Chapter 2 The Weight of a Crown

Elaria's POV

This council room is getting to me. The stone walls feel like they're closing in, freezing me to the bone. At the end of the long table, the Elders are staring, and you can tell they're judging me silently. Dad's throne is empty – really hitting home that I'm on my own now and all the responsibility that goes with it.

Rowan's next to me, stiff. His shoulders are set like he's bracing for an attack. He's not saying anything, but I can feel how uneasy he is. The council's disapproval is obvious; you can almost touch how they look at him, full of doubts and stink eye.

Another village gone, Elder Varen says, his voice super sharp. He shoves a worn map across the table. Thirty people dead. No one got out. Zero witnesses.

My stomach drops. That's three attacks in less than two weeks. Three villages wiped out, their people taken in the night. And we're still clueless.

What about the patrols? I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. I can't show I'm scared, not here, not with them watching.

They didn't find anything, Elder Soren answers. No scents. No footprints. Whatever did this is like a ghost.

I get a bad feeling. Our warriors are top-notch hunters. No enemy should be able to sneak past them without being seen. Unless...

Unless it's more than just some random animal.

Rowan moves a little beside me. We might be facing something we don't understand.

The room is full of murmurs. The council doesn't like guessing, especially not from Rowan. They put up with him because he's with me, and even that's risky because of tradition. The elites are watching closely and want to find any reason to overthrow me.

Elder Varen leans forward, his hands clasped together. We have to do something, Alpha. People are scared. If we don't get a handle on this, everyone will panic.

'Get a handle on this' is just their way of saying we should lie to the kingdom to keep them calm. I clench my jaw.

I don't have enough information to do anything, I say. I'm not going to make dumb choices that could get more people killed. Not until I know what is really going on.

Someone scoffs. Not deciding is just as bad as doing nothing, Queen.

A direct challenge. Right in my face. The room gets quiet.

Rowan's hand barely touches mine – but it's enough to keep me grounded. Enough to remember I'm not doing this alone.

I look straight at Varen, putting all the authority I can into my voice. Then maybe you should go check things out yourself, Elder, and see what we're up against.

Silence.

I stand up, and the sound of it echoes in the room. This meeting is done.

The Elders are unsure, but then they stand, talking quietly as they leave. Varen hangs back way too long before walking off.

When they're all gone, I let out a breath. Rowan watches.

You handled that okay.

I give him a look. You mean I didn't lose it and attack Varen in front of everyone else?

He almost smiles. Yeah, something like that.

I can finally breathe for the first time since I walked in here. But it doesn't last long.

Because outside these walls, something's in the dark, waiting.

And whatever it is, it's got its sights set on Nyxvale.

The silence felt like something heavy pressing down on me. I breathed slowly, carefully, stepping forward. The ground felt cold and damp under my feet. The lake was reflecting the moonlight, but it was too still, too perfect. The whisper I heard earlier had been real. I knew I wasn't making things up.

"Who's out there?" I said. My voice hardly reached across the water.

The air got thicker, like it was full of this weird energy that made my skin crawl. My wolf was going crazy inside, and it was warning me. I knew I wasn't by myself.

Then, the whispers came back.

Rowan.

It made me shiver. The voice was everywhere, but I couldn't place it. It was in my ears like the wind. I turned, checking the trees, my heart pounding. This was a dumb idea. I knew it. No one comes to this spot. It's supposed to be cursed.

But something pulled me here.

Carefully, I kneeled by the lake, putting my fingers in the water. A rush of cold shot up my arm and it was way too strong just because the water was cold. I caught my breath as the lake rippled from my touch, with a strange light coming from the water.

The whispers got louder.

And then I saw something.

There was a shadow in the water below.

I jumped back, tripping on the shore. My heart was going too fast. But when the water calmed down, the image became clear. It was a reflection, but it wasn't me. My pulse was beating crazy loud as I stared at the face of someone I didn't know.

It was a woman.

Her eyes were empty, like black holes that swallowed the light. Her lips were pulled back in a weird way like she was trying to smile evilly, and I swear when I blinked she moved her mouth, but I didn't hear anything.

Then, the water went still all of a sudden.

I got back on my feet, trying to catch my breath. I had to go. Whatever was in that lake, whatever made me come here, it wasn't something I could understand... not yet.

A rustling in the trees made me jump. I turned fast, every muscle tense. Something... someone was watching.

I wasn't alone anymore.

And then, past the trees, I saw shadow moving.

The puddle rippled, as I got back, my breath sharp. The reflection was gone, but I could still feel its presence. I wanted to run, but my body was paralyzed.

The trees shifted. I saw a shade move between them. Silent. And I was being watched.

I took a deep breath. "Who's out there?"

Silence. Just the wind, but it wasn't moving the leaves like it should. It was just the trees making noise.

My wolf was restless. I wasn't by myself anymore.

A branch cracked behind me. I quickly turned around. Darkness pounced on me.

And then... Everything went to black.