The Moon's Mercy: Throne of Ashes

The infirmary smelled of eucalyptus and sharp magic. It was a scent Elara usually found calming. It reminded her of order and healing.. Tonight, as she stood in the shadows of the stone corridor, the smell felt overpowering.She hadn't entered the room. She couldn't. Through the cracked door, the light spilled out in a golden beam. Within that sliver of light she saw them. Damon was seated on the edge of the cot, his broad shoulders hunched, his head bowed. Jasmine lay propped against the pillows, her dark hair fanned out like silk against the linens. She looked fragile. Her eyes were fixed on Damon with an intensity that made Elara's skin crawl."I didn't think I'd see you again " Damon's voice was low and rough. "When the news came that Joshua's outpost was overrun... I thought the world had ended twice in one day."Jasmine reached out her pale fingers trembling as she covered Damon's hand. The hand that wore a heavy silver signet ring Elara had given him. "I hid in the cellar, Damo

The twenty-one days before the Full Moon Festival felt like a walk into a bad dream. The guest wing was like Elara’s little world, a quiet place with old papers and dust.. The rest of the Blackwood Pack was like a big show and Jasmine was the star.She played the part of the pregnant woman so well that even the old leaders of the pack felt sorry for her. They used to like Elara. Now they looked at her like she was something old and useless. Elara was like winter and Jasmine was like spring.Elara stayed out of the way, only coming out when she had to. She moved like a ghost. Nobody really noticed her. Damon was always busy either in meetings or with Jasmine. He was getting a baby bed made for her, one that had been in the Blackwood family for a long time.Then one day, things started to get bad. Elara was in the hall putting up a map, when Jasmine came in with some other women. Jasmine was wearing a dress the same color as the Blackwood family symbol. It was like she was saying, "I'm

The square was a mess of violence and light. The golden fire Elara had started was burning everything. It was like a wind that was cleaning up all the bad things. The Rogues, who were like creatures were not just dying. They were turning into ash that was being blown away by the heat.Damon was fighting like a man who was very angry. He was moving fast, it was hard to see him. He was wearing leather and had silver claws and he was roaring so loud that Elara could feel it in her bones. Every time a Rogue got close to Elara, Damon was there fighting them off with all his might.Elara did not need Damon to protect her.She was standing in the middle of all the chaos and her feet were not even touching the ground. She was wearing a gold dress that was blowing around her like it was in a big wind. Her hair was like a river of copper. Every time she moved her hand, she was sending out bolts of energy that were lighting up the dark places.The three Aurelian brothers were fighting together l

The journey from the Mystic Forest to the Royal Citadel was a blur. One minute Elara was walking through the forest the next she was standing on the Terrace of Suns. The air was thin and crisp. It tasted like old snow and ozone. This was very different from the smoke of the Blackwood valley.In front of her was the Citadel. It was a building made of white marble and black stone. The Citadel was carved into the side of a mountain. It was a place where the normal rules did not seem to apply. The history of the Citadel was visible in every pillar and stone."Welcome home Elara, " Caspian said. His voice sounded polished and refined like a High Alpha. This was different from the voice he used in the forest.The next few minutes were a whirlwind of activity. The dirt and blood of the battle were washed away by servants. Elara was bathed in oils that smelled like frankincense and gold. Her hair was braided with threads that shone like starlight. She was dressed in the robes of the Crown Pri

The silence after the explosion was really loud. It was like an empty space where all sound had been wiped out by the huge Aurelian Flare.​Elara lay on the broken marble of the Great Hall, her lungs hurting like she had breathed in glass. Her white-gold silk royal robes were burnt to her skin and her obsidian corset had broken, leaving pieces everywhere like dark stars. Slowly things started to get clear. The dark yucky ink of the eclipse was gone, replaced by the direct light of the sun that had been taken back.​She groaned, pushing herself up on shaking arms. The Great Hall was a mess. The swirling storm was. The Council Alphas who had been chanting were on the floor, their bodies smoking from the holy backlash. Caspian and Silas were leaning against their pillars, the chains that had bound them melted into pools of lead. They were alive and cold, their power drained.​"Damon " she whispered, her voice rough.​She remembered the backlash, a wave of solar energy that she had sent o