Chapter 4 Blood and Secrets

"Let my sister go," Lyra whispered, the blade still cold against her throat. King Kael lowered the ritual knife but kept it pointed at her heart. "Your sister isn't here, sorceress-daughter. But she soon will be." "I don't understand," Lyra said, trying to keep her voice steady. "What do you want with us?" "The truth." Kael set the knife down on the anvil. "For centuries, my ancestors have performed the Blood Moon ritual, thinking it kept our pack strong. But the curse grows worse with each sacrifice." Lyra took a small step back. "And you think we can help?" "I know you can.

The daughter of Ariella Voss, the last true witch of the Ironwood." Kael's amber eyes gleamed in the blue forge light. "Her blood runs in your veins." The name hit Lyra like a punch. "How do you know my mother's name?" "Because she created the curse that binds me." Before Lyra could answer, a horn blasted through the fortress. Kael's head snapped up. "Intruders," he growled. He grabbed her arm. "This conversation isn't over." He dragged her up the winding stairs, through hallways now filled with running guards. When they reached the main hall, chaos reigned. "Report!" Kael barked at General Vyrn. "Rebels, my king. They've broken the east wall." "How many?" "At least thirty," Vyrn answered. "Led by a man with a serpent tattoo." Lyra's blood ran cold. Garrick. The most ruthless rebel boss. He'd once tried to recruit her, offering to help find Mara in exchange for her skills with metal. "Secure the prisoner," Kael ordered, pushing Lyra toward a guard. "If she escapes, your life is forfeit." As the guard pulled her away, blasts rocked the eastern wall. Fire and smoke billowed into the night sky. Wolves howled as they ran toward the attack. The guard shoved Lyra into a small storage room near the cooks. "Don't move, witch," he growled, locking the door. Alone, Lyra pressed her ear to the door, listening to the chaos outside. Fighting. Screams. The clash of metal. Then footsteps approaching her door. She backed away, looking for a weapon. The lock clicked. The door swung open. But instead of a wolf guard, a young man with freckles and a chipped front tooth stood there. "Lyra Voss?" he whispered. She nodded warily. "I'm Thorne. I'm with the rebels." He held out a bag. "Garrick sent me to find you while they distract the wolves." Lyra grabbed the bag. Inside lay her old clothes and a small knife. "Where's my sister? Is Mara with you?" Thorne shook his head. "She's safe at our camp. Come on, we need to hurry." She changed quickly, slicing through her bonds with relief. As she followed Thorne through the kitchens and toward a maids' exit, doubt crept in. Why would Garrick risk so many lives just to help her? They slipped into the darkness of the outer wall. Rebels and wolves fought throughout the courtyard, but Thorne led her away from the main fight. "This way," he whispered, pointing to a narrow gap in the stones. That's when she spotted the serpent tattoo peeking from his collar. Just like Garrick's. Understanding dawned too late. "You're taking me to him, not to Mara," she charged. Thorne's face hardened. "Garrick needs your skills. Your sister is... insurance." Anger flared in Lyra's chest. "You're using her as bait!" "Quiet!" Thorne hissed. "The revolt needs you both. Your blood is the key to beating the wolves forever." A growl rumbled from the dark. King Kael stepped into view, his eyes sparkling, face half-transformed into wolf. "I couldn't agree more." Thorne drew his sword with shaky hands. "Stay back, monster!" Kael moved like lightning. One moment he stood ten feet away, the next his claws slashed through Thorne's chest. The young rebel fell without a sound. Lyra backed against the wall as Kael turned to her, blood dripping from his claws. "Now I understand," he said, his voice rougher in half-wolf form. "The rebels want your blood as much as I do." "I'm not going back to that cell," Lyra warned, holding her small knife. To her surprise, Kael laughed. "You were never my prisoner, Lyra Voss. You're my guest." His face changed back to human, though his eyes still burned gold. "And right now, you need my protection more than you know." Before she could argue, an explosion bigger than the others rocked the fortress. Part of the eastern tower fell in flames. "My pack is dying because of a curse your mother created," Kael said urgently. "Help me end it, and I'll help you find your sister." "Why should I trust you?" Lyra wanted. "Because unlike Garrick, I don't need to lie to you." Kael held out his hand. "The magical dagger you repaired? It wasn't meant for a sacrifice. It was made to break the curse." Shouts echoed from nearby. Rebel fighters were coming. "Choose quickly," Kael pushed. "Garrick wants your blood for power. I want your help for freedom." Lyra