*Rhys*
Fatigue from a mostly sleepless night settled deep in my bones, but it honed my already sharp instincts to a razor’s edge instead of weighing down.
The nightmare started the sa way, but it had changed.
Right after the scaled beast had her in his sword-sharp talons, her panicked eyes locked with mine. She cried out a single syllable heard over the deafening crackle and roar of fla.
“Rhys!”
After awakening, my hair sticking to my clammy skin, I got out of bed and stared at the moon, praying to the goddess that these visions wouldn’t co to pass.
It was ti for the council. For one of the few tis in my life, I had no control over sothing vital to .
It made my blood burn.
I suddenly caught the whiff of strawberries and sunshine from down the main hall. Her scent prickled with needles of anxiety, but she walked toward us with her head held high. Her hair was styled in a beautiful yet sensible way to emphasize that she was wise and trustworthy, and she was in a beautiful gown of sky blue, almost the color of white.
My breath hitched. Saoirse walking down the plush purple carpet toward made imagine she was walking down the aisle.
That was a preposterous thought. She was engaged to another, so I had to stay focused.
“You ready, Saoirse?” Dax asked the scarlet-haired beauty, but he was side-eying , studying my bowstring-taut stature.
“Yes,” The petite yet feisty young woman nodded, swallowing. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
I caught a hint of jitters in her voice. On instinct, I reached out with my gloved hand and took hers in mine.
“We will be beside you during your account. You will not be alone,” I assured her, yet I was sure she surmised that I could not directly help her.
Her posture relaxed, and a small smile took flight on her face.
“Thank you, Prince Rhys I–”
It was then that the grand double doors swung open, and the attendant on the other side stared down his long nose at the three of us. Sure, I was the Prince, but I may as well have been a commoner in the eyes of the council.
“The council will see you now.” The attendant gestured to the room behind him.
Though Dax and I had entered this room many tis, I knew the first ti was always the most intimidating.
I gave her hand one final squeeze before letting go and allowing Saoirse to do the thing only she ca to do—save her people.
***
*Saoirse*
My stomach had wrenched itself into a knot of thorns. If I had eaten anything for breakfast other than bread and honey, I would have surely wretched it up by now.
I steeled myself and stepped into the polished, round room, which my entire ho in Hunter’s Glen could fit inside. In front of were seven royal figures seated in seven elaborate thrones in a semi-circle. The tallest one was the one in the center, belonging to King Xander, who was every bit as intimidating as I thought he would be.
All the other male nobles and counciln, each finely robed in different colors according to their station, burned holes in with their glares as I walked to the center of the room, where a simple podium stood.
To King Xander’s left sat a beautiful woman with rich, tied-back shocking white hair, his Luna, Queen Lena.
I was taken aback as I was sure she was smiling at .
“Please confirm for the council your na, pack location, and status,” the stern attendant commanded.
I snapped out of it, noticing that Rhys and Dax were by my side.
“I am Saoirse Strider,” I cleared my throat, “of Hunters’ Glen, and I am the daughter of Patrick Strider, Alpha of Hunter’s Glen.”
Confidence and courage ignited in my chest like a torch. I knew I could do this.
“You may proceed.”
“Hello, esteed council, I co to inform you of a grave danger to Hunters Glen and, by association, Egoren.” I stood up straighter now, despite a yawn from a royal wearing charcoal gray.
“A little over two weeks ago, while hunting in the Eastern Forest, I ca across a perfect circle of charred forest larger than three of these rooms. The largest pine trees had been torched down to re blackened stumps and nothing else but ash remained.” I revealed the crumpled Polaroid photos that I had luckily kept on as evidence.
“No lightning strike or forest fire could burn trees like this.” The attendant passed up the photos and presented them to the council. However, only Queen Lena picked one up.
“Right before I saw the scorched earth, I heard a screeching cry like no other. I’ve lived in the forest my whole life, and I know this was no eagle or hawk.” I tried my best to get the undivided attention of King Xander, but he stared past .
“Even so, when I looked above , I was still shocked to see an enormous creature circling above with dark leathery wings. When it dove, I confird that due to its alarming speed and odd proportions, it was no bird,” I continued.
“I’ve lived my whole life hunting, and no animal has given such a sense of dread as this beast did. I fear that as long as it flies free, my ho and all the people of my pack will be in imminent danger.” I explained, my throat tightening.
“I implore you, council, please send help to Hunters Glen. I don’t know if this dark force can be reasoned with, or if we must fight it, but we must stop it before it hurts anyone.” I let my worry shine through.
The council murmured amongst themselves. I caught phrases like “typical hysterical won” and “rural folk tales” due to the rooms’ naturally good acoustics. I hid my hand under the podium to clench my fist, denting crescents into the palm of my hand with my fingernails.
I tried not to sneak a look at Rhys, but I couldn’t resist when I caught his scent wafting over to . It looked like anger painted his features.
“So... where are the photos of this winged beast?” one of the council mbers asked, fingering a slim goatee.
“None. I didn’t have my cara with at the ti.” I pursed my lips, and the man rolled his eyes.
There were more mutterings.
I looked at each mber of the council, but only Queen Lena returned my gaze. Her honey eyes were warm. She leaned over to whisper into the king’s ear. He frowned deeply, shaking his head.
