Chapter Five: The Capital Gates

We rode through the night without stopping.

I sat on a heavy brown warhorse right behind Valen, holding onto his waist so I wouldn't fall off. Every time the horse took a hard step, my chest pressed against his back, and that strange, warm energy from our mate bond flared up again. It was exhausting trying to fight it.

By the time the sun started coming up over the mountains, the forest opened up into a huge valley.

In the middle of the valley sat the Capital.

It was a giant city built entirely of dark grey stone, surrounded by walls so tall they blocked out half the sky. At the very top, sitting on a jagged cliff, was the Royal Castle.

"Is that where we're going?" I asked, raising my voice over the sound of the horses' hooves.

"That's home," Valen said, his voice flat. "Or a cage, depending on the day."

As we got closer to the main gates, I noticed small groups of citizens standing along the side of the dirt road. They were thin, tired-looking shifters wearing ragged clothes. When Valen rode past, they bowed their heads, but nobody cheered. They looked hungry and scared.

"Your people don't look very happy," I murmured, leaning in a bit closer to his ear.

"The land is dying, Lyra," Valen replied, his jaw tightening. "The crops won't grow, and our magic is drying up. If we don't open that old treaty and fix the blood lock soon, my people will starve by winter."

He didn't say the rest out loud, but he didn't have to: And if I fail, they'll turn on me.

We reached the massive iron gates. The moment the guards on top of the wall saw Valen, they blew a horn and pulled the heavy chains to lift the gate.

"Make way for the King!" Captain Thorne shouted, riding ahead of us.

We entered the city streets, surrounded by dozens of armed guards. But as we rode through the central plaza, the crowd suddenly grew thicker and much more hostile.

Word had clearly traveled fast.

People were pointing at me. They weren't looking at my face; they were staring at my bare shoulder, where my glowing mate mark was still faintly visible under Valen’s coat.

"Is that a human?" a woman hissed from the crowd.

"Look at her eyes! She’s a Nightshade!" an old man yelled, throwing a small stone that bounced off Valen’s shoulder armor. "She’s a cursed witch!"

"She's going to ruin us!" another voice shouted.

I pulled Valen’s coat tighter around myself, trying to shrink back, but Valen immediately pulled his horse to a dead stop.

He turned his head and glared at the crowd with cold, glowing gold eyes. The pressure in the air spiked so fast that the yelling instantly died down. Everyone took three big steps backward, dropping their gaze to the cobblestones.

"Anyone who throws another stone will answer to my blade," Valen said, his voice ringing through the square.

Nobody moved. Nobody said a word.

Valen kicked the horse forward again, leading us straight up the steep, winding path toward the castle gates.

"You don't have to fight them for me," I said quietly, looking down at my hands. "They're right to be mad. My ancestors were your enemies."

"I'm not fighting for your feelings, Lyra," Valen said, though his hand briefly reached back and rested over mine on his waist. "I'm telling them who rules here. There's a difference."

We finally pulled up in front of the giant wooden castle doors. Stable boys ran out to take the horses, and Valen swung his leg over, hopping off smoothly before reaching up to help me down.

The second my feet hit the ground, a loud, sharp voice echoed across the stone courtyard.

"Valen! What is the meaning of this madness?"

A tall woman in a dark purple silk dress was sweeping down the grand staircase toward us. She had sharp, high cheekbones, dark hair pulled up into a tight bun, and eyes that looked as cold as ice. Two heavy-armored guards walked right behind her.

Valen didn't even flinch. "Hello, Lady Karen."

"Don't 'hello' me!" Lady Karen snapped, stopping a few feet away. Her eyes slid over to me, looking me up and down like I was trash washed up on the shore. "The guards at the gate said you brought a stray girl into the castle. Worse, they say she carries the forbidden mark!"

"She is my mate, Karen," Valen said plainly, taking a step to block her view of me. "And you will address her with respect."

Lady Karen let out a bitter, mocking laugh. "Your mate? A bloodless orphan with enemy eyes? Have you lost your mind? The High Council will never allow this! They are waiting in the throne room right now to demand answers about the border treaty!"

Valen’s face turned to stone. "Then let's not keep them waiting."

He turned to me, offering his arm. "Come on, Lyra. Let's go meet the people who want you dead."

I took a deep breath, straightened my back, and placed my hand on his arm. "Lead the way."

We walked up the grand stairs, leaving Lady Karen fuming behind us. But as we pushed open the heavy double doors leading into the throne room, the strange voice in my head whispered again, louder this time:

Under the throne... the silver key is under the throne...

My heart did a sudden flip. I looked up at the huge golden throne at the end of the room and realized the secret blood lock wasn't just on the paper Valen showed me.

The entire castle was built on top of it.