CHAPTER 9
780 Words
The world fractures.
That’s the only way I can describe it.
One moment I’m in Magnus’s arms, his voice calling my name like an anchor—
the next, everything inside me splits open.
Heat floods my veins.
Not pain.
Power.
Raw. Wild. Unfiltered.
I cry out as something coils inside my chest, stretching, clawing, waking—and suddenly I can feel everything.
The stone beneath Magnus’s boots.
The distant snowstorm beyond the walls.
The wolves running patrol, their heartbeats drumming in my skull.
And worse—
I feel eyes.
Watching.
Searching.
Wanting.
Magnus swears violently and presses his forehead to mine.
“Stay with me,” he commands. “Ember, don’t let go.”
“I—I can’t stop it,” I gasp. “It’s too big.”
His grip tightens, protective to the point of desperation.
“You don’t have to stop it,” he growls. “You have to control it.”
Control?
How do you control something ancient enough to remember the moon before kingdoms existed?
Another wave surges through me, stronger than the last. The corridor lights flicker. The air hums.
Somewhere far away, an alarm bell begins to ring.
They know.
Whoever they are.
Magnus moves fast.
In one fluid motion, he scoops me up and storms down a side corridor, boots pounding against stone.
“Magnus,” I whisper, clinging to him.
“Kieran—”
He doesn’t answer.
And that silence hurts more than the awakening ever could.
(Magnus’s POV)
This is my fault.
I waited too long.
I wanted to protect her from the truth—shield her from the burden of what she is.
And now the world has felt her wake.
I carry Ember into the warded chamber beneath the Alpha Wing, slamming the door shut with my heel.
Runes ignite along the walls, ancient symbols flaring to life.
The room hums, recognizing her.
Recognizing her blood.
“Easy,” I murmur, lowering her onto the stone platform at the center. “You’re safe.”
She laughs weakly.
“That’s a lie,” she whispers. “I can feel them.”
My jaw tightens.
“So can I.”
I place my hands on either side of her face, forcing her to look at me.
“Listen to me, Ember. What’s happening to you—it doesn’t make you a monster.
Or a weapon.”
Her glowing eyes flicker.
“Then why does everyone treat me like one?”
Because they’re afraid of you.
Because they should be.
I didn’t say it.
Instead, I rest my forehead against hers.
“You are under my protection,” I vow. “No council. No court. No prophecy will take you from me.”
Something in her gaze softens.
“Why?” she whispers.
The answer is dangerous.
So I give her the truth—just not all of it.
“Because the last time someone with your bloodline awakened,” I say quietly, “the world burned.”
Her breath catches.
“And this time?” she asks.
I meet her gaze without flinching.
“This time, I burn it first.”
(Kieran’s POV)
I feel it.
The second flare hits like a blade to the spine.
My wolf howls, slamming against my control, desperate—angry—afraid.
She’s in danger.
I don’t care what my father said.
I don’t care about orders.
I shift mid-run, bones snapping, fur ripping through skin as I race toward the Alpha Wing through the snow-covered courtyard.
Guards shout.
I ignore them.
I slam into the ward boundary—
And bounce back like I’ve hit a mountain.
I crash into the ground, breath knocked from my lungs.
“No,” I snarl, shifting back. “Let me in!”
The wards glow brighter.
She’s sealed inside.
Protected.
From everyone.
Including me.
My hands tremble as I press my forehead to the invisible barrier.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I should’ve chosen you. I should’ve fought for you.”
The bond pulses painfully.
Not broken.
But strained.
Like a thread pulled too tight.
And I realize something that terrifies me more than losing her—
If Ember survives this awakening…
She may never forgive me.
(Lyra’s POV)
The second flare is magnificent.
Even stronger than predicted.
I smile as the crystal in my palm fractures, overwhelmed by the energy surge.
“Yes,” I murmur. “You’re awake.”
The Southern Court will be pleased.
The Council will panic.
And Magnus?
Magnus will make mistakes.
Power like Ember’s doesn’t stay hidden.
It demands blood.
I turn toward the waiting messenger.
“Send word,” I say calmly. “The hunt has begun.”
- Writer
