The Hidden Ally
"Her blood is not yours to take."
The words cracked through the chamber like thunder.
The doors had burst open, spilling torchlight across the circle of Elders. A figure strode inside, cloaked in black, shadows clinging to him as if the night itself had followed. His presence was raw, unyielding. Power pressed into the chamber until the air itself seemed to shiver.
The obsidian bowl at my feet trembled. The runes etched into the blade in my hand seared cold, as though recoiling from him.
The Elders shifted, unease flashing in eyes that had seen centuries. The white-haired Elder stood, his voice rough as gravel. "You dare trespass here?"
The cloaked one didn't slow. He stepped into the circle's center as though it belonged to him. "I walked these halls before you ever claimed those seats. And I will walk them long after your bones are dust."
A ripple ran through the chamber. Even Ciaran stilled, though silver fire burned sharp in his gaze. Recognition flickered there something he wasn't saying.
Selene's smile faltered for only a breath, but I saw it. Her fingers tightened in her violet skirts.
The cloaked one turned to me. Shadows curled at his boots, yet when his eyes caught mine, they glinted with something steady. Not gold. Not silver. Something older. "You would bleed for wolves who fear the truth of your veins. Do not mistake their hunger for justice. They seek only chains."
My lips parted, breath shallow. "Who are you?"
He inclined his head, voice dropping low, every syllable carrying weight. "One who swore to guard the blood you carry."
Gasps stirred. The Elders leaned forward, their whispers sharp as claws.
Ciaran's voice was iron, slicing through. "No riddles. Speak your name."
The cloaked one's mouth curved faintly. "Names are for the living, King. I am older than the throne you sit upon. But you know what I am."
Ciaran's jaw tightened. He said nothing, and the silence was louder than denial.
Selene's voice slid through the chamber, smooth as silk, sweet as poison. "A ghost in rags, spinning myths. Do not listen, my King. He weaves shadows to distract us. The girl's blood will tell the truth."
The cloaked one finally looked at her. And when he did, the temperature of the room dropped. The torches hissed, shadows lengthening as though recoiling from her.
"Daughter of Ashwood," he said, and the weight of his disdain made Selene flinch though her smile stayed fixed. "You wear silk and silver, but your tongue reeks of fear. You know what she is. And you know that if she bleeds here, your lies unravel."
Selene's breath hitched soft, almost inaudible. But I heard it. The first crack in her perfect mask.
The cloaked one turned back to me, lowering his voice until it was for me alone. "Not yet. The truth must rise on its own. If they force it now, they will twist it into chains you will never break."
My fingers shook around the blade. My pulse pounded. "Then why are you here?"
His gaze didn't waver. "Because fate likes to test its children. And I swore you would not bleed alone."
The words lodged in my chest, hot and heavy, as the chamber filled with restless growls.
The white-haired Elder slammed his claw against stone. "This intrusion is blasphemy. Guards"
But not a single guard moved. Their eyes were wide, their bodies taut. They felt it too this presence, this weight.
Ciaran finally stepped forward, silver fire snapping in his eyes, his voice a storm contained. "You come into my council. You speak of vows and shadows. Tell me, then. Why does her blood matter to you?"
The cloaked one's answer was steady. "Because it is not just hers."
The chamber went silent. Every Elder leaned closer.
Selene's smile froze, but her eyes blazed with fury.
And my heart stuttered, because for the first time, I felt the truth was near terrifying, unstoppable.
The cloaked one's gaze softened, just enough for me to feel it. "When the moon chose you, child, it was no mistake. You are not fragile. You are not half. You are the echo of something this council buried in ash."
Selene hissed, low and furious. "Enough."
But the shadows only deepened around him.
And I realized, trembling, that the council wasn't just here to judge me.
They were about to
witness something they had spent centuries trying to erase.