Vengeance of The Dezan Luna

Caged

The hope withered as quickly as it had blossomed.

He went on smoothly, “You'll become part of my pack, under my protection. And, my authority”.

“You want us to abandon our identity as Dezan wolves” Risanna stated, a noticeable crack in her voice.

“Your clan is gone”. Kane said bluntly. “What I'm offering is survival. Unless you think six wolves can take on a coven of witches by themselves?”

Risanna swallowed hard. The thought of surrendering their Dezan identity, of pledging allegiance to the man their parents had taught them to fear, was almost unbearable. But what choice did they have? I can't make that decision for the others”, she said finally. “I need to consult with them”.

Kane's eyebrows rose slightly. “You came here, claiming to represent what's left of your clan, but you can't speak for five wolves?”

“I can represent them”, Risanna clarified. “I can't own them. They have the right to choose their own fate”.

For a moment, Kane looked genuinely surprised. Then that almost-smile returned, “Very well” he conceded “You have until tomorrow to give me your answer. In the meantime, you'll remain here as my.. guest”. The way he said ‘guest’ made it clear she would be anything but.

“And if we refuse your offer?” She asked, already knowing the answer.

Kane's smile widened, showing teeth. “Then you'll be escorted to the border and left to fend for yourselves. Against rogues, witches and whatever else might be hunting the last of the Dezan wolves.

It wasn't a choice at all, and they both knew it. But Risanna nodded, accepting the terms with as much dignity as she could muster.

“Also, if my scouts find nothing”, Kane added, his tone deceptively casual. “If this turns out to be some elaborate Dezan trick, I won't be as generous. Do we understand each other?”

The threat hung in the air between them, Clear as crystal and twice as sharp. Risanna met his gaze steadily.

“Perfectly”.

Kane nodded, seemingly satisfied. He pressed a button on his desk, and moments later, the door opened to admit a young woman with copper hair and wary eyes.

“Mira, show our guest to the east wing”, Kane instructed. “She's to remain there until I say otherwise”.

The woman nodded, gesturing for Risanna to follow.

As she turned to leave, Kane's voice stopped her at the threshold. “One last question, little wolf”, he said. “When you found your Clan destroyed, why come to me? Why not flee to neutral territory, where you'd be safer?”

Risanna looked back at him, the answer rising unbidden to her lips. “Because safety isn't what I'm after”, her voice hollow. “It's justice”.

Something flickered in Kane's amber eyes. Respect perhaps, or recognition of a kindred spirit. But it was gone so quickly she might have imagined it.

“We'll see” was all he said.

As the door closed behind her, Risanna couldn't shake the feeling that she had just made a deal with the devil himself. And the devil was already calculating how to come out ahead.

The ‘guest quarters’ were comfortable enough. A medium-sized room with a bed, a small bathroom, and a window that offered a view of the compound below. It might have been pleasant if not for the distinct click of a lock engaging after Mira left her alone.

A gilded cage was still a cage.

Risanna paced the confines of her room, mind racing. Kane had given her until tomorrow to convince the others to accept his offer, but she had no way to reach them. Was that deliberate? A tactic to force her hand, to make her agree to his terms without consultation?

The more she thought about it, the more she suspected Kane had no intention of letting her leave to speak to her friends. He wanted her isolated, off balance, desperate. Well, she was certainly all of those things.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the compound. From her window, Risanna could see Wraithclaw wolves going about their evening routines. Some headed to what appeared to be a communal dining hall, others returning to personal quarters. Children ran and played under the watchful eyes of elders.

It was so achingly normal, so similar to what her own clan had been like before the attack, that she turned away. A knock at the door startled her, before that same click of the lock. She pulled open the door to find a young man holding a tray of food. His expression, carefully neutral.

“Dinner”, he said, extending the tray. Risanna accepted it with a nod of thanks. “Any word from the alpha?” The man shook his head. “I'm just a delivery boy”. His eyes flicked to hers briefly, a hint of sympathy leaking through his professional demeanour. “But the scouts left an hour ago. Heading east”.

Towards Dezan territory. So Kane was at least following through on his part of the bargain.

“Thank you”, she said, meaning it.

After he left, Risanna picked at the food. A simple meal of roast chicken, vegetables and bread. It was better fare than she'd had in days, but anxiety had robbed her of appetite.

Night fell and with it came the howls. The Wraithclaw wolves singing to the moon and to each other. Their voices, rising in haunting harmony. Risanna listened, a hollow ache in her chest. The Dezan Clan would never sing again.

She must have dosed off eventually, because she awakened with a jolt to the sound of her door being unlocked. The clock on the bedside table read 2:17am.

Risanna sat up, instantly alert as the door swung open to reveal Kane Callaghan, his imposing figure silhouetted against the dim hallway light.

“Get up”, he ordered without preamble. “We need to talk”.

She rose, smoothing down her rumpled clothes. “Your scouts returned?”

“No”. His voice was terse. “But we have a situation. Follow me”

Wary but curious, Risanna followed him through the silent corridors of the building. They descended to the ground floor and continued to what appeared to be an office different from the one where they'd first met. It was smaller, less formal, more lived-in. Maps covered one wall, and a computer hummed on a cluttered desk.

Kane closed the door behind them and turned to face her. “Your friends are here”.