Training together was... an experience.
Lycans fought as a pack—coordinated, instinctual, moving as one unit. Vampires fought alone—stealthy, predatory, striking from shadows. Witches fought with magic from a distance, supporting, enhancing, cursing.
Put them all together and...
*Chaos.*
*This isn't working,* I said, watching yet another practice spar devolve into confusion. Lycan warriors were crashing into vampire assassins. Witch spells were hitting the wrong targets. No one knew who was doing what. *We need a different approach.*
*What kind of approach?* Kael asked, shaking his head at the disaster on the field.
*Specialized teams,* I decided. *Mixed units. Each with a specific role.*
*Explain,* Valerica requested, gliding over to join us. She didn't walk—she glided. Vampires didn't move like normal beings. Too smooth. Too fluid. Too—
*Predatory,* I finished my own thought. *Okay. Here's what I'm thinking:*
*Team One: Front line offense. Lycan warriors in human form, augmented by vampire strength, supported by witch enhancement spells. They take the brunt of the attack.*
*Team Two: Flankers. Vampire assassins in shadow form, moving unseen to strike from behind. Lycan scouts to track their movements.*
*Team Three: Support.* Rowan spoke up. *Witches primarily. Healing, shielding, cursing enemies from a distance. Plus Lycan healers for physical injuries.*
*Team Four: Special Ops.* I looked at Kael, Marius, Valerica, and myself. *The leaders. The heavy hitters. The ones who can turn the tide of battle.*
*And the children?* Kael asked quietly.
*Stay back,* I said firmly. *Guard the base. Protect the non-combatants. If things go wrong—if the enemy breaches our lines—they're the last line of defense.*
*They're four,* Kael protested.
*Darius can sense enemies before they arrive,* I reminded him. *Felix can shift. Lucian has combat training from Blackwood. They're not helpless.*
*They're also children,* Kael said sharply.
*I know.* I squeezed his arm. *But we can't protect them by lying to them. By pretending they're not part of this. They need to know what's at stake. What they're fighting for. What—*
*What they might die for.*
*Everything.*
*Everything.*
We implemented the new system the next day.
It worked better.
Not perfectly—there were still communication issues, still confusion, still moments where Lycan instincts clashed with vampire tactics—but it was an improvement.
*Better,* Valerica observed, watching Team One practice their coordinated assault. *Not good, but better.*
*It takes time,* I said. *We're learning to fight together. To trust each other. To—*
*To not tear each other's throats out,* Marius finished, his dark humor evident. *Progress, however small.*
*Progress.*
Two weeks of training passed.
Two weeks of bruises, exhaustion, frustration, and slow, incremental improvement.
Then—
*We have a lead,* Rowan announced one evening, bursting into the war room where we'd been planning strategy. *A scout—one of my witches—found something.*
*What kind of something?* I demanded.
*A fortress.* Rowan unrolled a map. *Deep in the mountains. Borderlands between human territory and the wild lands. Warded heavily. Protected by both magic and technology.*
*The Inquisition's headquarters?* Kael asked.
*One of them,* Rowan corrected. *They have cells. Chapters. Strongholds. This... this feels important. Like a command center.*
*How certain?*
*Seventy percent,* Rowan said. *My scout sensed high-level magical activity. Communion spells. Scrying pools. Things you'd only find at a strategic location.*
*Then we hit it,* Valerica decided. *Before they can move. Before they can prepare.*
*We need reconnaissance first,* I argued. *Information. Numbers. Defenses. We can't just charge in blind—*
*That's what special ops are for,* Marius said with a predatory smile. *Send a small team. Stealthy. Fast. In and out before anyone knows they're there.*
*Who goes?* Kael asked.
*Me,* I said immediately.
*No,* Kael said firmly. *Too risky. You're the Lycan Queen. The heart of this alliance. If you get captured or killed—*
*Then the alliance falls apart,* I finished. *I know. But I'm also the only one who can sense the Lycan network. Who can feel their presence. Who can—*
*Who can be bait,* Marius cut in. *Which is useful, if that's the plan.*
*I'm not bait,* I snapped.
