2nd Quarter Quell Novels & Stories

Without hesitation, I dropped to my knees beside Selena and opened my satchel. Moonflower dust. Shadowroot ash. Spirit-binding quartz. And my final vial of moon-charged spring water—gathered under a blood eclipse. I mixed. I burned. I chanted. The scent of scorched herbs filled the room as I pressed my palms to her chest, whispering verses passed down through lunar bloodlines. My wolf stirred—weak, but willing. She offered what little she had left. Time collapsed. I worked through dusk and dawn. No food. No sleep. No light but starlight.

“Ran’er.” Her slumber was again impeded by the subtle voice calling out to her in her dreams. The goddess advanced towards her, with moves so graceful that she could not find any words to describe them. Above them, the bright moon illuminated their dark surroundings. Apart from Qiwan’s voice, it was completely silent. Apart from a few reptilian presences in the area, they were alone. Xin Ran knew they were not in the heavens like in her previous dreams, but on a normal place on Earth. But that wasn’t important.

He hesitated for half a heartbeat before answering. “Kian. Kian Araqiel.” The name struck me like a spark. Araqiel. Araqiel. I blinked, realization dawning. ““Are you… Kian Alpha from Scar Pack?” I’d heard that the Alpha of Scar Pack was a playboy with a weird personality—he changed girlfriends every two weeks. His expression remained calm. “Yes.” My chest tightened. I gave Kian a short nod and stood to leave, but my shirt snagged on the chair leg. I stumbled forward and his hand shot out, catching me before I hit the ground.

“You say what you think. I like that. But I’m confident my customers remain alive and healthy. What should we put on the label? I’m sure you don’t want ‘mate-bond suppressant’ written on it, do you?” “No, definitely not!” He looked Cara up and down. “How about beauty serum?” She smiled and nodded as he scrawled on the label and handed her the potion. “Keep in mind the number two. Two drops on the tongue and it will last for two hours. If that’s not long enough, you’ll need to take another two drops, but not more than twice in a day. Got it?” “Yes, thank you.”

She smiled as a raven landed on the windowsill. “They’ve seen me.” The bird bowed its head. A deep voice echoed from the shadows behind her. “My Queen…” The woman didn’t turn around. “I told you not to call me that.” The man lowered his head. “My apologies.” “What news?” “The Second Key has been claimed.” She nodded slowly. “As expected.” “And Lucian Valerius?” For the first time… A genuine warmth entered her smile. “He refused both light and darkness.” The man looked surprised. “Then…”

"Ć̸͎̹̓ḧ̴̝̠́ü̸̺̿g̷̦̬̅ǵ̵̗̈́i̶̖̳͘n̶͓͊̕g̸̯̉-" "-S̷̞͘p̸̳̉͛ȅ̴̮̐ç̶͇̀͗ị̴̒̓a̴͕͒l̷͔̙̍ ̸͍̿̽d̸̬͉̓a̴̝̦͆͝y̵̫̅!"

Hadi threw the useless remote and grabbed another one. “Take cover. This time, it will be more than the first one.” He didn’t see his people, but he knew that his people would listen to his order. The second remote was thinner than the first one but much more deadly than previously. Press! At the same time, the lord clenched his teeth after receiving the first attack. At first, he was quite confident but, now, he wasn’t. Not after the report he received surely displeased him. “Lord, our barrier spellers took quite a hit.” Qusyairi appeared with full armor, his eyes reflecting chaos.

“Current’s worse than it looks. Also, Karina says, “ wringing water from his sleeve, “don’t screw this up.” I roll my eyes. “Right, is that the message?” “No,” He takes a deep breath. “This is: The Lake to the south is under attack. Take half the army to the north barricks and half to the southern strong point. Queen LippenVolt sends her regauards for the valant.” My brow lifts. “Are we roleplaying?” I say, already tucking my shirt into my belt. “Why is so long? Who is Queen LippenVolt?”

His claws leaving a deep scratch across his shoulder blade. I looked at him sadly. My eyes welling with tears as I replied. “You are not my Alpha, Drake. I am a Luna Queen.” My message was simple. I out ranked him. His will had no effect on me. I chose to respect him as an Alpha, but I did not need to fulfil his command.

“Then we’ll pay it back... together. We’ll find a way to reclaim your self, to banish his brand.” Kaelan’s gaze flicked to Mazzareth. “And how do you feel about that, demon?” Mazzareth swept a hand through the flames that still danced around his legs. “The pact is sealed. Your queen has tasted power, and she will never give it up fully.” A distant roar echoed; a clash of metal and horn, the thunder of war on the Citadel’s battlements. Dust rained from the ceiling, forcing Kaelan to shield his eyes. “Selira’s assault,” he growled. “They’re here.”