Chapter 5 - THE MAN BEHIND THE MASKThe army poured into the cavern.
Hundreds of soldiers.
Black armor.
Red cloaks.
Silver blades.
At their center stood a tall man wearing a white mask.
Kael stepped forward.
“Lucien.”
The masked man laughed softly.
“You remember me.”
“You were supposed to be dead.”
“I had better luck than you.”
Alora stood behind Kael.
Lucien's attention shifted toward her.
Even through the mask, she felt his gaze.
“So this is the queen.”
Kael's body tensed.
“Don't look at her.”
Lucien laughed.
“That is exactly why I came.”
He raised his hand.
The soldiers aimed their weapons.
“Take the girl.”
The wolves attacked.
The cavern exploded.
Alora had never seen so many creatures move together.
The wolves tore into the soldiers.
Kael became a blur.
He struck one man down.
Another.
Then another.
But there were too many.
Alora backed toward the throne.
A soldier broke through the fighting.
He raised a blade.
She froze.
A silver wolf slammed into him.
The creature fell.
Alora stared.
The wolf was bleeding.
It looked at her.
Then collapsed.
“No!”
She ran toward it.
The silver mark on her wrist burned.
The wolf's wound closed.
The creature rose.
Everyone stopped.
Even Lucien.
His mask tilted.
“Impossible.”
Kael stared at Alora.
The elder whispered inside her mind.
The queen can heal the pack.
Alora looked at her glowing hands.
“What am I?”
Kael whispered:
“You are the Blood Moon.”
Lucien began laughing.
“Yes.”
He removed his mask.
His face was scarred.
But Alora recognized him.
He was the man from her vision.
The man who had killed her father.
Her breathing stopped.
“You.”
Lucien smiled.
“I was wondering when you would remember.”
Kael moved.
Lucien raised a hand.
Every soldier dropped something onto the ground.
Small black stones.
The stones cracked.
A thick red smoke filled the cavern.
The wolves screamed.
Kael staggered.
Alora coughed.
“What is happening?”
“Silverroot,” Kael said.
“What?”
“It weakens wolves.”
Lucien walked forward.
“Not just wolves.”
He held up a small vial.
“It also poisons the bond.”
Kael's face went pale.
Alora felt a sharp pain in her chest.
She dropped to her knees.
Kael fell at the same time.
Their breaths synchronized.
One.
Two.
Three.
Lucien smiled.
“The bond is stronger than I expected.”
He turned toward his soldiers.
“Separate them.”
The soldiers grabbed Alora.
Kael tried to stand.
His body failed.
“ALORA!”
She screamed his name.
Then she saw something.
A sword lifted behind him.
A soldier prepared to stab Kael.
Something inside her snapped.
The silver mark turned black.
A shockwave exploded from her body.
Every soldier in the cavern was thrown backward.
The red smoke vanished.
The wolves rose.
Kael stared at her.
Alora's eyes had changed.
Gold.
Just like his.
Lucien slowly stepped back.
“No…”
He looked genuinely afraid.
“The prophecy was wrong.”
Alora stood.
Her voice wasn't entirely hers.
“Get away from him.”
The wolves lowered their heads.
Every flame in the cavern went out.
Darkness swallowed everything.
When the light returned, Lucien was gone.
But he left something behind.
A scroll.
Kael picked it up.
He opened it.
His face drained of color.
Alora stepped closer.
“What is it?”
He stared at the words.
Then whispered:
“The coronation date.”
“When?”
Kael looked at her.
“Three days.”
“And?”
His fingers tightened around the scroll.
“Your coronation.”
Alora stared.
“But I don't have a kingdom.”
Kael shook his head.
“You do.”
He pointed toward the deepest chamber.
“The kingdom beneath the mountain.”
The ancient white wolf appeared behind them.
May you like
And for the first time…
It knelt before Alora.
Related Stories
