"Get out of my head!" Celeste screamed, clutching her temples as she fell to her knees. The ghostly image of Seraphina hovered before her, lips moving in silent accusation.
"She's not real," Lucien said, kneeling beside her. "Your powers are creating visions."
But Celeste wasn't so sure. For three nights now, Seraphina had appeared—always with the same sorrowful eyes, always pointing toward the east.
"She's trying to tell me something," Celeste whispered as the apparition faded.
Lucien helped her to her feet. A week of training had strengthened her abilities, but each use of power left her weaker. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her skin had grown pale.
"You need rest," he urged. "You're pushing too hard."
"I don't have time to rest." Celeste touched the silver pendant at her throat. "The binding spell is breaking, but not fast enough. I need answers."
A twig snapped outside their hideout—an abandoned hunter's cabin deep in the woods. Lucien was instantly alert, moving silently to the window.
"Stay here," he whispered.
But as soon as he left, Seraphina appeared again. This time, her phantom hand held something—a small leather-bound journal.
*Follow*, her lips seemed to say.
Against her better judgment, Celeste slipped out the back door.
---
Orion turned the silver knife over in his hands, studying the dried blood on its blade. Something wasn't right. The evidence had been too perfect, too convenient.
"The blade doesn't match the wound," Lyra said from the doorway. Though no longer imprisoned, she remained at the pack house under guard. "I've been saying that for days."
"The examiner's report says otherwise."
Lyra snorted. "The examiner works for your father."
Orion's jaw tightened. Too many secrets. Too many lies.
"I found this hidden in the servants' quarters." He tossed a scrap of fabric onto the table. "It matches what the killer wore that night, according to witnesses."
Lyra picked it up, frowning. "This carries Magnus's scent."
Orion nodded grimly. "My father was there the night Seraphina died."
The realization hit him like a physical blow. What if Celeste had been telling the truth all along? What if he had tortured an innocent woman—his true mate?
"I need to find her," he said, rising suddenly.
"She won't want to see you," Lyra warned. "Not after what you did."
Orion's eyes flashed with pain. "I don't expect forgiveness. I just need to know the truth."
---
Celeste followed the ghostly figure through the woods, deeper than she'd ever ventured before. The trees grew thicker, the path narrower, until finally she emerged in a small clearing.
In the center stood a hollow oak tree, ancient and gnarled. Seraphina's ghost pointed to a cavity in its twisted roots.
Celeste knelt, reached inside, and pulled out a waterproof pouch. Inside was a small leather journal—exactly like the one in her vision.
"Why are you showing me this?" she asked the apparition.
Seraphina's ghost smiled sadly before fading away.
With trembling hands, Celeste opened the book. The pages were filled with neat handwriting—some entries normal, others written in a strange code. She flipped through until a name caught her eye: *Shadow Council*.
*Meeting tonight. M says C must never learn her true power. The binding must hold until the Blood Moon. If she awakens before we're ready, everything will be lost.*
*L claims he's found the Chamber of Moons. Says he's an ally, but can he be trusted? His hatred for the Council runs deep.*
Celeste's heart raced. L must be Lucien. And C was clearly her. But who was M?
A rustle of leaves made her look up. Lucien stood at the edge of the clearing, eyes hard.
"I've been searching everywhere for you," he said, voice strangely calm. "What's that you've found?"
Celeste closed the journal. "Seraphina's diary. She knew about me, about the binding spell."
"Give it to me." Lucien extended his hand. "It might contain information about the Chamber of Moons."
Something in his tone made Celeste hesitate. "She mentioned you in here. Said she wasn't sure if you could be trusted."
Lucien's expression darkened. "Your sister was playing a dangerous game. She didn't understand the stakes."
"Then help me understand." Celeste stood, keeping the journal close. "You said you'd tell me everything, but all I get are half-truths. Why do you hate the Shadow Council?"
Lucien's eyes flashed with old pain. "Because they killed my entire family. Slaughtered them while I watched, hidden in the shadows."
He stepped closer, rage radiating off him in waves. "The Council feared the Valeharts because we knew their secret—that they've been murdering Moon Blessed children for centuries, harvesting their power."
Celeste felt sick. "And Seraphina learned this secret?"
"She discovered part of it. Enough to get herself killed." Lucien's voice softened. "I've been searching for a Moon Blessed strong enough to destroy the Council. When I sensed your power awakening, I knew you were the one."
"You want to use me for revenge," Celeste said, the truth dawning on her.
"I want justice," he corrected. "Just as you do."
A snap of twigs interrupted them. They both turned as a figure emerged from the trees—Orion.
"Celeste," he breathed, eyes wide with relief and disbelief.
Her heart lurched painfully in her chest. The mate bond hummed between them, unwanted but undeniable.
"Stay back," she warned, power gathering in her palms.
"I'm not here to hurt you," Orion said, raising his hands. "I found evidence—the knife used to kill Seraphina. It was planted. You were framed."
Lucien moved protectively in front of Celeste. "How convenient that you discover this now, after what you did to her."
"I was wrong," Orion admitted, his voice breaking. "I'm here to make it right."
Celeste felt dizzy suddenly. Using her power so frequently was taking its toll. Black spots danced before her eyes as she swayed on her feet.
"Celeste?" Lucien turned to her with concern.
A blinding pain shot through her head. She cried out, dropping to her knees as visions flooded her mind—the Chamber of Moons, a ritual circle, her mother bleeding on an altar.
And standing over her mother's body, a familiar face.
"It was you," she gasped, looking up at Lucien with horror as blood began to trickle from her nose. "You killed my mother."
Lucien's expression changed, the mask of concern slipping away. "You weren't supposed to see that."
As darkness closed in around her, Celeste heard Orion's roar of rage, felt the ground shake with his charge.
Then everything went black.