THE MOON HIDES MY HEART

Chapter 16: The Interrogation

They came for me at dawn. Three wolves in black uniforms, Volkov pack enforcers. Their eyes glowed gold in the torchlight, and their leather-gloved hands smelled of old blood. "Elif Demir," the largest one announced. "You are summoned to stand before the Volkov council."

"I haven't been charged with anything."

"You are charged with the murder of Boris Volkov."

"That's not—" They grabbed my arms before I could finish. Their grip was iron, their faces stone. I didn't fight. I couldn't. Fighting would mean death, and using my fire would provide proof that I was a monster. So, I went quietly. Again.

The interrogation room was in the Volkov wing, a place I'd never been and never wanted to visit. It was cold and dark, lit by flickering candles that stirred in an unfelt draft. Tapestries depicting wolves killing wolves adorned the walls. At the room's head sat a man I didn't recognize, older than Nikolai, perhaps in his fifties, with broad shoulders and a scar across his left eye. His hair was the same white-blond as his sons', but his eyes were darker, colder. Vladimir Volkov. Nikolai's father.

"Elif Demir," he said, his voice a mix of gravel and ice. "Do you know why you're here?"

"Everyone thinks I killed your son."

"Everyone knows you killed my son." He leaned forward. "The evidence is clear. Human teeth. Human bite. And you are the only human in this academy."

"I didn't do it."

"Then prove it."

Lukas appeared at my side. "I'll be representing her," he stated.

Vladimir's eyes narrowed. "A Brandauer? Defending a murderer?"

"Defending an innocent." Lukas pulled out a chair and sat opposite Vladimir. "Unless you'd prefer I bring my father into this? I'm sure he'd love to hear about how the Volkovs are imprisoning students without trial."

Vladimir's jaw tightened. "Fine. Defend your pet human. It won't change the truth."

"The truth is on her side."

"We'll see."

The interrogation stretched for hours. Vladimir repeated the same questions: Where was I when Boris died? Did I know Boris? Had he threatened me? Had I threatened him? Did I have any reason to want him dead? My answers remained consistent: "I didn't kill him. I was with Nikolai. I've never spoken to Boris. I don't know why someone would frame me."

"Someone," Vladimir mused, "or something?"

"I'm not a thing."

"You're a Balancer. You're not even human." He rose and approached me. "My son was found with his throat torn out. By human teeth. And you expect me to believe you had nothing to do with it?"

"I expect you to find the real killer."

"I already have." He raised his hand to strike me.

"Stop." Kael's voice cut through the tension. He stood in the doorway, his dark eyes calm, hands behind his back. "Vladimir Volkov," Kael addressed him. "I have evidence that proves Elif Demir is innocent."

"What evidence?" Kael entered the room and placed a small glass vial on the table. Inside, a dark liquid pulsed with its own heartbeat. "Boris's wound," Kael explained. "I examined it while you were interrogating her. The bite marks are human, yes. But the energy around them is not."

"Energy?"

"Magic." Kael’s voice was steady. "Someone used a spell to make human teeth marks on Boris's throat. The bite itself was made by a wolf. But the appearance was altered."

Vladimir stared. "You're lying."

"I'm Tikaani. My people do not lie about death."

The room fell silent. Lukas stood. "If Kael is right, then a human couldn't have done this. It had to be a wolf with access to magic."

"A wolf," Vladimir said slowly, "or a wolf working with someone."

"Someone inside the academy," Kael added. "Someone who wanted to frame Elif. Someone who wanted Boris dead."

"Why would anyone want Boris dead?"

Kael looked at me.

"Because Boris knew something," I said quietly. "About my mother. About what happened to her. Someone killed him to keep him quiet."

Vladimir's face was unreadable. "Your mother," he said. "Sibel Demir."

"You knew her."

"Everyone knew her." He sat back down. "She was the most powerful Balancer in a century. And then she disappeared. Married a human. Had a daughter." His eyes met mine. "And then she died."

"Someone killed her."

"So you claim."

"So I know." I pulled the note from my pocket, the one I'd found in my cell. "Someone left this for me. It says I'll die like my mother. That means she didn't die of cancer. She was murdered."

Vladimir read the note, his face paling. "This handwriting," he murmured. "I recognize it."

"Who?" He offered no answer, his gaze fixed on the paper as if it had bitten him.

The door opened. Nikolai entered, his eyes red, his face hollow, looking as if he hadn't slept in days. "Father," he said. "I need to speak with her. Alone."

"The interrogation isn't finished."

"It is for now." Nikolai's voice was hard. "I outrank every enforcer in this room. And I'm ordering you to give me five minutes with the prisoner."

