Se connecter"I found it. Goddess help me, I actually found it."Ivy's voice was breathless as she slipped into my chambers, her hands dusted, her face streaked with grime. She held a small bundle wrapped in oiled cloth, her fingers trembling."The seal?" I was on my feet instantly."Beneath the throne. Exactly where the text said." She unwrapped the bundle carefully, revealing a disc of pure silver, no larger than my palm. Ancient runes covered it, the same symbols that decorated the Silver Codex, and it pulsed with a soft, steady light."The Seal of the Moon Goddess," I breathed."It's beautiful." Ivy stared at it. "And terrifying. I could feel it watching me while I carried it. Like it knew what it was for."I took the seal from her, feeling its warmth spread through my fingers. The Silver Flame inside me surged in recognition, reaching toward the ancient artifact like a long-lost friend."Did anyone see you?""No. The guards were distracted by the council meeting. Everyone's still arguing abou
"You have one hour. After that, the guards will notice I'm gone."Ivy's voice was tense as she led me through the servants' passages. The palace was quiet, the moon hidden behind clouds. We moved in darkness, our footsteps muffled by the earthen floor."One hour is all I need," I said."The forbidden section is beneath the main library. There's a hidden door behind the oldest shelf, the one with the cracked leather spines. The key your mother gave you should open it.""And the guards?""Two at the entrance. I've arranged a distraction." Ivy paused at a junction. "This is where I leave you. The passage continues straight, then left at the fork. Be careful, Selene."I squeezed her hand. "Thank you. For everything.""Just come back safe." She disappeared into the shadows.I moved on alone, the key clutched in my palm. The passage narrowed, then opened into a small chamber I didn't recognize. Beyond it, a door of iron, ancient, covered in dust.The forbidden library.I fitted the key into
"You cannot be serious."My voice echoed off the stone walls of the northern estate's receiving chamber. I'd returned within hours of my father's threat, determined to confront him, to end this before it began. But what I'd found was far worse than I'd imagined.My father sat in his chair, the binding mark on his wrist still glowing silver, a smug smile playing at his lips. Beside him stood a wolf I didn't recognize—tall, lean, with cold eyes and the scent of foreign lands clinging to his fur."I am entirely serious," my father said. "May I introduce Alpha Draven of the Ironclaw Pack. He's traveled a long way to meet you."I stared at the stranger, my wolf snarling inside me. "I have a mate. I'm bonded. This is pointless.""Bonds can be broken. You of all wolves should know that." My father leaned forward. "The Ironclaw Pack controls the largest territory in the eastern realms. Their army is unmatched. Their resources are vast. An alliance with them would secure your throne for genera
"You've been keeping secrets from me, daughter."My father's voice was calm, almost pleasant—which made it infinitely more terrifying. I stood in the throne room of the northern estate, flanked by guards who'd once served him, staring at the wolf who was supposed to be powerless.The binding mark on his wrist still glowed silver. The oath still held. But somehow, impossibly, he was smiling."I don't know what you're talking about," I said carefully."Don't lie to me. I may be imprisoned, but I'm not blind." He leaned forward in his chair, his hollow eyes gleaming. "You've completed the bond with the Vale wolf. The second chance mate. I can smell it on you."My blood ran cold. Rowan and I had completed the bond only days ago—a private ceremony, witnessed by only a handful of trusted wolves. How could my father possibly know?"The guards talk," he continued, as if reading my mind. "They think I can't hear them, but I hear everything. The walls of this estate are thin, and secrets have a
"We're no closer to finding them than we were a week ago."Lyra's voice was tight with frustration as she stood before the war table. Maps and documents were spread across its surface—reports from the resistance network, interviews with palace staff, theories about the Shadow's identity. None of it had led anywhere."We have to be missing something." I stared at the wall where the black flame message had been. We'd cleaned it, but I could still see it in my mind. The Shadow lives. The Flame will die."Whoever they are, they know the palace better than we do," Rowan said. "They knew exactly where to strike—the records room, the heart of our investigation. They knew our security protocols, our guard rotations, our every weakness.""Which means they're not just a servant or a guard." Victor's voice was grim. "They're someone with authority. Someone who's been in the inner circle."The implication was chilling. Someone I'd trusted—someone who'd helped me rebuild the kingdom—was working ag
"Trust no one. That's what the letter says. How are we supposed to run a kingdom if we can't trust anyone?"Victor's voice was frustrated as he paced the war room. The letter lay on the table between us, its words burning into my mind. Around us, the new council members shifted uneasily, their faces a mixture of fear and determination."We don't stop trusting everyone," I said. "We just become more careful. More vigilant.""And how do we do that without turning into paranoid tyrants?" Helena asked quietly.It was a fair question. My father had trusted no one, and it had turned him into a monster. I couldn't afford to make the same mistake."We verify," Rowan said. "We investigate. We follow the evidence, not our fears.""The evidence points to someone inside the palace," Lyra said. "The letter was delivered directly to the gates. No messenger. No tracks. Whoever wrote it knew our security protocols.""Which means they're either a guard, a servant, or someone with access to the palace.







