Lily
I stood with Imo and Eva, our heads close together as we peered into the shimmering mirror I had conjured on the cabin wall. The silver surface rippled like water, then cleared, and before our eyes Ita, Nakoa, and the two other diviners approached the massive iron gates of Marlick's palace.
The guards straightened at their arrival. Spears tapped against the marble floor as orders were barked, and the gate creaked open to admit them. My heart drummed fast as the four figures stepped through, cloaked in the morning haze, their sandals brushing against polished stone.
Even though no one around them knew it, Ita's presence shifted the air. I could feel it through the mirror, an invisible sweep of her hand, subtle murmurs in the language of her kind. With each step she took, the heavy energies clouding the palace thinned, swept aside like cobwebs no mortal eye could see. Those near her only felt the faint relief of breathing easier, never guessing why.
They were led across the vast courtyard, the walls soaring high with banners of Marlick's wolf crest flapping above. The murmurs of servants died as the strangers passed. Finally, they entered the Alpha King's chamber, the scent of herbs and faint decay heavy in the air.
Beta Douglas was already there, sharp-eyed as ever, suspicion written into the hard lines of his jaw. He leaned forward slightly as the emissaries bowed in brief greeting.
"Who are you?" Douglas demanded, his voice edged like steel.
The boldest among them, Nakoa, straightened and clasped his staff before him. His voice carried a steady calm.
"My name is Nakoa Anka, a diviner from Utica," he said. "And these…" he gestured to the two men beside him, then to Ita, who kept her gaze lowered…"are my associates. Last night while I worshipped my gods, I was given a vision. I was told to come to Marlick, for the Alpha King lies under a severe curse… one that has plagued his ancestors, and now has rooted itself deep in him."
Douglas narrowed his eyes, studying him as though trying to pierce through the man's skin into his soul. "Your gods speak so freely of our affairs?" he asked with biting skepticism. "And who is this god you claim to serve?"
Nakoa lifted his chin. His staff glowed faintly at the top as he declared, "I serve Oru, the All-Seeing One. His eyes pierces the past, present, and future. No deceit hides from him."
The chamber grew still. Even Douglas seemed to feel the weight of that name, for Oru was whispered among many as a god of hidden truths, though few dared claim to serve him.
"You expect me to believe you had a vision, and that you've come to cure what none in this land has been able to?" Douglas pressed, suspicion wrestling with the faint flicker of hope in his eyes.
Nakoa met his gaze unflinchingly. "I expect nothing. But Oru sent me, and if I disobey, the curse festers. If I obey, your King may rise."
As he spoke, Ita silently pressed her fingers against her shawl, her lips moving in whispers no ear caught. Threads of dull, suffocating energy hanging in the chamber peeled back like smoke. Douglas' furrowed brow softened, and the tension in his shoulders eased without him realizing it. A subtle shift filled the room—the sense of a window opened in a stifled space.
Douglas exhaled slowly. "If what you say is true… then perhaps the King's fate will speak for itself." He nodded curtly, his suspicion not gone but tempered. "Follow me."
Through the mirror, I watched as he turned and led them deeper, toward the veiled bed where the Alpha King lay unconscious. The air around them seemed clearer now, though only Ita and I knew why.
From the mirror's shifting haze, Elis's chamber came into view. My heart clenched the moment I saw him, lying beneath the veil, his frame still and silent, as though the breath of life had abandoned him. That bed… that room… too many memories lived there. Memories of laughter, of stolen moments, of warmth I had naively believed would last forever. Now, seeing him so helpless, I felt as though someone had reached into my chest and twisted my heart raw.
I pressed my hand against my lips, trying to steady myself, but the ache only deepened.
Movement drew my eyes. Eunice stepped forward from the shadows of the room, her composure as sharp as always. She approached Douglas, who stood by the chamber door, guarded and unreadable.
She studied the strangers carefully, her eyes narrowing before she turned to Douglas.
"Who are these people?" she asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.
Douglas straightened, his tone respectful but steady. "This is Nakoa," he said, gesturing toward the tall figure at the front, "and with him are three diviners. They have come to offer help." He repeated to Eunice what Nakoa had already told him in the court, making sure the weight of his words carried across the chamber.
"There's nothing to lose by allowing them to try," Eunice's voice rang steady, though I caught the tremor beneath it. "We've brought healers from outside Marlick, one after another. None succeeded. Why not let the emissaries do what they came for? At least… give Elis that chance."
Her words made the chamber grow quieter. Through the mirror's surface, I caught sight of Nakoa, the two diviners, and Ita, waiting silently. Their presence was heavy, like storm clouds pressing against the room, yet it was not hostility I felt from them. It was patience… expectation.
Douglas shifted, his jaw tight. For a long moment, he said nothing. The air around him seemed to bristle with the weight of his decision. Finally, he cleared his throat. His voice carried like stone breaking silence.
"Alright. Go ahead… and heal the Alpha King."
My breath caught. The words fell heavy into me, a single thread of hope strung against the vastness of my fear.
"Oh no! Not here!" Nakoa suddenly said, his voice sharp with urgency. "Our gods demand we bring him to the Grove."
Douglas's eyes narrowed instantly, suspicion written all over his face. "Grove?" he echoed, his tone almost biting. "Where the hell is that?" Eunice leaned forward, her eyes wide, curious, but silent.
Nakoa straightened his shoulders, speaking with the kind of conviction that made the air heavier. "It is a sacred place—free from negative energy. A sanctuary where no foul presence can linger, and where healing can take root."
I felt my pulse quicken. The Grove? Even I had never even heard of such a place. And yet… the way his words vibrated through the air, it was as though truth itself rode on his tongue.
Douglas's hand curled into a fist. "You will either heal him here," he snapped, voice thick with authority, "or you walk away. The Alpha King is not moving an inch." His gaze flicked to Eunice, sharp and unyielding, and I caught the slight nod she gave him. They were in lockstep, protective, suspicious.
But Nakoa didn't flinch. He lifted his chin, eyes burning with defiance. "This palace, this entire kingdom of Marlick, is drenched in Zal's shadow. Can you not feel it? The air is poisoned, the stones are weary. That is why every healer you've called has failed. That is why your king lies dying still."
At the mention of Zal's name, Douglas stiffened. Eunice's breath hitched; I saw the faint tremor in her hand. My stomach twisted painfully. Zal… always Zal. His reach is deeper than even I feared.
Douglas turned away, lowering his head close to Eunice's. They whispered in urgent tones, their voices too low to catch, but their eyes told me enough; they were ridden with fear, doubt, and the aching weight of a decision no one wanted to make.
"If you do not trust us," Nakoa pressed on, his voice softer now, almost coaxing, "then come with us. You, and two of your most trusted warriors. See with your own eyes that we mean no harm."
The chamber fell into a heavy silence. I held my breath, every muscle in my body tense. Douglas stood there, his jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed into slits as he studied Nakoa. Trust was not a gift he gave lightly. And yet, something in Nakoa's stance, in the steadiness of his voice, gnawed against that wall of suspicion.
"I couldn't stop my racing heart. If Douglas refused them now, everything we had worked toward would shatter before it even began."