paused, then took his hand. "If you're lying about Mara-" "You'll what? Kill me?" His fingers closed around hers. "Get in line." Kael led her not back to the dungeons but to his private rooms high in the western tower. The room was surprisingly simple-a big bed, weapons rack, desk covered in maps, and shelves lined with ancient books. "No one will look for you here," he said, locking the door. "Especially not dressed as a woman again." Lyra smoothed her old tunic, glad to be free of her disguise. "Tell me about my mother." Kael moved to a closet and poured two glasses of wine. "Ariella Voss was a doctor in my father's time. She lived in your village before it became a mine camp." He gave her a glass. "When my father grew sick, he ordered she cure him. She couldn't-or wouldn't." "So he punished her?" Lyra asked angrily. "No. She punished him." Kael's face darkened. "She cursed our family. Each king must make the ritual sacrifice during the Blood Moon, or our pack descends into madness." He stared into his drink. "My father thought she was working alone. But I've heard she had an apprentice-someone who helped create the curse." "Who?" "Garrick's mother." Lyra nearly dropped her glass. "That's impossible. Garrick hates wolves more than anyone." "With good reason. My father killed his family when he found their involvement." Kael set down his wine unchanged. "Garrick doesn't want to end the curse, Lyra. He wants to control it. Use it against us." Her head spun with discoveries. "And what do you want?" "To break it completely." Kael's eyes met hers. "No more sacrifices. No more bloodshed." "Why should I believe you?" Lyra challenged. "You're the Wolf King. The tyrant who enslaved my people." Kael moved closer, his eyes intense. "Look at me, daughter of Ariella. What do you see?" For the first time, Lyra truly looked at him-beyond the crown, beyond the tales. His eyes held tiredness. Pain. The weight of years spent fighting a curse not of his making. "I see a prisoner," she whispered. Something changed in his expression-surprise, perhaps even hope. "Then help me break these chains." A knock stopped them. "My king?" General Vyrn called through the door. "The rebels flee. We've caught their leader." Kael's eyes widened. "Garrick?" "No, sire. A woman. She bears the mark of the snake, like Garrick. And she's asking for Lyra Voss." Lyra's heart stopped. "Mara." Kael opened the door. General Vyrn stood there, his armor bloodied from fight. Behind him, two guards held a struggling woman with shorn hair and stubborn gray eyes-eyes exactly like Lyra's. "Sister," Mara spat, seeing Lyra beside the Wolf King. "I see you've made new friends." Lyra ran forward. "Mara! Are you hurt?" The guards blocked her way. "Take her to the healing chambers," Kael ordered. "Treat her wounds." "Don't trust him, Lyra!" Mara shouted as the guards dragged her away. "Garrick told me everything! The king needs our blood for the rite!" General Vyrn's hand moved to his sword. "Sire, if she's connected to the rebels-" "Leave us," Kael ordered. When they were alone again, Lyra faced him with new mistrust. "Was my sister telling the truth?" Kael's jaw clenched. "Garrick has poisoned her against me." "That's not an answer." "The ritual requires blood from Ariella's bloodline," he admitted. "But not as a sacrifice. As the key." Lyra backed away. "You said you wanted to break the curse!" "I do." Kael's eyes flashed with anger. "But breaking magic requires the same elements that created it." Outside, wolves howled as moonlight streamed through the window. The Blood Moon was nearing its full strength. "The curse binds us all, Lyra-wolves and humans alike," Kael said softly. "Help me end it. Trust me." "Trust you?" Lyra laughed bitterly. "You've lied since we met." "Not about everything." Kael stepped closer. "Not about this." Before she could respond, he took her hand and placed it over his heart. Beneath her palm, his heartbeat raced-strong, rapid, afraid. "I can't do this alone," he whispered. Something strange flickered in his amber eyes-something that made Lyra's own heart beat faster. Not just fear. Not just anger. "Three days," she said finally. "I'll help you for three days. If my sister isn't freed by then, or if I find you've lied again..." She left the threat unsaid. Kael nodded seriously. "Three days." "And I want to see her. Now." "Of course." As he led her from the room, Lyra felt an unexpected warmth where their hands had touched. The Wolf King was her enemy. The ruler who enslaved her people. So why did part of her want to believe him? In the shadows behind them, unseen by either, General Vyrn watched with narrowing eyes. In his hand, he clutched a message bearing Garrick's seal: "Kill the sisters before the ritual. The true power goes to those who spill the sorceress's blood, not those who share it."