Chapter 13: The Price of Power

Rain still hammered the earth as Ivy stood before the door of the safehouse, the ancient dagger glowing faintly in her grip. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, matching the rhythm of thunder above.

Lilith stood to her left, cloaked in black like a shadow from a forgotten prophecy. Mira crouched by the window, scanning the surrounding forest where red laser sights flickered through the mist.

“We’re surrounded,” Mira whispered. “They’re not bluffing. They’ll come in full force.”

“I don’t care,” Ivy said, her voice low and sure. “Let them come.”

Lilith watched her carefully, her expression unreadable. “That confidence, Ivy… it’s part of the awakening. But there’s a cost.”

Ivy turned to her. “What cost?”

“Power drawn too early feeds off more than strength. It drains memories. Love. Parts of yourself you may never get back.”

Ivy hesitated.

Memories of laughter with Aiden… late-night talks with Celeste… the touch of Killian’s lips before everything shattered.

“Then we make sure it’s worth the cost.”

Just then, a sharp cry from outside shattered the moment.

Mira stiffened. “Someone’s down.”

Ivy rushed to the window. Through the haze of rain, she saw two men dragging a body toward the treeline.

Aiden’s body.

“No!” she cried, heart lurching.

“He’s alive,” Mira said quickly, grabbing her arm. “Look—he’s fighting.”

Aiden twisted violently, breaking free for a moment before one of the men cracked something across his head. His body went limp.

“They’re taking him to bait you,” Mira said. “They want you to break the line and come after him.”

Lilith’s jaw clenched. “They know what she’s capable of. They want her separated.”

Ivy’s breath came in ragged gasps. “Then we don’t give them what they want. We follow them—and we end this.”

“But Ivy—” Mira began.

“No,” Ivy interrupted. “This ends tonight. One way or another.”

---

The forest was thick and silent except for the crackling of twigs beneath their boots and the steady hum of tension in the air.

Lilith led the way, Mira flanking Ivy protectively as they crept through the brush.

Then the air shifted.

Ivy halted. “Wait.”

The trees thinned, revealing a clearing. And in its center, a stone altar covered in runes and vines—ancient, forgotten, and pulsing with a dark energy.

Aiden lay chained to it.

Above him stood a robed figure.

Killian.

“Welcome, sister,” he said, turning slowly.

Ivy’s blood ran cold. “Killian… why?”

He smirked. “Because I wasn’t the chosen one. You were. The child was meant to carry my legacy, not yours. But you… you stole that from me.”

“I didn’t choose this!” Ivy shouted. “I didn’t even know!”

“Exactly,” Killian snarled. “You walked blindly into prophecy and fate bent to you. You’re the heir by accident. I was raised for this. I earned it.”

“Then why the chains?” Mira hissed, stepping forward.

Killian raised a hand—and Mira froze mid-step.

Literally froze.

Her limbs stiffened, her eyes wide with horror. She couldn’t move.

“Blood-binding spell,” Killian said casually. “I’ve learned a few things since Lilith went into hiding.”

Lilith stepped forward, but her face had changed—she wasn’t surprised.

She was prepared.

“Let her go,” Ivy growled.

“I will,” Killian said, tilting his head. “In exchange for your child.”

Ivy’s hand fell to her stomach. Her blood ran ice cold. “You wouldn’t…”

“Oh, but I would,” Killian said softly. “This altar… it was where our ancestors were crowned and cursed. And tonight, your child becomes the vessel for our family’s redemption. The power you’ve awakened doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to the bloodline. I just need to take it.”

“I’ll kill you before I let you touch my baby.”

Killian grinned. “Then we’ll test that.”

Suddenly, Lilith stepped between them.

“Enough,” she said quietly.

Killian sneered. “You have no authority here, Lilith.”

“Oh, but I do,” she replied, pulling something from her coat.

A glowing crystal—pulsating with golden light.

Killian’s eyes widened. “You said it was lost…”

“I lied,” Lilith said calmly. “As I’ve done since the day you were born.”

Ivy frowned. “What?”

Lilith turned slowly. “Ivy… Killian isn’t your brother.”

Ivy blinked. “What?”

Lilith’s voice trembled. “He was never my son. He was the son of the King’s high priestess. Switched at birth to protect you. You… you were raised among enemies. And they never knew.”

The forest seemed to tilt.

“I—what are you saying?” Ivy gasped.

“I’m saying you’re the only true heir. And he’s the imposter.”

Killian’s face twisted in rage. “Liar!”

“No,” Lilith said, stepping toward him. “You were never meant to have the power. That’s why it rejected you. That’s why Ivy’s child awakened it.”

“I’ll destroy you,” Killian snarled, raising a blade.

Before he could strike, the dagger in Ivy’s hand blazed to life.

It pulled her forward—no hesitation.

Steel clashed.

Magic burst like thunder.

Killian fell back, clutching his bleeding arm.

Ivy didn’t hesitate. She raised the blade—

But something exploded behind her.

The world tilted again—and Ivy fell.

As darkness closed in, the last thing she saw was Lilith screaming her name.

And the unmistakable sound of a baby’s heartbeat echoing in her ears.