Vladimir's jaw tightened, but he rose. "Five minutes," he conceded. "Then she goes back to her cell." He gestured to the enforcers, who filed out. Lukas hesitated, looking at me, then at Nikolai. "I'll be right outside," Lukas said.

"I know." He left. The door closed.

Nikolai and I were alone. He didn't sit, didn't speak, just stood staring at me as if I were a ghost. "Nikolai," I began. "I didn't kill your brother."

"I know."

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because I don't know what to believe anymore." He walked towards me, stopping inches from my face. "Kael says magic was involved. My father says the handwriting on the note belongs to someone he trusted. Lukas says he'll burn the academy down if anyone touches you."

"And what do you say?"

He reached out and touched my face, his hand trembling. "I say that if you did it—if you killed my brother—I would have to kill you."

"Then kill me."

"What?"

I met his gaze. "If you think I'm capable of murder, then kill me. Right now. Use your claws. Your teeth. Whatever you need to do." I grabbed his hand and pressed it against my throat. "Do it."

"Elif—"

"I'm not afraid to die, Nikolai. I'm afraid to live in a world where everyone I care about thinks I'm a monster."

His hand tightened on my throat, not choking, but holding, feeling my pulse beneath his fingers. "If you did it," he whispered, "I would kill you. And then I would kill myself. Because I can't live without you."

"Nikolai—"

"I can't." His voice broke. "I can't live without you, Elif. That's what I'm trying to tell you. That's what I've been trying to tell you since the library. You're not just someone I want. You're someone I need. And if I lose you—" He stopped, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I've never cried before," he confessed. "Not when my mother died. Not when my father broke my arm. Not when Boris—" He swallowed. "But now I can't stop. Because you're in a cell. Because everyone thinks you're a murderer. Because I can't protect you."

"You don't need to protect me."

"I want to." He pulled me into his arms, and I held him as he shook, as he cried, his grief pouring out in waves that I felt through our bond. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry I can't save you."

"You don't need to save me."

"I know." He pulled back, wiping his face with his sleeve. "But I want to." He kissed my forehead, then walked out the door.

The enforcers escorted me back to my cell. I sat on the cot, staring at the wall. The note was gone; Vladimir had kept it, but I had memorized every word: "You will die like your mother." "Annen gibi öleceksin." Someone in this academy had killed my mother. Someone had killed Boris to silence him. Someone was trying to frame me. But who? I closed my eyes, trying to piece it together. My mother had been here, at Nordlicht. She had known the wolves. She had trusted someone. And that someone had betrayed her. "İhanet." Betrayal. The word from the ashes. Someone inside. Someone close. Someone with access to Boris. Someone who knew about the bond. Someone who could use magic to alter a bite mark. Someone who had been watching me since my arrival. My eyes snapped open. Freya.

The door to my cell opened. Not an enforcer. Freya. She stood in the doorway, her rust-colored eyes glowing, her red hair loose around her shoulders. She was smiling. "Hello, human."

"What do you want?"

"I want to watch you rot." She walked towards me. "But that's not why I'm here."

"Then why?" She pulled something from her pocket: a silver necklace with a wolf's head pendant. "I found this in Boris's room," she said. "It belonged to your mother."

My blood ran cold. "Give it to me."

"No." She held it up. "I'm going to keep it. As a souvenir."

"How did you get it?"

"I have my ways." She smiled again. "Boris and I were… close. He told me things. About your mother. About what happened to her."

"What happened?"

"He killed her."

The world stopped. "Boris killed my mother?"

"Not alone. But he was there. He held her down while someone else did the actual killing." Freya tilted her head. "He felt guilty about it. That's why he started asking questions. That's why someone killed him."

"Who?"

She laughed. "You think I'm going to tell you?"

"I think you're going to tell me, or I'm going to scream so loud your head explodes."

Her smile faltered. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

We stared at each other. The fire inside me burned hot, hungry. Freya's eyes flickered. She took a step back. "Fine," she said. "His name is—" She never finished. The door behind her exploded inward. Lukas stood in the doorway, Kael behind him, and between them—Nikolai. His eyes were gold, his teeth bared, his hands claws. "Freya," he growled. She spun around. "Volkov—" "You killed my brother." "I didn't—" "Kael found your magic on the bite mark. Your signature. Your spell." Nikolai advanced on her. "You killed him. And you tried to frame Elif." Freya's face went pale. "You can't prove that." "I don't need to prove it." Nikolai grabbed her throat. "I'm going to kill you. And then I'm going to feed your body to the wolves." "You can't—" "I'm a Volkov. I can do whatever I want." He squeezed.