Chapter 18

The roar beneath the sanctuary shook the stone floor.

Celine froze.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

The Riverfang warrior stood near the entrance, his face drained of color. His hand remained wrapped around the hilt of his weapon, but he no longer looked ready to fight.

He looked afraid.

The guardian lowered its enormous head and stared at the ground.

Then it growled again.

This time, the sound was deeper.

Older.

Something answered from beneath them.

A pulse of silver light traveled through the cracks in the floor.

Celine's pendant burned against her chest.

She grabbed it instinctively.

"What's down there?" she asked.

Nobody answered.

Celine looked at Lucien.

The silver-eyed man had gone unusually still.

Even Damon noticed.

"You know," Damon said.

Lucien's eyes remained fixed on the floor.

"I know what was sealed there."

"That's not what I asked."

Lucien finally looked at him.

"If the seal is breaking, we have very little time."

Celine stepped forward.

"Then tell me."

Her mother's face tightened.

"Celine, you shouldn't go down there."

"Why?"

"Because we don't know what is waiting."

Celine stared at her.

"That's what everyone keeps saying. You don't know. Lucien knows something but refuses to tell me. My father knew about my mother. The Moon Guard knew about me. Damon knew about my bloodline."

Her voice shook with anger.

"And now Riverfang arrives saying someone called their king sent them for me."

She looked around the sanctuary.

"I am tired of being the only person who knows nothing about my own life."

Silence followed.

Damon stepped closer.

"Celine is right."

Her mother looked at him.

"Damon—"

"No."

His voice was calm but firm.

"We can't keep deciding what she is allowed to know."

Celine looked at him gratefully.

Before anyone could speak again, the floor trembled.

A crack appeared beneath the ancient stone altar.

Lila stumbled backward.

"What was that?"

Gamma Voss grabbed her arm.

"Stay behind me."

Cassian immediately moved between the Silvermoon warriors and the altar.

"Everyone back."

The guardian suddenly turned toward him.

Its pale blue eyes flashed.

Cassian stopped.

The creature didn't attack.

Instead, it stared at him as if studying him.

Then it looked at Celine.

A strange understanding passed through the creature's ancient expression.

Celine felt a pull in her chest.

Her wolf stirred.

Go.

The voice inside her was clearer than before.

Celine swallowed.

"There's something down there."

Damon looked at her.

"You hear it too?"

She nodded.

The silver light around her pendant intensified.

The metal box from beneath the cradle suddenly slipped from the shelf where Celine had left it.

It struck the floor.

The lid opened.

The silver key rolled across the stone.

Celine stared.

"The key."

Her mother rushed toward it.

But Celine was faster.

She picked it up.

The moment her fingers closed around it, the sanctuary went silent.

No wind.

No voices.

Not even the distant sounds of fighting outside.

Then the stone altar moved.

Slowly.

A hidden staircase appeared beneath it.

Everyone stared into the darkness.

Damon stepped forward.

"I'll go first."

Celine caught his arm.

"No."

He turned.

"Stay here."

"This is my secret."

"Celine—"

"I've spent my whole life being protected from the truth."

She tightened her grip on the silver key.

"I'm not running from it anymore."

Damon studied her face.

For a moment, he seemed ready to argue.

Instead, he nodded.

"Then I'm coming with you."

Celine nodded.

Her mother stepped forward.

"So am I."

"No," Lucien said.

Everyone looked at him.

His expression had changed.

"This place was built for the Moonborn. Whatever lies below was meant to be seen by her alone."

Celine frowned.

"You knew about the staircase?"

"I knew there was a door."

"And you never told me."

"I didn't know the key still existed."

Celine looked down at the silver key.

"What does it open?"

Lucien's eyes darkened.

"The door to the first chamber."

Damon's expression hardened.

"First chamber?"

Lucien didn't answer.

Celine stepped toward the staircase.

The guardian moved aside.

Its massive body lowered until its head was almost level with Celine.

She placed her hand against its forehead.

The creature became still.

A sudden image flashed through her mind.

A vast underground hall.

Hundreds of wolves stood around a glowing pool.

At the center was a young woman wearing a silver crescent around her neck.

Beside her stood a black wolf.

Not attacking.

Protecting her.

Behind them, shadows moved.

A voice echoed through the chamber.

"When the Moonborn awakens, the Black Moon must stand beside her."

The vision changed.

Fire.

Screaming.

Wolves running.

A group of people carrying strange black stones.

Then the image disappeared.

Celine gasped and pulled her hand away.

Damon caught her before she stumbled.

"What did you see?"

Celine looked at him.

"A war."

Lucien's expression became grim.

"What kind?"

She shook her head.

"Not between our bloodlines."

Lucien said nothing.

Celine stared at him.

"You already knew."

"I suspected."

"Who were they fighting?"

Lucien looked toward the staircase.

"The answer is below."

That was enough.

Celine started down.

Damon followed.

Her mother came behind them.

The Moon Guard exchanged uneasy looks before following.

Even Cassian remained at the top of the stairs, watching Celine disappear into the darkness.

Lila whispered, "Cassian..."

He didn't answer.

His eyes remained on Celine.

Gamma Voss glanced toward the Riverfang warrior.

"What exactly did your king want?"

The Riverfang warrior looked toward the staircase.

