Chapter 23 The One in Charge

(Soren)

The night was thick with tension over our camp. The fire crackled softly, casting long shadows and flickering light on the determined faces of those gathered around. Cerelia and Damon were there, their expressions mirroring the resolve we all felt, but the weight of uncertainty pressed heavily upon us.

We sat in silence, the forest around us whispering its secrets, when a scout arrived, breathless and urgent, handing me a letter. It was from Maelor.

“Soren,” the letter began, the handwriting unmistakably his, “I wish I could have delivered this message in person, but the dangers I face have made that impossible. What I’m about to tell you changes everything we thought we knew.”

I read the words aloud to the group, my voice steady despite the unease growing in my chest. “It seems King Arlo might not be the mastermind behind the rituals. There are indications that he was being manipulated by someone within the coven.”

“What?” Damon interrupted, his voice edged with disbe