All Chapters of The DYING LUNA’S SECOND CHANCE: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Seraphine’s POVThe room was finally quiet. No council voices. No soft performances. No careful smiles.Just silence.I stood in front of the mirror near the edge of my chambers and slowly removed the earrings from my ears one after the other, dropping them onto the vanity table harder than necessary.The sound echoed sharply through the room.Everything inside me felt sharp tonight. Cassian had not returned. That alone told me enough.I stared at my reflection for a long moment before laughing softly under my breath.Of course it had gone wrong. Nothing stayed controlled anymore. Not Darius, the council not even Ironfang and not definitely Kaelira. My jaw tightened at the thought of her.Weeks ago, she was still easy to manage. Quiet. Isolated. Easy to speak over during council gatherings. Easy to push aside while everyone else focused on me instead.Now?Now warriors listened when she spoke.The council hesitated around her.Even Darius looked at her differently.And the Lycan…Go

Lycan’s POVKaelira’s voice stayed calm when she said it, but the meaning behind the words settled heavily between us.Because she was right. I had known for weeks that outside interference existed inside Ironfang. The patrol disruptions alone confirmed that much. But this was different now.This had structure.History and planning. And the deeper we looked, the less it resembled ordinary political sabotage.Serenya crossed her arms tightly. “Then who’s backing her?”Kaelira shook her head once. “Not backing. Using.”“Same difference.”“No,” I said quietly. “Not remotely.”Both women looked toward me.I folded the patrol reports slowly before handing them back to Kaelira.“If Seraphine were truly in control, the attacks would be emotional. Reckless and personal.”“She is emotional,” Serenya muttered.“Yes. Which is why this level of coordination doesn’t fit her.”Kaelira’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You think someone else is directing the larger movement.”“I know they are.”The silenc

Seraphine’s POV“Don’t stand near the windows.”My mother’s voice cut sharply through the room before she grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the curtains.I was seven.Old enough to be irritated. Too young to understand why my existence needed hiding.“Can they see me from outside?” I asked.“No.”“Then why does it matter?”“Because people notice things.”That answer meant nothing to me back then. Everything in that house confused me. The hidden rooms. The servants avoided eye contact. The way my mother only allowed me outside after dark.Even as a child, I understood one thing clearly, we lived like secrets. And my mother hated it.I saw it every day in the way she carried herself through those small rooms behind the eastern estate quarters. She spoke like someone important trapped inside a life too small for her.“You should have had more,” she used to whisper while brushing my hair at night.At seven years old, I thought she meant toys.At twelve, I understood she meant powe

Lycan’s POVThe room stayed silent long after Kaelira stopped speaking. She still held the final document in her hand, but her eyes hadn’t moved from the name near the center of the page.Magnus.Everything kept circling back to him now. Not a coincidence. Not suspicion but proof.Serenya looked between us carefully before breaking the silence first. “Tell me I’m reading this wrong.”“You aren’t,” I replied.Kaelira finally lifted her gaze toward me slowly. “These supply routes were approved months before the massacre.”“Yes.”“And the allied territories listed here…”“They coordinated together.”Her fingers tightened slightly against the edge of the paper. “My father organized it.”The words sounded strange coming from her.Controlled.Too controlled.I watched her carefully for a moment before stepping closer to the table again.“Not alone.”Her eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re correcting me?”“I’m being accurate.”Serenya exhaled sharply and pushed another document toward us. “This

Seraphine’s POV “You’re losing control of the territory.”The words came carefully from Elder Varric, but I still heard the accusation beneath them. We stood inside the private council chamber hidden beneath the western wing while rain hammered against the stone outside. Only three people remained in the room now.Me.Varric.And the coward pretending not to panic beside him.Councilman Theron refused to meet my eyes while pacing near the fireplace like movement alone could save him from consequences already closing in.I stayed seated.Calm.At least outwardly.“Interesting,” I said softly. “Because from where I’m sitting, it sounds like all of you are the ones losing control.”Varric’s expression hardened. “This is not the time for arrogance.”“No,” I replied. “This is the time for honesty. Unfortunately none of you seem capable of it.”Theron stopped pacing immediately. “The Lycan is investigating territory records.”“I know.”“Kaelira is gaining support.”“I know.”“Darius is reo