Chapter 6: The Mark Beneath the Skin
796 Words
The moon hung low over the Shadowfang stronghold, casting pale silver light through the narrow stone windows of Diana’s chamber. It was quiet, save for the soft crackle of the hearth and the hum of tension threading through her veins. She hadn’t slept. Not since the mark had appeared.
The strange, searing pain had hit her like a jolt in the middle of the night. When she staggered to the mirror, she found it—etched into her skin just above her heart: a symbol of interlocking crescent moons surrounded by clawed vines. Ancient. Foreign. Powerful.
She touched it now, fingers trembling. The mark shimmered faintly, almost pulsing in response.
"It’s not just a bond mark," she whispered. "It’s something else."
A knock at her door snapped her from her thoughts. She pulled a tunic over her shoulder hastily and opened the door a crack. On the other side stood Talon, the Shadowfang Beta—ever stoic, eyes sharp.
"Alpha summons you," he said, voice clipped. "Now."
Diana hesitated. "Why?"
Talon didn’t blink. "There was an attack."
The war room was dimly lit, filled with the scent of smoke and blood. Maps sprawled across the table, marked with red ink. Rylan stood at the center, cloak soaked in rain, jaw clenched.
His eyes snapped to Diana the moment she entered. "You're late."
She ignored the jab and walked closer, heart pounding. "What happened?"
"A raid on the southern border," Rylan said. "A rogue pack. Unmarked, but disciplined. Not just scavengers. They knew our terrain."
Talon added, "And they vanished before we could track them. Like shadows."
Diana frowned. "That sounds like Kael."
Rylan’s eyes darkened. "We thought he was in the eastern wilds."
"Kael doesn’t stay anywhere for long. If he sent those wolves... then he knows I’m here. And he’s testing your strength."
Rylan turned to her fully now, gaze scanning her face, then falling lower—to the slight glow beneath her tunic. She froze.
"Show me," he ordered.
She didn’t move.
"Diana."
Reluctantly, she pulled the fabric aside. The mark glowed faintly against her skin.
The room stilled.
Rylan stepped forward, slowly, like approaching a threat. His fingers reached out but hovered inches from the mark, his expression unreadable.
"That mark is not mine," he said finally.
"No," Diana whispered. "It's older. It's magic. And it showed up right after the attack."
Talon stepped closer, his voice low. "I’ve only seen something like it once. In the prophecy texts. The cursed union."
"Prophecy again," Rylan muttered, turning away.
But Diana followed. "You need to start accepting that this bond is more than just nature messing with us. Someone planned this. The mark—the attack—Kael. It’s all connected."
He faced her, fire in his eyes. "And what do you expect me to do? Trust you? Let you stay and risk everything I built?"
"You don't have a choice anymore."
A tense silence stretched between them. Then Rylan exhaled sharply.
"We ride at dawn," he said. "You’re coming with us."
The journey to the southern border was treacherous. Rain lashed through the trees, turning the forest floor into a quagmire. Diana rode behind Talon, her hood pulled low, her thoughts racing.
She kept her hand over the mark. It burned hotter the closer they got to the site.
When they reached the clearing, the air shifted. The battlefield was silent—too silent. No blood. No bodies. Just scattered ash and symbols scorched into the earth.
Diana dismounted and knelt beside one of the symbols.
"This is shadow magic," she said. "Kael didn’t just send rogues. He’s summoning them."
Talon frowned. "From where?"
She hesitated. "Another realm. One we sealed long ago."
Rylan's eyes narrowed. "'We' who?"
She stood slowly, meeting his gaze. "The Silvermist bloodline. My family. We were gatekeepers."
The silence was thunderous.
And then—
A scream ripped through the trees.
A scout came crashing into the clearing, eyes wide, hands bloody. "They’re here. They never left. They're watching us."
A low growl echoed from the shadows. Then another. And another.
Rylan drew his blade. "Form a circle. Protect Diana."
But before they could move, the forest erupted in snarls and chaos.
Shadow-born wolves lunged from the darkness, eyes glowing violet, their forms flickering like smoke.
Diana felt her mark burn—not in pain, but in power.
And then she screamed.
Her body convulsed as the mark flared with light, and a shockwave burst from her chest, sending the nearest attackers flying.
Everyone froze.
Even the shadow wolves.
Rylan stared at her in awe. "What... are you becoming?"
Before Diana could speak, a whisper slithered through her mind. A voice she hadn’t heard in years.
"Found you, little wolf."
It was Kael.
And he was inside her head.
- Writer
