LOGINI had barely finished speaking when a deep roar came from the southern side of the territory, followed by the sound of warriors shouting. My body tensed as Gabriel came running back across the road. “We have another breach.”I tightened my grip around the metal fragment I had taken from the attacker. “Where?”“The southern boundary. They waited until we moved most of the warriors toward the northern and eastern sides, then sent another group through the woodland.”“How many?” I asked.“Enough to cause trouble.”Before I could respond, another voice came from behind us. “Then stop standing here and tell me where you need me.”Damon stood at the edge of the road, his dark clothes marked with dust and blood. A shallow cut ran across his cheek, but his eyes were focused. Behind him stood several Shadowfang warriors. I had not expected him to be here. Damon had been in Silvercrest during the recent investigations, but our relationship remained strained. He had questioned me, doubted me, an
They had failed to erase the truth. Now they would have to decide what to do about the daughter who had found the trail they thought was gone.I did not realize how quickly that decision would come until the first alarm bell rang. The sound tore through Silvercrest just after midnight, followed by a second bell from the northern watchtower and then a third from the eastern gate. I was already on my feet when Clara burst into the room. “Alpha, the northern watchtower has sounded the alarm. The guards are reporting movement beyond the border.”I grabbed my cloak and pulled it over my shoulders. “How many?”“They don’t know. The first report said several figures, but the signal from the eastern gate came almost immediately afterward.”My stomach tightened as another alarm sounded from the western side of the territory. “They’re surrounding us,” I said.Clara stared at me. “What are we going to do?”“Wake the council,” I ordered, moving toward the door. “Tell every available warrior to re
His face lost some of its color. “I was never supposed to see that,” he whispered.He rubbed both hands over his face and leaned back against the wall. “Once or maybe twice. People like me weren’t supposed to know it existed. The black stone was as high as most of us ever reached. We received instructions through intermediaries, carried messages, watched borders, gathered information, moved supplies, and reported what we saw. We knew there were people above the ones giving us orders, but we weren’t told who they were.”“And the mark?” I asked.Corvin stared at the document for several seconds before finally answering. “It belonged to them, some people called them the Keepers. I don’t know whether that was their true name. Different groups used different names, and people like me were never important enough to know which one was correct. What I do know is that they were concerned with old bloodlines, old territories, and the prophecy.”I kept my gaze on
He rubbed his bound hands together. “That your mother had learned something she was never supposed to discover. Something that could expose people who had spent generations keeping the prophecy buried. They believed that if she continued searching, she would eventually identify the bloodline and bring the prophecy back into the open.”My throat tightened. “Whoever they were, they were afraid of her.”The answer hurt because it sounded exactly like my mother. She had never been someone who walked away simply because powerful people told her to. She had protected Silvercrest until the end, even when the people around her had turned against her.I looked toward the black-stone symbol etched into the metal disc resting on the table outside the chamber. “So the network wasn’t created because of Rowan.”“No, Rowan and Vivianne was only one part of it.” The word settled heavily between us.I took a slow breath. “Then there were people above both of them.” I turned away from Corvin and walked
When he saw me enter, he lowered his gaze. I took the chair opposite him while Gabriel remained near the door. For several seconds, neither of us spoke. I wanted him to feel the weight of the silence before I asked anything. “You asked to speak with me,” I said.The prisoner nodded slowly. “I did.”“I assume you understand that whatever you tell me will determine what happens to you. If you’re hoping for protection, information is the only thing you have that can buy it.” I said.He swallowed and rubbed his bound hands against his knees. “I want to live.”“Then tell me the truth.” I said.His eyes lifted to mine. “My name is Corvin Hale, my family lived in the northern territories for generations,” he said after a pause. “But we stopped belonging to any one pack a long time ago.”“And the black stone?” I asked.His expression tightened. He looked down at his hands before answering. “It’s not a pack. It’s a network. Families, former warriors, traders, messengers, and people scattered a
There were no names, signatures, or explanations, but there were markings. The same broken circle and the same narrow line through its center. Beneath several of the markings were numbers that appeared to correspond with locations around Silvercrest.That evening, Gabriel spread the documents across the council table. “They’ve been mapping our movements,” he said.I studied the pages carefully. “There are patrol routes here and the western supply road.” I looked at another sheet and felt my stomach tighten. “The council hall.”Gabriel nodded grimly. “They’ve been watching us for longer than we thought.”The realization settled heavily over me. The people we had captured weren’t random trespassers. They had information about Silvercrest that could only have been gathered by someone who had been observing us for some time, and they clearly weren’t alone. “What about the other sightings?” I asked.Gabriel’s expression hardened. “We’re checki







