The Blood-Steel and the Sun

Chapter 11: The Blood-Steel and the Sun

The sun rose over the Silver Mountains not with a glow, but with a sharp, biting glare. Audrey woke to the sound of steel clashing against steel. For a moment, she was back in the Moon Shadow kitchens, flinching at the sound of dropped pots, but the scent of cedar and the warmth of the heavy furs reminded her where she was. She was in the Alpha’s bed. And she was no longer a servant.

Lucas was gone, but the indent in the pillow beside her was still warm. On the stone hearth sat a fresh tunic of boiled leather and silver-spun silk—warrior’s clothes.

When Audrey stepped onto the training grounds ten minutes later, the chatter of the Silver Pack warriors died instantly. Lucas stood in the center of the ring, stripped to the waist despite the freezing air, his skin glistening with sweat. He was sparring with Vane, their movements so fast they were a blur of silver and gray.

"You're late," Vane called out, parrying a blow from Lucas that would have shattered a lesser wolf’s ribs. She spun away, her eyes landing on Audrey with a cold, calculating look. "A Queen who sleeps past dawn is a Queen who loses her head during a coup."

"I'm here now," Audrey replied, her voice steady. She stepped into the ring, the dirt crunching under her new boots.

Lucas lowered his practice blade, his gaze softening as it swept over her. "Vane thinks you're a liability, Audrey. She thinks the 'White Wolf' is a parlor trick that won't hold up under the Council's scrutiny."

"I don't think she's a liability, Alpha," Vane corrected, sheathing her sword. "I think she's a target. And if she can't defend herself without exploding into golden light every time she gets nervous, she’s a dead woman walking. The Trial of Purity isn't just about magic. It's about endurance. They will drain her of her power first, then ask her to survive the Gauntlet."

Audrey felt a chill that had nothing to do with the wind. "The Gauntlet?"

"A maze of silver-tipped spikes and shifting shadows," Lucas explained, his face grim. "It reacts to your heart rate. If you panic, the walls close in. You have to cross it while the Arbiters drain your essence. If you reach the other side, you are proven 'Pure.' If you don't..."

"You become part of the floor," Vane finished. She tossed a wooden training sword at Audrey. "Pick it up. Let's see if there’s a wolf under that golden skin, or just a girl who’s good at scrubbing floors."

For the next four hours, Audrey learned the meaning of "Silver Pack Discipline." Vane was merciless. Every time Audrey’s footwork faltered, Vane’s wooden sword found her ribs or her thighs.

"Again!" Vane barked.

Audrey pushed herself up from the dirt, her lungs burning. The golden light flickered at the edges of her vision, a hot, angry pressure behind her eyes.

"Don't use the light!" Lucas warned from the sidelines. "If you rely on the power, you'll be helpless when the Arbiters take it. Fight with your bones, Audrey! Fight with the anger you’ve buried for twenty-one years!"

Audrey looked at Vane. The warrior was smirking, the same way Samantha used to smirk when she tripped Audrey in the hallways. Something snapped. It wasn't the "White Wolf"—it was Audrey.

As Vane lunged for a finishing strike, Audrey didn't back away. She dropped low, sliding through the dirt, and swung her training sword at Vane’s lead ankle. Vane, surprised by the sudden aggression, jumped back, but Audrey was already up. She slammed her shoulder into Vane’s midsection, using the warrior's momentum against her.

They tumbled into the dirt, Audrey pinning Vane’s arm behind her back.

The training ground went silent. Vane gasped, staring up at Audrey with a mix of shock and newfound respect.

"I spent twenty-one years surviving people like you," Audrey hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "I’ve been beaten, starved, and humiliated. You think a wooden sword scares me? I’ve lived through a hell you can’t even imagine. If you want to test me, stop playing with toys and fight me like I’m the Queen I am."

Lucas let out a low, rumbling growl of pride. Vane laughed—a short, sharp sound—and tapped the ground. "Fair enough, Luna. You’ve got teeth."

But the victory was short-lived. A dark cloud began to roll over the mountain peaks, moving against the wind. It wasn't a storm. It was a mass of ravens, thousands of them, their croaks sounding like a funeral dirge.

"They're here," Lucas whispered, his hand going to the hilt of his real sword.

In the center of the raven cloud, a shimmering image began to form—a magical projection. It was the face of Alpha Terren, Audrey’s father. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked older, his skin sallow as if his very life force was being drained.

Behind him stood Samantha. She was draped in black silk, holding a silver bowl filled with a dark, viscous liquid.

"Audrey," Terren’s voice boomed over the fortress, amplified by dark sorcery. "You stole the crown of the Moon Shadow. You murdered your kin in the spirit realm. You are a thief of blood and a traitor to your father."

"I stole nothing!" Audrey shouted back, standing tall in the center of the ring. "I took what the Moon gave me! You are the one who lived a lie!"

"The Council has sanctioned the Blood-Debt," Samantha called out, her voice dripping with venom. She dipped her fingers into the bowl and flicked the dark liquid at the projection. "By the blood of the father, the daughter is summoned. If you do not return to the Moon Shadow borders by the New Moon, we will not march on the Silver Pack. We will simply... extinguish the line."

Samantha grabbed a small, wooden doll from the table beside her. It was dressed in rags, a crude representation of Audrey. Samantha held it over a flame.

Audrey screamed, clutching her chest as a searing, white-hot pain tore through her lungs. It felt as if her internal organs were being turned to ash.

"Audrey!" Lucas caught her before she hit the ground, his silver eyes flashing with a murderous light. "Stop this!"

"Seven days, sister," Samantha whispered, her image beginning to fade. "Come home and die, or watch your new King burn with you."

The ravens dissipated, leaving a terrifying silence in their wake. Audrey lay in Lucas’s arms, gasping for air, her chest heaving. The pain was receding, but the message was clear. Her family wasn't just coming for her with swords; they were using the ancient, forbidden magic of the Blood-Link.

"They’re using my own DNA against me," Audrey choked out. "I can't hide from them, Lucas. As long as my father is alive, he can reach me."

Lucas looked up at the mountains, his face a mask of cold fury. "Then we don't wait for the Trial. We don't wait for the New Moon."

"What are you saying?" Vane asked, her face pale.

"We’re going to find the person who can break a Blood-Link," Lucas said. "We're going to the Forbidden Grove. We're going to find your mother’s sister."

Audrey’s heart stopped. "My mother had a sister? You said she was dead."

"I said her pack was dead," Lucas corrected. "But the High Priestess of the White Wolves... she doesn't die so easily. She’s been waiting for you, Audrey. And it’s time you learned what your father was really trying to hide."