Elara's POV
The chamber erupted into chaos the moment Maeve finished speaking.
Wolves howled from every corner, some dropped to their knees bowing, others backed away in fear, their golden eyes wide with terror.
I stood frozen in the center of it all, my arm burning like someone had poured fire under my skin.
The silver mark pulsed with light that wasn't mine.
I could feel her inside me now, fully awake, stretching like she'd been sleeping for too long, laughing softly in the back of my mind.
Kael moved in front of me so fast I barely saw him.
His body became a shield between me and the wolves.
When I looked at his face his eyes had changed, pure silver now, no trace of the man I'd seen in his study.
This was the Alpha, ancient and terrifying.
"Imprison her," Eldric's voice cut through the noise, "lock her in the dungeons until we can determine if she's truly possessed.
"She's dangerous," Torren added, his hand on his sword, "we should kill her now before the old queen fully awakens."before it's too late."
The air shifted, became heavy, I felt Kael's power explode outward like a wave, every wolf in the chamber dropped to their knees instantly.
"She is my queen and under my protection," Kael's voice echoed with something ancient, something that made my bones vibrate, "anyone who touches her answers to me."
The room went silent except for wolves whimpering, but Maeve stepped forward, completely unfazed, her blind eyes somehow fixed on me.
"The mark doesn't lie, my king." she said calmly, "the old queen's soul grows stronger in her vessel with each passing hour, by the next full moon there will be nothing left of Elara Vance."
"That's not true," I tried to say, my voice shaking, "I'm still me, I'm still here."
But the words that came out weren't mine, "You dare judge your true queen?"
The voice was layered, mine and hers blending together until I couldn't tell where I ended and she began, I slapped my hand over my mouth, horror washing through me like ice water.
Every wolf in the room heard it, the proof they needed.
"You see?" Eldric said, "she's already losing herself."
"No," I whispered, shaking my head.
"That wasn't me."
But no one was listening, Maeve raised her hand. "There is only one way to know for certain.
The Trial of Souls, let the Moon
Goddess herself determine if this girl can be saved."
"All in favor?" Eldric asked.
Three hands raised, the decision was made.
"The trial will be held at moonrise tomorrow," Maeve declared.
"Prepare the Moon Pool."
The council dismissed, wolves filed out quickly, some casting fearful glances back at me.
When the chamber finally emptied Kael stepped back, putting distance between us.
"Riven," he called without looking at me.
Captain Riven appeared, "My lord?"
"Escort the queen back to my chambers….lock the door, don't let her out for any reason."
"Kael please," I reached for him, "I didn't mean to say those things, it wasn't me, you have to believe me."
He pulled away from my touch like it burned him.
"I know," he said quietly, his eyes unreadable.
"That's what makes this worse."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart breaking into pieces.
"My lady," Riven said gently, "we should go."
I let them lead me through the corridors in silence, tears streaming down my face, back in Kael's chambers they locked the door from the outside.
I heard the heavy bolt slide into place.
I collapsed beside his bed and finally let myself break down completely.
Sobs tore through my chest, I couldn't breathe.
The mark burned hotter as I cried and in the back of my mind I heard her laughing.
"Poor little light." Seraphina's voice purred inside my head.
"Did you really think he could love you?"
"Get out," I whispered, pressing my hands against my temples.
"But we share this head now, soon we'll share this body too and you'll just fade away."
Eventually the tears stopped, exhaustion taking over.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror, the mark had spread further, covering my entire arm and creeping across my shoulder, reaching toward my heart.
A soft scraping sound made me turn, a section of the wall was sliding open, revealing a hidden passage, Liora stepped through, her face pale.
"My lady," she whispered urgently. "You need to see something."
"I'm not supposed to leave."
"I know but if you want the truth about what the king is really doing you need to come with me now." her eyes were desperate.
Something in her voice made me stand.
"What truth?"
"I can't explain here, please my lady, trust me."
Against every instinct I followed her into the passage, we walked through hidden corridors, the air growing colder, finally we stopped where light leaked through cracks in the stone.
"Look," Liora whispered.
I pressed my eye to the crack and my heart stopped.
We were looking into a secret chamber behind Seraphina's portrait, the room was lit by blue fire, and there in the center was Kael.
He was kneeling before an altar covered in ancient symbols, Seraphina's wedding gown was laid out on the altar like a body.
Kael's hands were pressed together, his head bowed, when he spoke his voice was clear.
"Just a little longer my love," he said, his voice thick with emotion.
"I'll bring you back.….. I swear it, I've waited so long."
The words shattered something inside me, everything he'd said before, about caring for me, about trying to let her go, it was all lies.
"I'm sorry you had to see this," Liora touched my arm, "but you needed to know, he's been preparing the resurrection ritual for months, you were never meant to survive the full moon."
I couldn't speak, couldn't breathe.
Before I could move the passage door slammed shut behind us with a deafening bang, we were trapped.
Liora grabbed my hand, her eyes wide with fear.
"Did you really think I wouldn't know you were here?" Maeve's voice echoed from the darkness.
The blind seeress appeared like a ghost, her empty eyes fixed on me.
"The king doesn't know what he truly wants as a child, his heart is divided, but the ritual will proceed whether he's ready or not, and when the full moon rises in six days one of you will die."
"Which one?" I whispered.
Maeve smiled coldly, "That depends on who he loves more when the time comes."
The walls began to move, grinding against each other, closing in, the castle itself was trying to crush us.
I screamed.