Chapter 7: The Trial of Fire

​The morning after the trial should have been a celebration, but the air in the Silver Moon palace felt like the moment before a lightning strike.

​I sat at the long, obsidian dining table, watching Aries and Lyra eat. They were oblivious to the storm brewing outside, arguing over who got the larger piece of honey-toast. But I couldn't eat. Every time I looked at the heavy velvet curtains covering the windows, I felt the vibration of paws—hundreds of them—pacing at our borders.

​"You're doing that thing again," Liam said softly.

​I looked up. He was sitting at the head of the table, his crown discarded on a side table, looking more like a tired father than a King. He was watching me with an intensity that made my skin itch.

​"What thing?"

​"Thinking ten moves ahead," he said. He reached across the table, his large hand covering mine. "The borders are secure, Elena. My warriors are revitalized. No one is crossing that line."

​"It's not the line I'm worried about, Liam. It's the law."

​As if on cue, the doors to the dining hall swung open. Beta Marcus—looking pale but upright thanks to my treatment—entered with a grim expression.

​"Alpha. Luna," he said, bowing low. "Alpha Kaelen of the Crescent Moon is at the gate. He isn't alone. He has brought the Council of the Five Packs with him."

​Liam’s grip on my hand tightened until it was almost painful. "Kaelen. That vulture. He’s been eyeing our northern valleys for decades."

​"He’s not claiming territory," Marcus said, his voice dropping. "He’s claiming 'Purity.' He says he has received word that the Silver Moon is harboring anomalies. He’s demanding the Trial of Fire for the children."

​I stood up so fast my chair screeched against the marble. "The Trial of Fire? They’re five years old! That’s a death sentence for an unshifted pup."

​The Trial of Fire was an ancient, barbaric ritual. A child would be placed in a circle of consecrated silver-flame. If they were "pure," the Goddess would protect them. If they were "cursed," they would burn. In reality, it was a way for rival Alphas to eliminate powerful heirs before they reached maturity.

​"He won't touch them," Liam growled, his eyes turning that terrifying shade of black. "I'll kill him before he gets within a mile of this palace."

​"If you kill a Council member without a challenge, you start a Great War," I said, forcing my voice to remain calm for the sake of the children. "That’s exactly what he wants. He wants you to look like a mad King protecting monsters. Then he has the 'legal' right to invade and 'purify' our pack."

​I looked at Aries and Lyra. They had stopped eating, their golden eyes wide as they looked between us.

​"Mommy?" Lyra whispered. "Is the fire coming for us?"

​My heart shattered. I walked over and knelt beside her, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear. "No, my love. No one is coming for you. I promised, didn't I?"

​I looked at Liam. "We don't meet them as a King and his soldiers. We meet them as a Mother and Father. And we don't give them the Trial they want."

​The gates of the Silver Moon were a sea of gray and gold. Alpha Kaelen sat atop a massive white horse—a show of arrogance, as most Alphas preferred their own four paws. He was a man with sharp, fox-like features and a smile that never reached his cold blue eyes. Behind him stood four other Alphas, their banners snapping in the wind.

​Liam and I walked out to meet them alone. No guards. No weapons. Just us.

​"Alpha Hamilton," Kaelen called out, his voice smooth and condescending. "And the... resurrected Luna. You’ll forgive us for the intrusion, but the rumors reaching our ears were quite... distressing. A 'Silver Shadow' appearing from the mud, claiming to have birthed Alphas? It sounds like the plot of a very bad tavern song."

​"State your business, Kaelen," Liam said, his voice a low rumble that made the white horse skittish. "Before I decide your presence is a declaration of war."

​"The Council is here to ensure the stability of the Great North," Kaelen said, gesturing to the other Alphas. "If these children truly carry the Hamilton blood, they have nothing to fear from the Goddess. But if they are... products of the Shadow... well, we cannot have such darkness sitting on a throne that borders our own."

​"They are my blood," Liam hissed.

​"Then let the fire prove it," Kaelen countered. "Tomorrow at noon. Or we assume the Silver Moon has fallen to corruption, and we act accordingly to protect our borders."

​I stepped forward, moving past Liam. I felt the collective gaze of the Council on me—the "Cursed Omega" they thought they could bully.

​"You want a trial of purity?" I asked, my voice ringing out across the clearing.

​Kaelen smirked. "It is the law, Luna. Surely you respect the old ways?"

​"I respect the moon," I said. "But the Trial of Fire is for the uncertain. My children are not a question. They are the answer."

​I reached into the small pouch at my waist and pulled out a handful of crushed white petals—Lunar Lily, a rare flower that only grows where the True Bride walks. I tossed them into the air. Instead of falling, they ignited in mid-air, burning with a brilliant, cool silver light that didn't smoke.

​"The Goddess doesn't require us to burn our children to prove her favor," I said, stepping closer to Kaelen's horse. The animal recoiled, sensing the sheer power radiating off me. "If you want a trial, we will give you one. But not for the children."

​Kaelen’s smirk faltered. "What are you suggesting?"

​"The Trial of the Mirror," I said.

​A gasp went up from the Council. The Trial of the Mirror was even older than the fire. It involved a ritual where the accuser and the accused drank a draught of Moon-Water. Their souls would be projected for all to see. If the accuser was lying or acting out of malice, their own darkness would consume them.

​"You would risk your soul against mine?" Kaelen laughed, though it sounded forced.

​"I’m not the one with a soul full of rot, Kaelen," I said. "Tomorrow at noon. You bring your fire, and I’ll bring my mirror. If my children fail, I will walk back into exile myself. But if you are found to be acting in bad faith... the Silver Moon claims your northern valleys as blood-repayment for the insult."

