Chapter 9: The Name He cannot Forget
800 Words
Kael’s POV
The first thing I saw when I entered the council hall was blood on the floor.
Not much.
But enough.
Luca stood beside one of the guards.
“What happened?”
The guard lowered his head.
“An attack.
”
“From where?”
“We do not know.
”
I looked around the room.
Three council members were injured.
One was missing.
My hands tightened into fists.
“Find him.
”
“We already searched.
”
“Search again.
”
Luca stepped closer.
“There is something else.
”
“What?”
He handed me a piece of black cloth.
A symbol had been stitched into it.
The same symbol I had seen in the old archive.
My stomach turned.
“Ronan.
”
Luca nodded.
“I think so.
”
I looked at the symbol again.
Then something occurred to me.
“The records.
”
“What?”
“The sealed records from the night of the ceremony.
”
Luca's eyes narrowed.
“You think they are connected?”
“I know they are.
”
We returned to the archive.
Hours passed.
Dust covered the table as we searched through old documents.
Then Luca pulled out a record.
“Kael.
”
I looked up.
He placed it in front of me.
It contained the names of several ancient royal bloodlines.
Most had been crossed out.
One remained.
Blackwood.
My heart stopped.
“Amara.
”
Luca looked at me.
“She is not just a descendant.
”
I read the next line.
The last royal heir.
The words blurred.
All this time, I had believed I rejected a girl from a lower-ranked family.
But Amara had never been ordinary.
And somehow, I had been part of the plan that pushed her away.
I stood abruptly.
“We need to find her.
”
Luca nodded.
“I know.
”
When I returned to my chambers, Lyra was waiting.
“You have been looking for her.
”
It was not a question.
I stopped.
“Yes.
”
Her expression hardened.
“Why?”
“Because she may be the only person who can explain what is happening.
”
“She is dangerous.
”
“You do not know that.
”
“I know enough.
”
I stared at her.
“How?”
Silence.
Then she looked away.
I stepped closer.
“How do you know so much about her?”
“I heard things.
”
“From who?”
She did not answer.
Something inside me shifted.
For the first time, I wondered whether Luca had been right from the beginning.
I had chosen Lyra because I thought she was safe.
But maybe safety had only been an illusion.
That night, I went to the northern tower.
The wind was cold.
I closed my eyes.
And again, I felt her.
Stronger than before.
Closer.
I whispered her name.
“Amara.
”
Far away, inside the Silver Court, Amara opened her eyes.
She had felt it too.
The connection.
The bond.
The one that should have been broken.
But neither of them knew that someone else had felt it.
In a hidden chamber beneath the Shadow Moon estate, Lyra stood before a hooded figure.
“He knows,
” she whispered.
The figure's voice was cold.
“Then stop him.
”
“How?”
“Bring me the girl.
”
Lyra's fingers tightened.
“And if I cannot?”
The figure stepped closer.
“Then the Alpha dies with the rest of them.
”
Lyra's face went pale.
Amara’s POV
I woke suddenly.
Someone was standing outside my room.
I could feel them.
My body went still.
I reached for the power inside me.
The door opened slowly.
It was Nora.
I nearly cried.
“Nora?”
She rushed toward me.
I pulled her into a hug.
For the first time in months, I felt like part of my old life had returned.
“I have been looking everywhere for you,
” she whispered.
“I thought you were gone.
”
“I almost was.
”
I pulled back.
“What happened?”
Her expression changed.
“I found something.
”
“What?”
She reached into her cloak.
A small piece of parchment fell into my hands.
I unfolded it.
There was only one sentence.
My blood turned cold.
The war will begin when the Moonborn Queen returns.
I looked at Nora.
“Who gave you this?”
She shook her head.
“I do not know.
”
Then we heard a horn outside.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Selene burst through the door.
“Amara, we have to leave.
”
“What happened?”
Her face was pale.
“The eastern court has fallen.
”
My heart dropped.
“Who attacked them?”
Selene looked directly at me.
“Ronan.
”
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