#14 The Stars are Watching

Selene Goddess of the Moon POV

The stars above me pulsed with worry. The night was no longer still, not truly. The balance I once forged in quiet silver was unraveling thread by thread, the earth groaning beneath the weight of what had been opened.

And she was not ready. Not yet. But she was awakening. I stood on the edge of the celestial veil, veiled in silver starlight and the hum of millennia old magic, watching the world spin in its slow, fractured cycle. Beneath me, the realms trembled.

Too many wolves had fallen. Too many shadows had returned. And still, my child, the last of the Seralyn line, the White Flame, had not yet uncovered her full path.

"It's time," I murmured, voice like starlight over still water.

I turned toward the mirrored scrying pool and whispered the name of my chosen seer.

"Thessaly Moonmere," I called gently. "Daughter of the stars. Leader of the Seralyn Witches. Hear me."

The water shimmered, and across the planes of existence, I felt her stir. She sat bolt upright in her cottage just beyond the wards of Seralyn Keep, her eyes glowing white as the vision overtook her.

"The prophecy lies hidden," I whispered across the void. "She must find it. It lies in her mother's blood, and her soul's memory. Guide her. Protect her. Prepare her for the trials to come."

I pulled back, the vision complete, and turned slowly to face the one who had stood silently beside me all this time.

Verenya, Goddess of Earth.

Her dark green hair glowed with moss and starlight, and her amber eyes burned with ancient fury.

"They're pushing through again," she said, her voice like roots cracking stone. "The hell realm stirs deeper than before. The shadows have grown bolder."

We stood at the divine convergence point, staring down into the ragged tear in the fabric of the world, the mouth where the demons had begun to crawl free twenty five years ago.

"Let's remind them," I said, "that the light has not abandoned the wolves."

Together, we lifted our arms. Silver and emerald. Moonlight and soil. Sky and stone. Magic poured forth like a flood.

We channeled it downward in crashing waves, forcing it into the bleeding cracks in the crust of the earth, where the hell realm leaked through like poison.

"Seal it," Verenya commanded, her voice sharp.

"Soften it," I countered, wrapping our spell in light.

Our magic met at the breach and ignited like dawn.

And then.....Something moved. We both froze. Above us, a streak of light cut across the cosmos, burning through the sky like a meteor, but it was no stone. No. It was a soul. A powerful one.

"Is that...?" Verenya whispered.

I watched the falling light twist and spin toward the earth, glowing with heat and glory and sorrow. Feathers burned to gold. Grace unraveling in a firestorm.

A fallen angel. Falling... not randomly. Falling toward Seralyn Keep. I smiled slowly and glanced at my sister goddess.

"Interesting," I murmured. "Another piece on the board."

Verenya arched a brow. "Yours?"

"Oh no," I said, smirking. "I haven't touched the angels in centuries. This one's falling by choice."

We watched in silence as the angel plummeted. And just before he struck the earth....I raised my hand.

A silver current flowed from my fingertips, catching him, cradling him like a mother would a broken child. I slowed his descent until he landed, soft as moonlight, just beyond the wards of Seralyn.

"And so... the trials begin," I whispered.

Behind me, the stars shimmered. And below?

My daughter's destiny lit like wildfire.

Daeira POV

I woke up in a tangle of warmth and limbs, blinking slowly as sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains. For a moment, I was disoriented. I hadn't fallen asleep like this.

One leg, that was definitely not mine, was thrown over my hip. A hand rested heavy across my stomach, fingers splayed like someone couldn't decide between holding me close or claiming me entirely. My head was nestled against someone's shoulder, and the steady thrum of a heartbeat under my cheek reminded me I was not alone.

Then it came back in pieces.

The kisses that made my knees weak. The quiet warmth that settled in my chest after years of solitude.

I exhaled slowly, not wanting to move but needing to. These men were, gods help me....perfect in all the most inconvenient ways. And while waking up buried between them wasn't how the night had started... strangely, I didn't mind. Not at all.

I carefully extracted myself, sliding out from the bed like a thief escaping a crime scene. My feet touched the plush carpet, and I padded quietly into the bathroom. Cool water on my face. A moment to breathe. I stared into the mirror, took in the soft pink flush still on my cheeks, and laughed quietly to myself.

"Alpha of chaos," I murmured, grabbing my toothbrush.

