Chapter 4 A Blood Debt

Eldoria smelled like moonlight and old magic.

Elara followed Kael in silence as they entered the grand hall of the Moonstone palace. She could feel eyes on her. Not the kind of fleeting glances she'd grown used to back in the mortal world, but the kind that stripped her bare, digging for something hidden beneath her skin.

Guards in obsidian armour flanked either side of the arched entryway. Their eyes followed her, but did not question Kael's presence. That alone made her nervous.

"Where are we?" she asked quietly.

Kael didn't slow. "This was your parents' ancestral home. Moonstone Keep. Built from enchanted volcanic stone. Every inch of it holds memory."

Elara's steps faltered. "My parents... lived here?"

He nodded. "Ruled here. Until the council turned on them."

A chill sank into her bones. "They were royalty?"

Kael finally stopped. The corridor opened into a massive atrium with a domed ceiling made of woven starlight. At its centre stood a statue-two figures, carved from pale stone. A man with wild eyes and a crown of antlers. A woman with long hair and a crescent mark on her forehead.

Elara walked forward slowly. Something inside her recognised them.

"My mother..." she whispered.

Kael joined her side. "Her name was Seris. Your father was Alric. She was a queen of the old blood. He was a warrior and scholar. Their union was forbidden."

Elara turned to him. "Why?"

"Because your mother carried more than Lycan blood. She was descended from the Moonshade line. A rare and powerful lineage feared by many."

Elara touched the statue's hand. "They killed them, didn't they?"

Kael's silence was answer enough.

"Why?" she asked, voice shaking. "Why would they betray their own rulers?"

"Because your parents defied the Elders. Refused to bend to the old ways. They wanted change-unity with vampires, sorcerers, even humans. The council saw it as heresy."

Elara clenched her fists. "And me? What happened to me?"

"You were hidden," Kael said. "Your mother placed a blood ward over you and gave you to me before the final siege. She told me you were the only hope for their legacy. That one day, you would return stronger than them all."

Elara's breath hitched. "I don't remember any of it."

"You were only six," he said gently. "The magic made you forget."

A long pause followed.

Then Kael pulled something from his coat. A ring. Silver, engraved with crescent lines. He held it out to her.

"Your mother's," he said. "It's bonded to your bloodline. Take it."

Elara hesitated, then slipped it onto her finger.

Heat pulsed through her. The mark on her shoulder glowed faintly in response. For the first time, her heartbeat felt steady. Whole.

Kael met her eyes. "The council will try to test you. Intimidate you. But you must remember one thing."

"What?"

He bowed his head slightly.

"You carry a blood debt that no crown can erase. They took everything from you. And one day, you will return the favour."