Chapter Two - The Mistake
Storm's Pov
"Light it."
Vren stepped up and held a flame to the Lunaris flower, a petal soaked in old magic, bound by blood.
The second the smoke hit the air, the wolves howled once, then dropped, bodies convulsing as their wolves were forced back inside their skin.
They laid on the floor naked and useless, looking their human part and we wasted no time in splitting their throats like cattles, room after room, royal after royal.
No one was spared, not even the maids or guard. Until—
Another scream echoed. It wasn't theirs, it was familiar, a girl. One of our own.
I ran, turning hard into the west hallway, sprinting as fast as I could, cape billowing behind me.
And there just outside the library, I saw her.
Lola.
Her body was already falling, a silver blade rammed straight through her chest.
To her side, a werewolf lay broken beneath her, blood pooling like ink, but he was already dead.
I reached her before she hit the floor, caught her in my arms. Her blood soaking into my coat as I removed the blade and placed my hand on the wound.
Her eyes fluttered, barely open and she whispered. “Storm. They said… no guards…”
I shook my head. “Don’t speak. I’ll get help.”
“There’s no help,” she said, holding my hand before I could move. “But I’m glad… I got to see your face before....”
Her lips curved slightly. Then her breath stopped.
And I just knelt there, holding her, like maybe I could convince her to stay or revive her while she slipped away from me like the night wind.
The others came rushing and stood around us, silent.
I lifted my head slowly, eyes burning. This wasn’t a mission anymore.
It was a promise.
"I will kill every last one of the royals to avenge you, Lola."
----
Sky's Pov
I remember the ring. I remember the way it felt in my hand as I held it. What ran through my head was why was something this pretty, cold.
It felt weightless and silly. Like it didn’t belong to me but still knew me.
I rolled it between my fingers, again and again, the metal glinting against the moonlight that streamed through the open door.
I was crouched near the threshold, my dress pooled around my legs, feet bare and damp with dew. The air outside was quiet.
But behind me? Screams.
I didn’t move. Just sat there, knees to my chest, still staring at the ring. Over and over. The red stone blinked up at me like a single, seeing eye.
I didn’t know why I was still there. I didn’t know why I opened the door. All I remembered was hearing the knock.
One. Two.
And the voice in my head whispering: It’s nothing. Just the kitchen boys. Go check.
I knew I wasn’t supposed to. But I did anyway.
Then the boy gave me this ring, now there are screams everywhere.
“Sky?!”
I jerked, clutching the ring in my fist and snapping around.
The royal maid, Mira, stood at the end of the corridor, her nightgown stained with ash, her lips cracked, eyes burning with terror. Her hair was undone, her sleeves torn.
She stared at me like she’d never seen me before, then her eyes shifted to the open door behind me.
“Did you—?” she gasped, voice breaking. “Did you open it? Did you let them in?!”
“I—I didn’t—” I stuttered, finding it hard to understand what she was saying. Them? Who was them?
Mira rushed toward me, grabbing my wrist before I could even flinch. I held the ring in my palm and squeezed tightly, hoping she won't see or take it from me.
“No time,” she hissed, eyes darting around. “No time. We have to go, now!”
I stumbled to my feet, still stunned. “I don’t understand—”
“There’s nothing left to understand,” she snapped. “We just have to leave now.”
She snatched a satchel from the table behind her, stuffed with clothes, a small pouch of coin and a cloak next. She didn’t stop moving, her panic was cold and practiced, almost like she was trained for to move this fast.
Before I could ask what was going on, she gripped my arm tight and ran.
Mira yanked me through the same gate I had opened and then out into the cold night.
We ran through the trees quickly like we were being chased and I didn’t dare look back. But from where we had gotten, I could smell it.
The castle, the only home I’d ever known—was burning.
I tried to struggle against her grip or even cry out but she didn't for one second, let go. “Where is my mom—my father—!”
“We have to hurry,” Mira said with a panicked voice, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. “If we don't... I fear something bad will come for us too.”
What did she mean by that? What was coming for us? Why couldn't we go back to the castle where we would be protected by guards?
Questions roamed my head freely as we ran and with each step I took, I felt my breath slipping from me. I held onto her like she was the only thread in a tapestry unraveling too fast.
Then— Something hit us or rather collided with us.
Every other thing felt like a blur, a hazy memory and the next thing, I landed hard on the ground and the darkness swallowed me.
Opening my eyes, I could see the world, bright, crowded and disorienting. It felt too hot, like I was outside.
Sweat and hay clung to my skin, my back ached badly and I could feel my head throbbed. I blinked multiple times as I struggled to sit up.
Everything felt groggy, the light shining a bit too bright, the sound surrounding me, everything. When I finally came to, I was surrounded by bars. Old, splintered wood lashed together crudely.
That's when it dawned on me that I was in a cage.