After brushing and scrubbing off last night's dreams, I emerged with a smirk, snatched the nearest pillow off a chair, and launched it directly at Kael's head.

It hit with a satisfying whump, and he groaned without opening his eyes. Riven's pillow followed next, cracking him across the face. "You did not just throw something at me," he muttered sleepily, voice rough with sleep and amusement.

"I did. Get up, you gorgeous assholes. The universe doesn't wait for cuddles."

Kael rolled onto his back and stretched like a big cat, groaning. "I hate mornings."

"You love me," I shot back, grabbing a robe.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Riven yawned. "That bond thing really roped me in."

A knock echoed through the suite before either of them could say more. A voice called out from behind the door.

"Alpha! The head witch is here to see you!"

That got my attention.

I padded across the room and cracked the door open, heart already skipping a beat. Tarin stood outside, practically glowing, and beside her was a woman I had never met, but instantly recognized.

She was stunning. Elegant in that terrifying, ethereal way witches often were. Dark brown skin shimmered faintly with celestial undertones, and her long, coiled hair framed sharp cheekbones and eyes that shimmered like dusk over ancient water. Her power rolled off her in quiet, focused waves.

"Alpha Daeira," she said, her voice low and clear. "I am Thessaly Moonmere. Head Witch of Seralyn."

My blood ran cold and hot at once. I stepped aside quickly and let them in. "You're here because...?" I asked cautiously.

She didn't waste time. "The Moon Goddess sent me a vision. It concerns you, your path... and your trials."

Those words landed in my chest like stones. I straightened, crossing my arms, trying to keep my expression neutral even as my stomach flipped.

"Of course she did," I muttered. "Because I didn't have enough shit to handle already."

Kael and Riven had the audacity to grin behind me like this was funny. "We're in," Kael said simply, walking past me to lean against the wall.

"Ride or die," Riven added with a wink. I looked at both of them. "This is my trial, not yours."

"You're ours," Kael replied, voice low. "So we go where you go."

Before I could even process that flood of emotion, the door burst open again and Velwyn came rushing in like a storm in skirts. "Alpha! You need to come now!"

She looked wild, her white curls flying, cheeks flushed.

"What the fuck is happening, Velwyn?" I asked as I followed her quickly through the hall, tugging on a soft silver gown over my underthings. I didn't bother with shoes. Whatever this was, it didn't feel like something that required formality.

She glanced back at me nervously, her words tumbling fast. "Something fell. From the sky. There's smoke, and the wards lit up like it was a missile. It's, goddess above, you just need to see it."

My heart started pounding harder. Tarin and Thessaly were close behind. So were the twins, now dressed and alert, walking in silent sync behind me. As we passed through the courtyard and the garden paths, I could already see the smoke, rising in thin gray curls against the pale blue of the early morning sky.

We pushed through the outer gardens, stepping over loose stones and soft soil. My pulse was hammering in my throat now. I could feel something ahead. Something... powerful.

As we crested the final hill near the eastern wards, I froze.

There, lying motionless in a shallow crater just outside the shimmering edge of Seralyn's magical perimeter, was a figure. A man. Tall, broad... and winged.

Massive black feathered wings were sprawled out behind him, singed at the edges, still glowing faintly with residual heat. His skin was ash smudged, his hair dark and matted, and his body, though clearly unconscious, radiated something raw and divine.

Lunaryn slammed forward in my chest so hard I gasped.

"MATE," she howled. I reeled back. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

I turned in place, throwing my arms in the air. "I haven't even mated the first two!"

Lunaryn purred, smug as hell. "Fate doesn't wait, sweetheart. Move quicker if you wanna keep up."

I dropped to my knees beside him, pressing my hand to his chest. His heart was still beating, slow, strong.

"Thessaly," I said quickly, voice sharp. "Float him. Now."

She nodded and with a sweep of her hand, the man rose into the air, hovering gently. His wings hung limp, trailing behind him as if even they were too exhausted to hold themselves up.

We turned and started toward the keep.

And let me just say, if there was a way to not draw attention to yourself while floating an unconscious, shirtless angel with burn marks and massive wings through your courtyard...

This wasn't it.

People stopped mid conversation.

A child dropped a basket of fruit.

Someone gasped audibly.

Tarin cleared her throat. "You know, uh, this is definitely going to start rumors."

"Oh, I'm sure it already has," I muttered. "Just wait until they find out he's my third fucking mate."