that the Alpha wishes to ‘reaffirm his trust’ before the council reconvenes tomorrow.”
I laughed softly — not out of humor, but disbelief. “Reaffirm trust? He means to measure me. To see if I bend.”
“And will you?”
I met Eryndor’s gaze. “Not tonight.”
He studied me in silence, then inclined his head slightly. “Then I will stand close, if you need me.”
I folded Kael’s note again, hiding it within the sleeve of my gown. “Keep that raven alive,” I said. “If Kael sends another, I want it brought to me directly — no detours, no questions.”
“As you wish.”
When he left, I stood for a long moment in the courtyard, the winter wind cutting across my face. I let the cold settle my nerves, steadying the storm inside me.
Kael’s warning wasn’t just a plea for caution. It was a sign — a message between the words: You’re not alone. Keep fighting.
And I would.
---
The high hall glittered that evening, but the light was all wrong — too bright, too polished, as though someone had dressed a corpse in gold.
Malrik sat at the head of the long table, flanked by two guards I didn’t recognize. Veyra stood behind him, her expression a practiced blend of humility and satisfaction.
“Luna Selene,” Malrik greeted, his voice smooth as aged wine. “How good of you to answer so promptly.”
“I serve the pack,” I said, keeping my tone even.
He gestured for me to sit. “I called you here to clear the air. You’ve been… quiet since the unfortunate events in the garden.”
“Quiet is safer than reckless, my lord.”
His smile faltered for the briefest moment. “So cautious. My son always did attract the careful ones.”
The insult slid off me like water. “Kael is his own man,” I said softly. “And he’s fulfilling your orders. Shouldn’t that please you?”
Veyra leaned forward, her voice silk over steel. “He has always been obedient… until now. The northern soldiers whisper that he rides under his own banner.”
I met her gaze, unflinching. “Perhaps they whisper because they learned it from you.”
Her eyes widened, just slightly.
Malrik chuckled, though there was no warmth in the sound. “Sharp tongue. Be careful where you point it. My mistress is loyal to this house.”
“Loyalty,” I murmured, “is an interesting word. It tends to change meaning depending on who’s listening.”
Silence fell. The fire popped in the hearth. I could feel every eye in the room watching me, waiting for me to falter.
Then I smiled. “But of course, my lord, you know that better than anyone.”
Malrik’s jaw tightened. “You forget your place.”
“On the contrary,” I said, rising slowly. “I know exactly where I stand — between your pride and your paranoia. And I would tread carefully if I were you. There’s little room left before they devour each other.”
For a heartbeat, no one breathed.
Then I turned and walked out, leaving the golden hall behind.
---
Eryndor was waiting outside the doors, shadowed and silent. “Well?” he asked quietly.
“He wanted a test,” I said. “I gave him one.”
“And Veyra?”
“She’s frightened,” I said. “And frightened people make mistakes.”
Eryndor’s mouth curved slightly. “Then it begins.”
I nodded once, fingers brushing the hidden parchment in my sleeve.
“Send a raven to the borderlands,” I said. “Tell him the trap is ready.”
“Kael?”
“Yes.” I looked toward the snowy courtyard beyond the archway, where the night wind carried faint traces of frost and smoke.
“He started this war by leaving,” I murmured. “Let’s finish it by bringing him home.”
---
- Writer
