Selene
The pinewoods stretched on, their gnarled branches clawing at the sky as we pressed deeper into the night. My boots sank into the damp earth, each step heavier than the last, not from exhaustion but from the air itself which was now thick with the curse's lingering taint.
I blinked hard as the path warped ahead, twisting like a snake, only to straighten when I narrowed my eyes. Hallucinations were the curse's new game. And they clashed heavily with the memory of Draven's kiss. His lips, fierce and unyielding, had stirred something I didn't want to name.
Draven led the way, his stride confident despite the bandaged gash on his forearm. Veyra flanked him, her sword sheathed but her eyes scanning the trees. Renn and Thorne scouted ahead, their forms blending into the dark, while Elara walked closer to Draven now, her silver streaked braid catching the moonlight. She said something low, and he laughed – that rich, easy sounding laugh of his that grated on me more than it should.
He hadn't glanced my way since the slap and then our fight. Fine. Let him flirt with the healer. I didn't need his attention. But the knot in my stomach tightened anyway, a mix of irritation and something dangerously close to jealousy. Gods, what was wrong with me? Was it the curse's effects messing with my head, or was it just Draven's infuriating charm.
"Okay back there?" Veyra called over her shoulder to me, her tone sharp but less hostile than before. Saving her life had shifted something between us, though her grudging respect felt more like a knife held at arm's length.
"I'm fine," I said, adjusting my quiver. "Worry about your own footing."
She snorted but didn't reply. The path narrowed, the trees closing in until the air felt suffocating. The wards' hum had faded to a faint buzz, but their curse lingered, pricking at my senses. Shadows moved where they shouldn't have – tree branches twisting into faces, then dissolving. A hallucination hissed in my ear: Kaelen's laughing. Dorian's crying. I clenched my jaw, forcing it away. I knew the others felt it too. I'd noticed Renn's steps falter once, his hand twitching toward his dagger, and Thorne muttering a curse under his breath.
"These woods are playing tricks," I said, voice low as I caught up to Draven and Elara. "The curse is not just with the rogues. It's in the air."
Elara nodded, her expression tight. "The wards' backlash. When they break, the old magic seeps out and twists perception. Try to stay grounded and focus only on what you know is real."
Draven glanced at her, his grin softer now. "So how do we know for sure what's real? For example, you look like the goddess herself under this moonlight. Hallucination or Real?"
She chuckled. "One day that mouth of yours is going to invite all sorts of trouble for you."
"Good thing trouble's my specialty," he said, winking. "Keeps things fun."
I rolled my eyes, the irritation flaring hotter. He was ignoring me and laughing with Elara like I wasn't even here. After that kiss, after I'd let myself stupidly kiss him back, he acted like it was nothing. The bond twisted again, Kaelen's shadow mocking me, and I hated how it made Draven's distance sting all the more.
Get a grip, Selene, I thought. You're acting like a love sick pup.
We pressed on, the path opening into a clearing dominated by crumbling stone arches draped in moss. It was the ruins of a Moon Temple, its columns carved with faded runes that pulsed faintly, echoing the wards in the woods. I knew immediately that this was no ordinary ruin. The air hummed with power, ancient and heavy, like the Goddess herself lingered here. The group slowed, weapons still at the ready, but the silence felt reverent, almost oppressive.
"What is this place?" I asked, stepping closer to a broken altar at the center, its surface etched with crescent moons and claw marks.
Elara knelt beside it, her fingers tracing the carvings. "An old Moon Temple from the Wolf Wars. Packs swore allegiance here, binding their oaths to the Goddess. Her favor wasn't given freely, though. You had to earn it through trials of blood or sacrifice. Bloodfang forgot that, they thought her blessings were theirs by right. Their blind rituals weakened them."
Draven stood beside her, his voice less playful and quieter. "Shadowfang learned the hard way. You earn the Goddess's gaze or you lose everything. Kaelen's pack raided us during a famine years back. They took our northern lands, killed my parents, and left us scrambling. That's when I swore I'd get my revenge take it all back."
His words hit like a punch to the gut. I'd known about that raid. It was back when Kaelen and I were still young and in love as ever. I'd even helped plan it.
Oh, gods...
I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but he turned to Elara, his tone shifting back to that flirty ease. "You think the Goddess would approve of my methods? I mean, since you look so much like her, it makes sense I ask you."
Elara's lips quirked. "Doubtful. But she might forgive you if you stop flirting with danger."
He laughed again, and the sound twisted that knot in my stomach tighter. Why did it bother me so much? I didn't want him, at least not like that, but Draven's presence, his damn grin, kept pulling me in, and I hated how it made me question everything. And now, with the new knowledge that I might had inadvertently had a hand in his parent's murder...
"Selene," Veyra said, her voice pulling me back. She stood at the edge of the clearing, peering into the trees. "You feel that? The air's much heavier now."
I nodded, trying to hold my mind in place. "It's the temple," I said, gripping my bow. "The wards are tied to it. If they're breaking here too–"
"Then we're in deeper trouble than I thought," Draven finished, his flirty demeanor gone. He moved to the altar, inspecting the runes. "These are older than the ones in the woods. If Kaelen's tampering with blood magic, he could be drawing from places like this."
I could tell he was referencing our earlier argument, still obviously offended by what he thought was me defending Kaelen. If he knew how much I hated that man now, he wouldn't even have a doubt. I pushed the thought aside, and focused on the path ahead. "We need to keep moving. Dorian's at the Red Cliffs... I can feel it."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We left the temple behind, the curse's whispers fading but never gone. The path sloped upward, the pines thinning as we neared the Red Cliffs. My heart pounded, each step bringing me closer to Dorian.
Renn signaled from ahead, his voice a harsh whisper. "Torches on the east side. Bloodfang patrol, maybe a dozen."
We crouched low, the group fanning out behind a cluster of boulders. I peered over the rock, as the patrol moved through the trees, dragging chained prisoners – five, maybe six, their heads bowed. One figure stood out, small and frail, red hair glinting in the torchlight.
My heart stopped.
"Dorian," I whispered, the name tearing from my throat.
Draven grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not rough. "Wait, Selene. Let's scout first. It could be a trick."
Veyra's sword was half-drawn. "He's right, Luna. We can't rush in."
"Are you both out of your minds? That's him right there. My son's right there!"
Elara spoke. "It could be the hallucinations, Luna. The temple's magic could be amplifying it. Let's be sure it's what it seems."
But it was him, I knew it. The way he moved, the tilt of his head... it was my son. Kaelen's laughter echoed in my skull, and I couldn't wait. I tore free from Draven's grip, nocking an arrow as I sprinted toward the patrol. "Dorian!"
"Selene!" Draven's shout followed, but I was already gone, the curse's whispers urging me forward as the torches flared closer.