"Her."

Cassian's jaw tightened.

"And why?"

The warrior swallowed.

"He said if the Moonborn wakes completely, every pack will be forced to choose a side."

Cassian stared at him.

"Choose between what?"

The warrior's expression changed.

"The old world..."

He looked down.

"And whatever is coming."

The staircase seemed endless.

Celine's fingers tightened around the silver key.

The deeper they went, the colder the air became.

Damon walked beside her.

Her mother remained a few steps behind.

No one spoke.

Finally, Celine broke the silence.

"How long have you known?"

Her mother sighed.

"About what?"

"About me."

Her mother stopped.

Celine turned.

"Not just that I'm Moonborn. Everything."

Her mother looked at her for a long moment.

"I knew something was different about you from the night you were born."

"Because of the prophecy?"

"Because of what happened when you were born."

Celine waited.

Her mother continued.

"The moment you took your first breath, every wolf in the territory howled."

Damon glanced back.

"Every wolf?"

"Every wolf."

Her mother nodded.

"Your grandmother knew what it meant. She told me that the Moonborn had returned."

Celine's chest tightened.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because people had already begun searching for you."

"Who?"

"Lucien's followers. Blackfang. Riverfang."

Her mother looked at Damon.

"And others."

Celine frowned.

"Others?"

Her mother hesitated.

"People who no longer belong to any pack."

Damon's expression darkened.

"The Hollow Wolves."

Her mother nodded.

Celine felt a chill.

"They knew about me when I was a baby?"

"Not all of them. But those who knew the old prophecy did."

Celine looked down at her pendant.

"Then why seal my wolf?"

"Because an awakened Moonborn could be sensed."

Her mother reached toward the pendant but stopped before touching it.

"I believed hiding your wolf was the only way to give you a normal life."

Celine gave a bitter laugh.

"Normal?"

Her mother flinched.

Celine immediately regretted the word.

"I didn't mean—"

"I know."

Her mother lowered her eyes.

"You deserved better."

Celine didn't answer.

They continued downward.

At the bottom stood a massive stone door.

A silver crescent had been carved into its center.

Celine approached.

The key in her hand began to glow.

Damon stepped closer.

"That's the door."

Celine inserted the key.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the entire door lit up.

Ancient writing appeared across the stone.

Celine couldn't read it.

But somehow, she understood it.

ONLY THE LAST MOONBORN MAY ENTER.

Her mother whispered, "The first chamber."

Celine turned.

"You said this was the answer to my birth."

Her mother nodded.

"I believe so."

Celine pushed the door.

It opened.

A wave of cold air swept through them.

Inside was a circular chamber.

At the center stood a stone pedestal.

On it rested a small silver box.

But something else caught Celine's attention.

The walls.

They were covered with paintings.

The first showed a silver wolf standing beneath the moon.

The second showed a black wolf beside it.

The third showed both wolves facing an enormous shadow.

Celine stepped closer.

"What is that?"

Damon stared at the painting.

"I don't know."

Lucien's voice came from behind them.

"I do."

Everyone turned.

He had followed them.

Celine's eyes narrowed.

"You said I had to enter alone."

"I said the chamber was meant for the Moonborn."

"You lied."

Lucien walked inside.

"I withheld information."

"That's the same thing."

Lucien ignored the accusation.

He walked toward the final painting.

The shadow was unlike anything Celine had seen before.

It had no face.

Only two pale eyes.

And around it were dozens of wolves with their heads lowered.

Lucien touched the wall.

"This is what the first war was really about."

Damon stepped forward.

"Who is it?"

Lucien stared at the painting.

"The one they called the Devourer."

Celine's heart began pounding.

"What does that mean?"

Lucien looked at her.

"It means the Hollow Wolves weren't the enemy."

Silence.

Celine's eyes widened.

"They were created to fight it."

Lucien nodded.

"And when the war ended, the people who survived sealed the Hollow Wolves away because they were too dangerous to remain free."

Damon looked at him sharply.

"Then why are they waking now?"

Lucien's expression became grim.

"Because the same thing that woke them..."

His eyes moved to Celine's glowing pendant.

"...has awakened you."

Before Celine could respond, the silver box on the pedestal opened by itself.

Inside was a folded piece of cloth.

Celine approached slowly.

She recognized the handwriting immediately.

Her mother's.

Her hands trembled as she unfolded it.

Only one sentence had been written.

Celine, if you are reading this, do not trust the one who tells you the war is over.

Celine's breath caught.

She looked at her mother.

"Mom..."

Her mother stepped forward.

"I wrote that."

"Why?"

Her mother's face went pale.

"Because I discovered something before I disappeared."

"What?"

She stared at the final painting.

"The war never ended."

A deep roar shook the chamber.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Damon immediately moved in front of Celine.

But the roar wasn't coming from above.

It was coming from beneath them.

The silver box suddenly cracked.

A black mark spread across the floor.

Celine's pendant burned so fiercely that she cried out.

Her wolf rose inside her.

Wake.

Celine closed her eyes.

Another voice joined it.

Deep.

Ancient.

Hungry.

Moonborn.

Her eyes flew open.

The black mark beneath her feet split apart.

And from somewhere deep beneath the sanctuary came a voice that sounded almost human.

"At last... I have found you."