*No.* Marius's smile widened. *You're the Queen. Bait is beneath you. But you are a... distraction.*
*I don't like where this is going.*
*Here's what we do,* I said, cutting off the argument. *Small team. Me, Kael, Marius, Valerica, Rowan. Five of us. We go in. We assess. We get out. If it's the headquarters, we call in the main force. If it's not—*
*We keep looking,* Valerica finished. *Simple.*
*Simple,* I agreed. *Dangerous. But simple.*
*When do we leave?* Kael asked, already resigned to coming along.
*Tonight.* I looked at the map, at the distant mountains where the fortress was located. *Under cover of darkness. When their guards are lowest. When—*
*When we can actually see,* Marius pointed out. *Vampires see better at night. It's an advantage.*
*Then tonight.*
*Tonight.*
***
The fortress was... wrong.
That was my first thought as we approached under cover of darkness.
Wrong architecture. Wrong proportions. Wrong... everything.
*It's too perfect,* I sent to the others. *Too symmetrical. Too—*
*Human,* Valerica finished. *Built by human hands. Enhanced by magic. But human at its core.*
*How many guards?* Kael asked.
*Too many,* Rowan assessed. *At least a hundred. Maybe more. And those are just the ones we can see. The ones we can sense.*
*Can we get in?* Marius asked.
*There are ventilation shafts,* I observed, accessing the Lycan network. *Underground tunnels. Sewer systems. We could—*
*We're not crawling through sewers,* Marius said disgusted. *We're kings and queens. We have standards.*
*We have stealth,* I corrected him. *And if you want to be stealthy, you take the unconventional route.*
*She's right,* Kael said resigned. *The front door is suicide. We need to find another way in.*
*Sewer it is.*
*Sewer it was.*
The tunnels were... unpleasant. Dark. Damp. Smelled of things I didn't want to identify.
*Remind me,* Marius grumbled as we waded through ankle-deep water, *why I agreed to this alliance.*
*Because the Inquisition killed your sire,* Valerica said calmly. *Or have you forgotten?*
*I haven't forgotten.* Marius sloshed forward. *I just didn't expect the revenge mission to involve... sewage.*
*Character building,* I suggested.
*My character is quite built enough, thank you.*
*You're all children,* Rowan muttered. *Witches have been infiltrating places via sewers for centuries. It's tradition at this point.*
*Great,* Kael sighed. *Tradition.*
*Tradition.*
We emerged inside the fortress—into what looked like a storage area. Crates. Barrels. Supplies.
*Clear,* Kael reported, shifting his senses. *No guards nearby.*
*Good.* I accessed the network. *The main command center is... up three floors. Large room. Lots of people. Lots of—*
*Lots of magical activity,* Rowan confirmed. *This is definitely a command center. Maybe even the main headquarters.*
*Then we found it,* Valerica said grimly. *The question is: now what?*
*We gather information,* I decided. *Numbers. Defenses. Leadership. Then we get out and call in the strike force.*
*Divide and conquer?* Marius suggested. *Cover more ground?*
*No.* I shook my head. *Too risky. We stay together. We move fast. We get what we need and we leave.*
*Lead the way, Queen.*
*Don't call me that.*
We moved through the fortress like ghosts—Lycan stealth, vampire shadow-walking, witch illusion spells combining to make us almost undetectable.
Almost.
*Guards ahead,* Kael warned. *Four of them. Armed. Armored.*
*I'll distract,* Rowan whispered. *Illusion spell. Make them see something that isn't there.*
*Do it.*
She cast the spell—subtle, delicate, barely a ripple in the air. The guards stiffened, looking toward an empty corridor, drawing their weapons.
*What is it?* one whispered.
*Thought I saw something...*
*Probably nothing.*
*But—*
*Keep moving.*
They moved away, following the illusion.
