The Silver Summons
744 Words
The Council’s messenger didn't look like a warrior. He was a spindly man dressed in robes of shimmering grey, but the scent of mountain air and ancient magic clung to him like a shroud. He stood in the center of Ryker’s grand hall, holding a scroll sealed with the mark of a crescent moon and a silver sword.
"Elara the Nameless," the messenger proclaimed, his voice unnaturally loud.
"Her name is Elara Solaris," Ryker’s voice growled from the throne, the sound vibrating the glass chandeliers above. "Address her correctly, or lose the tongue that failed to do so."
The messenger paled but didn't flinch. "The Council of Elders does not recognize dead bloodlines, Alpha King. We recognize threats. The emergence of a Golden Wolf coincides with the flickering of the Eternal Flame in the Great Temple. The balance of our world is tilting, and we must know if this girl is the light... or the wildfire that will consume us all."
I stepped forward, my chin tilted high. I wore the violet silk Ryker had given me, but I felt like a soldier in armor. "What is this trial?"
"The Trial of the Moon’s Mirror," the messenger said. "You will be taken to the Neutral Territories. You will step into the pool of silver. If your soul is pure, the water will remain clear. If you are an abomination of nature, the silver will turn to acid and melt the flesh from your bones."
My breath hitched. Beside me, I felt Ryker’s aura explode. The shadows in the room deepened, crawling up the walls like living ink.
"She is not going," Ryker hissed, his eyes turning a lethal shade of obsidian. "The Trial of the Mirror is a death sentence. No one has survived it in three centuries."
"If she refuses," the messenger said calmly, "the Council will declare the Night-Star pack outlaws. We will call a Great Hunt. Every pack in the continent—including the Blood-Moon—will be authorized to hunt her down and bring us her head."
The mention of the Blood-Moon made my stomach churn. I could picture Killian leading the charge, his "regret" quickly turning into "duty" if the Council commanded it.
"I'll do it," I said, my voice steady despite the trembling in my knees.
"Elara, no," Ryker turned to me, his hands gripping my shoulders. "You don't understand. The Mirror doesn't just look at your heart. It amplifies the darkness within. It feeds on your trauma. With what you’ve been through..."
"With what I’ve been through, I’m already tempered by fire, Ryker," I interrupted, placing my hand over his. "If I hide behind you, I’m just a maid in a different castle. If I want to be a Queen, I have to face the judges."
Ryker searched my eyes, his jaw working as he fought his instinct to lock me away. Finally, he turned to the messenger.
"Tell the Council we accept. But under one condition." Ryker stepped closer to the man, his shadow towering over him. "I will be her Second. I go where she goes. If the silver burns her, it burns me too."
The messenger bowed stiffly. "The Trial will commence at the next full moon. Three days from now. Be ready."
As the messenger departed, a heavy silence fell over the hall. I turned to Ryker, but before I could speak, he pulled me into a fierce, crushing hug. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his breath hot against my skin.
"Three days," he whispered. "We have three days to make your wolf strong enough to face the silver. But there's something you need to know, Elara."
He pulled back, his expression grimmer than I’d ever seen it.
"Killian has already petitioned the Council to be one of the 'Witnesses' to the trial. He’s claiming that as your 'fated mate,' he has the right to reclaim you if you survive."
My blood ran cold. "He thinks the silver will 'purify' me so I can go back to being his submissive Omega."
"He’s wrong," Ryker growled, his thumb brushing my bottom lip. "Because by the time the full moon rises, you won't be his mate in any way that matters. The Solaris power is about to fully bloom, and it’s going to burn every bridge you ever built."
- Writer
