Chapter 11:The Woman In The Forest
1224 Words
Lyra couldn't hear anything after that.
The warrior's words kept repeating in her head.
The woman you saw isn't Lyra's mother.
She stared at him.
“No.”
Her voice was barely a whisper.
The warrior lowered his eyes.
“I only told you what the survivor said.”
“You're lying.”
“I wouldn't—”
“Lyra.”
Kael stepped toward her.
She turned on him.
“Don't.”
He stopped.
“You heard her.”
“I heard a woman who looked like my mother.”
“She knew things about me.”
“I know.”
“She knew about the Moonborn.”
“I know.”
“She knew about you and your father.”
Kael's expression tightened.
“That's why we need to find out who she really is.”
Lyra shook her head.
“No.”
“Lyra—”
“No.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I finally found her.”
Kael didn't answer.
“I spent years wondering if she was alive. Years wondering if she'd left me because she didn't love me anymore.”
Her voice cracked.
“And now you're telling me that wasn't even her?”
Kael moved closer.
“I don't know that yet.”
“But you believe it.”
“I believe we need proof.”
Lyra looked away.
She wanted to be angry with him.
She wanted to blame him for everything that had happened tonight.
But she couldn't.
He was the only person standing there who looked as confused as she felt.
Maya suddenly spoke.
“We should go back.”
Lyra turned toward her.
“To the forest?”
Maya nodded.
“No.”
Kael answered before Lyra could.
“Why not?”
“Because whoever was there wanted Lyra to see that woman.”
Maya's voice was unsteady.
“That means this wasn't an accident.”
Kael's eyes narrowed.
“You think it was a trap?”
“I think everything tonight was planned.”
Lyra looked at Maya.
“Then why did she give me this?”
She opened her hand.
The silver key was still there.
Maya stared at it.
Her face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“My mother gave it to me.”
Maya stepped closer.
“No.”
Lyra frowned.
“What?”
“She never had that.”
“You've seen it before?”
Maya shook her head quickly.
“No.”
“Then how do you know?”
Maya didn't answer.
Lyra felt that familiar frustration rising again.
“Maya.”
“I've seen the symbol.”
She pointed at the key.
“Not the key itself. The symbol.”
Lyra looked down.
The crescent moon and three stars were carved into the metal.
“Where?”
Maya hesitated.
“On your mother's old things.”
Lyra's heart skipped.
“You told me you didn't know anything about them.”
“I didn't know what they meant.”
“That isn't the same thing.”
Maya looked ashamed.
“I was scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of being wrong.”
Lyra stared at her.
“Everyone keeps being scared.”
She closed her fingers around the key.
“I'm tired of it.”
Kael looked toward the warriors.
“Take the survivor to the pack house. No one goes near him without my permission.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
The warriors left.
Lyra watched them disappear.
“I'm going with you.”
Kael shook his head.
“No.”
“You're going to question him.”
“Yes.”
“Then I'm coming.”
“He might know something about your mother.”
“Exactly.”
Kael sighed.
“You're not staying behind.”
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
“You just said no.”
“I changed my mind.”
Despite everything, a tiny smile almost appeared on her face.
“You do that a lot.”
“Get used to it.”
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Then Maya cleared her throat.
“Are you two finished?”
Lyra glanced at her.
“Apparently.”
They started walking.
The pack house was unusually quiet.
Most of the celebration had ended, but a few lanterns still burned around the courtyard.
Kael led them through a side entrance.
A guard stood outside one of the rooms.
“Is he awake?”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Has he spoken?”
“Only a few words.”
Kael opened the door.
The survivor lay on a narrow bed.
He was covered in cuts.
His breathing was shallow.
Lyra stopped at the doorway.
The moment the man's eyes opened, they went straight to her.
His expression changed.
Fear.
Not recognition.
Fear.
He tried to sit up.
“Don't.”
Kael moved toward him.
The man ignored him.
His eyes remained fixed on Lyra.
“You…”
Lyra stepped closer.
“Who are you?”
The man swallowed.
“She was right.”
“Who?”
“Your mother.”
Lyra's heart began racing.
“What did she tell you?”
The man's gaze shifted toward Kael.
“She said you would come.”
Kael stepped forward.
“Who sent you?”
The man shook his head.
“We weren't sent.”
“Then why were you here?”
“We were looking for her.”
“For Lyra?”
“No.”
The man looked at Lyra again.
“We were looking for the woman pretending to be your mother.”
Lyra's breath caught.
“Who is she?”
The man's face tightened with pain.
“I don't know her name.”
“Then how do you know she isn't my mother?”
“Because your mother is the one who sent us.”
Silence.
Lyra stared at him.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“I know.”
“What did she look like?”
The man closed his eyes.
“She was wounded.”
“When?”
“Three nights ago.”
Lyra's heart stopped.
Three nights.
That was before the festival.
Before she'd met Kael.
Before any of this had started.
“Where is she?”
The man opened his eyes.
“She told us not to find her.”
“Why?”
“Because if we did…”
He stopped.
“What?”
His eyes moved toward the window.
“…they would find you.”
A cold feeling settled in Lyra's stomach.
“Who are they?”
The man's lips parted.
But before he could answer, the lights in the room went out.
Someone screamed outside.
Kael immediately grabbed Lyra and pulled her behind him.
“Stay here.”
A crash came from the hallway.
Then another.
Maya grabbed Lyra's hand.
“Something's wrong.”
Kael's claws appeared.
He stared toward the doorway.
A shadow moved across the floor.
Then a voice came from the darkness.
“Too late.”
Lyra recognized it.
The silver-eyed man.
Kael stepped forward.
“You.”
A low laugh answered him.
“Your father made the same mistake.”
Kael froze.
“What mistake?”
“Trusting the wrong woman.”
Lyra's fingers tightened around the silver key.
It suddenly became hot.
The mark on her wrist began to glow.
And from somewhere deep beneath the pack house...
A door unlocked.
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