A tempest raged within , but I quelled it. If I lost my cool now, they would think I was crazy like Conall and my family. I needed to stay composed.
“mbers of the royal council, I assure you–” I stopped as King Xander raised a finely gloved hand.
“I’ve heard enough, Saoirse Strider of Hunters Glen.” His deep baritone voice bood through the room.
My breath froze in my lungs.
He glanced a thin look at his Luna and then back to .
“I will dispatch a small investigatory team to Hunters Glen to validate these claims.” The king’s gaze drilled holes into my brain.
A small ribbon of joy curled through . It wasn’t the huge force I had wanted, but at least it was a chance he’d send one later.
“If this investigation does not validate your claims, you and your family will be subject to harsh repercussions by the royal council for squandering royal resources, such as our valuable ti.” King Xander’s eyes flared red.
I was not afraid of that. I was scared that the force they would send would not be enough. But I knew that I had to keep my tongue. I could not fight a ruling like this, or he might send no one at all.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I nodded with a grim smile on my face.
“The council dismisses you.” The strongly built king waved off.
The attendant returned my photos to and ushered from the room like a pest.
“Saoirse, that was unbelievable. Normally, my father would send people asking for assistance like this packing in a few monts flat, especially if he hadn’t thought the threat credible,” Rhys congratulated , overjoyed. “And a mythical flying beast with no hard evidence is anything but credible to the Royal Council.”
I remained speechless for a mont because I had originally wanted an entire squadron sent to my ho, not a small investigation team.
“Don’t look so downtrodden, Saoirse. Just like Prince Rhys said, the king has tossed out lords with proven claims of wolf attacks. He is a firm believer in supporting one’s pack first and asking for help second,” Dax added, his expression bright as well.
“I really didn’t do–” Just then the double doors opened, and we straightened on command.
Out from the door floated the resplendent Queen Lena.
“Hello, Rhys, Dax, and Miss Saoirse.” Her voice sounded like church bells.
“Hello, Your Majesty.” I greeted with a hasty courtesy that I knew was far from proper form.
“I wanted to say you did a brave thing today.” She stepped forward, light glinted in her pearlescent crown.
“I just hope that we can get to this beast in ti to prevent any more fires or attacks.”
“I hope so too. I must be on my way. Your father wants to go with him for a luncheon.” She gave Rhys a quick, peck on his temple and slipped back into the council room.
“What was that about?” I asked Rhys. He wasted no ti closing the distance between us.
“My mom is a genius. We need to go see soone. Dax, can you take care of the rest of my appointnts for the morning?” Rhys asked but didn’t even pause before sweeping by , taking my wrist.
Unlike when Conall grabbed , I wanted to lean into his touch.
“Sure, Rhys,” the beta called out, laughing.
With him still guiding by the wrist, we took turn after turn. Finally, we crossed through a garden to a small cottage covered in ivy, white moonflowers, and casa blanca lilies.
I caught my breath as Rhys went to knock on the small wooden door with a crescent moon window.
Before he could knock, it opened, revealing an older, slim woman with flowing silver hair and lavender eyes leaning on a spindly cane.
“I’ve been expecting you, Rhys and Saoirse Strider,” she announced.
I wondered how she knew my na.
“I’ve seen you in a vision, Lady Saoirse. You may call Lileas. I’m the palace’s spiritual seer. Co quickly.”
I questioned whether she could also read my thoughts.
Rhys and I entered the cozy cottage. It was adorned with shining crystals of all shapes and colors and plants and herbs that almost made sneeze.
She guided us to a small round table covered in a dark blue velvet tablecloth with a circular mirror in the middle.
“Lileas, we’ve seen things, both in person and in dreams. I had visions of scaled beasts that breathe fire destroying entire villages, and...” Rhys set his jaw and swallowed, “killing Saoirse.”
The seer frowned and turned to her shelf. She grabbed a red stone, a clear crystal, a jar of blue powder, and a black glassy shard.
“Hmmm... I had suspected as much. Sit and hold hands,” she instructed us softly but firmly.
We sat next to each other at the small table. I took the prince’s hand for the second ti that day. I wished holding hands with Conall felt as natural.
She sprinkled the blue powder on the mirror and placed the black shard, clear crystal, and red stone opposite each other. Lileas then took our other free hands. Together, we made a triangle with the mirror in between us.
“Moon Goddess, I beseech you to grant your threads of moonlight so I may weave a tapestry of prophecy.” Lileas’s voice drifted further and further away as a tingling energy coursed through my bloodstream.
I held on tight as her lavender eyes rolled back in her head. The stones on the table rattled, and the powder swirled into coiling shapes.
A spike of icy cold dread plunged through my heart. I clenched Rhys’ hand so hard that I was afraid it would hurt him, but he anchored quickly.
After what seed like a lifeti, Lileas’s eyes returned to normal. She looked at us, skin paler than parchnt.
“The dark forces have awakened in Egoren, and they have a voracious appetite for destruction.” She motioned to the stones on the mirror.
The red stone and clear crystal had both shattered, and only the black shard remained whole.
“Obsidian, volcanic glass... They are here, and they want nothing more than for us to burn.” Lileas locked eyes with . The hairs on the back of my neck pricked up.
Reviews
All reviews (0)