Two days later, Ren responded.
Maya brought him to the council chamber—hooded, guarded, flanked by six alliance soldiers. Not because we didn't trust him. Because—
*Because we weren't stupid.*
*This is him,* Maya said. *Ren. Former magical specialist for the Forgotten Army. Current—*
*Current fugitive,* Ren finished. His voice was raspy. Unused. *They'll kill me if they find me. So can we skip the threats and get to the—*
*To the point.*
*Why should we trust you?* Valerica asked. *You worked for them. You helped them. You—*
*I saw what they did,* Ren cut her off. *I saw the massacres. The blood harvesting. The rituals. And I—I couldn't. I wouldn't. So I left. I defected. I—*
*I escaped.*
*And why come to us?* Marius challenged. *Why now?*
*Because they're accelerating,* Ren said. *The plan. The timeline. Everything. The blood you stopped them from taking? It was supposed to be the final component. The last key. Without it, they're... desperate. They're going to hit harder. Faster. They're going to—*
*They're going to attack everything.*
*Everything?* I asked.
*Every bloodline. Every descendant of the first. Every pack with ancient ties.* Ren's eyes dropped. *They're not being selective anymore. They're harvesting everyone. Trying to gather enough blood to break the seals through sheer volume. To—*
*To force the issue.*
*How long?* Selene asked. *How long until they have enough?*
*Weeks,* Ren said. *Maybe a month. Two at the outside. They're stockpiling. Storing. Preparing for a ritual. A big one. One that will—*
*That will free him.*
*The Forgotten One,* I realized.
*Yes.* Ren looked at me. *You've been to the prison. You've seen him. You know what he is.*
*I do.*
*Then you know he can't be allowed to escape,* Ren said fiercely. *He's not like the triad. Not like the Inquisition leaders. He's... worse. Older. Angrier. He's been sealed for thousands of years. Dreaming of revenge. Planning. His hatred—it's not just political. It's personal. Against his sister. Against her line. Against—*
*Against you.*
*Against my children.*
*Yes.* Ren met my eyes. *He knows about the prophecy. He knows what they are. What they can do. And he wants them—dead or alive. Preferably dead. Their blood used to fuel his resurrection. Their bodies—*
*Don't.* I stopped him. *Just don't.*
*Sorry.* Ren looked away. *I'm telling you this so you understand. This isn't just about freeing a master. It's about ending a bloodline. About destroying a threat before it can—*
*Before it can destroy him.*
*He's afraid of us,* Darius realized. *Of the prophecy. Of—*
*Of what we can do.*
*Terrified,* Ren confirmed. *Lycaon's line. Maria's line. Three children born with the full heritage. The first in generations. He sees you as the only ones who can stop him. So he wants you gone. Before—*
*Before we grow up.*
*Before we become a real threat,* Felix finished.
*Exactly.*
*Where is their base?* I asked. *The main one. Where they're stockpiling the blood. Where they're planning the ritual.*
Ren hesitated.
*I'll tell you,* he said. *But I want something in return.*
*You're in no position to negotiate,* Helga pointed out.
*Maybe.* Ren straightened. *But I have information you need. And I'm taking a risk giving it to you. If they catch me—and they will catch me, eventually—they won't just kill me. They'll torture me. For days. Weeks. They'll make an example. So I want—*
*You want protection,* I realized.
*I want asylum,* Ren corrected. *For me and for—*
*For who?*
*My sister.* Ren's mental voice softened. *She's still with them. Not willingly. They're... they're using her. Her magic. She's a conduit. A battery. They're draining her to power their rituals. If I help you? If I give you the location? You have to save her. You have to—*
*You have to free her.*
*What's her name?* I asked.
*Elara.* Ren's eyes filled with tears. *She's twenty. Two years younger than me. She was just a child when I joined. When I thought their cause was righteous. Before I knew what they really were. Before—*
*Before it was too late.*
*We'll save her,* I promised. *If we can. If she's there. If—*
*If she's alive.*
*She's alive.* Ren's voice broke. *They wouldn't kill her. She's too valuable. Her magic is too strong. They need her for the ritual. They—*
*They're going to use her to free him.*
*Then we stop them,* I said firmly. *We save your sister. We destroy their stockpile. We—*
*We end this.*
Ren took a deep breath.
*The Iron Mountains,* he said. *Eastern range. There's a valley—hidden from sight. Warded. That's where they are. That's the base.*
*How many?* Kael asked.
*Warriors?* Ren did the math. *Five hundred core fighters. Elite. Trained. Enhanced. Plus another thousand support. Mages. Healers. Logistical staff. They're an army, Elena. A real one. Not a cult. Not fanatics. A—*
*A military force.*
*Defenses?* Valerica asked.
