FAZER LOGINEveline has arrived, and this alliance may be more complicated than Kael expected. 👀 What do you think she's really after? Share your theories and stay tuned for Chapter 24! ❤️
The message arrived shortly after sunrise. Mara was in the infirmary, sorting through a collection of herbs, when a young messenger approached the entrance. He wore no territory colours, and his travelling cloak was covered in dust. "I was told to deliver this to Mara, the healer." She looked up. "That's me." He handed her a folded piece of parchment. "Someone at the southern crossing asked me to make sure it reached you." Mara recognised the handwriting immediately. Her expression changed. "Who gave it to you?" "I don't know. He paid me to deliver it and told me not to ask questions." The messenger left before she could question him further. Mara unfolded the parchment. Garrick knew the warning was real. He ordered the old records sealed after someone came to him with evidence that one of the northern patrolmen had survived. He met that person privately. The name in the original report was Elias Thorne. Mara read the message twice. Elias Thorne. She re
The damaged lock lay on Kael's desk. Beside it was a written report from the guards, detailing the discovery in the eastern corridor. The unfamiliar guard had vanished before anyone could question him. The second man claimed he had only been passing through. Kael didn't believe him. "Have the guards questioned every man assigned to the eastern wing?" he asked. Ronan nodded. "They're being questioned now. But there's another problem." "What?" "Captain Varek is still missing. We cannot establish whether the man Lyra saw has any connection to him." Kael's expression hardened. "Then stop looking for convenient answers. Find the man who entered that room." Ronan placed a small piece of paper on the desk. "We found this inside the storage room." Kael unfolded it. There were several lines written in faded ink, followed by a symbol he recognised from the old territorial records. The mark of the neighbouring territory. "Where did you get this?" "It was hidden beneath a loose flo
Eveline found Lyra in the library. The young woman stood beside a tall shelf, searching through a collection of old territorial records. She had hoped to find something about the northern patrol incident, but most of the documents were either incomplete or locked away. "You seem to spend so much time looking for answers." Lyra turned. Eveline stood near the entrance, her green dress contrasting with the dark wooden shelves. "I suppose I do." "May I?" Lyra nodded towards the chair opposite her. Eveline sat, removing her gloves. For a moment, she studied the open book on the table. "Three winters ago," she said. "That seems to be the subject everyone in this castle wants to avoid." Lyra closed the book halfway. "You know about it?" "I know that seven Nightfang warriors died, that Ashen Moon was blamed, and that the matter was never properly resolved." Eveline paused. "I also know my father has never trusted the account he was given." "Why?" "Because the political consequen
By midmorning, Nightfang's eastern gates stood open. Two rows of guards lined the courtyard as a carriage bearing the neighbouring territory's crest approached. Its polished black sides reflected the pale morning sunlight, while several mounted warriors followed closely behind. Lyra watched from the upper balcony. She had told herself she was only curious about the woman whose arrival had unsettled the Alpha's household. That was all. Still, when the carriage stopped and the door opened, her attention sharpened. A woman stepped down. She wore a deep green travelling dress beneath a dark cloak, her hair arranged neatly at the back of her head. She carried herself with the confidence of someone accustomed to being watched, but her eyes missed very little. She examined the guards, the courtyard and the surrounding buildings before turning towards Kael. The Alpha stood at the foot of the steps. "Lady Eveline," he greeted. "Alpha Draven." Her voice was calm, almost p
The silver clasp lay on Kael's desk. He had been staring at it for several minutes, turning it between his fingers as though the small piece of metal might reveal the identity of the person who had left it outside Ronan's door. It had belonged to his Beta three winters ago. Someone had kept it all this time and that person knew exactly what it meant. "Double the guards around Ronan's quarters," Kael ordered. Ronan stood beside the window, his expression hard. "You cannot keep me locked away because someone wants me frightened." "I'm not protecting you from fear. I'm protecting you from whoever wants you dead." "And what happens when they decide you're the next target?" Kael placed the clasp on the desk. "Then they'll discover why they should have stayed hidden." Lyra watched the exchange quietly. Ronan looked exhausted, but beneath it was something else. Guilt, perhaps. The kind that came from carrying a truth for too long. Before she could speak, a knock sounded
“Ronan?” Kael's voice was dangerously quiet. Mara nodded, her fingers gripping the edge of the bed. “Varek wasn't the one they needed to silence. He was only a distraction. Ronan knows what happened three winters ago, and someone is afraid he might finally tell the whole truth.” Ronan's expression hardened. “I've already told you everything I know.” “Perhaps,” Mara replied. “But have you told them everything you remember?” The Beta stared at her. Kael stepped between them. “Enough. We will not solve this by accusing one another. Until we understand what happened, nobody moves alone.” He turned towards the guards. “Double the security around the Beta's quarters. No one enters without my permission.” Ronan looked displeased. “I can protect myself.” “This isn't a discussion.” Before anyone could respond, a messenger appeared at the infirmary entrance. “Alpha, a letter has arrived from the neighbouring territory. It requires your immediate attention.” Kael took the sealed