​Liam looked at me, his eyes wide with a mix of terror and pride. I was gambling everything.

​"Agreed," Kaelen said, his greed finally outweighing his caution. "Tomorrow. At noon."

​As they rode away, Liam grabbed my arm and spun me around. "The Mirror? Elena, that’s suicide! Kaelen is a master of mental shields. He can hide his intent. But you... you’ve been through hell. If the Mirror shows the pain you’ve been through, the Council will see it as 'instability.'"

​"I'm not going to show them my pain, Liam," I said, my voice trembling only slightly. "I'm going to show them yours."

​"What?"

​"In the Mirror, a Mate's soul is a reflection of the other," I explained, leaning my head against his chest. "If you truly believe they are yours... if you truly love them... the Mirror will show the truth of their bloodline through your eyes. I can't do it alone. I need you to let me in. Completely."

​Liam’s expression softened. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me so tight I could hear his heart thundering. "I’ve been trying to let you in for five years, Elena. Even when I didn't know you were there."

​The Dungeon's Whisper

​While the palace prepared for the Trial, I slipped down to the Black Dungeons. I needed to see her.

​Isabella sat in a cell damp with shadows. Her red dress was torn, her hair matted. When she saw me, she didn't scream. She just laughed—a dry, hacking sound.

​"You think you've won," she croaked. "You think the Mirror will save you."

​"The truth always wins, Isabella."

​"The truth?" She crawled toward the bars, her eyes wild. "The truth is that Kaelen didn't come here on his own. I’ve been talking to him for months, Elena. Long before you 'resurrected.' He doesn't want the children. He wants the Shadow."

​I froze. "What are you talking about?"

​"He has a sickness," she whispered, her face pressing against the cold iron. "His own heir is dying of the Silver Rot. He doesn't want to kill your children; he wants to kidnap the only healer who can save his line. The Trial? It’s a distraction. While you're in the square, his elite shadow-guards will be in the nursery."

​My blood turned to ice. It was a classic Alpha move—create a spectacle at the front door while you rob the house through the back.

​"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, my hand moving to the dagger at my belt.

​Isabella smiled, and it was the most honest thing I had ever seen on her face. "Because I want to be the one who kills you, Elena. If Kaelen takes you, I’ll never get my chance. And if you lose your children... well, a broken Luna is so much easier to break."

​I didn't wait to hear more. I turned and ran, my boots echoing like gunshots in the stone corridor.

​I didn't go to Liam. I didn't go to the guards. If Kaelen had spies in the palace, any movement toward the nursery would trigger the attack early.

​I reached the royal wing and slipped into a hidden passage behind a tapestry. I watched through a spy-hole as the two guards Liam had posted—men he trusted with his life—stood at the door to the nursery.

​They weren't moving. They weren't breathing.

​They were standing perfectly still, their eyes glazed over with a faint violet tint.

​Mind-control.

​I looked into the nursery. Aries and Lyra were asleep, but a shadow was creeping across the floor toward them—a shadow that didn't belong to any furniture.

​I had a choice. I could scream for Liam and risk the shadow-guards killing the children instantly, or I could use the "Shadow" skills I had learned in the gutters.

​I reached into my bag and pulled out a small vial of "Liquid Moonlight." It was a volatile substance I had created to treat deep-tissue infections, but in high concentrations, it acted like a flash-bang for the supernatural.

​"Aries! Lyra! Eyes closed!" I screamed, bursting through the hidden door.

​I smashed the vial on the floor.

​A blinding, holy light filled the room. The shadow-guards shrieked—their cloaking magic was ripped away, revealing four men dressed in the midnight-blue of the Crescent Moon.

​The two guards at the door collapsed as the mind-control snapped.

​"Get behind me!" I yelled to the children.

​The shadow-guards recovered quickly, drawing short, curved blades coated in wolfsbane. They didn't care about the 'Purity' of the children now; they had their orders.

​"The Alpha wants the girl and the woman," the leader hissed. "Kill the boy if he gets in the way."

​Aries let out a roar that should have been impossible for a five-year-old. His small body began to tremble, his bones popping with the sound of a forest breaking in a storm.

​"Don't touch my sister!"

​He didn't fully shift—he was too young—but his claws extended, and his eyes turned a burning, molten gold. He lunged at the lead guard with a speed that caught the man off guard, his tiny teeth sinking into the man’s wrist.

​"Aries, no!" I moved to grab him, but a second guard swung at me.

​I parried with my medical scalpel, the silver blade slicing through his leather armor. I was a healer, but I knew exactly where the femoral artery was. I didn't hesitate. I sliced.

​The room became a blur of silver light and red blood. I fought with a desperation I had never known, shielding Lyra with my body while Aries fought like a feral pup.

​The door burst open. Liam was there, his wolf halfway to the surface, his face a mask of pure slaughter.

​He didn't speak. He simply tore through the remaining guards like they were made of paper. In ten seconds, the nursery was silent, save for the heavy breathing of a King and the soft whimpering of children.

​Liam shifted back, his hands covered in blood as he scooped Aries up. The boy was still snarling, his little chest heaving.

​"Easy, son," Liam whispered, his voice cracking. "Easy. I've got you."

​I slumped against the wall, my dress ruined, my hands shaking. Lyra crawled into my lap, burying her face in my neck.

​Liam looked at me, the bodies of the Crescent Moon guards at his feet. "The Trial is off. We’re going to war."

​"No," I said, standing up and wiping blood from my cheek. "The Trial is still on. But tomorrow, when we look into that Mirror... I'm not just going to show the Council your heart, Liam. I'm going to show them Kaelen’s crimes."

​I looked at the dead men on the floor.

​"He wanted the Silver Shadow? Well, he’s about to find out that shadows are much more dangerous when they're angry."

​