Phantom's Wolf's Deceit

Ronan’s POV

“She should not have survived.”

The words rang through my head while I sat in the Syndicate's war room, blood hardening over the tear in the sleeve of my jacket. 

Dorian Maddox, the enforcer for the Midnight Queen, paced the room, his sharp, hawk eyes slicing through the silence like the edge of a knife.

I felt the weight of his eyes upon me but did not flinch. I never did.

“You had one job, Voss.” He said this softly yet menacingly. “Kill the girl. Bring back the proof. But instead, you come back with a useless excuse of her disappearing into the lands of Shadowfang. Care to explain?”

A muscle in my jaw convulsed. “She escaped.”

Dorian’s lips twisted into amusement, though his eyes were not amused. “Escaped?” He leaned against the cold steel table dividing us. “You’re the Phantom Wolf, the Syndicate’s greatest assassin, and you expect me to believe some starving girl overpowered you?”

My silence did the talking.

Dorian exhaled through the nostrils, the deliberate expulsion of frustration. “The Queen will not like this.”

I resisted the urge to sneer. 

Like I did not know that.

The Midnight Queen did not accept defeat. She ruled by blood and subterfuge, her reach went far beyond the walls of the Syndicate. If, even for one moment, she suspected that I'd hesitated to kill Sienna or she had gone by choice. I'd be useless and gotten rid of. 

Dorian pushed the table back and folded his arms. "You now only have one last chance. Mend this, or you will leave me with no option."

He left without another word, his steps echoing through the hallway.

I remained where I sat. My eyes stuck on the gloves around my hands. 

My fingers trembled, recalling when I'd held her in my arms. How her breath hitched. How her eyes seared mine, filled with something I could not define.

And the way my body, although trained, disciplined, and ruthless, had betrayed me.

I had caught her when she tried to escape and froze when I looked into her amber eyes. She took the chance, striking me with energy I hadn't expected. 

That alone would have provided cause for my rapid return and reporting of the anomaly. But I hadn't.

I had lied.

And I did not even know why.

I couldn't tell what she was anymore. She was a wolf like the rest of us, but different. 

The scent of blood and charred wood lingered about my clothes when I stood up, the ache from the strength of the blows from her pounding through my muscles. I needed answers and I would get them.

There was only one place where you could find them.

**********

The Black Moon Witch

The chamber smelled strongly of incense and rot. Shadows crawled upon the walls, twisting into strange shapes, as I entered deeper into the innermost part of the Midnight Syndicate.

Isolde Morwyn sat in the middle, in her black dress, staring at me with her silver eyes. 

She always looked ancient, and I wondered how old she was, even if she looked thirty. 

"Ronan Voss," she said, rotating the glass of dark wine around her slender fingers. "I fear you caught me by myself."

I ignored the sarcasm laced in her tone. "I need some answers."

She smiled, slow and knowing. "And what makes you think I have them?"

I clenched my fists. "Because you know everything." The last word meant to be a mockery. 

She chuckled, leaning over slightly. "Your flattery will not succeed, wolf. But, your desperation? Hmmm, That is much more interesting."

I stepped in close, keeping my voice quiet. "The girl. Sienna. She has something about her...something different. Do you know what she is?"

Isolde’s smile did not fade, but her expression shifted a bit. "Ah, that girl," she said quietly. "It's a pity you're asking now. So, I take it that you’ve only now remembered."

My heart raced, as the air felt heavier. 

"Remember what?" I asked, taking a step forward.

She took a sip from the glass of wine very slowly. "Some things need to be buried for good."

I grabbed the table edge, my frustration unraveling. "Stop talking like you're trying to send coded messages, and just tell me what I want."

She set the wine glass aside, her fingertips trailing over the edge. "You need to leave this alone. If you dig deeper, you will not like where you find yourself."

"I don’t care," I answered. 

She studied me for a very long moment, then exhaled heavily. "Very well."

Rising gracefully, she approached me but turned to the bookshelf and pulled out a book. 

She turned the pages and then picked another, sweeping the collection of worn books and scrolls aside with her hands. 

Finally, she settled her eyes on the one below, withdrew it from the shelf, and walked to me. 

"Read," she whispered.

I hesitated for a moment before picking it up. The paper felt fragile under my hands. My eyes scanned the printed letters, and my breath caught.

A list of names

Sienna’s was among them.

So was mine

My grip became tighter. "What is this?"

Isolde’s voice was soft, verging on pity. "A chronicle of the lost."

I was confused. She was speaking in parables and I hated it. 

Couldn't she talk like a normal person for once? 

Miserable witch!

"What in the devil's name is this supposed to mean?" I asked. 

She touched my wrist lightly, and suddenly, my brain split apart.

A flash of crimson. Squeals of terror. A girl’s laughter, vibrant and bright, soon got consumed by fire. She screamed, and then the moonlight shone brightly transforming her into a wolf covered in flames. She didn't look hurt. 

I ripped my hand from her grip, gasping for breath. "What the hell was that? What did you do?"

Isolde’s expression could not be read. "I showed you something you lost."

I backed up my racing heart. None of this felt right. But it felt real.

"You have the option now, Phantom Wolf." She said, "Forget everything, remain loyal to the Syndicate…or remember, and tread your chosen path. I have to warn you. It's hard."

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

Because deep within, I also knew what I'd do.

***********

Shadowfang Territory

The night wind felt chilly, scented by pine and ice, when I squatted by the border of Kieran Wolfe's property.

I shouldn’t be here.

But I could not leave.

Through the heavy woods, I caught sight of the packhouse, a bigger building than I'd imagined. It was fortified and protected.

And then I saw Sienna from the window, sighing. She had no idea I had attacked her earlier in the abandoned packhouse, but I couldn't bring myself to kill her. 

I had to try now. I skillfully hid from the bodyguards and kept moving towards her room, making calculations. 

Suddenly, I heard footsteps.