*Wards everywhere.* Ren looked at Rowan. *Magical ones. Anti-teleportation. Anti-scrying. Anti-everything. You can't magically infiltrate. You have to come in physically. Through the passes. Which are trapped. Heavily.*
*Can you disable the wards?* Rowan asked Ren.
*Some,* Ren said. *The outer ones. The inner ones are keyed to the cult leadership. To their blood. To—*
*To their master.*
*The Forgotten One,* I realized. *Even sealed, his power fuels the wards.*
*Yes.* Ren met my eyes. *That's why they need Elara. Why they need her magic. The ritual to free him requires an enormous power source. More than they have. More than the blood can provide. They need—*
*They need a conduit.*
*A living battery,* Rowan said grimly. *Someone to channel magical energy. To break the seals. To—*
*To free him.*
*We have to hurry,* I said. *Before they complete the ritual. Before they use her. Before—*
*Before it's too late.*
*They'll have guards on Elara,* Ren warned. *Elite guards. The best. She won't be easy to reach.*
*We'll reach her,* I said. *We'll free her. We'll—*
*We'll save her.*
*You promise?*
*I promise.* I looked at the council. *We mobilize tonight. Every available warrior. Every ally. We hit them with everything we have. We—*
*We end this.*
*Wait,* Felix spoke up. *I have an idea.*
All eyes turned to my son.
*The wards,* Felix said. *They're keyed to their blood. To their master. But what if—what if we had someone with his blood too? Someone who could—*
*Who could what?* Kael asked.
*Confuse the wards,* Felix said. *The Forgotten One is Lycaon's son. You're Lycaon's heir, Mama. You share blood. Distant, ancient, but—*
*But connected.*
*Ren said the inner wards are keyed to their master's blood,* Felix continued. *But you're the closest living relative. His niece's line. Direct descendant of his sister. Maybe—just maybe—your blood is close enough to—*
*To trick them.*
*To bypass them.*
*To get inside.*
Silence.
*He's right,* Selene realized. *It could work. The magic is old. Ancient. It might not distinguish between enemy blood and—*
*And family blood.*
*It's risky,* Rowan warned. *It could backfire. The wards could recognize you as an intruder and—*
*And kill me.*
*Yes.*
*But it's the only way,* Felix said quietly. *Otherwise we have to fight through every trapped pass. Every warded entrance. We'd lose warriors. We'd lose time. We might—*
*We might lose.*
*Or you could die trying,* Kael said fiercely. *Elena, no. It's too dangerous.*
*I don't have a choice,* I said. *They're going to use Elara. They're going to free him. They're going to—*
*They're going to kill our children.*
*I know.* Kael's mental voice broke. *I know. But I can't lose you. I can't—*
*You won't.* I went to him. Took his hands. *I'll be careful. I'll test the wards first. I won't just walk in blindly. And I'll have backup. You. The council. The alliance. I won't be—*
*I won't be alone.*
*You better not be.* Kael pulled me into a hug. *You better not be.*
*I won't.*
*Promise?*
*Promise.*
We mobilized that night.
Every available warrior. Every ally. A force of three thousand—Lycans, vampires, witches, shifters. The largest army the supernatural world had seen in centuries.
*We strike at dawn,* I announced to the assembled forces. *We hit them fast. We hit them hard. We free the prisoners. We destroy the stockpile. We—*
*We save Elara.*
*We save Elara.*
*We save Elara.*
I found my children before we left—standing with the army, ready to march. Ready to fight. Ready to—
*To be warriors.*
*You don't have to come,* I told them. *You could stay. Help defend the pack. Help—*
*Help hold the fort.*
*We're coming,* Felix said firmly. *We're part of this. Part of the prophecy. Part of—*
*Part of the solution.*
*I know.* I hugged them all. *Just... stay close. Stay together. Stay—*
*Stay safe.*
*We will.* Darius took my hand. *We promise.*
*Good.* I kissed each of their foreheads. *Then let's go end this.*
*Let's go.*
We marched through the night. Three thousand warriors, moving as one. Silent. Determined. Ready to—
*To fight.*
The Iron Mountains loomed ahead—dark, imposing, ancient. The home of our enemy. The place where—
*Where everything would end.*
One way or another.
*I'm scared,* Lucian admitted quietly.
*Me too,* I said. *But we're scared together.*
*Together.*
*Together.*
*Together.*
And as the first light of dawn touched the mountains—painting them gold, painting them red, painting them the color of blood—
*I made one more promise.*
To win.
To survive.
To—
*To come home.*
No matter what.