*Impressive,* Marius acknowledged. *Clean.*
*That's what I do.*
We continued upward, reaching the third floor just as—
*Darius?* I sent urgently. *Darius, can you hear me?*
*Mama?* His mental voice was fuzzy, distant. *I... I was sleeping. What's wrong?*
*Nothing's wrong.* I reassured him. *Just checking in. Making sure everything's okay at home.*
*It's okay. Felix is sleeping. Lucian is practicing. Astrid and Selene are—*
*They're what?*
*They're talking.* Darius's mental voice dropped. *About the Inquisition. About something Selene remembered. Something important.*
*What did she remember?*
*Don't know yet.* Darius yawned. *They went into the archives. Said they needed to check something. But Mama?*
*Yes, sweetie?*
*Be careful.* His mental voice was serious. *I have a bad feeling. About tonight. About—*
*About what?*
*About everything.* Darius hesitated. *Just... come home soon. Okay?*
*I will.* I promised him. *I'll be home before you know it.*
*Okay. Love you, Mama.*
*Love you too, sweetie.*
I broke the connection, focusing back on the mission.
*Everything okay?* Kael asked quietly.
*Fine.* I lied. *Let's keep moving.*
*We reached the command center doors—massive, enchanted, warded six ways from Sunday.
*These will be tricky,* Rowan murmured. *Multiple layers of magical protection. Alarms. Traps. If we trigger one—*
*Then the whole fortress knows we're here,* Marius finished. *Which would be... suboptimal.*
*Can you disable them?* I asked.
*Give me a minute.* Rowan closed her eyes, concentrating, and I felt her power reaching out—delicate, precise, dismantling the wards layer by layer. *This is... complex work. Someone very skilled put these protections in place.*
*The Inquisition has resources,* Valerica observed.
*They do.* Rowan's brow furrowed. *Almost... done. And... there.*
The last ward dissolved.
*We're in.*
*Quietly,* I reminded them. *No noise. No traces. We get the information and we leave.*
*We get it.*
The command center was... anticlimactic.
desks. Maps. Communications equipment. And—
*And people,* Kael counted. *Twelve. High-ranking, from the uniforms. Inquisitors. Cardinals. Maybe—*
*Maybe the leadership,* I finished. *But not the top leadership. Not whoever's really in charge.*
*How do you know?* Marius asked.
*No throne,* I said simply. *No central seat of power. This is a war room, not a throne room. The real leader is somewhere else.*
*But these are important,* Valerica observed. *Look at the maps. The troop deployments. The attack plans. This is—*
*This is the operational headquarters,* Kael realized. *For the entire region. Maybe more.*
*We need this information,* I decided. *Rowan?*
*On it.* Rowan withdrew a small pouch—herbs, crystals, other magical tools. *Memory spell. I can copy their recent memories. Their plans. Their—*
*Their secrets.*
*Exactly.*
She cast the spell—a subtle, invisible wave of magic that rippled out across the room. The Inquisition members didn't even notice. Just continued their discussion, their planning, their—
*Now,* Rowan said quietly. *We need to leave. Before they notice the spell. Before—*
*Before what?*
A new voice spoke from behind us.
*Before I catch you spying.*
We turned.
Standing in the doorway—a figure in black armor, face covered, radiating power that made my skin crawl.
*And who are you?* I demanded, shifting.
*You can call me the Grand Inquisitor,* the figure said. *Though that's not really my title. Just the one I use for public appearances.*
*And your real title?*
*That would be telling.* The Grand Inquisitor raised a hand—and the room erupted into chaos.
The twelve Inquisition members drew weapons. Alarms blared. Guards poured in from every corridor.
*We've been played,* Marius snarled. *This was a trap.*
*No,* I realized, accessing the network, feeling the truth. *This isn't a trap. This is—*
*An opportunity,* the Grand Inquisitor finished. *To capture the Lycan Queen. To dissect her powers. To understand how she does what she does. To—*
*To experiment on my children,* I snarled, losing control. *Like Blackwood tried. Like you've done to countless others.*
*We learn from our mistakes.* The Grand Inquisitor tilted their head. *Blackwood was clumsy. Brutal. We... we are not.*
*You're worse,* I spat. *You're organized. Systematic. You're—*
*Efficient.*
*Fight now,* Kael cut in. *Philosophize later.*
*Right.*
I lunged.
And the battle began.