Chapter 244

Ava

The morning air was crisp as I made my way to the market, my basket swinging lightly at my side. The streets of Moonstone were quieter than usual, the pack still somber in the wake of Leonard’s ‘death.’

I expected the market to be a bit more lively. But as I approached the market stalls, it was much the same; the scent of fresh produce and baked goods filled the air and the vendors called out their wares, but their voices lacked their usual enthusiasm, and the market goers only murmured softly amongst themselves. There was no sign of the usual street musicians playing for tips, and some shops were still closed, unable to bring themselves to sell during such a trying time.

Among the crowd, however, I spotted a familiar figure—Elder Elise. I felt my back tighten at the sigh of her silver hair gleaming in the morning light, her robes rustling as she examined a basket of apples.

Now was my chance. I needed information, even just a moment alone to get a better look at her.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and approached her.

“Good morning, Elder Elise,” I said, bowing my head respectfully as I stopped in front of her.

She turned, her eyes narrowing slightly as she saw me. “Oh. Ava,” she replied just as curtly as usual. “Good morning.”

I browsed the produce next to her, selecting a few apples. The skin was smooth and cool under my fingers, but it did nothing to make me feel less hot and flushed.

“How are you holding up?” I asked, glancing at her. “With everything that’s happened... Leonard’s passing…”

Elise’s shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly. “It was a great loss for our pack,” she said in a low tone of voice. “Leonard was a good Beta. But life goes on, as it must.”

“That’s true.”

She turned to face me fully then, her eyes scrutinizing as they scanned my expression. It was all I could do to keep my face neutral; Goddess, why did I agree to be the one to handle Elise? Normally I had little problem putting on an act for the sake of politics, but around her, knowing how much she despised and judged me… It almost felt impossible.

“And you?” she asked, cocking her head. “How are you faring? I must say, you don’t seem all that…” Her eyes swept over me from head to toe. “...Affected.”

Despite the tension in my gut, I met her gaze steadily, dipping my head slightly to appear morose. “Everyone grieves differently, Elise. Not a moment goes by that I don’t wish things were different.”

Something flashed in Elise’s eyes then—was it doubt? Suspicion?—but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared, too soon for me to read it fully. Ultimately, she said nothing, merely pursing her lips and turning back to her shopping.

I watched her carefully out of the corner of my eye, looking for any hint of deception, of calculation, of… anything. But there was nothing; to an untrained eye, she was just an Elder perusing the produce. And my eye was, well… Pretty untrained, that was for sure.

Finally, as Elise was preparing to leave, I grew a bit desperate. “May I walk you home, Elder?” I blurted out. “I was hoping to enjoy the sunshine.”

Elise stopped in her tracks and turned, eyeing me up and down once again. For a moment, I thought she might refuse, but then she sighed. “Very well. Let’s go, but do try to keep up. I haven’t got all day.”

I bit back a retort and quickly paid the vendor before following her from the market.

We walked side by side, our baskets filled with fresh produce. The silence was uncomfortable, broken only by the sound of our footsteps on the cobblestone streets. Inhaling sharply, I decided to broach a topic that I knew would get a reaction.

“The war seems to be progressing with few casualties so far,” I said.

As expected, Elise’s eyes flashed again. “You mean the war that is your fault?” she snapped, her voice sharp.

Her words cut deep, just as they were designed to do. I had expected this, but still… It hurt.

I stopped walking, turning to face her fully. My heart was pounding, but I managed to keep my voice even as I said, “I know it’s my fault, Elise. I know that a lot of things are my fault. But I always mean well; I always try my best to make things right, to remedy my mistakes. Can you say the same for yourself?”

Elise merely stared at me, her mouth pressed into a severe line.

“I didn’t think so,” I growled when she remained silent after several moments, turning on my heel to walk away.

But as I strode down the street, Elise’s voice called out behind me. “I don’t need to remedy my mistakes, because I don’t make mistakes, Ava. Everything I do is always with the greater good of our people in mind. Unlike you, I am not selfish and driven solely by… love.”

I stiffened at her words but didn’t look back.

Driven by love, she had said.

Perhaps if she had allowed herself to be driven by love, even if only a little, we wouldn’t be in the situation we were in.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of preparation and nervous anticipation for Olivia’s call. As the sun began to set, we gathered in my living room. Chris, Ophelia, Leonard, Patrick, and I sat in a circle around the coffee table, waiting for the phone to ring.

But the clock on the wall ticked loudly, each second feeling like an eternity, and the phone remained silent in the middle of the coffee table. Olivia should have called by now. What if she had changed her mind? What if she had seen through our ruse?

“Maybe she’s not going to call,” Ophelia whispered, the first to voice the fear that we were all sharing. Her hands twisted nervously in her lap, a gesture that I had only seen her pick up as of late.

Chris shook his head, his jaw set hard. “She’ll call. She’s just trying to make us sweat.”

As if on cue, the phone rang just moments after he said that, startling all of us. We exchanged quick glances before Chris reached for it with a surprisingly steady hand despite what he was about to do.

“Olivia,” he said without preamble when he picked up.

We all leaned in, straining to hear Olivia’s side of the conversation.

“Have you made your decision?” Olivia’s voice was cool and collected as ever, but hearing it for the first time in so long felt like a knife twisting in a wound.

Chris took a deep breath, his eyes meeting mine for a brief moment. I nodded subtly, gripping his leg beneath the coffee table. “I have,” he said. “And I... I accept your terms. I will hand over Moonstone to you, as long as you bring the artifact back. Ava, Ophelia, and I will leave, never to return.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest. The silence seemed to stretch on forever.

“Smart choice, brother,” Olivia finally said, sounding rather pleased. “When can I expect to take possession?”

“I need a week,” Chris replied, his knuckles white as he gripped the phone. “To gather our things, get our affairs in order, and... say goodbye. Then we’ll be gone.”

“A week,” Olivia said, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. “That’s acceptable, I suppose. I will arrive in a week, then.”

“I’m sure the Elders will want to throw you a welcome ceremony,” Chris said. “I’d like to see you one last time before we go, if that’s alright.”

Olivia scoffed. “You know I’m never one to turn down a party. But I also hate to say goodbye, so you’d better not be in attendance. If I see you, or Ava, or that human scum…”

Ophelia bristled beside me, but Leonard stopped her from speaking with a hand on her arm.

Chris’s jaw clenched, but his voice remained steady. “Very well. We’ll make sure to be gone by the time you arrive.”

There was a pause, and then: “Then our business is concluded.”

The line went dead before Chris could even say goodbye.