LOGINFor one extended heartbeat, no one spoke while Elder Montclair’s words settled slowly over the meeting chamber like an unseen noose, tightening around every throat present.Perhaps… It is time Wolfsbane remembered that no bloodline is irreplaceable. The silence that followed was unlike any that had settled over the room before, even with the Lord Marshal’s icy presence. It had slowed the space to an abrupt stop.Then, all at once, the ice shattered brutally.“What—did you just say?” Despite the sudden raise in his voice, it wavered slightly as his slender fingers instinctively tightened around the bridge of his spectacles, as though he questioned whether his ears had deceived him.“Did you know the implications of what you just said?”Beneath his spectacles, his eyes bulged. Perhaps from shock…
It was Lord Marshal Cedric Mikaelson, military commander of Wolfsbane.The man whose loyalty belonged neither to politics nor ambition; only to the crown, and his presence alone in that meeting chamber was enough to change the atmosphere.The Chief Justice straightened instinctively. Even the High Treasurer’s expression shifted. Neither had expected the fifth person to be none other than the Lord Marshal himself, because Lord Cedric answered to no one but the crown.“You dragged me away from my officers.” His voice was deep with a hostile coldness seeping out of his narrowed gaze. “This had better be true, because if I’ve marched across half the capital because of another rumour…”Cedric let the sentence hang, and his gaze grew piercing. “...someone in this room will regret wasting my time.”For a second, no one moved or said anything. Except for Elder Montclair an
House Montclair stood proud and regal underneath the dawning sky, and within, the meeting chamber remained dim, brightened by the large chandelier of candles that drooped down in the middle of the room, and the sets of candles that were placed in wall sconces.Beneath the chandelier was a pentagon-shaped mahogany table with five seats strategically placed at each side around the polished table, though only four seats were occupied.Among the four occupied seats, Elder Greyson sat smugly, resting one arm against the chair as his fingers drummed an impatient rhythm.Opposite him sat the Chief Justice with spectacles balanced low upon his nose as he re-read the parchment in his hand for what must have been the third time, and beside him, the High Treasurer remained silent, his expression unreadable.At the head of the table, Elder Montclair simply watched. Since his guests had arrived, he hadn’t uttered a word or moved from his
She dashed toward Maera’s body immediately. But just as she crossed into the open, she heard footsteps beside her, and every muscle in her body reacted before her mind could. So, Lillia spun rapidly, driving the spear forward with every ounce of strength she possessed.But the iron tip met instant resistance, the impact travelling violently through the shaft and into her trembling hands, nearly wrenching the spear from her grasp as an unseen figure stumbled backwards and disappeared into the suffocating fog.“Another bloody cunt.” Instant recognition slammed into her as a voice spat out and the figure rushed at Lillia before she barely had time to breathe. A metallic sound cut through the air at Lillia with great force, and she reacted quickly, lifting the spear to block the strike. However, because the force was greater than she could handle, she was thrown backward with such brute force that slammed her back on the ground. Pain tore through her body and a sharp cry forced out of h
Selene’s scream ripped through the carriage, and the paralysing shock that had held them captive vanished instantly.“We are being attacked.” Maera shouted, producing a runic dagger from her belt and looked at Lillia. “Stay inside and stay low.” She shot out of the carriage immediately after, and vanished into the fog. “Wait—” Lillia’s chest rose and fell quickly, her hands were soaked with blood pouring from Selene’s shoulder. But Maera was gone, and her voice had barely settled before Selene's voice tore into the silence that followed. “My shoulder… It hurts! It hurts so much.” She screamed.“Oh Great Mother… Selene!” Lillia panicked. It’s okay… “Selene… listen to me.” Lillia swallowed. “You’ll be alright.” Great Mother, please let that be true. Her trembling fingers hovered above Selene’s shoulder afraid of hurting her even more if she touched it. But Selene was in a very bad shape, and worse, her body would not heal if she did not remove the spear. “Selene… I–I have to remove
What is it?”Selene’s voice reached Lillia first, but it sounded distant as she kept her gaze fixed on the place where, for the briefest heartbeat, she could have sworn someone had been standing between the pines. Her pulse thundered in her ears, while an inexplicable tightness spread through her chest, each heartbeat feeding the growing unease curling beneath her ribs. Yet, she did not stop looking, shifting her gaze deeper into the fading trees as she tried hard to see through the thickening mist.It was as though the forest had begun to stare back. She could feel eyes from everywhere, but she couldn’t see anyone. It reminded her of the invisible hostility she’d felt in the royal garden that time, and other times, just before that very dreadful event befell her.The unease curled tighter at that thought because it now felt like a premonition she very much hated right now.Fenris! Can you sense anything?No, I don’t sense anything. Fenris answered quietly, her voice lacking strength
The gala dragged on in a blur. By then, the heavy silence had lifted, replaced by lively music that soon filled the hall with laughter, and little by little, the noise grew again. However, it never changed the assessing and scrutinizing eyes fixed on Lillia. After she sat, the herald
The sun had long dipped below the horizon, leaving the castle bathed in the soft, amber glow of lanterns, and Lillia stood before the mirror, her silver hair cascading over her shoulders, gleaming like threads of moonlight as she watched her reflection. She was no more the fragile girl who had fal
Ishtar woke with a gasp that tore violently from her chest.Her body jerked upright as though dragged from drowning, lungs burning, and heart hammering so hard, she thought it might split her ribs apart. Cold sweat slicked her skin, as her fingers clawed at silk sheets, breath coming in ragged, bro
“Run, my lady. Don’t look back. We’ll hold them back as long as our breath stays in our lungs. If one of us lives tonight, it has to be you. Please—live.”Muffled sobs bled into the darkness of Clearwater forest, as Ishtar tore through the tangled branches and choking undergrowth. Every word from







