PRINCE ASH POV
Ice exploded from my hands as three Fae ssengers materialized in the basent without notice.
"Prince Ash of the Winter Court," the lead ssenger said in a voice like crystal bells. "By order of Queen Titania, you are commanded to return imdiately."
"Now?" I ordered, not lowering my defensive ice barrier. "In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re in the middle of preventing reality from collapsing."
The ssenger’s silver eyes flicked dismissively toward Luna’s approaching form in the dinsional space. "The Queen is aware of the... situation. She has decided it requires Fae help."
My heart sank. When the Fae Court decided sothing required their intervention, it generally ant they were about to make everything ten tis more complicated.
"What kind of intervention?" Dmitri asked warily.
The second ssenger stepped forward, her voice honey-sweet but dangerous. "The oga who bears the Triple Moon Mark must co with Prince Ash to face judgnt before the Court."
"Absolutely not," Brock growled, moving protectively toward Lily.
"The Fae Court has no jurisdiction over werewolves," Aiden added, his diplomatic training kicking in.
The third ssenger laughed, a sound like wind chis in a storm. "Doesn’t it? The mont your precious oga began controlling dinsional energy, she entered our domain. Magic that crosses between realities falls under ancient Fae rule."
I felt sick. They were right, technically. The old treaties were clear about dinsional magic, even though they’d been written thousands of years ago when no one thought a werewolf could actually reach that kind of power.
"There has to be another way," I said desperately. "Lily can’t leave now. She’s the only thing keeping the dinsional damage together."
"Precisely why she must face judgnt," the first ssenger responded. "Her uncontrolled powers threaten the stability of all realities. The Court must determine if she should be... contained."
"Contained?" Lily’s voice was small and scared. "What does that an?"
The ssengers exchanged glances before the honey-voiced one replied. "It ans you would be placed in a dinsional prison where your abilities cannot harm the balance between worlds."
"For how long?" Caleb asked, his earlier anger forgotten in the face of this new danger.
"Forever," the ssenger said simply.
The word hit us like a physical blow. I watched Lily’s face crumble, and sothing fierce and protecting roared to life in my chest.
"No," I said strongly. "I won’t let that happen."
"You have no choice, Prince," the lead ssenger said. "Queen Titania has already chosen. Either you bring the oga freely, or we take her by force."
"Try it," I growled, ice spreading across the floor toward them.
But the ssengers didn’t look worried. Instead, they smiled.
"We hoped you would resist," the third one purred. "It gives us legal justification for what cos next."
The temperature in the basent dropped twenty degrees in an instant. Not from my ice magic, but from sothing much more strong. The air itself began to crystallize, and I felt the overwhelming presence of Fae power pressing down on all of us.
"Mother," I whispered, recognizing the special signature.
Queen Titania herself appeared in the center of the room, her beauty terrible and cold. She was smaller than the werewolves around her, but her presence filled the area like a glacier filling a valley.
"My son," she said, her voice carrying the weight of winter storms. "You disappoint ."
I’d been afraid of those words my entire life. As a child, disappointing my mother ant ice classes that left bleeding. As a teenager, it ant weeks of exile in the mortal world. As an adult, it could an losing my place in the Winter Court forever.
But looking at Lily’s scared face, I realized I didn’t care anymore.
"If protecting innocent people disappoints you," I said, "then I guess I’m a disappointnt."
My mother’s face didn’t change, but the temperature dropped another ten degrees. "This oga is not innocent. Her powers have already caused dinsional rifts that threaten three different realms. Left unchecked, she could unravel the barriers between all worlds."
"She’s learning to control them," I argued. "With help, she could stabilize the damage instead of causing more."
"Help?" Queen Titania’s laugh was like icicles breaking. "From whom? You? A half-trained prince who barely understands his own magic? These wolves who know nothing of dinsional theory?"
She waved dismissively toward the others. "The only help this creature needs is a secure prison where her chaos cannot spread."
"She’s not a creature," I said angrily. "She’s a person. And she’s already proven she can settle dinsional energy when she’s emotionally grounded."
"Emotions," my mother spat. "The most unstable force in existence. You would trust the security of reality to feelings?"
"Yes," I said without doubt. "Because feelings are what make reality worth protecting in the first place."
For the first ti since she arrived, Queen Titania looked truly surprised. "You truly believe that?"
"I do."
She studied for a long mont, then turned her attention to Lily. "Child, step forward."
Lily paused, but Caleb squeezed her hand encouragingly. She walked slowly toward my mother, her chin raised despite her clear terror.
"You have caused considerable damage," Queen Titania said coldly. "Dinsional rifts, reality distortions, ti anomalies. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I’m sorry," Lily said simply. "I never ant for any of this to happen. I was just trying to save my pack."
"And would you do it again? If your pack were threatened, would you risk reality itself to save them?"
I held my breath, knowing this was a test. The wrong answer could doom Lily to endless imprisonnt.
Lily looked back at Caleb, at the twins, at all the people she cared about. Then she turned back to my mother.
"Yes," she said quietly. "I would."
Queen Titania smiled, and it was the most terrifying look I’d ever seen on her face.
"Interesting," she whispered. "Very interesting indeed."
Before I could ask what she ant, the basent suddenly filled with bright white light. When it faded, my mother was gone.
But in her place stood a figure I recognized from old Fae histories. Tall, elegant, with eyes like stars and power that made Queen Titania look like a child playing with ice cubes.
"Hello, granddaughter," the figure said to Lily. "We need to talk."
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