Elis
The council chamber simmered with tension. Every Alpha seated before me was either shouting or gritting his teeth, their words sharp and heavy, bouncing off the stone walls like a threat.
I said nothing at first but just listened. My back was straight, hands clasped in front of me, but inside, I was already pacing.
Alpha Dorian slammed his fists against the table. "This is an abomination, my King! We have seen Alphas fall in battle but never age into dust upon death! This is not nature. This is sorcery."
Tobias let out a humorless scoff beside him. "You say that like sorcery is a stranger to Marlick. We've spent centuries purging witches from our borders. And yet, here it is again, crawling into our palace like a snake." My jaw tensed.
Corbin's voice cut in next, tight, angry. "An attack. Inside your private chambers, my King. It's not just a breach. It's a message."
And I heard it. Not just in his words, but in the silence that followed. Someone was watching me. Every night since the attack, I'd woken with that certainty burning behind my ribs.
"How did they get in?" Dorian barked. "No one crosses the palace walls unnoticed!"
Douglas stood at my right, his presence steady as ever. "There were no signs of forced entry," he said. "No broken wards. No doors breached. Whoever they were… they vanished like ghosts."
"Then it's not just an assassin," Tobias growled. "It's something worse."
"Witchcraft," Corbin spat.
More murmurs. Agreement. And fear. Tobias slammed his palm against the table. "We have laws against magic for a reason. If we allow this to continue, if we hesitate…we risk getting extinct. Eradicate the source. Burn it out, root and stem."
Dorian nodded. "We must act now. Hunt the source. Tighten the laws. If we wait for another attack, it will be too late."
I had heard enough. "Enough." The room fell still. I stood slowly, letting the silence settle like dust. My gaze swept across each of them, golden eyes cold and unwavering. "We will not allow this threat to grow. I will work with the inner council to strengthen our defenses. No one enters these halls without scrutiny. No spellcaster walks free beneath our skies. If a sorcerer hides among us… I will find them."
Dorian bowed his head slightly. "A wise decision, my King."
But as they murmured their approval and spoke of strategy, of fire and steel, my mind drifted elsewhere. Not to war councils or border defenses. To her. To Lily. And the feeling I could no longer shake: that magic had already taken root in my kingdom. In her. And if I was wrong… I wouldn't survive it.
***
Lily's pov
The pages of the diary trembled slightly under my fingertips. Not because my hands were shaking. Because something in the air had changed. I hadn't left my room in days. Not since the attack. Not since I started reading her words…the ones she left behind.
My grandmother. Miriam. I used to fear what she was. What I might be. But now… I didn't feel fear anymore. Only the truth pressing closer.m"Mastering control of your powers comes first."
"Your emotions will shape your magic. Fear will cripple it. Anger will corrupt it. But willpower…willpower will make it boundless."
I exhaled slowly, pressing my palm against the worn page. I could feel it, something awakening. Magic that had once felt like fire beneath my skin now moved like breath and like blood.
"Magic is neither good nor evil. It is the intent of the wielder that defines it."
I closed my eyes, letting those words sink in.mMagic wasn't the enemy. Fear was.
"Use it as a defense. Use it to protect the ones you love. Never use it against self-will."
That line stopped me. Never against self-will. Mind control. Binding spells. Forced loyalty. I could never become that. And I wouldn't.
I flipped the page, heart pounding as if something had been waiting. "The spell book will reveal itself when you are ready."
"The ink is hidden by your own unreadiness."
"You will not see until your spirit is aligned with your purpose."
I froze. The book. The one that had sat on my shelf, closed and silent. Its pages had always been blank. What if it wasn't ink that was missing? What if it had been… me? I drew the spell book toward me now, opening it slowly, breath held…Still blank. But this time, I didn't feel disappointed. I felt anticipation.
The diary warmed against my lap, a soft hum growing beneath my skin. "Fear is the true enemy of power. Until you accept what you are, you will always be at war with yourself." I swallowed, lifting my eyes from the page.And there she was. Bathed in a soft golden light that flickered like candle flame, standing at the foot of my bed, my grandmother. Miriam.
She looked just like I imagined; silver hair flowing, eyes wise and kind. Like the words in the diary had built her image into life.
I couldn't breathe. "You…"
She smiled. "I've been here all along, Lily. Watching. Waiting for you to finally see."
The warmth in the room thickened. Magic pulsed like a second heartbeat. The diary no longer felt like paper and ink.It felt like a door. And now, I was ready to open it.