5

“I’m fine, I just thought I saw something.” I shook my head. “Must be my imagination.” Yet something deep inside was telling me I couldn’t leave Kael, that I had to help him.

Kaels lips pursed for a moment before he let out a sigh. “Don’t push yourself, if you need anything let me know…. Hey, tell me what was your name again?”

“Ares.” I answered with a small smile. “I’m not pushing myself I want to help you, even if I’m not that great of a witch.”

Kael’s head tilted slightly, his face unreadable. His eyes were hidden beneath the shadow of his hood, but I could still feel his gaze on me. It was unnerving, not knowing what emotions lay behind the veil of darkness. Was it suspicion? Concern? Or something else entirely?

“Ares,” he said, my name slipping from his lips like a soft command. “You might not think you’re great, but you’ve done more than you realize. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you, or your kind.”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning I couldn’t quite grasp. My pulse quickened, a mix of gratitude and guilt swirling in my chest. If he only knew the truth—about Nyx, about the curse—would he still believe in me?

I forced a small, uncertain smile. “You’re giving me too much credit, Kael. I haven’t done anything… not really.”

“You’re here,” he replied, his voice quieter now. “Sometimes that’s enough.”

The shadows around his hood seemed to deepen, obscuring him even more, and I fought the urge to step back. It wasn’t fear—it was the weight of my own secrets clawing at me, demanding to be set free.

“Kael,” I began, my voice faltering. His head shifted slightly in my direction, his posture sharp and alert, though his face remained hidden. I hesitated, the truth teetering on the edge of my lips.

Before I could speak, the ground trembled beneath us, a low rumble reverberating through the air. Dust fell from the ceiling, and a shiver ran down my spine.

“Did you feel that?” I asked, my voice taut with unease.

Kael straightened, his movements deliberate, calm. “Yeah,” he said, his tone even. “Stay close.”

“Close? I think you mean behind me,” I shot back, raising a hand and tracing a sigil in the air. A faint glow surrounded my fingers, though it flickered like a candle in the wind.

“You’re the witch, sure,” Kael muttered, his voice carrying a faint edge. He stepped forward, his shoulders squared. “But that doesn’t mean you’re invincible.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words caught in my throat as a guttural growl echoed from the doorway ahead. My blood turned cold as a dark shape began to materialize from the shadows.

Kael’s hand dropped to his side. “This is a warning, we need to get to the throne room at once.”

Whatever was coming, it wasn’t here to talk. Kael pushed his way through the doors and the hallway, leading and as he approached the throne room doors he threw them open. His eyes, if I could see them, were scanning the entire room.

The growling wasn’t coming from one place anymore. It was everywhere—echoing through the castle halls, bouncing off the stone walls. Werewolves, dozens of them, were shifting and snarling, their forms rippling with barely contained rage. They moved like a storm, circling the grand hall, their golden eyes glowing in the dim torchlight. Each wolf was different, each of them however were shaking with rage and anticipation.

Kael stood still, a fierce look on his face.

“Ares,” he murmured, his voice calm despite the tension suffocating the room. “Stay close. This isn’t a fight you want to get caught in.”

I didn’t argue. The air felt electric, crackling with fury and fear. My fingers twitched, itching to cast magic to calm down the situation, but I hesitated. Magic wouldn’t calm a pack of werewolves, and I wasn’t sure it could stop whatever was causing this frenzy. Plus I didn’t have enough magic to calm down this entire room of werewolves, I barely had enough to probably ease one werewolf, if that.

The doors at the far end of the hall creaked open, the sound impossibly loud over the snarls. A figure stepped inside, shrouded in black. The air changed, thickening with an unnatural chill that raised the hairs on my arms.

It was a sickening feeling that brought flashes of my families murder in my head. My gut wrenched as I tried to remain steady on my feet. Werewolves weren’t appetizing to vampires, but witches were.

The vampire moved with an eerie grace, his steps silent, his pale face glowing like a phantom’s in the dim light. His crimson eyes scanned the room, indifferent to the growling wolves that inched closer, their claws scraping the stone floor.

“I come in peace,” the vampire said, his voice smooth and cold, carrying through the hall like a winter wind.

“Peace?” One of the larger wolves, still in human form but barely holding it together, snarled. His teeth were sharper than they should’ve been, his eyes blazing gold. “You have the gall to walk into our territory and—”

“Silence.” The vampire’s command was quiet, but it sliced through the noise like a blade. The wolves froze, their growls tapering off into uneasy whines.

Kael stepped forward, his movements calculated and deliberate. His stature seemed like he was ready to strike at any moment. “You’ve got guts showing up here, bloodsucker. Make your point before my wolves tear you apart.”

The vampire’s lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. “Your wolves? Last I checked, the packs here swore loyalty to the old accords. The Moon Goddess and her chosen. And yet, here you are, threatening a messenger.”

Kael’s hood shifted slightly as he tilted his head. “Messenger?”

“Yes,” the vampire said, his tone almost bored. “I’ve come to deliver a warning.”

I felt Kael tense beside me, though his voice remained calm. “Go on.”

The vampire took another step forward, and though every wolf in the room bristled, none of them attacked. His presence alone was enough to hold them back, a testament to the sheer power radiating from him.

“Nyx is close to awakening again,” the vampire said, his crimson eyes locking onto Kael’s shadowed face. “I know she hurt your bloodline, she hurt ours too, that’s why I say we kill the body she chooses to inhabit before.”

My blood ran cold at the name. Nyx. The curse. The images that had been haunting me. It all clicked into place, and I felt my knees weaken.

Kael was silent for a long moment. His face was hard, his jaw tight, and his eyes—a striking silver that gleamed like moonlight—were as cold as the vampire’s.

“I don’t need your warnings,” Kael said, his voice low and deadly. “If she’s coming, we’ll be ready.”

The vampire’s smile widened, showing just a hint of fangs. “Will you? I wonder.” He looked briefly behind Kael, his eyes found mine and widened in response. “You already found her?”

“The witch is aiding our kingdom, if you dare to touch her you will die where you stand.” Kael growled.