The Ghost Luna

CHAPTER FIVE

The Shadow fen swallowed them whole. Mist coiled around their bruised knees like spectral hands. Black water seeped into Elara’s boots, the stench of decay thick enough to taste. Lucian slashed through a curtain of hanging moss with unnecessary force.

“Suicide mission,” he growled. “For a child who’s not ours. For money we don’t need.”

Elara scanned the murk, dagger loose in her grip. “Money’s not the point.”

“Then what is? Playing hero for the man who exiled you?”

“Playing survivor. I don’t know what I am doing here yet but I will find out.” She kicked a floating carcass of a wolf with silvered eyes. “Our men are wounded back at camp. This? This is quiet.”

Lucian barked a laugh. “Quiet? In the most cursed swamp in the territory?”

“Exactly. It was not always like this, it used to be a beautiful river before the rogues’ attack started.” She flashed a humorless smile. “And while Kieran’s betas and our men lick their wounds, you get to babysit me. Perks of sleeping with the boss.”

He froze. “That’s twisted, even for you.”

“Truth often is.” She waded deeper. “Now quit whining. Moon blooms grow near the standing stones. That way.”

They moved in silence, the only sounds their sloshing steps and distant screeches. Lucian eyed the treetops. “Where are the rogues? Darius said this place crawled with them.”

“Itching for a rematch?” Elara said with a smirk and then she paused. “Maybe he lied or maybe something scared them off.”

Thwip! An arrow buried itself in the tree between them.

Black fletching. Silver tip.

“Well, you asked for it Lucian. Down!” Elara tackled Lucian into the bog as two more shafts hissed overhead.

The hooded figure darted between moss-draped oaks.

“Go left!” Elara hissed. Lucian lunged through the water. Elara went right, vaulting over a rotting log. Another arrow grazed her thigh, same shooter. She returned fire with a throwing knife. It clipped their shoulder. A muffled cry.

“Got you now, you creep” She muttered as she charged forward. The figure stumbled, hood slipping to reveal a flash of auburn hair.

Jax crashed through the reeds, sword drawn. “Ghost!”

He tackled the shooter from behind. They splashed into the muck, Jax pinning them with a knee to their spine. “Move and I snap your neck!”

Elara skidded to a halt, dagger raised. “Jax? What the hell are you doing here?”

The young mercenary grinned, panting. “Thought you could use backup. Blackthorne gives me the creeps.” He wrenched the shooter’s hood back to reveal the hooded figure.

Selene.

Kieran’s mate. Lena’s caretaker. Her face was gaunt, eyes hollow. A fresh burn blistered her collarbone.

“You?” Lucian snarled, hauling her up. “You shot at Lena!”

“N-Not at her!” Selene choked. “At him! Kieran! I had to!”

Elara gripped her tunic by the collar. “Why?”

Tears streaked down Selene’s grime-covered face. She clawed at her throat, revealing a silver collar pulsing with sickly light. “He m-made me! The collar burns when I disobey!”

Jax recoiled. “That is some serious dark magic…”

“What?” Lucian asked.

“I cannot explain it, but this has the same aura as those rogue wolves popping out of the woods.”

Selene trembled. “H-He watches! Always watches!”

As if summoned, a guttural horn blast echoed through the fen. Shapes moved in the mist, silver-eyed rogues, but different. Their movements were synchronized, unnervingly precise.

“s**t,” Lucian breathed. “It’s a hunting party.”

Elara shoved Selene toward Jax. “Get her to the standing stones. Now!”

“What about you?” Jax protested.

“I’ll draw them off.” She snatched Selene’s fallen bow. “Moon blooms only bloom at dawn. We have minutes!”

“Ghost, no!” Lucian grabbed her arm.

She shook him off. “Go! Or Lena dies!”

****************

Elara ran like death itself chased her, because it unfortunately did. She led the rogues through bone-chilling water, firing stolen arrows over her shoulder. One shaft found a throat. A rogue gurgled, collapsing.

Six left she thought to herself.

She scrambled onto a half-sunken ruin, arrows thudding into stone around her. The rogues fanned out, wading closer. The rogues were too coordinated and smart.

She fired her last arrow and knocked out another rogue wolf. A hooded figure stood far way and watched Elara with curiosity.

Elara leapt into the water as another shot splintered wood where her head had been. The rogues closed in with their fangs bared. She was cornered.

******************

Lucian gently shoved Selene against a mossy monolith. “Search for the moon blooms Jax.”

Jax scanned the clearing which was a ring of ancient stones draped in vines. “There!”

Moon blooms glowed faintly at the base of the central stone, petals like shaved opals. Jax hurriedly moved to pick some while Lucian kept Selene restrained.

Lucian sliced through vines choking the ancient monoliths. "Where, Jax?"

"Here!" Jax pointed to glowing opalescent petals at the base of the tallest stone. "Moon blooms!"

As Lucian scooped them into a vial, Jax watched the mist-shrouded path. "Think Ghost’s alright?"

"She’s survived worse." Lucian corked the vial. "Move. We’ll circle back…"

They heard a noise just around the corner and Elara showed up with blood-soaked sleeves from where some wolf’s fang had cut her.

Lucian paled. "Oh my god, are you okay? What happened back there?"

“Don’t worry about it, you should see the other guys.” She said, her tone sounded firm and strong but Lucian could see the pain in her eyes.

"Jax, I think you should get a head start with these moon bloom. We will meet you back at Blackthorne." Lucian ordered. Jax left almost immediately because he knew Lucian’s order was just as powerful as Ghost’s.

With Jax out of earshot, Lucian gripped Elara’s arm. "What happened back there?" He asked with both anger and concern in his voice.

"Don’t worry about that." Elara said as she snatched her arms from his hands. “We need to figure out what to do about Selene."

Lucian eyed the unconscious woman. "Kieran needs to know who tried to kill his daughter."

Elara’s laugh was sharp as broken glass. "Oh, he’ll know. He’ll execute her publicly. Just like he would’ve done to me."

"She shot a child!"

"Under duress! And the child was not the target, hell she was not supposed to be there.”

Lucian stared at her in disbelief and quietly said “What?”

“Look at her neck, Lucian! That collar cooked her flesh!" Elara’s voice cracked. "Or are you forgetting Kieran exiled his pregnant mate based on lies? He doesn’t care about the truth!"

Lucian stepped into her stirrup, forcing her to meet his gaze. "This isn’t about Selene. This is about you. You’re terrified he’ll look at her and still see you."

She recoiled as if struck. "I don’t care what he sees."

"Liar." His hand covered hers on the reins. "We should tell him, Elara. About the collar. The coercion. Let him choose mercy this time—"

Selene moaned, stirring. "H-he’s coming… he knows I failed…"

"Who is he?" Elara demanded, leaning close. "Give me a name!"

Selene’s eyes flew open in terror. "Behind you."

Just then, a silver-eyed rogue stood twenty yards away, bow raised. Not hooded. Not hiding. Just staring them down with an arrow aimed directly at Selene.

"Run," Selene whispered, blood bubbling on her lips. "He sees… everything…" Her eyes went glassy.

The rogue’s bowstring creaked and he let the arrow fly.