Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 61 - Chapitre 70

"Kael needs to know."Rowan's voice was quiet but firm as we stood in my chambers, the half-burned letter spread across the table between us. Ivy had gone to gather more information, leaving us alone with the weight of what we'd discovered."I know." I stared at my father's handwriting, the words seared into my memory. "But how do I tell him? How do I look him in the eye and say, 'Your family wasn't killed in a rebellion—they were murdered for resources. And the Elders who helped cover it up are still sitting in my council chamber'?""You tell him the truth." Rowan's hand found mine. "Because he deserves to know. Because hiding it will only make things worse when he finds another way.""He'll be furious.""He'll be devastated." Rowan's voice was gentle. "But he'll also finally understand why his family died. He's spent twelve years believing they were traitors. This letter proves they were victims."I thought of Kael—the boy who'd watched his family die, the man who'd built his entire

"Marcus is gone."Ivy's voice was breathless as she burst into my chambers at dawn. Her face was pale, her hands trembling. "I went to his quarters to keep watch. The door was open. His belongings are gone. He's been planning this for weeks.""The others?" I was already on my feet, reaching for my cloak."Aldous is still in his chambers. Corinna and Theron are in the council hall, pretending nothing's wrong. But Marcus—" She shook her head. "He knew. Somehow, he knew we were listening."Rowan appeared in the doorway, his expression grim. "The guards at the eastern gate report a wolf matching Marcus's description leaving the palace before dawn. He was heading north.""Toward the noble houses." Kael's voice came from behind Rowan. He'd been pacing the corridor, unable to sleep after what we'd witnessed. "He's going to rally them. Launch a full attack before we can expose him.""Then we don't wait." I turned to face them. "We hold the public court today. We present the evidence against t

"Behind me! Stay behind me!"Rowan's roar cut through the chaos as the first wave of attackers slammed into our position. The cave mouth became a bottleneck—a narrow opening that forced our enemies to come at us one or two at a time. It was our only advantage.I pressed my back against the cold stone wall, the Silver Flame blazing from my palms. The light pushed back the darkness, revealing the wolves who'd surrounded us. They weren't bandits or mercenaries. They wore the colors of House Thornwood, their armor marked with the black thorn sigil."Marcus sent them," Lyra snarled, her blade flashing as she cut down the first attacker. "He knew we'd come north. He's been waiting."Kael was already in wolf form, his massive black body blocking the cave entrance. He fought with a savagery I hadn't seen since the wedding—all the grief and rage of twelve years pouring into every snap of his jaws."We can't hold this position forever." Rowan shifted, his ash-gray wolf emerging. "We need to bre

The shadows hit like a wave.I threw up a shield of silver light, but the darkness was different than before—alive, hungry, tearing at my defenses with claws of pure malice. Beside me, Rowan shifted, his ash-gray wolf lunging at the nearest blood mage. Kael followed, his black form a blur of fury."Hold the line!" Lyra's voice echoed from somewhere behind us—she'd broken through the enemy camp and was leading her wolves into the temple. "Don't let them complete the ritual!"Marcus laughed, his voice carrying over the chaos. "You're too late! The ritual is already feeding on your brother's blood. Every moment you fight, he grows weaker!"I looked at Elias, bound to the altar, his face ashen. The black flames were licking at his skin, drawing thin lines of blood that flowed into the altar's channels. He was dying.And I couldn't reach him."Selene!" Rowan's roar cut through my panic. "The Flame! Use it!"I closed my eyes and reached deep inside myself, past the fear, past the rage, past

"The Council of Elders is demanding an audience. All of them want to know what happened at the temple.Victor's voice was tense as he entered my chambers. I was still in traveling clothes, my body aching from the journey, my mind still reeling from Aldous's confession. Rowan stood by the window, his presence a steady anchor."All of them?" I asked. "Even the ones who weren't involved in the conspiracy?""Especially those. They're terrified, Selene. The Shadow was one of their own. If Marcus could hide in plain sight for decades, how many others might be compromised?"I thought about the implications. The Council of Elders was supposed to be the moral and spiritual heart of the kingdom. If it was riddled with corruption—if Marcus had been manipulating them for years—then the entire institution needed to be rebuilt."Give me an hour," I said. "Then summon them to the Great Hall. All of them.""And the prisoners? Aldous and the others?""Bring them too. They'll answer for their crimes in